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US 4,059,943 AGranted
Harvester apparatus
OwnerGerald J. Peasleyinventor
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OwnerGerald J. Peasleyinventor
Estimating the term…
A harvesting machine is disclosed which is especially adapted to harvesting asparagus; however, it is effective for a variety of objects such as apples, nuts or golf balls. The harvester, which may be pushed, pulled or self-propelled, includes a rigid outer frame supported on ground engaging support wheels which are positioned to travel adjacent the asparagus rows or the like. A rigid picking head frame is pivoted from the extreme rear of the outer frame so that rough ground will not cause extreme up and down movement of a picking head which is adjacent the forward end of the outer frame. Ground engaging drive wheels mounted on the picking head frame are also positioned to travel adjacent the asparagus rows or the like and provide a drive for the picking head which includes pairs of a parallel spaced apart flexible elastomeric discs having protrusions on the radial surfaces thereof. The flexible discs are fixed to a rotary shaft which is mounted perpendicular to the direction of travel of the harvester and parallel to the ground and is driven by the ground engaging drive wheels. The shaft and discs are driven by the ground engaging drive wheels at peripheral speeds other than the ground speed of the harvester. Wedge shaped elemens fixed to the picking head frame force adjacent flexible discs into contact with one another in a picking zone. A conveyor driven by a ground engaging wheel receives and elevates the asparagus which has been guided between adjacent discs and broken off as a result of the speed of the discs, the force of the wedges holding the discs together and the protrusions on the radial faces of the adjacent discs.
A harvesting apparatus adapted for traveling along an asparagus bed and picking asparagus stalks, said apparatus comprising a support frame, ground engaging means mounted to the frame for maintaining the support frame at a predetermined distance above the ground, and picking means mounted on the support frame for grasping only the stalks of a predetermined first height above the ground and bending the stalks of the asparagus to break the stalks at a second height above the ground which is less than the predetermined first height and at which the stalk is of a predetermined desired pith, said picking means including a rotary driven shaft mounted on the support frame perpendicular to the direction of travel of the harvesting apparatus and parallel to the ground, pairs of parallel flexible discs fixed to the rotary shaft and having protrusions on at least one of the radial surfaces of each disc, spacing means for bringing pairs of adjacent discs into close proximity during rotation of the discs through a picking zone, means for separating the discs after the discs rotate out of the picking zone and drive means for rotating the discs at peripheral speeds other than the ground speed of the harvesting apparatus and at sufficient relative velocity between the periphery of the disc and the ground to bend and break the asparagus stalks thereby permitting asparagus or the like guided into the picking zone to be grasped, bent and broken by the adjacent discs and then to be removed as the discs separate to produce a macimum yield of premium grade asparagus by picking only asparagus of the proper pith at a second height lower than a predetermined first height to which the asparagus must grow before being harvested.
A harvesting apparatus adapted for traveling along an apparagus bed and picking asparagus stalks, said apparatus comprising a support frame, ground engaging means mounted to the frame for maintaining the support frame at a predetermined distance above the ground, and picking means mounted on the support frame for grasping only the stalks of a predetermined first height above the ground and bending the stalks of the asparagus to break the stalks at a second height above the ground which is less than the predetermined first height and at which the stalk is of a predetermined desired pith, said support frame including an outer frame and a picking head frame pivoted to the outer frame with the picking means mounted on the picking head frame, said ground engaging means includes ground engaging support wheels mounted on the outer frame and said ground engaging support wheels are mounted in pairs on opposite sides of the outer frame with the axles of each pair of wheels connected and rotatable about an eccentric pivot on the frame.
A harvesting apparatus adapted for traveling along an asparagus bed and picking asparagus stalks, said apparatus comprising a support frame, ground engaging means mounted to the frame for maintaining the support frame at a predetermined distance above the ground, and picking means mounted on support frame for grasping only the stalks of a predetermined first height above the ground and bending the stalks of the asparagus to break the stalks at a second height above the ground which is less than the predetermined first height and at which the stalk is of a predetermined desired pith, said support frame including an outer frame having a forward end and a rear end and a picking head frame pivoted at one end from the rear of the outer frame with the picking means mounted on the opposite end of the picking head frame, said picking means including a rotary driven shaft mounted on the picking head frame perpendicular to the direction of travel of the harvesting apparatus and parallel to the ground, pairs of parallel flexible discs fixed to the rotary shaft and having protrusions on at least one of the radial surfaces of each disc, spacing means for bringing pairs of adjacent discs into close proximity during operation of the discs through a picking zone, means for separating the discs after the discs rotate out of the picking zone thereby permitting asparagus or the like guided into the picking zone to be grasped, bent and broken by the adjacent discs and then to be removed as the discs separate and a drive means for rotating the discs at peripheral speeds other than the ground speed of the harvesting apparatus and at sufficient relative velocity between the periphery of the disc and the ground to bend and break the asparagus stalks thereby producing a maximum yield of premium grade asparagus by picking only asparagus of the proper pith at a second height lower than a predetermined first height to which the asparagus must grow before being harvested.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.