Automatically adjusting shaker head harvester with steering correction and improved shaker head mounting
OwnerPhillip R. Scott, Franklin P. Orlando +2inventors
InventorsPhillip R. Scott, Franklin P. Orlando, Kevin M. Caine, Marty D. Youman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A harvester incorporating at least one force balanced shaker vibratory brush as the harvesting apparatus uses a sensing system connected to a plurality of spring feelers carried on a shaft to generate a torque value responsive to the location of the shape and position of a tree. The feeler springs may be of differing lengths to assist in tuning the harvester. Apparatus and a method for mounting the shaker head on the vehicle as well as system of steering the harvester are disclosed.
Claims34
A harvester shaker assembly comprising:
- a central shaft supported on the shaker assembly;
- a plurality of rods projecting from the central shaft;
- a rotatable feeler spring shaft supported on the shaker assembly;
- a plurality of feeler springs attached to the feeler spring shaft.
A method of positioning a shaker head of a harvester relative to a frame of the harvester, the shaker head having a shaker brush frame, a rotatable feeler spring shaft, a feeler spring supported on the rotatable feeler spring shaft, a sensing device associated with the rotatable shaft for the feeler springs, a controller having signal receiving and signal generating systems, an adjustable link carried between the shaker brush frame and the frame of the harvester;
- the method comprising the acts of:
- moving a feeler spring;
- sensing movement of the feeler spring;
- generating an input signal corresponding to the sensed movement of the feeler spring;
- receiving the signal at the controller;
- generating a signal at the controller and sending the signal to the adjustable link.
A harvester for harvesting fruit, the harvester having two pairs of steerable wheels, each pair of steered wheels having a sensing device for determining the position of the steered wheels, and a hydraulic circuit including valve systems, for steering the harvester, the improvement in the harvester comprising:
- a linkage supported rear rail carried by a frame of the harvester;
- a sensing device sensing the lateral position of the rear rail;
- a controller responsive to a sensed signal from the sensing device, whereby the controller will cause the hydraulic circuit valve system to position the a pair of steerable wheels so that the sensing device sensing the lateral position of the rear rail indicates that the rear rail is in a predetermined position.
A shaker brush frame comprising:
- a shaker brush frame member;
- an arm attached to one end of the shaker brush frame member;
- a brush shaft support carried on the shaker brush frame member spaced apart from the arm at one end of the shaker brush frame member;
- a clamp, having an inside diameter, carried by the brush shaft support, the clamp having two halves fastened together;
- a plurality of friction reducing elements carried by the clamp, each friction reducing element having a contact point inside the inside diameter.
A method of supporting a shaker brush, the shaker brush including a central shaft having a lower end and having an upper end and a shaft zone between the lower end and the upper end, in a shaker brush frame, the shaker brush frame also including a bearing incorporating clamp supported on an arm attached to the shaker brush frame, comprising the acts of:
- supporting the central shaft from the lower end thereof;
- supporting the central shaft in the shaft zone using the clamp.
A harvester shaker assembly comprising:
- a central shaft;
- a plurality of rods projecting from the central shaft;
- a rotatable feeler spring shaft;
- a plurality of feeler springs attached to the feeler spring shaft;
- a spring connected to the rotatable feeler spring shaft and to the harvester shaker assembly for providing resistance to rotation of the rotatable feeler spring shaft.
A harvester having a shaker assembly for harvesting fruit, the harvester having two pairs of steerable wheels, each pair of steered wheels having a sensing device for determining the position of the steered wheels, and a hydraulic circuit including valve systems for steering the harvester and a shaker positioning hydraulic system;
- the improvement in the harvester comprising:
- the shaker assembly having central shaft having a plurality of rods projecting from the central shaft;
- a rotatable feeler spring shaft carried by the shaker assembly, the feeler spring shaft having a shaft rotation sensor for generating a signal;
- a plurality of feeler springs attached to the feeler spring shaft;
- a linkage supported rear rail carried by a frame of the harvester;
- a sensing device sensing the lateral position of the rear rail;
- a controller responsive to a sensed signal from the sensing device and from the sensed signal from the shaft rotation sensor, whereby the controller will cause the shaker positioning hydraulic system to position the shaker assembly responsive to the shaft rotation sensor of the rotatable feeler spring shaft and cause the steering hydraulic circuit valve system to position a pair of steerable wheels so that the sensing device sensing the lateral position of the rear rail indicates that the rear rail is in a predetermined position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.