Tobacco plant harvester

Claim 2

In a machine for harvesting tobacco, the combination comprising a rotatable turret having generally horizontal spears equally spaced radially and upon which severed stalks of tobacco are impaled, means for shifting said turret between a loading position and a retracted position, means for rotating said turret while in said retracted position thereby to displace from said loading position a spear loaded with stalks and to register in said loading position a successive empty spear, means for removing impaled stalks from the loaded and displaced spear, and means for transporting stalks to the spear occupying said loading position and simultaneously to center the stalks with respect to the spear while being impaled thereon.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said spears includes a downwardly inclined impaling point penetrating the stalk adjacent its butt end and causing the split in the stalk to open progressively in an upward direction as the impaling occurs.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said turret includes a plurality of open-top channel members associated respectively with each of said spears and serving as guides for the butt ends of the impaled stalks as said stalks are forced successively in upright position along said spear during the loading of the spear.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said turret included radially projecting spaced means at an elevation above said spears serving to prevent tobacco loaded upon the spear in upright position from falling laterally.

Claim 6

In a machine for harvesting tobacco, the combination comprising a retractable turret having generally horizontal spears equally spaced radially and upon which severed stalks of tobacco are impaled, means for reciprocably shifting said turret between a loading position and a retracted position, means for rotating said turret while in said retracted position thereby to displace from said loading position a spear loaded with stalks and to register in said loading position a successive empty spear, means for positioning a stick in prolongation of a loaded spear, means for transferring stalks from a loaded spear onto said stick, means for moving the loaded stick into a position for removal of the same from the machine, and a hydraulic system connected to and adapted to operate each of said turret-shifting means, said stick-positioning means, said stalk-transferring means, and said loaded stick moving means in sequence.

Claim 7

In a machine for harvesting tobacco, the combination comprising a retractable turret having generally horizontal spears equally spaced radially and upon which severed stalks of tobacco are impaled, means for reciprocably shifting said turret between a loading position and a retracted position, means for rotating said turret while in said retracted position thereby to displace from said loading position a spear loaded with stalks and to register in said loading position a successive empty spear, means for positioning a stick in prolongation of a loaded spear, means for transferring stalks from a loaded spear onto said stick, means for moving the loaded stick into a position for removal of the same from the machine, and a hydraulic system connected to and adapted to operate each of said turret-shifting means, said stick-positioning means, said stalk-transferring means, and said loaded stick moving means in sequence.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for rotating said turret comprises an abutment contacting an empty spear occupying a position at an angle to the direction of movement of said turret during its retracting movement and effecting a rotary movement of the engaged spear while in contact therewith.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 including means on said loaded stick moving means for holding one end of the stick during the transfer of stalks to the stick.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said loaded stick moving means is rotatable following the loading of stalks on the stick and is adapted to elevate one end of the loaded stick into an accessible position for manual grasping by an operator.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for transferring stalks includes a reciprocable arm oscillatable adjacent the ends of its path of travel and adapted when at one extremity of its reciprocation to overlie the loaded spear and at the other extremity of its reciprocation to swing to one side of the loaded stick.

Claim 12

A machine for harvesting tobacco including a rotatable turret having generally horizontal spears equally spaced radially and upon which severed stalks of tobacco are impaled, means for reciprocably shifting said turret between a loading position and a retracted position, means for rotating said turret while in said retracted position thereby to displace from loading position a spear loaded with stalks and to regisTer in said loading position a successive empty spear, means for positioning a stick in prolongation of a loaded spear, means for transferring stalks from a loaded spear onto said stick, means for moving the loaded stick into a position for removal of the same from the machine; each of said turret-shifting means, said stick-positioning means, said stalk-transferring means, and said loaded stick positioning means including double-acting linear actuators; separate valves respectively associated with each of said actuators and adapted to control the reciprocatory movement of said actuators, means for actuating said valves in sequence, and a hydraulic system connected to each of said valves and to each of said actuators.

Claim 13

A machine for harvesting tobacco including a rotatable turret having generally horizontal spears equally spaced radially and upon which severed stalks of tobacco are impaled, means for reciprocably shifting said turret between a loading position and a retracted position, means for rotating said turret while in said retracted position thereby to displace from loading position a spear loaded with stalks and to regisTer in said loading position a successive empty spear, means for positioning a stick in prolongation of a loaded spear, means for transferring stalks from a loaded spear onto said stick, means for moving the loaded stick into a position for removal of the same from the machine; each of said turret-shifting means, said stick-positioning means, said stalk-transferring means, and said loaded stick positioning means including double-acting linear actuators; separate valves respectively associated with each of said actuators and adapted to control the reciprocatory movement of said actuators, means for actuating said valves in sequence, and a hydraulic system connected to each of said valves and to each of said actuators.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 10 including a stalk-counting means mounted adjacent said loading position and adapted to change the setting of the valve associated with the actuator for said turret-shifting means when a predetermined number of stalks are impaled on the spear in said loading position.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for transporting stalks to the spear occupying said loading position includes a pair of endless, travelling chains spaced from each other on the respective sides of the path of movement of the stalk to the spear, said chains having stalk-engaging means for contacting the stalk above its butt end and below the point of entry of the spear into the stalk and for centering the stalk with respect to the spear as the stalk is moved by said chains toward said spear.