Vine crop harvester

A vine crop harvester comprising:

• a harvesting assembly;
• means for propelling said harvesting assembly along a ground surface in an axial machine direction;
• wherein said harvesting assembly further comprises:
• a frame having connected thereto an elongated digger chain of an endless belt type, said elongated digger chain being disposed on said frame at a shallow angle to said ground, said frame further having connected thereto a digger blade at a lower end of said digger chain, a cutting edge of said digger blade being disposed beneath said ground surface when said harvesting assembly is in use;
• a pinch roller subassembly disposed in an orientation transverse to said axial machine direction, and proximate to an upper end of said digger chain, comprising a first and a second pinch roller, and a first backup roller, said first pinch roller and said first backup roller being biased into contact with said second pinch roller, and being so constructed and arranged to be pivotable away from said second pinch roller against said biased;
• means for transporting vines of said vine crop upwardly on said digger chain and for introducing said vines into a nip defined between said first and said second pinch rollers;
• and
• means for adjusting a width of a throat, said throat being defined by a spacing between an upper end of said digger chain and said first and second pinch rollers.

A vine crop harvester comprising:

• a harvesting assembly;
• means for propelling said harvesting assembly along a ground surface in an axial machine direction;
• wherein said harvesting assembly further comprises:
• a frame having connected thereto an elongated digger chain of an endless belt type, said elongated digger chain being disposed on said frame at a shallow angle to said ground, said frame further having connected thereto a digger blade at a lower end of said digger chain, a cutting edge of said digger blade being disposed beneath said ground surface when said harvesting assembly is in use;
• a pinch roller subassembly disposed in an orientation transverse to said axial machine direction, and proximate to an upper end to said digger chain, comprising a first and a second pinch roller, and a first backup roller, said first pinch roller and said first backup roller being biased into contact with said second pinch roller, and being so constructed and arranged to be pivotable away from said second pinch roller against said biasing;
• means for transporting vines of said vine crop upwardly on said digger chain and for introducing said vines into a nip defined between said first and said second pinch rollers;
• and
• means for changing a distance between said lower end of said digger chain and said digger blade.

A vine crop harvester comprising:

• a harvesting assembly;
• means for propelling said harvesting assembly along a ground surface in an axial machine direction;
• wherein said harvesting assembly further comprises:
• a frame having connected thereto an elongated digger chain of an endless belt type, said elongated digger chain being disposed on said frame at a shallow angle to said ground, said frame further having connected thereto a digger blade at a lower end of said digger chain, a cutting edge of said digger blade being disposed beneath said ground surface when said harvesting assembly is in use;
• a pinch roller subassembly disposed in an orientation transverse to said axial machine direction, and proximate to an upper end of said digger chain, comprising a first and a second pinch roller, and a first backup roller, said first pinch roller and said first backup roller being biased into contact with said second pinch roller, and being so constructed and arranged to be pivotable away from said second pinch roller against said biasing;
• means for transporting vines of said vine crop upwardly on said digger chain and for introducing said vines into a nip defined between said first and said second pinch rollers;
• and
• wherein said digger blade comprises a base plate having a corrosion resistant cutting blade secured to an front upper side of said base plate.

A vine crop harvester comprising:

• a harvesting assembly;
• means for propelling said harvesting assembly along a ground surface in an axial machine direction;
• wherein said harvesting assembly further comprises:
• a frame having connected thereto an elongated digger chain of an endless belt type, said elongated digger chain being disposed on said frame at a shallow angle to said ground, said frame further having connected thereto a digger blade at a lower end of said digger chain, a cutting edge of said digger blade being disposed beneath said ground surface when said harvesting assembly is in use;
• a pinch roller subassembly disposed in an orientation transverse to said axial machine direction, and proximate to an upper end of said digger chain, comprising a first and a second pinch roller, and a first backup roller, said first pinch roller and said first backup roller being biased into contact with said second pinch roller, and being so constructed and arranged to be pivotable away from said second pinch roller against said biasing;
• means for transporting vines of said vine crop upwardly on said digger chain and for introducing said vines into a nip defined between said first and said second pinch rollers,
• a cross conveyor of an endless belt type, said cross conveyor being disposed underneath said nip between said first and second rollers to receive a crop after said crop has been separated from said vine at said nip, said cross conveyor being movable in a direction to deliver said crop to a predetermined side of said harvesting assembly, and wherein said harvesting assembly further comprises means for blowing air upwardly toward said pinch roller subassembly and upwardly through at least a portion of said cross conveyor, said air blowing means comprising duct means for discharging air across substantially an entire width of said pinch roller assembly.