GB2281493A - Fruit picking device. - Google Patents

Abstract

A picking device for mechanically picking berries from shrub-like plant stands, comprises a body frame 12 including power means 13, shaking members 14, and recovery means. The picking device comprises an endless track (1) going round, on both sides of the plant stands (2) to be processed, said track consisting of a plurality of side-by-side, and cup-like, recovery members (3), which settle tight against each other, against the plant stand and against the recovery members in the opposite track, thus forming a substantially tight and unbroken dropping base for the berries, around the plant stands in ground proximity. Voiding members 15 empty the recovery members of fruit to be collected by conveyors 8. <IMAGE>

Description

PICKING DEVICE The present invention concerns picking device for mechanically picking berries from shrubby plant stands, said picking device comprising a body frame including power means, for moving it from one plant stand to another, and shaking members and recovery means, for shaking the plant stands and for recovering the berries.

Picking devices available at present in mechanical berry picking when currants, gooseberries, raspberries and equivalent are being harvested include dinner plate-resembling and rotating recovery members with resilient rims, travelling with support from the stems of the plant stands, or close to them, and receiving the berries falling down, and conducting them onto a suitable conveyor, while at the same time the plant stands are being shaken e.g. with the aid of rodlike shaking members.

Picking devices of this type, being used at present, operate fairly well, but they have certain drawbacks. The plate-like recovery members have to be supported from below, whereby they are necessarily located rather high up from the ground, on the order of 30 cm, implying that they cannot get really low down on the bush, and that part of the berries will fall down in the centre between the recovery members. Another drawback in existing devices is the harsh handling of the plant stands. The soft rims of the plate-like recovery members notwithstanding, the plates will damage and break off branches and cause injury to the stem surfaces. The drawbacks just mentioned are particularly significant in the case of young and small-sized bushes which have a skin more susceptible to injury and on which the branches are shorter and consequently extend less well into the area over the recovery members.

The state of art in the field of the present invention is presented in the Patents US 3,685,266, US 3,901,005, DE 2,722,024 and DE 2,835,351. Through these references also revolving tracks composed of cup-like recovery members are known, which however are heavy and inflexible and are only appropriate for sturdy plant stands, e.g. for grapes.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks addressed in the foregoing. The specific object of the invention is to disclose a novel berry picking device., a low height picking device, which is also appropriate in the handling of tender plants, especially young ones, so that the gathering of berries can be accomplished as close to the ground and as close to the plants as possible and moreover in a way such that no injuries are inflicted on the plants.

The picking device of the invention comprises an endless track running a circuit, on both sides of the plant stands, said track consisting of a plurality of side-by-side and cup-like recovery members which settle tight against each other, against the plants and against the recovery members of the opposed track, constituting a substantially unbroken dropping base for the berries, around the plant stands and close to the ground; voiding members for emptying the recovery members; guiding planes inclined towards the plant stand, said cup-like recovery members being disposed to be movable, resting thereagainst and circuiting therearound; and elastic supporting members by which the guiding plane is braced in a direction transversal to the travel of the picking device, at an angle or perpendicular thereagainst, elastically against the body frame of the picking device.

It should be noted that the picking device of the invention may be a separate and automatically operating unit, or it may equally be a detachably mountable auxiliary which can also be connected to existing berry picking devices or to other kinds of apparatus intended to be used in processing berry bushes.

Advantageously, the tracks consisting of cuplike recovery members, on both sides of the bushes or rows of bushes, are by means of suitable power transmission arrangements connected with the movement of the picking device so that the recovery members have no movement in the picking device's travelling direction relative to the bushes which are being processed and that they are instead urged around the bushes gently and are stationary while picking is going on, and depart on completed picking from around the bushes without chafing or otherwise injuring them. In the case of a sturdier plant stand, the tracks may operate without any drive means, deriving their traction from contact with the plant stand.

The picking device of the invention handles the plant stand gently because the cup-like recovery members are constructed to have resilient rims or to be totally resilient and, furthermore, the whole guiding plane, around which the track formed by the recovery members circulates, is elastically attached to the body frame of the picking device to yield laterally, either obliquely or at right angles against the propagation, in such way as the plant stands which are being processed imply. Moreover, the support members of the cuplike recovery members, the arms, may be suitably elastic and yielding, either being made of elastic material or being structures which can yield telescopically or in equivalent manner or which are articulated.

In the picking device of the invention various voiding members and other structures may be used by which the berries can be recovered from the cup-like recovery members. It is feasible, in various embodiments, that the recovery members are turned or they have been arranged to dump their contents, or the whole track is disposed to run in such a way that the berries will depart from the recovery members at a suitable stage. For instance, the cup-like recovery members may rest against a suitable guide rod which permits their dumping in the voiding region, or their arms may be provided with lockable pivots which are released in the voiding region.

The advantage of the invention over the state of art is that the recovery track can be positioned close to the ground, order of magnitude 10 cm, whereby it becomes possible to approach as close as possible to the plants and to recover the berries, because no structures are needed under the recovery members and, instead, it is an easy thing for their upward directed support members to push the cup-like member in under the bushes, almost to ground contact. It has been found in trials that were carried out that, particularly in the case of smaller bushes, the berry recovery is about 30% higher compared with traditional devices. In addition, even tender plant stands are not damaged by the picking device of the invention because no chafing or rotary movement is effected against the stems which are processed: there is nothing but a gentle pressure in the direction at right angles against the line of travel of the picking device.

In the following the invention is described in detail, referring to the attached drawings, in which: Fig. 1 presents, schematically, both the state of art and the picking device of the invention, Fig. 2 presents, in top view, a picking device according to the invention, and Fig. 3 presents, in front view and schematically, the picking device of Fig. 2.

The left side of Fig. 1 depicts the state of art, in which dinner plate-resembling recovery members 20 are employed, which rotate against the bushes as the picking device progresses, while at the same time the branches are shaken with the aid of shaking members (not depicted in the figure). From the recovery members, the berries fall down on a conveyor 21.

The right side of Fig. 1, as well as Figs 2 and 3, present a picking device according to the invention, comprising an endless and loop-like track 1 composed of recovery members 3 which are cup-like and have resilient rims, this track being arranged to be movable and revolvable, by the aid of a suitable chain or belt 11, around an elongated guiding plane 6 with rounded ends. The recovery members 3 rest by means of a support member 5 and of a pivot thereon, on the chain 11. In the figures only part of the recovery members are shown, while it is understood that they extend in the form of a uniform sequence all around the guiding plane.

On the body frame 12 of the picking device rests a power means 13, serving to propagate the picking device, carried on wheels 19. A transmission arrangement 17 connects the recovery members to the body frame in such manner that they can be moved around the guiding plane 6 so that the recovery members facing the plant stand are stationary.

When the recovery members 3 are positioned side by side on the straight edge of the elongated guiding plane 6, the recovery members form an unbroken, and dense, dropping base 4 for the berries.

The guiding plane 6, a planar plate, is disposed in a slanted position, to slope towards the root end of the bushes being processed, so that berries falling from the bushes on the guiding plane will flow over the edge of this plane and into the recovery members 3. On the opposite, upper straight edge of the guiding plane 6 a voiding zone 7 has been provided, where the recovery members 3 can execute a dumping movement, i.e., they can turn downward so that any berries carried in them fall down on a conveyor 8 located under the voiding zone 7. Voiding has been arranged to take place by means of voiding members 15, that is appropriate guides turning the cup-like recovery members, or allowing the to turn, in the voiding zone.

In the embodiment here presented, there is furthermore an aperture 9 provided in the guiding plane 6 and located over the conveyor 8, whereby any berries falling directly down on the conveyor 8 will be spared any further handling, as in this case they will not roll from the guiding plane to the recovery members and only thereafter to the conveyor. It is thus understood that the handling of the berries is minimal, and gentle. Moreover, guide rods 10 have been provided on the elongated lower edge of the guiding plane 6, and likewise curving on the front edge, in the direction of travel A, of the plane, these rods guiding the guiding planes to be positioned on both sides of the bushes, that is, guiding the bushes 2 in between the guiding planes 6 and the recovery members 3. The guiding planes are supported on the body frame 12 of the picking device by elastic support members 18 so that the guiding planes can resiliently yield in lateral direction as much as the plants being processed require.

The picking device of the invention depicted in the drawing is operated as follows. The body frame 12 of the picking device is driven over the row of bushes one desires to process, so that the row of bushes is placed centrally on the line between the guiding planes 6. Hereafter, when the picking device is driven forward, the tracks consisting of recovery members 3 are pressed and settle against each other to form a compact dropping base 4. Each individual bush 2, or row of bushes, as it enters between the recovery members, is gently and tightly pressed, owing to the resilience of the recovery members, and impacted between them, and at the same time the bushes are shaken with the shaking members 14 which rest on the body frame of the picking device. Since the dropping base 4 is a substantially unbroken structure constituted by opposed and mutually adjacent recovery members, substantially all the berries detaching themselves from the bushes fall either through the apertures 9 directly onto the conveyor 8 or directly into the recovery members 3, or over the guiding plane 6 to the recovery members.

After the bushes have been shaken clear of berries, the bushes quit the space between the guiding planes 6 when the recovery members 3 move apart at the rear end of the guiding planes. It should be noted that the recovery members only move substantially in the direction at right angles to the direction of travel A as they are being pressed around the bushes, and while encircling the bushes they are stationary relative to the bushes.

As the recovery members 3 complete their circuit by running along the outer edge of the guiding plane, they are emptied in the voiding zone 7 onto the conveyor 8, and hereby, in their chain-like circuit around the guiding plane, they lift the berries from under the bushes, from ground vicinity, up to the conveyor 8. The picking device may be provided with a support, a rod or a guide, running all the way around the guiding plane and on which the cup-like members rest so that they are kept horizontal at all other times but in the voiding zone dump the berries onto the conveyor.

If any one bush deviates from the straight row, as is the case with the bush on the extreme left in Fig. 2, this bush will hit the guide rod 10, which partly forces the bush into line and partly pushes the whole entity consisting of the guiding plane 6 and the recovery members 3, owing to the elastic support members 16, farther away from the bush in question, thus preventing injury to the bush.

In the foregoing the invention has been described by way of example with the aid of the accompan ying drawing, while however various embodiments of the invention are feasible within the scope of the inventive idea, delimited by the claims.

Claims (9)

1. A picking device for mechanically picking berries from shrub-like plant stands, comprising a body frame (12) including power means (13) for moving it from one plant stand to another, and shaking members (14) and recovery means (3) for shaking the stands and recovering the berries, characterized in that the picking device comprises - an endless track (1) going round, on both sides of the plant stands to be processed, said track consisting of a plurality of side-by-side, and cup-like, recovery members (3), which settle tight against each other, against the plant stand and against the recovery members in the opposite track, thus forming a substantially tight and unbroken dropping base (4) for the berries, around the plant stands in ground proximity, - voiding members (15) for emptying the recovery members, - guiding planes (6) slanting towards the plant stand (2) being processed, the cup-like recovery members (3) being arranged to be movable supported thereby, and therearound, and - elastic support members (16) by which the guiding plane (6) rests in a direction transversal to the picking device's direction of travel, at an angle or perpendicular, elastically on the body frame of the picking device.

2. Picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that to the tracks (1) is connected a power transmission arrangement (17) for making them go round in synchronism with the motion of the picking device so that the recovery members (3) are stationary, urged tightly around the plant stand that is being processed.

3. Picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cup-like recovery members (3) have resilient, e.g. rubber-like rims, settling tight against the plant stand (2) and against each other.

4. Picking device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the recovery members (3) are joined to constitute a track movable as a unit, with the aid of elastic support members (5).

5. Picking device according to claim 1, char acterized in that the recovery members (3) are pivotal ly attached to the revolving track, to the voiding mem bers (15) belonging guides, such as a guide rail, dis posed in a certain zone of the track (1), the voiding zone (7), to turn the recovery members in order to empty them.

6. Picking device according to claim 5, char acterized in that under the voiding zone (7) of the track (1) belongs a conveyor (8) onto which the recov ered berries fall.

7. Picking device according to claim 6, char acterized in that in the guiding plane (6) belongs an aperture (9) over the conveyor (8) to allow berries becoming detached above the conveyor to drop down straight on the conveyor.

8. Picking device according to claim 6, char acterized in that to the guiding plane (6) belongs a guide rod (10) disposed to prevent the recovery members (3) from colliding with the plant stand to be pro cessed.

9. Picking device as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.