FRUIT GATHERER

A fruit harvesting machine consisting of a wheeled support on which is mounted a vertically extending housing containing a pair of transversely arranged blowers, one above the other, the housing having a laterally directed, vertically extending, laterally converging air collection chamber receiving air...     

A mechanized harvester for tree borne crops. A plurality of crop harvesting heads are supported from a support station which is rotatably mounted on the end of an extendible boom. The boom, in turn, is rotatably mounted on a tractor. The support station includes an operator location from which an operator...     

An apparatus for removing fruit, particularly citrus fruit, from a tree comprises a composite picker roll containing a plurality of axially spaced apart segment wheels. Each segment wheel has a plurality of resilient, arcuate pressure members for engaging the fruit being picked. The roll is mounted within...     

A windrowing machine for moving rollable articles such as citrus fruit transversely into a windrow. The machine includes a mobile chassis that is moved parallel to rows of trees and includes a pair of generally horizontal wings movable between a stowed position parallel to the path of movement of the...     

A rotatable assembly having a plurality of groups of three outstanding finger members spaced along an elongate drum of generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration. Two of each group of finger members are located in a common plane and the third intermediate finger member lies in a plane staggered...     

A fruit picker is disclosed which grasps the fruit by vacuum and then rotates the fruit to sever it from the tree. The vacuum is then broken and the fruit falls by gravity toward the ground from a location inside the periphery of the tree. Because the fruit impacts tree limbs during its descent toward...     

An apparatus and method for harvesting fruit from a fruit tree. The tree is enclosed by a tubular shroud having an open top and bottom. A fruit catcher is suspended beneath the shroud, and a rotatably powered propeller horizontally mounted in the shroud above the tree draws air entering at the bottom...     

A machine for guiding melons from the ground onto lifting and distributing conveyors, having a fence for guiding melons along the ground toward a lift wheel which is rotating about a substantially horizontal axis, the wheel having flexible fingers extending radially therefrom to sweep the melons toward...     

Apparatus for picking fruit wherein an angularly adjustable boom assembly is mounted on a carriage turntable and a picker head comprising a hollow lightweight rotor having a plurality of fruit picking fingers extending therefrom is mounted on the upper end of the boom assembly, the boom assembly being...     

This disclosure pertains to a golf ball retrieving mechanism detachably mounted to the front of a golf cart having automatic terrain adjusting features which facilitate the removal and retrieval of golf balls without damaging the turf.

A crop harvesting apparatus particularly suited for harvesting fruit and nuts from crop-bearing trees. A plurality of crop severing devices are mounted on rotatable drive shafts. The crop severing devices can take any of several forms. In one illustrative form of the present invention, the crop severing...     

A pin cylinder litter collector for picking up litter by wedging or piercing action comprising a frame, a first shaft rotatable in the frame, and rods secured spacedly radially of said first shaft with said rods having sharp pointed free ends and sleeves of resilient material mounted on them a distance...     

A golf ball retriever has a picker roll comprised of a plurality of thin discs spaced one from the other along a common central axis by a uniform spacing slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball. The picker roll is readily removable from its supporting frame and, after such removal, the discs making...     

A fruit harvesting machine employs a rotating pneumatic cylinder and a spaced picking plate between which the fruits pass to be turned and snapped off. Flexible combing fingers extend from the cylinder and pass through fruit tree branches to open them and to bring the fruit into the space between picking...     

A beach cleaner vehicle is drawn across sand. A scraper blade shaves a layer of sand and debris from the sand surface. A continuous conveyor transports the sand and debris over sifter bars within the chassis of the beach cleaner. A foraminous sifter separates debris and permits sand to fall back to the...     

The present invention provides a highly automated agricultural production system which comprises, as essential components: 1. A sensing subsystem comprising direct and indirect sensing means in an agricultural production area. The direct sensing means are generally ground or plant mounted. The indirect...     

This disclosure describes an electrical and pneumatic device for picking fruit, particularly citrus fruit, by severing the fruit from its stem with an electrical current, or pulling the fruit from its stem pneumatically by applying a suction cup to the side of the fruit and physically pulling the fruit...     

Harvesting apparatus particularly suited for picking citrus fruit, apples, and the like, has an adjustable boom mounted on a vehicle with a harvesting head secured to the free end of the boom for tilting and turning to either side and for forward and rearward tilting. A flexible and longitudinally expansible...     

Apparatus and method are disclosed for efficient harvesting of fruits or nuts from trees. Picking tines extend radially from a vertically disposed drive shaft and move horizontally through the foliage of a fruit or nut bearing tree by rotation of the shaft. During rotation, the drive shaft is also reciprocated...     

A rotor at the front of a tennis ball retrieving device is journalled for rotation in a direction whereby tennis balls lying at random on a tennis court or like surface are picked up and conveyed upwardly rearwardly to the top of a receptacle. An arcuate guide plate is provided for cooperation with the...     

An ocean floor surficial dredging apparatus is contemplated for retrieving particulate minerals from on and below the ocean floor. Such apparatus comprises first means for providing sufficient downward driving forces for enabling the first means to at least partially penetrate the ocean floor. The apparatus...     

A fruit harvesting machine for harvesting citrus fruit has a plurality of booms mounted to a vehicle. The booms are mounted to pass through fruit trees as the vehicle moves along for picking fruit on the trees. Each boom has fruit picking devices mounted thereon for collecting the fruit and conveying...     

A vertical frame is supported forwardly on a self-propelled mobile frame that includes a longitudinal conveyor. A gathering device is supported by the mobile frame and extends laterally at an inclined slope from the conveyor to direct the harvested fruit onto the conveyor. A shaker mechanism includes...     

A mobile frame is provided including a frusto-conical ground wheel journaled for rotation about a generally horizontal but inclined transverse axis with the lowermost slant height of the wheel disposed for surface-to-surface contact with the ground over which the frame is advanced. The wheel includes...     

An open bottomed wheeled carriage has upstanding side plates between which a flexible mat is dragged over the ground. The front end only of the mat is secured to a cross bar on the carriage at a height greater than that of a golf ball on the ground. The mat is made up of pivotally joined rings or rings...     

The present invention provides an improved golf ball collector, which comprises a plurality of ball catching wheels on a common axle which wheels are parallel with and spaced from each other so that the distance between two adjacent wheels is slightly smaller than the diameter of golf balls. In front...     

A crop harvesting apparatus for harvesting treeborne crops such as fruits and nuts. A plurality of crop-severing rods extend from a planar support member from which the rods are mounted for rotation. In preferred embodiments, each crop-severing rod includes a crop-contacting surface portion. The rotating...     

A structure is provided which may be advanced into the limb area of a fruit tree and which defines a plurality of outwardly opening fruit stem engaging notches. The notches include narrow open outer ends and wide inner ends and are inclined to discourage the entry of fruit bearing stems into the notches...     

Apparatus and process is provided in which a blast of air is directed into the tree to be harvested from the circumference of a circle which is apposed to the foliage expanse of the tree and is caused to move about the circumference of the circle as a rotating unit which rotates about the center of the...     

The invention relates to a harvester for harvesting soft fruit such as grapes, blackcurrants, raspberries etc. from standing bushes and comprises shaker devices mounted on a subframe of the harvester for pivoting between two positions in one of which the harvester can harvest fruit from mature bushes...     

The instant device comprises groups of picking tubes mounted on two separate support bodies and having means to continuously reciprocate all picking tubes in an axially manner, a group of said tubes whereas when advanced into a tree pieces of fruit are drawn between said tubes in a contact grasping manner...     

An apparatus for separating intermixed heavier and lighter materials of varied dimension and mass-to-area ratios, being particularly adapted to harvesting fallen nuts intermixed with leaves and other foreign matter. The separator element is used where the fruit and foreign matter are being borne in a...     

A fruit picking apparatus for picking fruit from a tree configured for use in combination with a mobile chassis comprising a base rotatably mounted on the mobile chassis, a first boom assembly pivotally coupled to the base, a second boom assembly movably coupled to the first boom assembly and a picker...     

Orchard fruit handling apparatus for conveying and delivering harvested fruit into a plurality of storage bins comprising a first conveyor for adjustable attachment to a conventional farm tractor for receiving and transporting fruit received thereon in a generally linear direction rearwardly of the tractor,...     

A crop harvesting apparatus particularly suited for harvesting of tree-borne crops. Each of a plurality of crop-severing rods has its first end rotatably connected to a support plate so that the rods extend substantially perpendicular to the plate. Each crop-severing rod includes a shaft member and a...     

A crop harvesting apparatus having a plurality of rotatable crop-severing rods of generally circular cross section extending from a support for insertion into crop-bearing foliage with the crop-severing rod longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the direction of thrust. In one embodiment of the...     

In a machine for picking-up agricultural produce from the ground of the type including a carriage movable over the ground, an inclined endless conveyor having at any given time sections constituting a pick-up section and a returning section and further comprising means for moving the conveyor, the improvement...     

A multiple purpose machine for cultivating and harvesting fruit bearing trees having a construction suitable for straddling a row of trees and performing various operations on the trees enclosed therein while continuously moving along a tree row. The agriculture machine is so designed to perform the...     

A trash picking device including a self-propelled vehicle having a receiving tank therein with an entrance for receiving litter from a conveyor belt litter picked up by spiked rollers mounted on a support tower by the vehicle and communicating with the conveyor belt by means of a flexible chute. Preferably,...     

Hay gathering apparatus including a supporting framework capable of being attached to a towing vehicle, a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel carrier elements disposed longitudinally of the framework in contact with the ground along substantially their entire lengths, each carrier element being...     

A harvesting machine for root row crops, such as onions, radishes, parsley, turnips, turnip greens, carrots, and the like wherein the individual plants have root bodies within the soil and tops above the ground. The harvesting machine has at least one harvesting wheel mounted on a vehicle for movement...     

A harvesting aid in the form of a bag or tubular chute having frame means to maintain its entrance in an open condition and hand hold means operable, in use, to engage a portion of a harvester's hand while leaving the fingers free to move at the entrance.

A ball retrieving and storage device for gathering balls lying upon a court floor or other flat surface and including a wheeled box-like collector having a bar extending across the front of the collector, the bar having a ball engaging surface which is normally carried above the floor at a height slightly...     

Harvesting apparatus for harvesting fruit, berries, and similar produce, including at least one pair of vibratable shaker head assemblies, each having a plurality of harvesting fingers which are subjected to rotational and vibrational movement by the shaker heads. Each shaker head of a pair is mounted...     

A rotary fruit picking head is provided and journaled from a suitable universally positionable mount therefor. The head includes a hollow body having peripheral wall surfaces extending along circular paths concentric with the axis of rotation of the head and the wall surfaces include the peripherally...     

A harvesting machine for berries and fruits such as coffee beans and blackcurrants includes at least one tined shaker oscillating about a vertical or substantially vertical axis. The shaker is oscillated by out-of-balance weights and a shaft supporting the weights is not itself driven, the drive to the...     

A novel flume hopper is employed in combination with a vacuum-operated hydraulic conveyor in a field or storage handling system for efficiently transferring produce to a holding tank without inflicting damage.

A gatherer device for fruits, nuts, etc., which is made of wire shaped to form a basket which includes tines that are shaped to guide the fruit into the basket as the device is pushed along the ground in the direction of the fruit. The wires are connected together side-by-side on their upper length and...     

A main shroud is open at the bottom, and carries a housing on the upper end thereof. An annular director ring is mounted to extend in spaced relationship about the bottom of the main shroud, and a vertical shaft extends upwardly through the shroud and the housing and is connected with a power unit. An...     

Disclosed is a tractor drawn device for harvesting fruits such as berries and coffee. A harvesting device is mounted on a frame structure supporting a vertically disposed tined shaker unit and a power pack, preferably a hydraulic pump driven by a diesel engine, that imparts rotation to unbalanced weights...     

For separating nuts from orchard trash in a windrow, the mixture of nuts and trash is picked up and deposited on the forward end of a foraminous conveyor enclosed by a housing connected to a fan inducing a vigorous flow of air through the conveyor. Variously arranged baffles, walls and guide plates direct...     

A rod press fruit harvester having a plurality of fruit removing rods combined with a mechanism for allowing movement of the harvester through a fruiting canopy without damage to limbs and branches of the tree. The harvester is also provided with mechanisms for automatically removing or clearing it of...     

A vacuum operated fruit harvesting machine is disclosed for harvesting fruit from fruit trees. The fruit harvesting machine of the invention comprises a picker head connected to an airflow control valve. A discharge valve is connected to the airflow control valve by means of a plurality of rigid or flexible...     

Disclosed is an electro-optical and microcomputer based method and apparatus for automatically guiding tractors and other farm machinery for the purpose of automatic crop planting, tending and harvesting. Also disclosed are means for automatic picking, excavating and other off-road uses in relatively...     

An apparatus for harvesting seed cones from a tree has a lower guide portion with an opening for freely embracing the trunk of the tree while permitting vertical movement of the apparatus with respect to the tree. There is an upper cone receiving portion having a rotatable cone remover with a plurality...     

Nuts on the ground are propelled by an air jet issuing from one tubular branch of a hand-held nut harvester into an opposing conveyor branch where the nuts are lifted until they strike a deflector in a separator chamber. Deflected nuts descend from the separator chamber to an attached collection receptacle....     

A vacuum operated fruit harvesting machine is disclosed for harvesting fruit from fruit trees. The fruit harvesting machine of the invention comprises a picker head connected to an airflow control valve. A discharge valve is then connected to the airflow control valve by means of a plurality of rigid...     

A poultry-harvester 10 (FIG. 1) for use in a poultry house comprises two contra-rotating rotors 12, 13 arranged side by side with the flexible fingers 20 of each rotor abutting and/or intermeshing with the fingers 20 of the other rotor. In operation, as the harvester is driven towards the birds to be...     

A method and system for harvesting fruit, such as citrus fruit. A modularized housing is provided with a mechanism for disposing the housing opposite a picking zone of a tree, with an open side thereof defining a picking aperture. The picking zone is illuminated, and an electronic camera at the geometric...     

A mechanical fruit picker includes a vacuum-operated picking tube which is operably mounted to a tractor and which is designed to pick and deliver fruit to a trailer pulled behind the tractor. The vacuum in the tube is created by a blower mounted to the power take-off of the tractor, while foam rubber...     

A rake for removing brush or trimmings from vines arranged in a row features a power driven wheel carrying two staggered rows of teeth sized and arranged to effectively remove brush from the vines, and a plow or comb shaped and arranged to effectively remove brush from the teeth in order to prevent the...     

A litter collection apparatus includes a novel arrangement for mounting litter retrieving projections on a retrieving belt of the apparatus, an improved receptacle and mechanism for emptying the receptacle, a novel arrangement for adjustably positioning the apparatus with respect to a surface over which...     

An apparatus for collecting litter from roadways and grounds includes a ground engageable rotating drum with easily removable and replaceable fingers which slip in and out of channels mounted on the drum. A spring finger assembly rotates against the drum to aid in litter pickup and to strip material...     

An apparatus for collecting litter from roadways and grounds includes a ground engageable rotating drum with easily removable and replaceable fingers which slip in and out of channels mounted on the drum. A spring finger assembly rotates against the drum to aid in litter pickup and to strip material...     

A root picker includes a main frame supporting within it a triangular picker frame pivoted on the main frame at one apex with a lower and rearwardly positioned apex supporting a picker roller which is rotated to pick stones from the ground. A conveyor chain supporting transverse bars with outwardly extending...     

A nut harvester and separator, particularly for nuts such as pecans, almonds and walnuts, includes a wheeled frame drawn by a tractor over nut and trash windrows on the nut-orchard ground. Power-driven pick-up and lifting reels within a longitudinal plenum on the frame advance the picked-up material...     

A portable golf ball retrieving tool has a shaft rotatably mounted on a handle. The shaft includes a number of spaced apart, slightly yieldable flat discs and has an extension at each end. A disc is mounted on each extension and the extensions include stub shafts which are telescoped into the ends of...     

The disposed fruit harvesting robot comprises fruit detecting sensors arranged around an opening of a cylindrical case for taking in fruit. The case also includes at least one additional sensor disposed inside the case.

A device for retrieving golf balls consists of a pair of discs rotatably mounted upon a plastic body. The shaft used to rotatably support the discs also serves to maintain the prongs of the body in a spaced relationship in which they develop an optimal amount of force upon the discs. The head assembly...     

A vacuum operated fruit harvesting machine is disclosed for harvesting fruit from fruit trees. The fruit harvesting machine of the invention comprises a picker head connected to an air flow control valve. A discharge valve is connected to the air flow control valve by means of a plurality of rigid or...     

A unitary-frame, straddle-type, crop-working vehicle with independent adjustability of straddle height, track width, and tool position is described. The vehicle features two lower tool-mounting arms and lateral and fore-and-aft adjustment to a center upper tool-mounting arm. Independent height adjustment...     

The collector apparatus of the instant invention is intended for use on a harvester vehicle for collecting a crop harvested from plants arranged in rows. The apparatus includes a pair of elongate continuous conveyor belts formed of pliable are resilient material, each conveyor belt having elongate inner...     

A harvesting apparatus for automatically removing fruit from its growth source comprising a harvesting hand mounted at a distal end of an articulated arm assembly, a video camera for picking up a fruit image, and a control unit for guiding the harvesting hand to the fruit in response to information provided...     

A tennis ball retrieving apparatus comprises a wheeled vehicle having a front end and a rear end. The vehicle has a ball storage container disposed at a level enabling ready removal of balls therefrom by a person next to the vehicle while the person is in a standing position. There are a pair of horizontal...     

A harvesting aid for fruit, particularly vine-borne fruit such as grapes, includes a steerable, self-propelled vehicle configured for straddling the row and supporting workers on either side of the vines. Workers sever the fruit and deposit it on a conveyor assembly which moves the fruit to a discharge...     

A device for retrieving golf balls consists of a pair of discs or disc portions rotatably mounted upon a plastic body. The shaft used to rotatably support the discs also serves to maintain the prongs of the body in a spaced relationship in which they develop an optimal amount of force upon the discs....     

A portable golf ball retrieving device having parallel disks between which golf balls are picked up. The disks are provided with sets of flat bars which are outboard of the longitudinal axis of the disks and which extend closely yet slidably through guides to permit axially expansion and collapse of...     

An orchard harvester vehicle of the type adapted for supporting and transporting means for gripping and shaking trees is disclosed. The vehicle has a frame having three rectilinear legs fixedly connected at inner ends thereof. Each leg defines a longitudinal axis, which axes intersect at the point of...     

A leaf harvesting machine has an auxiliary rotary beater and main rotary pickup broom on a mobile frame which both extend transversely of the direction of travel of the frame. The main pickup broom is disposed rearwardly of and in tandem relation to the beater. Both the beater and pickup broom are disposed...     

An apparatus for retrieving golf balls distributed over the ground comprising a frame mounted on an axle and two rear wheels, a plurality of thin circular discs spaced apart from each other slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball and mounted on the rear wheel axle to turn with the wheels with...     

A conveying mechanism for sweeping debris from a surface and which includes a chute having a lower edge spaced from the surface and along which the debris is moved by an endless carrier having a plurality of spaced sweeper or broom members. An endless flexible sheet material extends vertically from the...     

An apparatus for harvesting row crops having a mobile frame; harvesting units mounted on the frame and adapted for individual movement under the control of field workers borne thereby toward and from the row crop for harvesting of the crop therefrom; and in the preferred embodiment, an assembly mounted...     

A vehicle for aerial working has a vehicle chassis having a front frame and a rear deck, a lift mechanism disposed on the front frame, a platform vertically movably supported by the lift mechanism and having a cab thereon, a box-shaped pallet disposed on the rear deck of the chassis, and a chute for...     

A lightweight hand pecan harvester is provided which is efficient and easy to use. A harvesting/storage component includes a hopper having two open ends. A bottom end is provided with a series of parallel wire bails secured by brackets to the hopper walls. The bottom stretch of the bails is coplanar...     

An improved shaking mechanism for small fruits is described. The shaker comprises panels of radially spaced flexible rods which are oscillated by a positive displacement, direct drive that gives more uniform acceleration and displacement along the length of the rods than do conventional inertia and cam-drive...     

A fruit harvesting machine comprising a pair of vertically disposed booms which are pivotally connected at their lower ends to opposing ends of a transverse extensible axle rigidly connected to the underside of a transport mechanism such as a conventional tractor. A pair of man supporting baskets are...     

A variable force tree shaker is disclosed including a rotatable housing supporting a weight fixed to the housing and a movable weight, with the movable weight being capable of being moved between a balanced position and a plurality of unbalanced positions while the housing is rotating at a shaking speed....     

A horizontal boom extends laterally from a superstructure and includes a boom belt conveyor which receives harvested fruit from upwardly extending belt conveyors. The boom conveyor carries fruit to an inner discharge end above the superstructure for discharge into a vertical passage and then into a container...     

A fruit picker includes a rectangular receptacle having four vertical side walls joined by a horizontal floor. The receptacle has an open top and a hollow interior for receiving picked fruit. A vertical one-half inch wide slot is formed in one side wall for receiving the stem of a fruit to be picked....     

A harvester adapted for harvesting low-lying fruit, such as typical with high-density, dwarf trees, includes an intra-loop conveyor for collecting detached fruit relatively close to the ground and elevating same with a single flighted belt. The harvester straddles a single row of the trees and detaches...     

A power driven nut harvester of the invention is a self-propelled device for sweeping nuts from the ground into a housing by means of a power driven rotary drum equipped with flexible tines or with flexible rubber strip material. The power unit also propels the harvester at a substantially constant speed....     

A fruit decelerator having a plurality of adjacent resilient rollers able to receive substantial quantities of fruit free-falling a distance of at least four feet without harming the fruit; wherein there are gaps between some of the adjacent rollers; wherein there is a single tier of several side-by-side...     

A wheel mounted harvester having a tow hitch at each end thereof for towing by a tractor, and to allow the harvester to simultaneously tow a harvest trailer. The harvester is used in orchards to pick-up nuts for deposit into the trailer towed by the nut harvester. Crop pick-up and cleaning mechanics...     

A fruit picking device includes a head for receiving the fruit, a first pair of bails pivotally mounted to the head in spaced relation to each other across the housing opening, a second pair of bails pivotally mounted to the head in spaced relation to each other across the housing opening substantially...     

A machine for harvesting fruit including a supporting vehicle (30, 31) having a hopper 40 on one end (31) and a three-section extensible boom (80a, 80b, 80c) rotatably mounted on the other end (30) and having a bucket (96) on the outer end of the boom, and extensible conduits (82a, 82b, 82c) enclosed...     

A rolling apparatus to be pushed by hand to roll over ground where nuts have fallen, pick up the nuts, and collect them in a bag; the apparatus including a roller assembly of a plurality of thin wheel units each having a flexible wall member which contacts the ground and is spaced from the wall member...     

An apparatus for harvesting produce from row crops, a pair of beater rods for use in said apparatus, and methods related to the apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises a chassis which travels along the row of crops, and a harvesting unit, which is carried by the chassis and which comprises: A means...     

A recovery apparatus having a frame adapted for earth traversing movement along an elongated sheet bearing a crop to recover the crop; a first conveyor mounted on the frame for receiving the sheet and conveying the sheet therealong; a second conveyor mounted on the frame for overlaying the sheet and...     

Apparatus for retrieving objects from the ground has a ground-engageable drum rotatably mounted on an axle extending between opposite side plates, the drum having a plurality of drum fingers extending radially outwardly from the drum for piercing the objects as the drum is pushed over the ground, and...     

Apparatus having a frame and an axle on which are two ground engaging wheels and in between the wheels is a plurality of spaced discs arranged to wedge golf balls between adjacent discs and to discharge those golf balls into a forward basket; half of the discs and wheels being in one of two separately...