Selective sort vine crop harvester

Claim 2

A mobile harvester for vine crops comprising means for picking up a mass of vines and fruit from the ground, means for initially separating out loose fruit from the mass, first shaker conveyor means for detaching attached fruit from the mass, second shaker conveyor means for receiving the mass from said first shaker conveyor means and detaching more fruit therefrom, means for combining the fruit detached by said second conveyor means with the loose fruit initially separated out from the mass, means for sorting market fruit from said combined loose and detached fruits, means for sorting culls from the fruit detached by said first shaker conveyor means, and means for combining the market fruit sorted from said combined fruits with the fruit from said second shaker conveyor means that remains after culling.

Claim 3

The harvester of claim 1, said means for sorting market fruit from said combined loose and detached fruits comprising an elongate rotary reel that presents all fruit for sorting and automatically delivers culls and clods to the ground.

Claim 4

The harvester of claim 1, said means for sorting culls from the fruit detached by said first shaker conveyor means comprising an elongate rotary reel that presents all fruit for culling and automatically delivers the nonculled fruit for combination with that sorted out at said first named reel.

Claim 5

The harvester of claim 1, wherein said first shaker conveyor means is above said second shaker conveyor means and the vines are turned over as they fall onto the second conveyor means, said shaker conveyor means running in opposite directions.

Claim 6

A mobile tomato harvester comprising means for picking up a mass of severed vines with attached fruit and loose material including loose fruit and some dirt, elevator conveyor means for the mass, vine conveyor means spaced from said elevator conveyor means for receiving the vines and attached fruit while allowing the loose material such as loose fruit and clods to fall out between said Elevator and vine conveyor means, loose-material-conveying means for receiving the falling loose material; a market fruit selection station along said loose-material-conveying means including means for presenting the loose material for market fruit selection, market-fruit-conveying means for receiving the selected market fruit; first shaker conveying means for receiving the vines and attached fruit from said vine conveyor means and shaking fruit from the vines, detached-fruit-conveying means for receiving fruit from said first shaker conveying means and delivering it to said market fruit conveyor means, a culling station along said detached-fruit-conveying means including means for presenting the detached fruit for culling; second shaker conveying means for receiving vines with fruit still attached from said first shaker conveying means, and means for delivering fruit detached at said second shaker conveying means to said loose-material-conveying means for sorting at said market fruit selection station.

Claim 7

A mobile tomato harvester comprising means for picking up a mass of severed vines with attached fruit and loose material including loose fruit and some dirt, elevator conveyor means for the mass, vine conveyor means spaced from said elevator conveyor means for receiving the vines and attached fruit while allowing the loose material such as loose fruit and clods to fall out between said Elevator and vine conveyor means, loose-material-conveying means for receiving the falling loose material; a market fruit selection station along said loose-material-conveying means including means for presenting the loose material for market fruit selection, market-fruit-conveying means for receiving the selected market fruit; first shaker conveying means for receiving the vines and attached fruit from said vine conveyor means and shaking fruit from the vines, detached-fruit-conveying means for receiving fruit from said first shaker conveying means and delivering it to said market fruit conveyor means, a culling station along said detached-fruit-conveying means including means for presenting the detached fruit for culling; second shaker conveying means for receiving vines with fruit still attached from said first shaker conveying means, and means for delivering fruit detached at said second shaker conveying means to said loose-material-conveying means for sorting at said market fruit selection station.

Claim 8

The harvester of claim 5, wherein said market fruit selection station and the associated loose-material-conveying means run laterally across the rear of the harvester.

Claim 9

The harvester of claim 5, wherein said loose-material-conveying means includes means for sifting dirt and small fruit to the ground.

Claim 10

The harvester of claim 5, wherein said pickup means comprises vine-severing means spaced forwardly of said elevator conveyor means for discharging some loose dirt ahead of said elevator conveyor means.

Claim 11

The harvester of claim 5, wherein the shaker portion of said first shaker conveyor means runs forwardly of the harvester and said vine conveyor means delivers the vines and attached fruit to the rear of said shaker portion.

Claim 12

The harvester of claim 9, wherein a conveyor portion of said first shaker conveyor means runs rearwardly of the harvester for delivering detached fruit to said detached-fruit-conveying means.

Claim 13

The harvester of claim 10, wherein the shaker portion of said second conveyor means runs rearwardly of the harvester for delivering vines to the ground and a conveyor portion thereof runs forwardly of the machine for delivering fruit detached to said loose-material-conveying means.

Claim 14

The harvester of claim 11, wherein the portion of said loose-material-conveying means that receives loose material from between conveyors also receives the detached fruit delivered from said second shaker conveying means.

Claim 15

A mobile field tomato harvester comprising means for severing the vines, elevator conveyor means for picking up a mass of vines with attached fruit, loose fruit and dirt, means for separating out loose fruit and dirt from the mass, shaker means for initially detaching vine-attached fruit from the remainder of the mass, means providing a culling station, conveyor means for delivering the fruit detached by said initial shaker means to said culling station, means for turning over and reshaking the mass remaining after said initial shaking, conveyor means for collecting the reshaken detached fruit along with the loose fruit and dirt first separated from the mass, a market fruit selection station, conveyor means for delivering the collected loose fruit and reshaken fruit to said market fruit selection station, and conveyor means for recombining market fruit obtained from said culling station with that obtained said market fruit selection station.

Claim 16

A mobile field tomato harvester comprising means for severing the vines, elevator conveyor means for picking up a mass of vines with attached fruit, loose fruit and dirt, means for separating out loose fruit and dirt from the mass, shaker means for initially detaching vine-attached fruit from the remainder of the mass, means providing a culling station, conveyor means for delivering the fruit detached by said initial shaker means to said culling station, means for turning over and reshaking the mass remaining after said initial shaking, conveyor means for collecting the reshaken detached fruit along with the loose fruit and dirt first separated from the mass, a market fruit selection station, conveyor means for delivering the collected loose fruit and reshaken fruit to said market fruit selection station, and conveyor means for recombining market fruit obtained from said culling station with that obtained said market fruit selection station.

Claim 17

The harvester of claim 13, wherein said conveyor means for collecting the loose fruit, dirt and reshaken fruit includes screening means to eliminate dirt and undersized fruit from the collection before the fruit is delivered to said market fruit selection station.

Claim 18

The harvester of claim 13, wherein said means for initially shaking the mass comprises an initial shaker conveyor that moves forwardly of the harvester, an undershaker conveyor that moves rearwardly and delivers fruit to said culling station conveyor means, said elevator conveyor means delivering the mass to the rearwArd end of said initial shaker conveyor.

Claim 19

A mobile harvester for vine crops comprising means forward of the harvester for picking up a mass of vines and fuit, vine conveyor means for elevating the mass and carrying it rearwardly of the harvester, a shaker assembly comprising a shaker conveyor running forwardly of the harvester and with its receiving end disposed beneath the rearward, delivery end of said vine conveyor means, a detached fruit collector conveyor adjacent the vine-mass-receiving receiving end of said shaker conveyor, undershaker conveyor means running rearwardly of the harvester for delivering fruit detached by said shaker conveyor to said collector conveyor, and means for delivering detached fruit on said collector conveyor to a sorting station.

Claim 20

A mobile harvester for vine crops comprising means forward of the harvester for picking up a mass of vines and fuit, vine conveyor means for elevating the mass and carrying it rearwardly of the harvester, a shaker assembly comprising a shaker conveyor running forwardly of the harvester and with its receiving end disposed beneath the rearward, delivery end of said vine conveyor means, a detached fruit collector conveyor adjacent the vine-mass-receiving receiving end of said shaker conveyor, undershaker conveyor means running rearwardly of the harvester for delivering fruit detached by said shaker conveyor to said collector conveyor, and means for delivering detached fruit on said collector conveyor to a sorting station.

Claim 21

The harvester of claim 16, comprising a second shaker conveyor with its receiving end disposed beneath the delivery end of said first-named shaker conveyor and running rearwardly of the harvester, a loose fruit conveyor adjacent the receiving end of said second shaker conveyor, undershaker conveyor means running forwardly of the harvester for delivering fruit detached by said second shaker conveyor to said loose fruit conveyor, means for delivering the loose fruit to a second sorting station, and means for combining fruit from both sorting stations.

Claim 22

The harvester of claim 17, wherein said first-named sorting station comprises means for automatically discharging market fruit to said fruit combining means, and said second named sorting station comprising means for automatically discharging cull fruit to the ground. 19 A harvester for vine crops or the like, comprising means for picking up a mass of vines and fruit from the field, elevator conveyor means for the mass comprising an inclined rearwardly running section and an upper, generally horizontal and rearwardly running section, superposed shaker conveyors beneath said sections, an undershaker conveyor for each shaker conveyor, the undershaker conveyor for the lower shaker conveyor running forwardly beneath and projecting forwardly past the lower reach of the lower shaker conveyor, and a collection conveyor at the delivery end of each undershaker conveyor.

Claim 23

The harvester of claim 19, wherein the receiving end lower shaker conveyor is offset forwardly of delivery end of the upper shaker conveyor.

Claim 24

The harvester of claim 19, wherein the horizontal section of said elevator conveyor means overlies substantially the full length of said upper shaker conveyor.

Claim 29

The method of claim 23, including the steps of screening the separated out loose fruit, dirt and reshaken fruit to eliminate dirt and undersized fruit from the collection before it is delivered to said market fruit selection station.

Claim 30

The method of claim 23, including the steps of turning the mass of vines and fruit over between said shaking steps.

Claim 31

The meThod of claim 23, comprising automatically delivering market fruit from said culling station and automatically discharging culls to the field from said market fruit selection station.