Tree fruit harvester and picking devices

Abstract

Abstract A FRUIT PICKING DEVICE HAS AN ELONGATED IMPLEMENT WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A YIELDABLE HOOK FORMING PORTION THAT INCLUDES A STEM STRADDLING ASSEMBLY WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH PIVOTALLY BIASED JOINTS AND AN INTERCONNECTING SLENDER ELEMENT. THE ELEMENT IS SO ARRANGED AS TO CAUSE BENDING OF THE STEM AT THE CALYX OF AN ATTACHED FRUIT BODY WHILE THE YIELDABLE NATURE OF THE HOOK PORTION PROVIDED BY THE BIASED JOINTS CAUSES THE SUSPENDED FRUIT BODY TO BE TWISTED IN THE PICKING PROCESS. THE JOINTS SERVE AS FRUIT BODY CONTACT COMPONENTS AND ARE MADE OF FITTED SEMISPHERICAL OR SEMIELLIPSOIDAL ELEMENTS THAT PROVIDE A HOLLOW HOUSING FOR THE BIASING MEANS, ALTHOUGH SOLID RESILIENT CYLINDRICAL JOINT FORMING MEMBERS ARE SHOWN IN A MODIFIED FORM. A PREFERRED FORM OF A PICKING DEVICE EMBODIES A PLURALITY OF THE PICKING IMPLEMENTS IN AN ARRANGEMENT WHERE THEY COOPERATE IN SEIZING AND RETAINING THE SUSPENDED FRUIT BODY FURING THE PICKING PROCESS. A MOBILE HARVESTER EQUIPPED WITH THE PREFERRED FORM OF PICKING DEVICE HAS A TURNTABLE CARRYING LIFT ON WHICH A PICKER HEAD IS MOUNTED. THE HEAD HAS A BANK OF PICKER MECHANISMS WHICH HAVE ELONGATED ENDLESS DRIVEN CARRIERS IN THE FORM OF ENDLESS CHAIN AND ON WHICH THE DEVICES ARE MOUNTED AND BIASED IN A TRAILING ATTITUDE. AT THE PROXIMAL ENDS OF THE MECHANISMS, PROVISIONS ARE MADE FOR DISLODGING FRUIT GRASPED BY THE DEVICES, AND A STRUCTURE IS PROVIDED ALONG THE RETURN PATH FOR THE DEVICES AND WHICH MAINTAINS THE YIELDABLE HOOK PORTIONS IN STRAIGHTENED POSITIONS SO AS TO AVOID BRANCH AND FOLIAGE DAMAGE.

Inventors

• 👤 Charles R Ellis

Bibliographic Details