Harvesters – Fruit gatherer – Berry strippers
Patent
1988-05-23
1991-06-18
Sykes, Angela D.
Harvesters
Fruit gatherer
Berry strippers
A01D 4522
Patent
active
050240528
ABSTRACT:
Improved apparatus for harvesting berries on low plants, particularly strawberries, is described. The apparatus includes a picking head having a frame movable along the ground over the crop of berries in the path of travel. A reel is mounted on this frame for rotation about an axis transverse to the travel path. This reel includes a series of circumferentially spaced rows of tines capable of moving and engaging the berries to strip them from the plants. A cam arrangement is provided for moving the tines relative to the reel to facilitate the stripping action and to facilitate deposit of the stripped berries into the reel. A conveyor system is provided to carry the berries which have been deposited into the reel outwardly of same and thence ultimately into a container.
Special brushes for clearing the tines are provided including an auxiliary brush to overcome a problem arising from use on strawberries. A picking head is mounted on multiple wheels so as to roll along the ground and means are provided for towing the picking head in such a way as to provide substantial freedom of movement to accommodate any unevenness in the ground. Modified tines and tine bars accommodate the picking of strawberries and tine shape and spacings have been selected on the basis of experimental work to provide good overall results. The cam arrangement has also been modified and reel rotation direction selected as to provide efficient strawberry picking. The apparatus can be connected to and powered from a wide range of conventional farm tractors. The harvester is rugged and durable and reasonable in cost.
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Bragg R. D.
Weatherbee H. Lloyd
Doug Bragg Enterprises Ltd.
Sykes Angela D.
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