Row crop harvesting method and apparatus

Claim 2

A row crop harvester for simultaneously harvesting produce from a multiplicity of rows which are disposed in an acute angle relative to a boundary road comprising, a mobile self propelled vehicle having a chassis and adapted to be driven from the boundary road into the rows in a direction parallel to said rows, a pair of elongated boom conveyors supported on said chassis for horizontal pivotal movement over a multiplicity of rows being harvested simultaneously and each conveyor is adapted to receive produce deposited thereon by a multiplicity of manual pickers when the conveyors are in their substantially horizontal harvesting positions over the rows, means on said chassis for collecting and moving the produce to a packing station, and controllable power means for selectively adjusting and maintaining said boom conveyors substantially horizontal and parallel to a vertical plane while in their harvesting positions and while horizontally pivoting said boom conveyors to any position within an angle range of about 80* for positioning said conveyors parallel to the boundary road allowing all pickers to commence picking at the same time after the harvester has been moved into the rows to be harvested from the boundary road.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1 and additionally comprising means for mounting each boom conveyor to said chassis for vertical pivotal movement, and selectively operable power means for independently pivoting each boom conveyor between said substantially horizontal harvesting position and a position inclined upwardly about 30 degrees for permitting the boom conveyors to move over tall obstructions in their paths of movement.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said controllable power means includes an independently controllable power unit for each boom conveyor, and wherein each independently controllable power unit is capable of horizontally pivoting its associated boom conveyor about 130* from a position directed rearwardly of and parallel to the direction of movement of said chassis.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 3 and additionally comprising means for mounting each boom conveyor to said chassis for vertical pivotal movement, and selectively operable second power means for independently pivoting each boom conveyor between a substantially horizontal harvesting position and a position inclined upwardly about 30*.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said conveyors and said collecting means are power operated conveyinG means, and additionally comprising control means at said packaging station for controlling the speed of said collecting conveying means or stopping said conveying means.

Claim 7

A row crop harvester for simultaneously harvesting produce from a plurality of rows which are disposed at an acute angle relative to a boundary road comprising, a mobile self-propelled vehicle including a chassis having a front and a rear end and a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the direction of movement of the vehicle, said vehicle being adapted to be driven from the boundary road into the rows in a direction parallel to said rows, a pair of elongated boom conveyors supported on said chassis for horizontal pivotal movement over approximately 30 rows being harvested simultaneously and adapted to receive produce deposited thereon by approximately 30 manual pickers when the conveyors are in their substantially horizontal harvesting positions over the rows, means on said chassis for collecting and moving the produce between the boom conveyors and a packing station, and controllable power means for selectively adjusting and maintaining said boom conveyors parallel to a vertical plane while in their generally horizontal harvesting positions and while horizontally pivoting said boom conveyors to any position within an angle range of approximately 30* extending from a position wherein one boom conveyor is angled outwardly and forwardly about 50* from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

Claim 8

A row crop harvester for simultaneously harvesting produce from a plurality of rows which are disposed at an acute angle relative to a boundary road comprising, a mobile self-propelled vehicle including a chassis having a front and a rear end and a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the direction of movement of the vehicle, said vehicle being adapted to be driven from the boundary road into the rows in a direction parallel to said rows, a pair of elongated boom conveyors supported on said chassis for horizontal pivotal movement over approximately 30 rows being harvested simultaneously and adapted to receive produce deposited thereon by approximately 30 manual pickers when the conveyors are in their substantially horizontal harvesting positions over the rows, means on said chassis for collecting and moving the produce between the boom conveyors and a packing station, and controllable power means for selectively adjusting and maintaining said boom conveyors parallel to a vertical plane while in their generally horizontal harvesting positions and while horizontally pivoting said boom conveyors to any position within an angle range of approximately 30* extending from a position wherein one boom conveyor is angled outwardly and forwardly about 50* from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

Claim 9

In a row crop harvester which includes a mobile self-propelled vehicle having a chassis with a longitudinal axis extending from the front to the rear end, a pair of elongated boom conveyors each including a conveyor frame, and means supporting each boom conveyor for horizontal and vertical pivotal movement on said chassis; each boom conveyor supporting means comprising an upstanding frame member rigidly secured to the chassis, a vertically elongated pivot tube assembly, means pivotally connecting said pivot tube assembly to said frame member for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, horizontal pivot means connecting one end of one of said boom conveyors frames to the lower end of said pivot tube assembly, a cable supporting lever having its lower end rigidly secured to said boom conveyor frame adjacent said one end and projecting upwardly and outwardly therefrom, a plurality of cables connecting the upper end of said lever to spaced outer portions of said boom conveyor frame, first power means carried by said pivot tube assembly and operatively connected to said lever, and control means for selectively activating said power means for pivotally raising or lowering said lever and attached wing, and second power means interconnected between said chassis and said pivot tube assembly, and second control means for selectively actuating said second power means to pivot said pivot tube assembly and attached boom conveyor horizontally through a range of about 130* from a position directed rearwardly and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to a position directed forwardly and outwardly of the vehicle.

Claim 10

In a row crop harvester which includes a mobile self-propelled vehicle having a chassis with a longitudinal axis extending from the front to the rear end, a pair of elongated boom conveyors each including a conveyor frame, and means supporting each boom conveyor for horizontal and vertical pivotal movement on said chassis; each boom conveyor supporting means comprising an upstanding frame member rigidly secured to the chassis, a vertically elongated pivot tube assembly, means pivotally connecting said pivot tube assembly to said frame member for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, horizontal pivot means connecting one end of one of said boom conveyors frames to the lower end of said pivot tube assembly, a cable supporting lever having its lower end rigidly secured to said boom conveyor frame adjacent said one end and projecting upwardly and outwardly therefrom, a plurality of cables connecting the upper end of said lever to spaced outer portions of said boom conveyor frame, first power means carried by said pivot tube assembly and operatively connected to said lever, and control means for selectively activating said power means for pivotally raising or lowering said lever and attached wing, and second power means interconnected between said chassis and said pivot tube assembly, and second control means for selectively actuating said second power means to pivot said pivot tube assembly and attached boom conveyor horizontally through a range of about 130* from a position directed rearwardly and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to a position directed forwardly and outwardly of the vehicle.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 8 and additionally including the steps of pivoting the boom conveyors to parallel side-by-side transport positions directed rearwardly of the harvester and upwardly about 30* when the harvesting operation is terminated and it is desired to transport the harvester from place to place.