Harvesting device with disengagable shaker members for a fruit harvesting machine

A harvesting device for a machine for harvesting fruits, berries and the like, growing on fruit trees or bushes planted in rows, the device including:

• a) a straddling chassis;
• b) two shaker assemblies mounted face-to-face on the chassis and that co-operate to shake the fruit trees or bushes passing between the two shaker assemblies to detach the fruits, berries or the like therefrom, each shaker assembly including:
• i) drive mechanism including a vertical shaft oscillating about a vertical axis;
• ii) a plurality of vertically spaced shaker members, each shaker member consisting of a flexible material rod that extends substantially horizontally and that has a curved shape, at least one rod having a first end detachably coupled to the drive means, a median part adapted to act on the fruit trees or bushes to shake them, and a second end connected to the chassis;
• characterised in that the first end of said at least one rod is mounted on the vertical shaft so that it can rotate relative to said vertical shaft and is coupled to the drive mechanism so that, in the coupled state, said at least one rod assumes a working position in which the median part of the rod is relatively close to a median vertical plane of symmetry and is able to operate on the fruit trees or bushes, whereas, in the uncoupled state, said rod is able, because of said rotation relative to said vertical shaft, to assume an inactive rest position in which the median part of the rod is substantially farther away from the vertical median Diane of symmetry of the chassis than in the working position and is unable to operate on the fruit trees or bushes,
• further characterised in that the first end of said rod is associated with a mount consisting of two half-shells that surround the vertical shaft and are connected together by at least one mechanical fastener;
• and the first end of the rod is affixed to one half-shell by an enveloping type connection, said mount enabling said relative rotation between the first end of the rod and the vertical shaft,
• further characterised in that an anti-friction mechanism is disposed between the vertical shaft and the two half-shells.

A harvesting device for harvesting fruit, berries, or the like from bushes or trees, the device comprising a shaker assembly configured to shake fruit trees or bushes to detach the fruits, berries, or the like, the shaker assembly comprising:

• i) a drive mechanism;
• ii) a vertical shaft;
• iii) a plurality of vertically spaced flexible rods, each of the plurality of flexible rods having a first end closest to the drive mechanism and a second end and a median part therebetween adapted to engage the fruit trees or bushes;
• wherein at least one of the plurality of flexible rods is rotatably mounted to the vertical shaft and coupled to the drive mechanism such that the drive mechanism moves the flexible rod about the vertical shaft to shake the trees or bushes in harvesting fruit, berries or the like,
• wherein each flexible rod includes an uncoupled state such that the first end closest to the drive mechanism is uncoupled from the drive mechanism and rotatable about the vertical shaft such that the median part of the flexible rod is inoperative to harvest fruit, berries or the like from the trees or bushes.