The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 12, 1996
Filed:
May. 19, 1995
Applicant:
Inventor:
David J Meester, Fresno, CA (US);
Assignee:
FMC Corporation, Chicago, IL (US);
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A01D / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
460145 ; 563271 ; 563281 ;
Abstract
The invention provides an improved method and apparatus for separating fruits, such as tomatoes, from vines. The invention uses feeder bars to provide tomatoes to a shaker brush a first time. The vines are allowed to fall out of the shaker brush to a shaker conveyor. The shaker conveyor conveys the vines into/the shaker brush a second time, and then to a vine reel, thus providing an improved separation of tomatoes from the vine.