Howard Machinery Limited

Roger Clary

A fruit harvesting machine, especially suitable for grapes, consists of a mobile frame which straddles the vines so that longitudinal frame members extend down each side of the central axis of the frame. Base plates for catching the falling fruit extend inwards from the longitudinal members and are pivotable to allow the vines to pass along the machine. A resilient attachment for each base plate biases the plates towards their extended positions and includes internal and external sleeves between which is a resilient sleeve pre-stressed to urge the internal sleeve, attached to the plate, to rotate relative to the external sleeve into the extended position.

Fruit harvesting machine

A fruit gathering machine, by which the fruit is released by means of shakers, is provided with means for separating out leaves which are removed at the same time. The leaves and fruit fall towards lateral discharge conveyors and each conveyor has air ducting with outlet openings whereby air jets are directed from opposite sides of the conveyor. An upper jet of air discharges the leaves from the machine. The machine is specially adapted for use in grape gathering.

Fruit harvesting machine with leaf separation means

A machine for gathering fruit by a shaking and beating action includes a wheeled frame with a longitudinal central tunnel through which the plants pass. A series of groups of flexible beater fingers flank the longitudinal axis of the tunnel, and the beater fingers of each group are on carrier means on a connecting rod which has one end operatively connected to a driver eccentric and the opposite end carried upon a slide block secured to the machine frame. Each group of beater fingers moves generally elliptically so the flexible fingers have a whipping action which shakes the plants to dislodge the fruit. The machine has several adjustments which adapt it to harvesting fruit from a variety of plants, and in particular for gathering grapes from vines of different kinds, sizes and dispositions.

Growing community of inventors

Loudun, France

Roger Clary