Back to results
US 7,581,375 B2Granted
Small scale tomato harvester
AssigneeWestside Equipment Co.
InventorDavid Meester
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeWestside Equipment Co.
InventorDavid Meester
Estimating the term…
The present invention is a compact fruit-vine harvester and separation system in which the harvested fruit travels along a vertical plane inside the harvester during processing, followed by a single turn for output. The system includes a machine and related methods for harvesting vine-borne crops. The machine is relatively compact, and provides for vine borne crops to be severed, separated, cleaned and machine-sorted along a longitudinal axis before making a single turn prior to exit. Harvested fruit passing through the machine drops by as much as 18 inches less than in other harvesters, thereby reducing the potential for fruit damage. The machine incorporates a combination blower and suction system for efficient removal of unwanted dirt, vegetation and debris, and an optional roller to prevent clogging of the suction system.
A machine for processing vine-borne crops along a path on a vertical plane extending from front to rear inside the machine comprising:
A machine for processing vine-borne crops along a path on a vertical plane extending from front to rear inside the machine comprising:
A machine for processing vine-borne crops along a path on a vertical plane extending from front to rear inside the machine comprising:
A machine for processing vine-borne crops along a path on a vertical plane extending from front to rear inside the machine comprising:
A machine for processing vine-borne crops along a path on a vertical plane extending from front to rear inside the machine comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Harvesting of standing crops: of tomatoes
Harvesting
Term ended 12 Jul 2025 (estimated)
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to machines and methods for harvesting food crops, and more particularly, to an improved small-scale machine and related methods for separating larger volumes of vine-borne crops from their vines while effectively removing unwanted dirt, vegetation and debris, minimizing damage to the fruit itself, and promoting better sorting of fruit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a rear view of an embodiment of the present invention along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.
Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is seen that the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention is an apparatus and method for harvesting above-ground food plants grown in rows upon elongated planting ridges. The exterior components of the apparatus generally comprise a self-propelled vehicle body 10 having a driving compartment 11, an adjustable arm 12 with a pickup device 14 and conveyor 15, a separator 20, a sorting platform 16, and a discharging chute 17.
As indicated in FIG. 2, the adjustable arm 12 is affixed to the front end of the vehicle body 10. The adjustable arm 12 may be any number of commercially available devices that allow the operator to adjust the position of the arm 12 relative to the ground, said position depending upon the characteristics of the particular crop harvested or its environment. A gage wheel 13 for height adjustment is mounted at the front end of the adjustable arm 12. The pickup device 14 may be any commercially available device capable of severing tomato vines V at or near ground level, such as a cutting disc or plurality of opposing blades, and a lift for placing the severed vines onto conveyor 15. The pickup conveyor 15 is an endless longitudinal conveyor belt traveling in a rearward direction into the separator 20. The sorting platform 16 is affixed to the rear end of the vehicle body 10. Platform 16 allows one or more humans to examine and hand sort the tomatoes T on conveyor 26 before they are passed along to the discharging chute 17. Chute 17 is depicted in the rear view of FIG. 3 in its retracted position, with phantom lines showing its extended position over a receiving hopper in an adjacent row.
FIG. 4 depicts the internal operation of the separator 20 viewed from the right side. An endless motor-driven longitudinal receiving conveyor 19 is adapted to receive the tomato vines V from the exterior pickup conveyor 15. Said receiving conveyor 19 travels toward the rear end of the vehicle body 10. An adjustable gap 18 is provided between the pickup conveyor 15 and receiving conveyor 19, said gap 18 allowing loose tomatoes T, dirt clods and other debris to drop from the vines V while said vines travel between the two conveyors 15 and 19. It is to be appreciated that the width of gap 18 may be varied to account for different sizes of vines V, tomatoes T, dirt clods and debris. For example, gap 18 may be set at a sufficiently small size that only the smaller dirt clods and debris fall through, or at a sufficiently large size that larger objects including small loose tomatoes T may also fall through.