Method and apparatus for shaking trees grown in rows

An apparatus for sequentially shaking selected stems of plants which are grown in rows to displace crops from said plants, said apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• means for moving said frame along a path of travel which is parallel to the row of plants to be harvested;
• and means resiliently mounted to said frame for clamping and shaking a stem of a plant in said row, said last-named means including a housing which extends transversely of said frame to a position which is proximal to said row of plants, a first clamping arm pivotally mounted to said housing proximal the leading end thereof relative to said path of travel of the frame, a second clamping arm pivotally mounted to said housing proximal the trailing end thereof, said first and second arms each having pad means for resiliently engaging a stem to be shaken when both of said arms are pivoted outwardly relative to said housing into extended positions, means for applying shaking forces to said arms, said arms being pivotally mounted to said housing to pivot in opposite directions from their respective extended positions each through generally 90.degree. of arcuate movement to stowed positions where they are generally parallel to the path of travel of said frame and thus generally parallel to the row of plants to be harvested, and means for pivoting said first and second arms between said stowed positions and said extended positions, whereby said frame may be moved along a straight path between the plants in said row without substantial slewing of the frame to align the clamping and shaking means with a plant in said row.

A method of sequentially shaking the trunks of trees grown in rows comprising:

• providing a mobile frame with a shaking and clamping assembly having a leading clamping arm and a trailing clamping arm which are independently movable in a scissor-like manner relative to the frame for grasping the trunk of a tree located on one side of the frame when said frame is at a shaking position adjacent said tree;
• moving the frame along a path generally parallel to the row of trees to be harvested, and prior to arriving at said shaking location at the side of the trunk of a tree to be shaken, inwardly pivoting the leading arm to an orientation which is generally parallel to said path of travel whereby said leading arm will clear the trunk to be shaken when the frame is moved along said path to said shaking location, and outwardly pivoting the trailing arm to a position whereat said trailing arm will abut or be closely spaced from the trailing side of the trunk to be shaken when the frame arrives at said shaking location;
• visually referring to the extended trailing clamping arm to guide the movement of the frame toward said trunk to be shaken, and stopping said vehicle when said trailing arm abuts or is closely adjacent to the trailing side of the trunk to be shaken;
• thereafter extending the leading arm into a clamping position against the leading side of said tree;
• applying a shaking motion to the clamping arms to thereby shake the trunk of the tree;
• thereafter retracting at least the trailing arm to a position generally parallel to the path of movement of the frame, whereby the frame may be moved directly forward with the trailing arm clearing the trunk of the shaken tree;
• and,
• repeating the foregoing steps with respect to the subsequent trees in the row of trees which is to be shaken.