Single shaker head harvesting apparatus and method

Abstract

A fruit harvester includes a single shaker head having multiple, independently operable, shaker head segments freely rotatable about an axis of the head and moveable in a to and fro linear displacement. Each head segment includes a shaft and multiple finger elements radially extending from the shaft for penetrating fruit bearing branches of a tree. A shaker provides the radially linear displacement of the shaker head segment to and from the axis of the single shaker head. Adjacent shaker head segments are displaced in parallel and opposing directions for providing an oscillating movement to the finger elements, and thus a balance and stability to the shaker head during shaking movement of the tree branches. The shaker head is operable with a mobile carrier. A conveyor, also carried by the mobile carrier, is independently operable for receiving fruit falling from the tree and delivering the fruit onto a hauler. A flexible trunk seal is juxtaposed with the conveyor for assisting fruit falling from the tree to roll onto the conveyor. The flexible trunk seal is positioned for contacting the trunk in a sealing arrangement when operating with a similar and opposing fruit harvester. A hydraulic mechanism positions the conveyor and seal at a desirable distance from the trunk when a sensor sliding along the trunk activates the mechanism for lateral movement of the conveyor and seal in response to movement of the sensor, thus maintaining a desirable distance between the tree and fruit harvester.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.