Claims
- 1. A grape harvester for harvesting grapes from vines having cane thereon in shielding relationship to grape-bearing portions of said vines comprising a frame, harvesting means on said frame for harvesting grapes from said grape-bearing portions, cane moving means mounted on said frame for moving said cane out of the path of said harvesting means so that said cane is not engaged by said harvesting means, said cane moving means comprising cane lifter means for lifting said cane, said harvesting means being mounted on said frame to engage said grape-bearing portions of said vines, said frame having a front end and a rear end, said harvesting means for engaging said grape-bearing portions of said vines comprising arm means having first and second portions, first means mounting said first portions of said arm means on said frame so that said second portions extend rearwardly relative to said first portions for engaging said grape-bearing portions of said vines, and second means mounting said cane lifter means on said frame in advance of said second portions of said arm means when said frame is moving forward during harvesting for causing said cane lifter means to lift said cane away from said grape-bearing portions before said second portions of said arm means engage said grape-bearing portions.
- 2. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 1 wherein said arm means comprise rearwardly extending rods.
- 3. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 1 including guide means on said frame for guiding said cane away from engagement with said arm means after it has been lifted by said cane lifter means.
- 4. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cane lifter means comprises chain means.
- 5. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 4 including means for adjusting the position of said chain means on said frame.
- 6. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 4 wherein said chain means comprises first and second spaced endless chains, and means for driving said endless chains.
- 7. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 6 including means for adjusting the position of said chain means on said frame.
- 8. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cane lifter means comprises an endless member, mounting means mounting said endless member relative to said frame in advance of said harvesting means, and means for driving said endless member in an upward direction so as to lift said cane.
- 9. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 8 wherein said mounting means include means for varying the inclination of said endless member about a generally horizontal axis extending crosswise of said frame.
- 10. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 8 wherein said mounting means include means for varying the elevation of said endless member on said frame.
- 11. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 9 wherein said mounting means include means for varying the elevation of said endless member on said frame.
- 12. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cane lifter means comprises walking beam means.
- 13. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 12 wherein said walking beam means comprises first and second spaced walking beams, and means for driving said walking beams.
- 14. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 12 including means for adjusting said walking beams on said frame.
- 15. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 14 wherein said means for adjusting said walking beams on said frame comprises means for adjusting the position of said walking beam means in a plurality of directions.
- 16. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cane lifter means comprises rotating means having thread means thereon.
- 17. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 16 wherein said rotating means comprises first and second spaced cylinders.
- 18. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 17 including means for rotating said cylinders in opposite directions to cause said threads to lift said cane upwardly.
- 19. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 18 including means for adjusting the position of said cylinders.
- 20. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 16 wherein said rotating means comprises a vertically oriented cylinder, means for rotating said cylinder to cause said thread means to lift said cane upwardly, and means for adjusting the position of said cylinder on said frame.
- 21. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 20 wherein said means for adjusting the position of said cylinder include means for adjusting the position of said cylinder transversely of said frame.
- 22. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 20 wherein said means for adjusting the position of said cylinder include means for adjusting the position of said cylinder in an universal manner relative to said frame.
- 23. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cane lifter means comprises inclined rod means, and mounting means for mounting said inclined rod means on said frame to lift said cane in advance of said harvesting means.
- 24. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 23 including adjustment means for varying the position of said inclined rod means on said frame.
- 25. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 24 wherein said adjustment means include means for adjusting the forward inclination of said rod means.
- 26. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 23 wherein said mounting means include means for permitting said inclined rod means to swing inwardly and outwardly in a direction crosswise of said frame.
- 27. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 26 wherein said inclined rod includes a forward end which is disposed downwardly relative to a rear end thereof, and wherein said mounting means includes attachment means for attaching said rear end relative to said frame.
- 28. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 27 including a second rod located below said inclined rod, connection means between said inclined rod and said second rod and second attachment means between said second rod and said frame.
- 29. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 28 wherein said attachment means and said second attachment means comprise universal connections.
- 30. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 29 including means for yieldably maintaining said first rod means at a predetermined attitude relative to the longitudinal axis of said harvester.
- 31. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 23 including means on said inclined rod means for stripping grapes from said cane.
- 32. A grape harvester as set forth in claim 31 including chute means, and means for mounting said chute means on said frame to receive grapes stripped from said cane.
- 33. A grape harvester for harvesting grapes from vines having cane thereon in shielding relationship to grape-bearing portions of said vines comprising a frame, harvesting means on said frame for harvesting grapes from said grape-bearing portions, cane moving means mounted on said frame for moving said cane out of the path of said harvesting means so that said cane is not engaged by said harvesting means, said cane moving means comprising cane lifter means for lifting said cane, said cane lifter means comprising an endless member, mounting means mounting said endless member relative to said frame in advance of said harvesting means, and means for driving said endless member in an upward direction so as to lift said cane, said mounting means including means for varying the inclination of said endless member relative to a vertical plane.
- 34. A grape harvester for harvesting grapes from vines having cane thereon in shielding relationship to grape-bearing portions of said vines comprising a frame, harvesting means on said frame for harvesting grapes from said grape-bearing portions, cane moving means mounted on said frame for moving said cane out of the path of said harvesting means so that said cane is not engaged by said harvesting means, said cane moving means comprising cane lifter means for lifting said cane, said cane lifter means comprising an endless member, mounting means mounting said endless member relative to said frame in advance of said harvesting means, and means for driving said endless member in an upward direction so as to lift said cane, said mounting means including means for adjusting said endless member in three planes.
- 35. A grape harvester for harvesting grapes from vines having cane thereon in shielding relationship to grape-bearing portions of said vines comprising a frame, harvesting means on said frame for harvesting grapes from said grape-bearing portions, cane moving means mounted on said frame for moving said cane out of the path of said harvesting means so that said cane is not engaged by said harvesting means, said cane moving means comprising cane lifter means for lifting said cane, said cane lifter means comprising an endless member, mounting means mounting said endless member relative to said frame in advance of said harvesting means, and means for driving said endless member in an upward direction so as to lift said cane, said mounting means including means for moving said endless member in a lateral direction.
Parent Case Info
The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 546,283, filed Feb. 3, 1975, and now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
546283 |
Feb 1975 |
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