Mechanical harvester and continuous row harvesting method...

Details Mechanical harvester and continuous row harvesting method... Mechanical harvester and continuous row harvesting method...

2001-02-15

2003-05-06

Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)

Harvesters

Fruit gatherer

C056S330000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06557335

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to mechanical harvesters for use in harvesting grapes, raisins and similarly situated crops. More specifically, the present invention relates to such harvesters that are self-propelled and able to separate the crop from overhead vines. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to such mechanical harvesters and methods of harvesting that are suitable for continuously harvesting a single row of crops grown on an overhead trellis system.
2. Background
As is well known, the conventional methods of harvesting grapes, raisins and other vine crops is typically a very labor intensive process requiring a significant number of laborers to separate the crop from the vines. These methods generally require the labor crews to walk through the vineyard and individually cut clusters of fruit from the vine. With regard to raisin production, the conventional method of harvesting raisins require the laborers to place the clusters of raisin grapes on drying trays or strips of paper located along or near the rows of vines. The green raisin grapes are then left on the paper trays for a sufficient period of time to allow the sun to dry them into raisins. In the Central Valley area of California, this typically requires the fruit to lie in the sun for approximately three weeks. During the drying period, the raisins are at risk of being ruined by mold, infestation and rot. This risk can be increased by any rain that may occur during the drying period. After the raisins are sufficiently dry, the paper trays are rolled into sealed packages and set aside for retrieval. The raisins are then picked up and emptied into conventional raisin bulk bins that are pulled behind a tractor on bin trailers through the rows of vines and then delivered for processing. While the conventional method of harvesting grapes and raisins provides the maximum flexibility, it is very expensive due to its labor intensiveness.
Various mechanisms have been developed to improve the efficiency of grape and raisin production and to reduce the costs associated with harvesting grapes and raisins. Some of these mechanisms are addressed to machines capable of removing the green grapes from the vines and placing them on the paper trays for drying. A mechanism for mechanically collecting the raisins placed on paper trays is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,665 to Decker. Other mechanical harvesting of conventionally produced raisins have been developed. In general, the machines for mechanically harvesting conventionally grown and dried grapes and raisins have not been readily accepted due, in part, to the cost of the equipment and the fact it does not reduce the risks associated with rain damage.
To reduce the cost associated with harvesting grapes, raisins and other vine crops, growers have developed various new methods of growing the crops that are more suitable for reducing labor costs. The conventional method of raising grapes or raisins is to grow the vines in separate parallel rows utilizing a trellis system that runs along the row producing rows of vines approximately four to six feet high. With regard to growing raisins, one improvement is referred to as the dried-on-the-vine (“DOV”) methods. The DOV methods of growing raisins leaves the grape clusters on the vines during the drying process, as opposed to laying them on paper trays for the dried-on-the-ground method. Labor crews go through the vineyard and cut the fruiting canes so that the grapes on those canes will dry to produce raisins. U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,561 to Conley describes an improved DOV method of producing raisins with a modified conventional trellis system that trains the canes into a divided canopy with the fruiting canes primarily on one side of the rows and renewal canes on the opposite side.
Several harvesting machines have been developed to harvest DOV raisins. Examples of these machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,667 to Scott, U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,696 to Walker and U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,276 to Walker. Generally, these patents describe harvesting machines that are either pulled or driven between the rows of vines with a plurality of rods or paddles extending from the side of the harvester such that the rods or paddles engage the plants to dislodge the grapes or raisins therefrom. The dislodged grapes or raisins are collected on a conveyance system and transported up and over the vines into a truck or bin trailer pulled be a tractor in the adjacent row.
There are a number of other methods of growing grapes and raisins that take advantage of the DOV principles. Some of these methods utilize the conventional trellis system while others utilize less commonly employed trellis systems, such as an overhead trellis system. The overhead trellis systems allow the vines to be trained such that the canes grow over the trellis wires disposed between rows of upright posts that are placed along the rows of vines. The posts have one or more cross-arms that are connected to the trellis wires. The canes grow from the head of the vine and are placed across the wires such that the crop will grow in a generally vertical downward direction from the canes between the rows. One method of growing grapes and raisins on an overhead trellis system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,109 to Pitts, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein. In this method of growing vines, the vine plants are separated to form four cordons and trained such that two pairs of cordons grow along the rows but opposite each other. Canes produced by the cordons grow substantially perpendicular to the cordons toward the canes produced by an adjacent row of vines over an overhead trellis structure. During each growing season, one row is a fruiting row and the adjacent row is a renewal row. During the following season, the function of the rows is reversed. This method of growing grapes and raisins is referred to as the quadrilateral, alternate bearing method and has been found to substantially increase production of grapes and raisins.
Harvesting overhead trellis systems by hand requires the labor crews to walk or ride on a trailer through the fruiting row to pick off the fruit clusters and deposit them in pans or buckets, which are then dumped into conventional raisin bins or juice gondolas. The bins or gondolas are hauled on trailers and pulled through the rows by tractors. When loaded, the tractor and full containers travel the length of the row and exit at the first available avenue. After exiting the row, the tractor and trailer exchanges the full containers for empty containers and returns back to the beginning of the row to rejoin the picking crew. Second tractor/trailer units are often added to minimize harvesting stoppage. As with other hand harvesting methods, this method is very expensive due to its labor intensiveness.
Mechanical harvesters for harvesting grapes or raisins grown on an overhead trellis system are also known. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,166 to Scott is directed to a grape and raisin harvester in the form of a trailer that utilizes a series of spinning rods fashioned into a rotating rolling brush that knocks the grapes or raisins off the plants and into one or more boxes located on the trailer platform. The harvester is pulled along the row by a tractor. The rotating rolling brush, referred to as a shaker head, is raised or lowered by the use of hydraulic cylinders linked to the shaker head. No reference is made to how the full boxes are emptied or replaced with empty boxes so that the harvester can continue to harvest. U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,276 to Walker, primarily a device for harvesting DOV raisins grown on modified conventional trellises, suggests that the harvester head can be disposed such that the beater rods extend upward for use in overhead trellis systems. However, no reference is made to how the conveying system is modified to convey the raisins over the vines.
Another apparatus for mechanically harvesting grapes or raisins developed by Mr. Lee

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