GB2115263A - Harvesting fruit - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for harvesting fruit comprises shields (6) for enclosing a fruit-bearing part of a tree, means (7) for directing jets of water and/or air on to the fruit, to free same and a cushioning means such as a water tank (1) beneath said shields into which the falling fruit can drop. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method of and apparatus for harvesting fruit This invention concerns a method of and apparatus for harvesting fruit and has for its primary objectthe provision of a method and apparatus that avoids bruising and damaging the fruit, and especially soft fruit, as would occur if afruit-bearing tree is shaken either mechanically or manually to cause the fruit to separate and fall freely from the tree on to the ground orintoacatch net.

The invention is particularly, although not exclusively, intendedfor harvesting various kinds offruit such as apples, pears, plums, oranges and peaches in fruitorchards with the minimum of labour and damagetothe crop.

Broadly, according to the invention, there is provided a method of harvesting fruit that consists in enclosing, or substantially enclosing, afruit-bearing part of a tree in shields located above cushioning means on to which fruit dislodged from the tree is directed by said shields so as to fall without bruising or damaging the fruit, and to effect separation and dislodgement ofthe fruitfrom thetree by jets of water and/or air directed on to the fruit bearing portion of the tree.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention apparatus forcarrying the above method into effect comprises a water tank into which dislodged fruit can fall without bruising or damage, and shields located above said tank and adjustable for heightthat serve to enclosethe fruit-bearing part of the tree and direct the dislodged fruit into said water tank, and waterand/or air nozzles arranged circum ferentially on the inside ofthe shield through which jets of pressurised water or air are directed on to the fruit to effect separation ofthe fruit from the tree.

If desired a net or mesh may be provided adjacent to and spread across thetop of the tankto checkthe motionofthefruitbeforefalling intothetank.

Convenientlythe apparatus is mounted on ground wheels and hydraulic rams provided for raising and lowering the shields, actuated by fluid pumps operated directly or, if desired, by the powertake-off of a tractor used fortransporting the apparatus.

To enablethe invention to be clearly understood and readily carried into effect a preferred embodimentthereofwill now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying purely diagrammatic drawings, wherein: Figure lisa side view of the apparatus, Figure 2 is a similar view drawn to a smaller scale, showing the apparatus coupled to a farm tractor, Figures 3 and 4 are side and plan view respectively showing a spring-loaded entrance permitting positioning of the apparatus about a tree trunk, Figure 5 is a side view of the apparatus illustrating modifications, Figure 6 is a view showing the action of strikers shown in Figure Son fruit-bearing branches of a tree, and Figure 7 is a plan view showing how the harvester can be displaceably supported on runners and mounted on a turntable, and Figure 8 is a view showing the harvester engaged about a tree.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 4 of said drawing, the apparatuscomprises a wheeled chassis supporting a water tank 1 formed with a radial passageway2 (Figures 3 and 4) constituting a spring-loaded entrance to allowthe apparatus to be engaged about the trunk of a fruit-bearing tree to be harvested.

The chassis is also provided with two hydraulic rams 4 actuated by hydraulic fluid pumps 5 for raising and lowering two substantially semi-cylindrical guide shields 6 for enclosing the fruit-bearing part 3a of the tree.

Each shield6isfitted internallywith spray nozzles 7, preferably arranged in upper and lower rows, that are connected by feed pipes 8to one or more water supplytanks 9from which water is pumped, at a controlled high pressure, on to the fruit bearing part 3a of the tree so asto dislodge and separate ripe fruit and cause the latter to fall into water in the tank 1.

Preferablythe open top ofthe tank 1 is covered by strong fine nylon net or mesh 10 serving to cushion still furtherthefall of dropping fruit as it is separated from the tree by the water spray or jets issuing from the nozzles 7 so as to prevent damage and bruising of the floating fruit, the latter subsequently being allowedto passthrough gaps and an opening 11 in the net into the water in the tank.

Filling and emptying of the tank 1 is effected through a filling and draining pipe 12 connected between the tanks 1 and 9 and fruit is released through an opening in the base of the tank 1 closed by a displaceable hatch or shutter 13 on to conveyor belts 14 driven by a motor 15 and so discharged from the apparatus.

If desired the height of the water tank 1 can be increased by a canvas surround to ensure the minimum loss of water during spraying.

From the foregoing it will be readily appreciated that damage and bruising offruit harvested by the method and apparatus of this invention is wholly or in the main avoided and the labour involved kept to a minimum.

A resulting advantage of the invention is that during harvesting the fruit is washed ready to be boxed. Also the apparatus may usefully be employed for spraying fruit crops with insecticides.

If convenientthe hydraulic rams 4 may be coupled to and actuated by the hydraulic system of a tractor and a tractor powertake-off utilized for actuating mechanism for pumping water from the supply tanks 9to the tank 1 and also for actuating pumps for supplying water to the nozzles 7. Acat-walk may be provided within and adjacent to the lower edge of each shield to facilitate manual handling ofthefruit should this become necessary.

Although primarily intended for harvesting fruit trees the invention may of course advantageously be used for harvesting fruit on bushes and plants, The drawings) originally filed was/were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy. including dwarf-size trees and the apparatus may be built to suit the size of such trees or bushes.

A perforated grid may be provided to prevent choking ofthe return pipes 12 by leaves when the tank 1 is emptied and fruit discharged on to the conveyor and water returned tothe supplytank 1.

Instead of directing jets of water onto the fruit through the nozzles 7, compressed air or a combination of jets of compressed air and jets of water may be used.

To ensure thatthe whole of the area of the fruit bearing part ofthe tree is covered and acted upon by the water and/or air ejected from the nozzles 7 as the shields 6 are moved up and down, the nozzles may be mounted so as to move laterally, i.e. from left to right in horizontal guide slots in the shields.

Referring next to the modifications illustrated by Figures 5,6 and 7, in which the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same parts ofthe mechanism shown in Figures 1 to 4, rotatable means is provided within the shields 6 for gently striking the fruit-bearing branches of a tree so as to bend such branches and when released, spring back and shake loose anyfruit remaining on said branches and that have been missed or not dislodged byte jets of waterand/orair.Thesaid rotatable means may comprise, within the shields 6, a number of spring loaded strikers 16 covered by a silicon rubber compound and that are carried by and depend from a rotor arm 17 fitted to a drive wheel 18 in turn driven by a motor 19 or other driving member mounted on a frame or gantry 20.As the strikers 16 rotate they gently strike the branches (see Figure 6) and, due to their inherent resiliency, yield and bend to allowthe branches to spring back and shakefree any fruit not freed by the jets of water and/or air directed onto them by the nozzles 7.

Afurther development consists of a fruittrap consisting oftwo grids 21 and 22 superimposed one upon the other, the top grid 21 allowing the fruitto pass through as the fruit is discharged from the tank.

When the bottom grid 22 is activated it moves forward and so reduces the size of the openings in the top grid so asto prevent the fruit from refloating when the water is pumped back.

Figure7 illustrates how the harvester is mounted on runners 23 on a turntable 24 carried by a wheeled chassis 25. Such an arrangement enables the harvesterto be manoeuvered and driven straightforward by rams 26 and so embrace and engage around a tree on either side, as illustrated by Figure 8. As will be appreciated, rotation of the turntable enables the apparatus to be turned until the radial passage 2 of the tank 1 aligns with a treetrunkwhen the apparatus as a complete unit, including the rotor arm frame 20, the shields 6 and the fruittank 1 can be pushed forward by means of the hydraulic rams 26. Hydraulically operated legs are actuated and lowered when the tank 1 has been engaged about a tree bythe rams 26to take the weight ofthe apparatus and water pumped into the tank.

By means of the grids 21 and 25 shown in Figure 5 water can be drawn off from the tank 1 and then by keeping the fruit at the bottom of the tank a number of trees can be harvested before having to unload.

Claims (12)

1. Amethod ofharvestingfruitthatconsists in enclosing, orsubstantially enclosing, a fruit-bearing part of a tree in shields located above cushioning means onto which fruit dislodged from the tree is directed by said shields so asto fall without bruising or damaging thefruit, and to effect separation and dislodgement of the fruit from the tree byjets of water and/or air directed on to the fruit bearing portion of the tree.

2. Apparatus for carrying into effectthe method claimed in Claim 1, comprising a water tank into which dislodged fruit can fall without bruising or damage, and shields located above said tank and adjustable for height that serve to enclose the fruit-bearing part of the tree and direct the dislodged fruit into said watertank, and water and/or air nozzles arranged circumferentially on the inside of the shield through which jets of pressurised water or air are directed on to the fruit to effect separation of the fruit from the tree.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, including rotatable means for striking the branches of a tree enclosed in said shields to shakethe branches and release anyfruit not dislodged by the jets of water and/or air.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the meansforstriking and shaking the branches comprise resilient or spring-loaded members.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, 3 or4, wherein the water tank is formed with a radial passage way thatcan pass about the trunk of a tree when the apparatus is being moved into position.

6. Apparatus as claimed in anyofClaims2to5, mounted on a wheeled chassis, the latter supporting water supply tanks and associated equipment for circulating waterto the spray nozzles and also to the fruit-receiving tank and subsequently back to the supplytanks.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 6, wherein two semi-circularshields are provided that combine to enclose a fruit-bearing part of a tree, each shield being raised and lowered by one or more rams.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 7, wherein the top of the fruit-receiving tank is covered by a net of mesh serving to cushion still furtherthe dropping fruitwhich is allowed to pass therethrough.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 8, whereinthe harvested fruit can be released through an opening in the base of the tank which is normally closed by a displaceable hatch or shutter, a conveyor being provided beneath said opening by which the fruit can be discharged from the apparatus.

10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein a fruittrap is located beneath said opening in the base ofthefruit-receiving tank, said trap comprising two grids positioned one above and upon the other, the uppermostortop grid permitting fruitto pass therethrough as water is drawn off, the bottom grid being adapted to be slid relatively to the top grid and serving to reducethe size of the openings in the top grid so as to prevent the fruit refloating when water is pumped back into the tank.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, mounted on a turntable and having runners that enables the apparatus to be manoeuvered and positioned and driven forward so as to engage around and on each side of a tree.

12. A method of and apparatus for harvesting fruit, constructed substantially as hereinbefore de scnbedwith referenceto and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.