Vine-fruit harvesting machine with inclined-tip striker rods

Claim 1

In a grape-harvesting machine having a frame adapted to straddle and move along a row of grapevines, a vertical striker rod support shaft carried by said frame at one side of the longitudinal centerline of said machine, an elongated striker rod mounted at one end thereof to said shaft for oscillation of said rod about said one end upon oscillation of said shaft about its vertical axis, said striker rod extending generally horizontally from said shaft and extending rearwardly of said machine and inwardly towards the longitudinal centerline of said machine and having an elongated tip portion at the end opposite from said one end thereof, means for oscillating said shaft at a predetermined rate about its vertical axis and through a limited horizontal arc to move said tip portion to said longitudinal centerline of said machine and away therefrom during each cycle of oscillation of said shaft, and means for moving said machine forwardly at a uniform speed such that said machine moves forwardly a predetermined distance during each full cycle of oscillation of said shaft, the improvement comprising: means preventing rotation of said rod about its longitudinal axis, said rod being normally straight throughout the major portion of its length and said straight portion thereof being made of resilient material, said elongated tip portion of said rod extending from said major portion thereof, said tip portion being generally horizontal and being inclined to said major portion at a horizontal angle on the side of said rod towards the longitudinal centerline of said machine equal to approximately 180° plus the angle between said longitudinal centerline and said straight portion of said rod when said tip portion is at said longitudinal centerline, said tip portion having a length substantially equal to said predetermined distance that said machine moves forwardly during a full cycle of oscillation of said striker rod support shaft.