Leaf defoliator assembly for an automatic tabacco harvester

A tobacco harvester unit adapted to be mounted and supported adjacent one side of a tractor, said tobacco harvester unit comprising:

• a frame structure;
• rotatively driven leaf defoliation means extending generally longitudinally within said harvester unit and including rear and front ends;
• lateral conveyor means disposed on each side of said harvester unit generally adjacent the rear areas of said defoliating means, said lateral conveyor means extending on each side of said harvester unit from the rear area of said defoliating means forwardly where the lateral conveyor means terminates generally intermediately between the front and rear ends of said defoliator means;
• longitudinal conveyor means disposed outwardly adjacent said lateral conveyor means for receiving tobacco leaf material therefrom;
• and a front stationary leaf receiving panel adjoining said lateral conveyor means on each side of said harvester unit just generally below and adjacent the front portion of said defoliating means, said front stationary leaf receiving panel serving to catch and receive leaves initially defoliated from the upper portion of the target swath during the harvesting operation and wherein tobacco leaves remaining about the lower portion of the target swath act to engage and sweep these received leaves disposed on each of said stationary leaf receiving rearwardly onto said adjacent lateral conveyor means where the leaves are conveyed laterally onto said outwardly adjacent longitudinal conveying means.