Pyrethrum harvesting machines
AssigneeGeoff. Williames (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.
InventorGeoffrey A. Williames
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for harvesting pyrethrum flowers comprises a rotary picking head within which are mounted picking fingers reciprocable between retracted and projected positions. The fingers are spaced apart a distance to enable mature blooms to be severed from their stems. The picking head is partially enclosed by a shroud that communicates via ducting with a bin. An air stream is created within the shroud and ducting to cause picked blooms to be conveyed from the picking head to the bin.
Claims17
A machine adapted for use in harvesting growing flowers each of which has a bloom supported above ground level by an upstanding stem, said machine comprising a mobile chassis;
- a picking head drum having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings in its surface;
- means mounting said drum on said chassis for rotation in one direction about a substantially horizontal axis and at a level to engage the stems of said flowers between the blooms and ground level;
- a plurality of sets of spaced apart, straight comb-like picking fingers;
- support means for each of said sets of fingers located within said drum for rotation therewith, said support means supporting the associated set of fingers for reciprocating movements along a linear path through adjacent openings in said drum;
- cam means carried by said chassis;
- and cam follower means carried by each of said support means for engagement with said cam means in response to rotation of said drum, said cam means and said cam follower means cooperating with one another during rotation of said drum to cause the fingers of each of said sets to reciprocate through the adjacent openings along said linear path between projected and retracted positions, said cam means and said cam follower means effecting movement of each set of fingers as it moves upwardly from bottom dead center from a retracted position within said drum to a substantially fully projected position, the fingers of each of said sets when in the projected position forming with the adjacent drum surface a substantially constant acute angle in said direction of rotation.
A machine adapted for use in harvesting growing flowers each of which has a bloom supported above ground level by an upstanding stem, said machine comprising a mobile chassis;
- a hollow picking head drum having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings in its surface;
- means mounting said drum on said chassis for rotation in one direction about a substantially horizontal axis and at a level to enable its leading side to engage the stems of said flowers between the blooms and ground level;
- a plurality of sets of spaced apart, straight, comb-like picking fingers;
- support means for each of said sets of fingers located within said drum for rotation therewith, said support means supporting the associated set of fingers for reciprocating movements along a linear path through adjacent openings in said drum;
- cam means carried by said chassis;
- cam follower means carried by each of said support means for engagement with said cam means in response to rotation of said drum, said cam means and said cam follower means cooperating with one another during rotation of said drum to cause the fingers of each of said sets to reciprocate through the adjacent openings along said linear path between projected and retracted positions, said drum having additional openings therein adjacent the fingers of each of said sets in the direction of rotation of said drum;
- shroud means embracing said drum except for the leading side thereof;
- suction generating means;
- and ducting coupling said shroud means and said suction generating means whereby to establish an air stream flowing through said additional openings at the leading side of said drum, through said drum, and through said other openings opposite those at the leading side of said drum, and thence through said ducting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.