Other

Fmc Technologies, Inc.

Metal Works Ramat David

David Chiel

Eitan Zehavi

Michael L Suter

Amatzia Arzi

A deflector () for collecting and guiding harvested tree-fruit is implemented for resilient recovery from collisions with obstacles in the field. The deflector is coupled in cantilever to boom harvester () mounted on a vehicle (). The harvester has a telescopic boom () with a mobile portion () terminated by a clamp () able to move in horizontal and in vertical translation towards and along a tree trunk (T). The deflector is coupled to the mobile portion for slaved translation with the clamp. Implemented as an array of separate ribs () flexibly coupled together and made of flexible elastic plastic material such as fiberglass, the deflector is lightweight and flexes upon collision to resiliently recover shape after the collision. Being lightweight, the cantilever does not destabilize the vehicle. The structure and the materials of construction of the deflector prevent transmission of vibrations generated by the vibrator () used to shake the trunk when harvesting.

Deflector for tree-fruit harvester

A fruit harvester includes a vehicle, a boom having a proximal end carried by the vehicle, a shaker head connected to a distal end of the boom for vibrating a tree trunk to shake fruit therefrom, and a fruit deflector comprising upper and lower portions connected together and cooperatively defining a fruit collecting surface for catching fruit shaken from the tree. The fruit deflector is pivotable between operating and retracted positions. The fruit deflector, when in the operating position, preferably has the lower portion adjacent the shaker head. Conversely, the fruit deflector, when in the retracted position, may have the lower portion being pivoted upward and away from the shaker head to facilitate access thereto.

Fruit harvester including pivotable fruit deflector and associated methods

A fruit harvester may include a vehicle, a telescoping boom, a shaker head connected to the distal end of the telescoping boom for vibrating a tree to shake fruit from the tree. A boom positioning assembly is provided for connecting the boom to the vehicle. The boom positioning assembly may include a vertical guide mounted to the vehicle, a hinge joint assembly movable vertically along the vertical guide and connected to the proximal end of the telescoping boom to permit pivotal movement of the telescoping boom in both elevational and azimuthal directions. The boom positioning assembly may also include a vertical actuator for moving the hinge joint assembly vertically along the at least one vertical guide, and an elevational actuator for pivotally moving the telescoping boom in the elevational direction. The vertical guide may be pivotally mounted to the vehicle, and a tilt actuator may be provided for tilting the vertical guide relative to the vehicle.

Fruit harvester including telescoping boom and related methods

A fruit collection apparatus is for collecting fruit as the fruit is shaken from a tree, and may include a vehicle, and a fruit collector carried by the vehicle. The fruit collector may include a collection conveyor with opposing first and second ends and an exterior conveyor surface extending therebetween for collecting fruit as the fruit is harvested from the tree and advancing the fruit to the second end of this conveyor. The fruit collector may also include an intermediate conveyor having opposing first and second ends and an exterior conveyor surface extending therebetween for receiving fruit from the second or upper end of the collection conveyor. The fruit is advanced to the second end of the second conveyor. In addition, the fruit collector may also include a lifting conveyor which may have lower and upper ends and an interior conveyor surface extending therebetween. This lifting conveyor uses its interior conveyor surface for picking up fruit from the second end of the intermediate conveyor and lifting the fruit upward to the upper end of the lifting conveyor, such as for discharge into a fruit container.

Fruit harvester collection apparatus with compact conveyor arrangement and associated methods

A vibration mechanism ( ) for shaking a tree trunk held between two clamps, for an efficient harvest of the tree-fruits and for preventing damage to the tree-roots and to the tree trunk. The vibration unit comprises two counter-rotating rotors (R) weighted by displaceable weights ( ) and powered, preferably, by at least one hydraulic motor (M). A transmission (T) coupled to the motor and to the rotors, counter-rotates the rotors.

Vibration unit

A tree-shaking apparatus includes a vibration mechanism of conventional design mounted on a movable, tilted frame support that serves to deflect falling harvest onto a conveyor and collection assembly, which is mounted on a separately movable frame support. The shaker assembly has a peaked configuration with grooves extending away from the peak and toward the shaker. A pair of upwardly inclined walls flank the peaked walls at their outer edges, preventing harvested material from rolling or bouncing off the sides of the frame. Uniting the two units are a series of cooperative, pivotable guides extending from each of the units. When extended during collection, the guides from the shaker assembly overlay the guides from the collection assembly, forming a substantially continuous downward path from the shaker assembly to the conveyor. At the completion of a collection cycle, when the units are to be moved to a different tree, the guides flip to a vertical or rearwardly inclined rest position that prevents them from shearing against the tree. The apparatus also includes a series of selectably engageable barrier projections along the front edge of the shaker assembly. When drawn into an upright position, the projections retain whatever harvest remains on the shaker assembly after shaking, and which would otherwise be lost as the shaker assembly moves to a new tree.

Tree-shaking and harvesting apparatus

A tree-shaking apparatus that includes a pair of vibration units whose eccentric rotators turn at identical speeds but in opposite directions. During operation, rotation of the eccentric members is coordinated by a controller such that their asymmetric portions align at two diametrically opposed points but lie precisely out of phase during the remainder of the rotation cycle. This action causes the tree to shake along a single axis, specified by the chosen alignment of the rotators, with vibratory forces along all other directions canceling out. A controller systematically alters the direction and frequency of shaking and monitors the resulting change in vibration amplitude, selecting, as a final shaking axis and frequency, those which correspond to the largest amplitude.

Tree-shaking apparatus with direction and frequency optimization

A tree-shaking apparatus includes a vibration mechanism of conventional design mounted on a movable, tilted frame support that serves to deflect falling harvest onto a conveyor and collection assembly, which is mounted on a separately movable frame support. The shaking and collection units are brought separately to the tree, and unite with one another by means of rods that interlace during operation. In one embodiment, the rods associated with the shaking and deflection unit are selectibly extendible, while those associated with the collection unit flip into place and, upon completion of harvesting, flip back, thereby tipping any remaining harvest onto the conveyor.

Self-propelled irrigation equipment for large planted areas comprises a three-wheeled vehicle carrying a water distribution pipe supported by a telescopic girder, both girder and pipe extending across the vehicle to both sides. The pipe has evenly-spaced outlet openings which deliver water direct to the ground through flexible hoses open at their ends. Water is supplied to the equipment through a large, flexible hose stretched out on the ground between a fixed supply point and a large drum mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle is moved towards the supply point by means of a hydraulic actuator at a velocity proportional to the water quantity passing through the equipment to the ground, while the drum is rotated by a second hydraulic actuator at a rotational speed sufficient to wind up the hose on the drum at the rate of the vehicle's progress. The two actuators are supplied with water through a rotary vane valve common to both actuators, which is governed by the output signal of a water meter measuring the water passing through the vehicle onto the ground.

Self-propelled irrigation equipment

Low-pressure irrigation of fields is carried out simultaneously through a plurality of flexible hoses of equal length, one end of which is connected to a water supply, while the other end is open. The hoses are stretched out in parallel alignment across the field to be irrigated, preferably one hose each between two rows of plants, and all hoses are simultaneously gathered so that their open ends travel over the ground at slow uniform speed while water pours out of the open ends and irrigates the soil. When the open ends of the hoses have reached a point near the water supply, water is turned off and the hoses are transported to another field portion and stretched out in similar fashion. An apparatus for carrying out this irrigation method comprises a slowly rotated shaft which carries grooved pulleys distanced according to the hose distances, one pulley per hose. The hoses are pressed into the pulley grooves by a counterpulley resulting in the hoses being slowly pulled toward the apparatus and being coiled up in containers positioned underneath each of the pulleys. The shaft is rotated by a hydraulic actuator at a speed proportional to the water quantity passing from the supply to the hoses, thus the water quantity issuing from each open hose end remains constant per unit of length traveled. Since there is no obstruction within the hoses and the hose length between supply and outlet remains constant, there is no variation in the flow resistance and the water quantity depends on the supply pressure alone.

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Afula Ilit, Israel

David Chiel