Grape harvester with beaters adjustable for different row widths
OwnerPaul Laurence Jarmaininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A harvester especially for grapes wherein sets of beaters (4, 5) on each side of the harvester are adapted to be used in unison to effect a beating action to remove fruit from plants being harvested, with devices (35, 36) to change a relative position of respective pivot supports (29) for each respective set of the beaters (4, 5) while the sets of beaters (4, 5) are in a beating mode and operating. A hydraulic ram arrangement (35, 36) that facilitates this by being able to be over the grape collection area without hydraulic connection fittings and flywheels that are supported on sub frames in a way that will not unduly prejudice the beating action. An arrangement for detecting changes in pressure of the beaters and arranging for a change in position of support of the beaters in response.
Claims9
A grape harvester comprising a frame to straddle a vine and means to move the harvester along the vine while straddling the vine, a first set of beaters extending inwardly and rearwardly from a first side of the frame and a second set of beaters extending inwardly and rearwardly from an opposite side of the frame, means to effect synchronous to and fro action of both sets of beaters to effect thereby movement of the vine to effect removal of grapes therefrom, wherein the first set of beaters is supported from a first sub frame which is supported from an upper pivot on a first support and the second set of beaters is supported by a second sub frame which second sub frame is supported from an upper pivot on a second support, and hydraulic means connected to the frame for moving said first and second supports closer together or further apart, wherein the hydraulic means comprises a single shaft and two hydraulic cylinders each surrounding a selected length of the shaft, each cylinder being connected to one of said supports so that the action of hydraulic fluid on a cylinder chances the position of that cylinder and the support to which it is connected along the length of the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.