Apparatus for harvesting vegetable heads

• US 4,136,509 A
• Filed: 04/20/1977
• Issued: 01/30/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Department Of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: United States Department Of Agriculture
• Inventors: Lenker, Don H., Nascimento, Dennis F., Adrian, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kinsey, Russell R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hirsch, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US05/789,377
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 56/10.2, 56/10.5, 56/327, 56/DIG. 15, 171/38, 171/61, 47/1.7
• US Class Current: 56/327.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 45/26 of cabbage or lettuce

Abstract

Apparatus for harvesting vegetable heads is disclosed. A sensing means including a pair of parallel, laterally movable, head-engaging units, which are counter-rotated, is fixed to a frame. A cutting means is mounted on the frame and is responsive to the sensing means. The cutting means includes a horizontal knife blade rotatable 180° for each head cut. The severed head is removed from the cutting area by a pair of counter-rotating lifter belts.

Claims

1. An apparatus for harvesting non-colinear vegetable heads, which comprises -

(a) a frame,

(b) sensing means mounted on said frame, laterally movable to engage the non-colinear vegetable heads, for distinguishing mature heads by size in a row of heads to be harvested, said means including

a head-engaging unit comprising a pair of parallel pivotable arms with counter-rotating rollers about 30-40 centimeters in diameter with an outer perimeter of pliable material about 2-3 centimeters thick mounted to move laterally away from each other, said movement being resisted by a mutual tension means,

guide means for maintaining said arms parallel, and

an electrical mechanism including a selector potentiometer cooperative with said head-engaging unit and a reference potentiometer cooperative with said head-engaging unit and said selector potentiometer for distinguishing mature heads by size in a row of heads to be harvested,

(c) means mounted on said frame responsive to said sensing means for cutting the mature heads including a horizontal knife blade rotatable 180°

for each head cut, and

(d) means for lifting cut heads from the cutting area including a pair of counter-rotated lifting belts, said means leaving uncut heads intact.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rollers are counter-rotated at a speed of about 1 to 1.5 times the ground speed of the apparatus.