Patent US3693331A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3693331A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Windrow leaf scavenger
Assignee: AGMAC Inc
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Filing: 1971-08-09
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Granted: 1972-09-26
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Expires: 1991-08-09
Abstract
Abstract This invention pertains to machines for handling nuts and other ground-harvested crops and particularly relates to a windrow leaf scavenger machine which affords airborne separation of leaves from nut-like fruit on the ground. Certain ground-harvested crops including nuts such as pecans and late walnuts are harvested after a hard frost or rain which removes most of the leaves from the trees in the orchard. The harvest then must deal with the desired nuts intermixed with a large quantity of unwanted leaves, twigs and the like. The harvesting procedure entails operation of a windrowing machine in the orchard to arrange all of the nuts and leaves, twigs, etc. into windrows. It has been found that the quantity of leaves and other unwanted materials present in the windrow under such harvest conditions impede the efficient operation of the picker machines commonly employed in sifting the nuts from the large quantity of leaves. It is highly desirable to have available a machine to remove the unwanted leaves etc. from the windrow while leaving the nuts or other ground-harvested crops on the ground arranged in a desirable pattern for harvesting.
Inventors
- 👤 John Edward Richter
- 👤 George Olavi Tiura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 16:35
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01D; A01D51/00; A01D46/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S56/00; Y10S56/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
In a windrow leaf scavenger machine the combination comprising a wheel-supported, mobile frame for movement longitudinally of a windrow, blower means on said frame arranged to provide an air discharge in a stream extending generally along the ground serving to raise leaf-like materials therefrom, suction producing means on said frame having an inlet disposed proximate to the ground and to the discharge of said blower means serving to entrain the leaf-like materials therethrough, said suction means having a discharge outlet oriented to project the materials generally laterally of the frame, mechanical agitating means rotatably mounted on said frame for lifting materials from the ground into and towards the inlet of said suction means, and power means serving to drive said blower means, suction means and agitating means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
In a windrow leaf scavenger machine the combination comprising a wheel-supported, mobile frame for movement longitudinally of a windrow, blower means on said frame arranged to provide an air discharge in a stream extending generally along the ground serving to raise leaf-like materials therefrom, suction producing means on said frame having an inlet disposed proximate to the ground and to the discharge of said blower means serving to entrain the leaf-like materials therethrough, said suction means having a discharge outlet oriented to project the materials generally laterally of the frame, mechanical agitating means rotatably mounted on said frame for lifting materials from the ground into and towards the inlet of said suction means, and power means serving to drive said blower means, suction means and agitating means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The machine of claim 1 wherein said blower means includes a plurality of air discharge ducts arranged to direct air streams in a converging pattern with respect to the intake of said suction means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The machine of claim 1 wherein the air discharge of said blower means is directed generally rearwardly to the normal path of travel of said machine, and wherein said mechanical agitating means is rotated in a direction so as to propel materials forwardly with respect to the path of travel of said machine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The machine of claim 3 and including sweeper means arranged on said frame to engage the ground rearwardly of said mechanical agitating means for sweeping materials in the path of said machine into a windrow.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
The machine of claim 1, wherein said mechanical agitating means comprises a reel mounted generally laterally of said frame and includes a plurality of radially outwardly directed rows of resiliently mounted tines, control means cooperable with said power means permitting selective variation of rotational velocity of said reel, and tine cleaner means mounted laterally of said frame and projecting into the rotational path of said tines.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The machine of claim 5, wherein said tine cleaner means includes an elongate array of brushes fixedly arranged with respect to said machine frame.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The machine of claim 1, wherein the inlet of said suction producing means is equipped along its perimeter with a flexible, vertically disposed skirt, the air discharge of said blower means being arranged to project a plurality of air streams inwardly within the confines of said skirt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
214 words
In a windrow leaf scavenger machine the combination comprising an elongate frame, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame in a laterally spaced apart relationship, raking means rotatably mounted on said frame intermediate said wheels, first power means on said frame for driving said rake means to propel materials forwardly of said frame, cleaner means mounted on said frame cooperable with said rotatable rake means for maintaining the same in an unobstructed, unblocked condition, a vertically arranged duct extending downwardly of said frame and having an inlet disposed forwardly of said rake means proximate to the ground level, said duct having a discharge outlet directed generally laterally of said frame, air impeller means cooperably arranged with respect to said duct for producing an updraft through said inlet, second power means on said frame serving to drive said impeller means so as to generate an updraft through said inlet for raising leaves from the ground to expel the same through said discharged outlet of said duct, blower means on said frame and including a plurality of air discharge nozzles arranged forwardly of said duct inlet and directed to project streams of air along the ground and into said duct inlet, and third power means on said frame for operatively driving said blower means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
214 words
In a windrow leaf scavenger machine the combination comprising an elongate frame, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame in a laterally spaced apart relationship, raking means rotatably mounted on said frame intermediate said wheels, first power means on said frame for driving said rake means to propel materials forwardly of said frame, cleaner means mounted on said frame cooperable with said rotatable rake means for maintaining the same in an unobstructed, unblocked condition, a vertically arranged duct extending downwardly of said frame and having an inlet disposed forwardly of said rake means proximate to the ground level, said duct having a discharge outlet directed generally laterally of said frame, air impeller means cooperably arranged with respect to said duct for producing an updraft through said inlet, second power means on said frame serving to drive said impeller means so as to generate an updraft through said inlet for raising leaves from the ground to expel the same through said discharged outlet of said duct, blower means on said frame and including a plurality of air discharge nozzles arranged forwardly of said duct inlet and directed to project streams of air along the ground and into said duct inlet, and third power means on said frame for operatively driving said blower means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The machine of claim 8, wherein said rake means is of a width commensurate with the width of the duct inlet.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The machine of claim 8, wherein a plurality of sweeper means are arranged on said frame rearwardly of said rotatable rake means serving to sweep nuts and the like in the path of said machine into a windrow.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The machine of claim 8, wherein the inlet of said duct is equipped with flexible, vertically extending skirt means, said blower nozzles extending through the perimeter of said skirt means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
55 words
The machine as in claim 8, further including a subframe mounting said wheels, said subframe serving to carry said wheels in laterally spaced relationship alongside said frame, said subframe including a framework constructed for movement to change the elevation of said wheels relative to said frame, and means for changing the elevation of said subframe.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
114 words
The machine as in claim 10, further including a subframe mounting said wheels, said subframe serving to carry said wheels in laterally spaced relationship alongside said frame, said subframe including a framework constructed for movement to change the elevation of said wheels relative to said frame, and means for changing the elevation of said subframe, together with a second subframe mounted on wheels at one end for carrying said sweeper means, and mounted for pivotal movement on said frame, means for changing the elevation of said subframe about said pivot mounting to thereby permit elevation of said sweeper means away from the ground to facilitate relative movement of said machine from place to place.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-09-26 | 1976-03-27 | 1976-09-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-09-26 | 1980-03-27 | 1980-09-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-09-26 | 1984-03-27 | 1984-09-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |