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:
Sep. 20, 2005
Filed:
Mar. 07, 2003
Michael L. Suter, Lakeland, FL (US);
Eitan Zehavi, Kiriat Tivon, IL;
David Chiel, Afula Ilit, IL;
FMC Technologies, Inc., Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
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.