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US 6,779,329 B2Granted
Vinous crop harvesting apparatus and method
AssigneePik Rite, Inc.
InventorsJoseph Yoder, Matthew Moyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Harvesting methods and apparatus provide endless movable arrays of finger members for contacting and strippingly lifting fruits from plants in growing fields with each of the arrays being generally upstanding, longitudinally elongated and having at least a portion which is substantially planar along which the finger members endlessly move upwardly while strippingly lifting the fruits from the plants as the apparatus travels through the growing field.
Claims36
Harvesting apparatus comprising:
- a. a frame;
- b. wheels connected to said frame enabling travel of said apparatus through a growing field of vegetables;
- and
- c. at least one pair of mutually facing movable arrays of finger members carried by said frame for strippingly lifting fruits from plants in said growing fields, said arrays being substantially planar configuration in the region of their mutually facing, and wherein said finger members are positioned in substantially horizontal series so that, during travel, a successive finger member in the series is positioned to lift fruit that a previous finger member in the series unsuccessfully attempted to lift.
1 more element
Vegetable or fruit harvesting apparatus comprising:
- a. a frame;
- b. wheels connected to said frame enabling travel of said apparatus through a growing field of said vegetables;
- c. at least one pair of mutually facing arrays of resilient finger members for strippingly lifting fruits from vegetable plants in said growing fields, said arrays being generally upstanding, longitudinally elongated longitudinally converging substantially planar configuration, each array comprising:
- i. a longitudinally extending endless member selected from the group consisting of fabric, flexible rubber, metal or a plurality of longitudinally elongated horizontal bars configured to form a sheet-like supporting structure said fingers extending substantially lateral therefrom;
- ii. means for adjusting width between said mutually facing arrays;
- iii. means for vertically adjusting said mutually facing arrays relative to said frame to enable said apparatus to function on uneven surfaces and harvest variable row heights;
- iv. a plurality of transversely elongated finger members connecting to an extending from said longitudinally extending endless sheet-like member;
- v. an endless drive member connected to said longitudinally extending sheet-like member along an endless path, a substantially vertical portion of which path positions said longitudinally extending sheet-like member so that said fingers attached to said sheet-like member extend towards fingers associated with said mutually facing array as said sheet-like member travels along said path and upwardly strips fruits from plants passing between said mutually facing arrays as said apparatus traverses said growing field;
- vi. means for propelling said mutually facing arrays along endless paths defined by said drive members;
- vii. a plow connected to said frame for lifting and positioning plants proximate the space between mutually facing arrays;
- and
- viii. means for providing directionally adjustable air for pneumatically lifting and directing harvested fruits or vegetables exiting an upper portion of said space between said arrays towards a collection area.
9 more elements
A method of harvesting comprising:
- a. advancing a harvester through a growing field;
- b. scoopingly directing plants towards an opening between mutually facing arrays;
- c. advanceably positioning mutually facing movable arrays of substantially horizontal series of resilient finger members on opposite sides of plants containing fruits to be harvested;
- d. rotating said mutually facing arrays of resilient finger members whereby one array rotates in a clockwise direction and the other in a counter-clockwise direction and both arrays move upwardly in a region in which said arrays are mutually facing above plants in a growing field from which fruits are to be harvested thereby upwardly sweeping the plants with resilient finger members to strippingly remove fruits from the plants;
- e. advanceably positioning mutually facing movable arrays of resilient finger members so that a successive resilient finger member in the series is advanceably positioned to remove fruit that a previous resilient finger member in the series unsuccessfully attempted to remove.
2 more elements
A method of harvesting comprising:
- a. advancing a harvester through a growing field;
- b. scoopingly directing plants towards an opening between mutually facing arrays;
- c. advanceably positioning mutually facing movable arrays of resilient finger members on opposite sides of plants containing fruits to be harvested;
- d. rotating said mutually facing arrays of resilient finger members whereby one array rotates in a clockwise direction and the other in a counter-clockwise direction and both arrays move upwardly in a region in which said arrays are mutually facing above plants in a growing field from which fruits are to be harvested thereby upwardly sweeping the plants with resilient finger members to strippingly remove fruits from the plants;
- e. pneumatically propelling harvested fruits at the upper boundary of where said stripping occurs towards collection device.
2 more elements
Harvesting apparatus comprising:
- a. a frame;
- b. wheels connected to said frame enabling travel of said apparatus through a growing field of fruits;
- and
- c. at least one pair of mutually facing movable endless webs supporting vegetation stripping means protruding from the web surface, said webs being carried by said frame for strippingly lifting fruits from plants in said growing fields as said webs move along said field with said plants entering between upwardly moving facing portions of said webs, said webs substantially planar in the region of their mutually facing, and wherein said stripping means are positioned in substantially horizontal series so that, during travel, a successive stripping means in the series is positioned to lift fruit that a previous stripping means in the series failed to lift.
1 more element
Harvesting apparatus comprising:
- a. a frame;
- b. wheels connected to said frame enabling travel of said apparatus through a growing field of fruits;
- and
- c. an endless movable array of finger members carried by said frame for contacting and strippingly lifting fruits from plants in said growing fields, said array having at least a portion which is substantially planar along which said finger members endlessly move upwardly while strippingly lifting said fruits as said apparatus travels through said growing field and wherein said finger members are positioned in substantially horizontal series so that, during travel, a successive finger member in the series is positioned to lift fruit that a previous finger member in the series unsuccessfully attempted to lift.
1 more element
Harvesting apparatus comprising:
- a. a frame;
- b. wheels connected to said frame enabling travel of said apparatus through a growing field of fruits;
- c. an endless movable array of finger members carried by said frame for contacting and strippingly lifting fruits from plants in said growing fields, said array being generally upstanding, longitudinally elongated and having at least a portion which is substantially planar along which said finger members endlessly move upwardly while strippingly lifting said fruits as said apparatus travels through said growing field;
- and
- d. means for providing a directionally adjustable air current for lifting and directing harvested fruits carried by and exiting from said array at the upper extremities thereof towards a collection area.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.