A harvester is disclosed that sweeps nuts and the like from the ground along with other debris, such as leaves and sticks, and separates the nuts from most of such debris before conveying the nuts to storage. The nuts, along with the debris picked up with them, are transferred into a cylinder having perforated sidewalls that is mounted for rotation around its longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis of the cylinder is horizontal so that the nuts and debris are carried upwardly along an arcuate path by the upwardly moving sidewall of the cylinder. The inner surface of the cylinder has pockets in which the nuts collect. A stream of air is directed through the perforated sidewall of the cylinder to blow the debris upwardly away from the nuts into another airstream that carries the debris out of the cylinder. The nuts continue upwardly with the sidewall until they are blown away from the sidewall into a hopper positioned inside the cylinder. From the hopper, the nuts are transferred to a storage bin by a belt conveyor and a pivotally mounted chute having a perforated bottom. The chute is arranged so that transverse flights on the belt, which move the nuts with the belt, cause the chute to oscillate and bounce the nuts as they pass through the chute. This further cleans the nuts prior to their reaching the storage bin.
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. The nuts are separated from debris by passing them at high velocity through a stiff bristle brush which repels the debris and directs the nuts for collection into a receiving bin. A spring loaded deflector plate adjacent the sweeper drum is kept in proper alignment by a fifth wheel maintained in constant contact with the ground.
A mechanism adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle for picking up litter from the vehicle supporting surface while traversing the surface at a fairly rapid rate. The mechanism includes an articulated arm adapted to be stored on top of the vehicle during travel or to be extended alongside of the vehicle while in operation. The arm includes at its outer end a litter pickup head including mechanism adapted to readily pick up the majority of litter commonly found. The arm further includes conveyor means mounted upon and conforming to the arm to carry the litter picked up by the head to a litter container mounted on the moving vehicle. The litter pickup head is designed to travel along the supporting surface and pick up litter that comes in contact with the head. The position of the head as well as its operation is fully controlled from inside the cab of the vehicle whereby the operator may seek out and capture litter within the range of the arm.
An apparatus is provided for collecting crop elements from the surface of the ground, particularly cider apples and perry pears which are allowed to fall to the ground before collection, and for separating the crop elements from debris. The apparatus includes an elongate duct having an inlet at one end for crop elements and debris. Draught inducing means for example, a fan, are provided to draw the crop element and debris into the duct in a generally horizontal direction. The crop elements are drawn along the duct adjacent the floor thereof, and the debris is drawn through the duct. Means are provided for directing the crop element and debris to separate destinations.
A compact nut harvesting apparatus for collecting and separating out pecan nuts from the debris from the surface of the ground. The nuts are separated from the debris using two converging non-parallel air streams. The nuts are gleaned from the ground by a series of rotating fingers that throw the nuts and accompanying debris into a trough containing a rotating screw-shaped auger. The auger carries the nuts and debris along the trough to a side exit area. A fan blows a stream of air along the trough to help carry away some of the debris as the nuts are carried towards the exit. At the exit area, another stream of air moving upwardly from a second fan meets the debris. The debris is forced out through a chimney with a lateral air port, and the heavier nuts fall onto a conveyer located below the exit area. A series of spaced apart and slanting bars are located at the lower end of the chimney and conveyer to direct the fallen nuts towards the conveyer belt.
A harvesting machine for picking up fruit, such as apples, which has fallen to the ground and placing it in a box or other suitable container. A drive shaft is concentrically disposed within an elongated shield of uniform, substantially semi-circular cross section. The shaft carries and imparts rotation to a plurality of blade assemblies arranged in closely spaced relation axially along the shaft, each assembly having a plurality of radially extending blades substantially tangential to the drive shaft. The fruit is picked up by the blades, carried around the shield, and propelled against a resilient curtain to drop onto conveying means without bounce or bruise and be transported to the container. Blower means are provided for separating grass, and the like, from the fruit as it is traveling between the blades and the curtain. Means are also provided for selectively tilting the container to avoid bruising the fruit as it is placed therein.
