Other

Fmc Technologies, Inc.

The State of Israel, Ministry of Defence, Israel Military Industry

Eitan Zehavi

David Chiel

Michael L Suter

Matti Laserson

Steven J Frank

Yair Tene

A fruit trailer is for a fruit harvesting system including a fruit collector including a vehicle and at least one collector conveyor carried thereby for collecting fruit shaken from a tree, and a fruit removal vehicle intermittently brought to the fruit trailer for receiving fruit therefrom. The fruit trailer may be towed by the fruit collector for receiving and temporarily holding fruit therefrom. The fruit trailer may include a fruit container for receiving fruit from the fruit collector, and a trailer conveyor within the fruit container for conveying fruit therefrom to the fruit removal vehicle. The fruit container may be translatable between a first position adjacent the fruit collector and a second position spaced from the fruit collector. The fruit container may be pivotable when in the second position to an inclined orientation so that fruit is gravitationally fed onto the at least one trailer conveyor.

Fruit trailer for fruit harvesting system and associated methods

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 compliant engagement member for use with tree-shaking apparatus that resists deformation along the axis of vibration, thereby avoiding dissipation of vibrational energy, yet allows sufficient off-axis deformation to prevent slippage and consequent abrasion of the tree. The engagement member includes a pouch for containing a variable amount of a liquid lubricant; means for conducting a liquid lubricant to and from the pouch; and means for flexibly coupling the pouch to the tree-shaking apparatus. The invention preferably also includes a blanket surrounding at least part of the pouch and frictionally engaging both the pouch and the tree, adding further resistance to slippage against (and consequent injury to) the tree. Lateral inward movement of the shaking device compresses the lubricant pouch against the interior of the contact blanket. The pouch either releases lubricant or is packed sufficiently tightly with lubricant to resist deformation as a result of this compression. However, the pouch and the flexible connections accommodate deformation in the direction transverse to the axis of vibration, thereby absorbing transverse movement and preventing its transmission to the tree. The contact blanket frictionally engages both the pouch and the tree, adding further resistance to slippage against (and consequent injury to) the tree.

Compliant engagement member with flexible coupling for use with

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 transfer station for collecting and transferring harvested material to large transport vehicles includes a hopper, in which harvested material accumulates, supported on a rigid frame. The hopper may be elevated from a lower 'collection' height to an upper 'transfer' height that facilitates release of harvested material into the transport vehicle. In one embodiment, the contents of the hopper are poured into a collection vehicle by tilting the entire transfer-station frame. In a second embodiment of the invention, the transfer-station frame does not tilt. Instead, the hopper is equipped with a sloped floor member. When lifted vertically and positioned over a collection vehicle, the hopper discharges by gravity as soon as an opening is established at the base of the slope.

Harvesting, collection and transfer 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.

A compliant engagement member for use with tree-shaking apparatus that resists deformation along the axis of vibration, thereby avoiding dissipation of vibrational energy, yet allows sufficient off-axis deformation to prevent slippage and consequent abrasion of the tree. The engagement member of the present invention preferably includes a rigid shaker pad; a sling that retains the shaker pad against the arm of a shaking device; a sealed, lubricant-filled pouch, extending from the sling; and a contact blanket, which is draped over the pouch and makes contact with the tree. In operation, lateral inward movement of the shaking device compresses the lubricant pouch against the interior of the contact blanket. The pouch is packed sufficiently tightly with lubricant to resist deformation as a result of this compression. However, the pouch accommodates deformation in the direction transverse to the axis of vibration, thereby absorbing transverse movement and preventing its transmission to the tree. The contact blanket frictionally engages both the pouch and the tree, adding further resistance to slippage against (and consequent injury to) the tree.

Compliant engagement member for use with tree-shaking apparatus

A rapid deployment stationary bridge. The bridge comprises a central girder lanked by two side girders, each of the central and side girders consisting of a plurality of aligned and connected sections. For deployment the central girder is first assembled on one bank of an obstacle by aligning and interconnecting the constituent sections thereof. As the assembly progresses the central girder is launched by gradual advancing it towards the opposite bank. Some time after the commencement of the assembly and launching of the central girder the side girders are assembled by slidably mounting the constituent sections of each side girder in alignment on one side of the central girder and interconnecting them. In the course of their being assembled, the side girders are launched in such a way that the advancement of the side girders lags behind the advancement of the central girder.

Growing community of inventors

Kiriat Tivon, Israel

Eitan Zehavi