Method and apparatus for recovering tomatoes from severed vines, employing a rotated and oscillated shaker
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorHenry E. Studer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for mechanically removing tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground. The severed and lifted vines are fed in between a rotary shaker and stationary guides, for example, a rotary drum with radially outwardly projecting rods and arcuate guide rods around the drum. The vines are shaken by subjecting them to angular acceleration and deceleration while the vines are transported around an arcuate path. The tomatoes shaken from the vines are collected, and the stripped vines are dropped back on the ground.
Claims37
A method for mechanically harvesting a crop from a vine or like plant after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, comprising
- shaking the vines by subjecting them to angular acceleration and deceleration while transporting said vines around an arcuate path about an horizontal axis and while holding said vines in said arcuate path,
- collecting the crop shaken from the vines, and
- disposing of the stripped vines.
A method for mechanically removing tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, comprising
- shaking the vines by subjecting them to angular acceleration and deceleration while transporting said vines around an arcuate path about an horizontal axis and while holding said vines in said arcuate path,
- collecting the tomatoes shaken from the vines, and
- disposing of the stripped vines.
A method for mechanically removing tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, employing a harvester moving along rows of tomato vines, comprising
- feeding the severed and lifted vines in between stationary guides, and a rotary shaker having its axis horizontal and transverse to the direction of movement of said harvester,
- shaking the vines by subjecting them to angular acceleration and deceleration while transporting said vines around an arcuate path around said axis and while holding said vines in said arcuate path,
- collecting the tomatoes shaken from the vines, and
- disposing of the stripped vines.
A method for mechanically removing tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, employing a harvester moving along rows of tomato vines, comprising
- feeding the severed and lifted vines in between stationary guides and a rotary shaker having its axis horizontal and in line with the direction of movement of said harvester,
- shaking the vines by subjecting them to angular acceleration and deceleration while transporting said vines around an arcuate path around said axis and while holding said vines in said arcuate path,
- collecting the tomatoes shaken from the vines, and
- disposing of the stripped vines.
In a mechanical crop harvester, a shaker for removing the crop from its vines or vine-like plants after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted above-ground, comprising
- shaking means for carrying said vines around an arcuate path while subjecting them to angular acceleration and deceleration,
- retention means for holding said vines in correspondence with said shaking means,
- feeding means for feeding the severed and lifted vines in between said shaking means and said retention means,
- collection means for collecting the crop shaken from the vines, and
- disposal means for freeing the vines from the shaking means after the crop has been shaken therefrom.
In a mechanical tomato harvester, a shaker for removing the tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, comprising
- shaking means for carrying said vines around an arcuate path while subjecting them to angular acceleration and deceleration,
- retention means for holding said vines in engagement with said shaking means,
- feeding means for feeding the severed and lifted vines in between said shaking means and said retention means,
- collection means for collecting the tomatoes shaken from the vines, and
- disposal means for freeing the shaking means from the vines after the tomatoes are shaken therefrom.
In a mechanical tomato harvester, a shaker for removing the tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, comprising
- a main wheel-supported harvester frame,
- shaking means supported by said frame for carrying said vines around an arcuate path lying around a horizontal axis transverse to said frame, while subjecting them to angular acceleration and deceleration,
- retention means supported in a stationary position by said frame, adjacent to said shaking means, for holding said vines in engagement with said shaking means,
- feeding means supported by said frame for feeding the severed and lifted vines in between said shaking means and said retention means,
- collection means supported by said frame for collecting the tomatoes shaken from the vines, and
- disposal means supported by said frame for freeing the shaking means from the vines after the tomatoes are shaken therefrom.
In a mechanical tomato harvester, a shaker for removing the tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, comprising
- a main frame,
- tomato-vine engaging means for engaging said vines, supported rotatably by said main frame and having a series of vine-engaging projections extending outwardly from a cylindrical envelope,
- a plurality of flexibly mounted, arcuate tomato-vine retaining means supported in a generally stationary position by said main frame adjacent said envelope, for retaining the vines in engagement with said tomato-vine engagement means,
- feeding means supported by said main frame for feeding the severed and lifted vines in between the envelope and said retaining means, whereby the vine-engaging projections carry the vines around at least a portion of the envelope while they are engaged by said engaging means,
- rotation means supported by said main frame and connected to said tomato-vine engaging means for imparting constant rotational velocity to said engaging means,
- oscillation means supported by said main frame for imposing on said constant rotational velocity a periodic angular velocity so that the vines are angularly accelerated and decelerated as they follow their arcuate path around at least a segment of the envelope, whereby tomatoes are shaken therefrom,
- collection means supported by said main frame for collecting the tomatoes shaken from the vines, and
- disposal means supported by said main frame for receiving the vines from said engaging means after they have completed their journey therealong and for guiding them back to the ground.
In a mechanical tomato harvester, a shaker for removing the tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, comprising
- a main frame,
- a cylindrical drum supported rotatably by said main frame and having a series of vine-engaging projections extending outwardly from a cylindrical outer periphery,
- a plurality of flexibly mounted arcuate rods supported by said main frame adjacent said periphery,
- feeding means supported by said main frame for feeding the severed and lifted vines in between the drum periphery and said arcuate rods, whereby the vine-engaging projections carry the vines around at least a portion of the drum periphery, while the rods hold the vines against said periphery,
- rotation means supported by said main frame and connected to said drum for imparting a constant rotational velocity to said drum,
- oscillation means supported by said main frame for imposing on said constant-rotational velocity a periodic angular velocity so that the vines are accelerated and decelerated as they follow their arcuate path around the drum, whereby tomatoes are shaken therefrom,
- collection means supported by said main frame for collecting the tomatoes shaken from the vines, and
- disposal means supported by said main frame for receiving the vines from said drum after they have completed their journey therearound and for guiding them back to the ground.
In a mechanical tomato harvester, a shaker for removing the tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, comprising
- a main frame,
- main shaker shaft means,
- a series of identical disks mounted on tomato-vine engaging means, said main shaker shaft means being spaced apart, with their peripheries lying along an imaginary cylindrical envelope, each disk having a series of vine-engaging projections extending outwardly from the cylindrical envelope,
- plurality of flexibly-mounted arcuate tomato-vine retaining means supported in a generally stationary position by said main frame adjacent said envelope, for retaining the vines in the vicinity of said envelope,
- feeding means supported by said main frame for feeding the severed and lifted vines in between the envelope and said retaining means, whereby the vine-engaging projections carry the vines around at least a portion of the envelope while they are retained in the vicinity of said envelope,
- rotation means supported by said main frame and connected through said main shaker shaft to said disk for imparting to them a constant rotational velocity,
- oscillation means supported by said main frame and converted to said disks for imposing on said constant rotational velocity a periodic angular velocity, so that the vines are accelerated and decelerated as they follow their arcuate path around at least a segment of the envelope, whereby tomatoes are shaken therefrom,
- collection means supported by said main frame for collecting the tomatoes shaken from the vines, and
- disposal means supported by said main frame for receiving the stripped vines and for guiding them back to the ground.
In a mechanical tomato harvester, a shaker for removing the tomatoes from their vines after the vines have been severed from their roots and lifted aboveground, comprising
- a main frame,
- tomato-vine engaging means for engaging said vines, supported rotatably by said main frame and comprising a series of parallel rods set around a cylindrical envelope and having a series of vine-engaging projections extending outwardly from the cylindrical envelope,
- a plurality of flexibly mounted, arcuate tomato-vine retaining means supported in a generally stationary position by said main frame adjacent said envelope, for retaining the vines in the vicinity of said envelope,
- feeding means supported by said main frame for feeding the severed and lifted vines in between the envelope and said retaining means, whereby the vine-engaging projections carry the vines around at least a portion of the envelope while they are retained in the vicinity of said envelope,
- rotation means supported by said main frame and connected to said tomato-vine engaging means for imparting a constant rotational velocity to said engaging means,
- oscillation means supported by said main frame for imposing on said constant rotational velocity a periodic angular velocity so that the vines are accelerated and decelerated as they follow their arcuate path around at least a segment of the envelope, whereby tomatoes are shaken therefrom,
- collection means supported by said main frame for collecting the tomatoes shaken from the vines, and
- disposal means supported by said main frame for receiving the vines from said tomato-vine engaging means after they have completed their journey therealong and for guiding them back to the ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.