Harvester for headed vegetable

• US 5,404,700 A
• Filed: 07/23/1993
• Issued: 04/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kobashi Kogyo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kobashi Kogyo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kobuchi, Toshiyuki, Abe, Touru, Misawa, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): MELIUS, TERRY L
• Application Number:
  US08/094,865
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 56/327.1, 56/327.2, 56/121.41, 56/121.42
• US Class Current: 56/327.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 45/26 of cabbage or lettuce

Abstract

A harvester has a supporting frame pivotally mounted on a body at a rear portion thereof, a hydraulic cylinder device for supporting the frame at an downwardly inclined position. A screw conveyer means comprising a pair of screw conveyers is rotatably supported on the frame. The screw conveyer device includes a pick up section for picking up capitate vegetables and a transfer section for transferring pickup vegetables to a rear portion of the screw conveyer device. A working section is provided at a rear portion of the body for treating picked up vegetables.

Claims

1. A harvester for harvesting headed vegetables comprising:

a body,

a pair of crawlers for supporting and moving the body,

an engine for driving the crawlers through a transmission,

a supporting frame pivotally mounted on the body at a rear portion thereof;

a hydraulic cylinder device for supporting the frame at a downwardly inclined position;

a screw conveyer means comprising a pair of screw conveyers, each of which comprises a plurality of screws, rotatably supported on the frame, which screw conveyer means includes;

a pickup section for picking up capitate vegetables, and

a transfer section for transferring picked up vegetables to a rear portion of the screw conveyer device;

first driving means for driving each of the screws;

a working section provided at a rear portion of the body for treating picked up vegetables, and

an operative device provided adjacent said working section for operating said harvester.

2. The harvester according to claim 1 further comprising a container provided adjacent the working section for receiving treated vegetables.

3. The harvester according to claim 1 further comprising a blade for cutting a root of a headed vegetable being transferred by the screw conveyer device.

4. The harvester according to claim 1 further comprising a holding belt device having an endless belt provided above the transfer section of the screw conveyer device.

5. The harvester according to claim 1 further comprising a pair of wheels provided on opposite sides of the pickup section of the screw conveyer device so as to trace a ridge of a field.

6. The harvester according to claim 1 further comprising a lift provided for lifting the container.

7. The harvester according to claim 1 further comprising a digger blade provided below the pickup section for digging up the headed vegetables.

8. The harvester according to claim 1 further comprising a second driving means for driving said blade and said belt of the holding belt device.

9. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein said first driving means is provided for independently driving the screws of the pickup section and the screws of the transfer section.

10. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein said transfer section is inclined at a larger angle than the pickup section.

11. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein the length of the screw of one of the screw conveyers is different from that of a corresponding screw of the other screw conveyer.

12. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein the inclination angle of the screw of one of the screw conveyers is different from that of a corresponding screw of the other screw conveyer.

13. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the screw conveyers is supported on the supporting frame by means of resilient means.

14. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein said screws of each of the screw conveyers are operatively connected with each other, and a first driving means is provided for driving each of the screw conveyers at a rear end thereof.

15. The harvester according to claim 1 further comprising a raking reel provided above the pickup section for raking the headed vegetables.

16. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein the opposite screws of the pickup section are opened in a V-shape.

17. The harvester according to claim 1 further comprising a pair of guides provided to be projected from the front of the pickup section in a V-shape.

18. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein said engine is disposed at a central portion of the body, said transmission is disposed at a front portion of the body, and said working section is disposed at a side portion of the body.

19. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein the screw of the transfer section is operatively connected to the first driving means at a rear end thereof, and the screw of the pickup section is operatively connected to the first driving means at a front portion thereof so as to be driven, respectively.

20. The harvester according to claim 1 wherein screws of the pickup section and the transfer section are different from each other in pitch so as to change the transferring speed.

21. The harvester according to claim 4 wherein the holding belt device is pivotally mounted on the body at a rear end portion thereof.

22. The harvester according to claim 4 wherein the belt of the holding belt device has a plurality of raking projections.

23. The harvester according to claim 4 further comprising a plurality of pressing rolls for urging the belt of the holding belt device toward the screw conveyer device.

24. The harvester according to claim 4 wherein the holding belt device is supported so as to be vertically moved.

25. The harvester according to claim 4 wherein the holding belt device is supported by a spring at a front portion thereof, and connected to the body through a link at a rear portion thereof.

26. The harvester according to claim 5 wherein each of the wheels is provided to be adjusted in vertical position.

27. The harvester according to claim 8 wherein the second driving means includes flexible wires for driving the blade and the belt.

28. The harvester according to claim 15 wherein the raking reel comprises opposite circular wheels and a plurality of resilient tubes provided between the circular wheels.

29. The harvester according to claim 17 further comprising a side plate provided at a side of each of the guides.

30. The harvester according to claim 19 wherein a part of the first driving means for driving the screws of the pickup section is provided in the supporting frame.