Grape harvester

A harvester comprising:

• frame means operable to move along in straddling fashion a row of plants having growing items thereon and including a receptacle to catch said items falling from said plants;
• a head pivotally mounted on said frame means to pulsate said plants to cause items growing thereon to fall therefrom into said receptacle, said head including:
• a frame pivotally mounted to said frame means and having a pair of downwardly extending spaced apart supports forming a channel through which said row of plants may pass;
• a pair of horizontally movable arms mountable to said supports with spaced apart distal ends positionable on opposite sides of said row of plants;
• driving means mounted on said frame and operatively associated with said arms to reciprocate said arms back and forth against said plants while limiting movement of one arm to approximately the same horizontal direction of movement as the other arm, said driving means including first and second crank shafts rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation on said frame, a source of energy having a rotatable output operatively driving said first and second crank shafts which are connected to said arms maintaining a constant spacing between said distal ends as said arms are reciprocated by said driving means, said arms including at least a pair of links with top ends pivotally mounted to said frame and bottom ends pivotally connected to said arms suspending said arms therefrom and allowing a swinging arc movement of said arms in response to said driving means and independent of pivotal movement of said frame, said distal ends being rigid members extending in the direction of said row of plants;
• counterweight means including a first and a second off centered counterweights respectively on said first and second crank shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, said counterweight means being operable to provide a vibration neutralizing force in a direction opposite of the direction of movement of said arms;
• and
• timing means operatively associated with said first and second off centered counterweights along with said first and second crank shafts being operable to rotate said counterweights about said axis of rotation but in a direction opposite of the crank shaft upon which each counterweight is mounted dampening vibration imparted to said frame by said arms.