Rotary brush harvesters and methods of using the same

Abstract

Automated rotary brush harvesters that reduce or prevent damage to fruit or other crops (“produce”) when they are removed from trees or bushes, and methods of using such harvesters are disclosed. The harvesters may include a brush having flexible radiating members (e.g., filaments or bristles) for removing crops from trees or bushes and a conveyor paired therewith for receiving the produce from the brush. The brush and conveyor may be angled to aid in collecting the produce and preventing damage to the produce. The conveyor may be configured to deliver the produce to one or more bins, which may be mounted on a bin elevator system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001][NONE]FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to harvesting apparatus having a rotating brush for removing fruit and other crops (“produce”) from trees or bushes, and methods of using the same. The present application discloses single and dual-sided harvesting apparatuses for harvesting rows of espaliered or trellised trees or bushes, and methods of using the same. Additionally, the present invention relates to agricultural systems including the espaliered or trellised trees and the rotary brush harvesters.DISCUSSION OF THE BACKGROUND[0003]Conventional harvesting machines have been used with limited success to harvest certain types of fruit (e.g., stone fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, plums, etc.). For example, mechanical shakers have been used to harvest various crops (e.g., citrus, olives, etc.), and operate by grabbing the tree and shaking it until the fruit falls from the tree to a catch frame placed below the tr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The present invention concerns rotary brush harvesters that catch fruit or other crops as they are removed from a tree or bush by the harvester. The rotary harvesters described herein may prevent fruit and other crops (“produce”) from falling substantial distances when they are removed from their trees or bushes, which would cause bruising and wounds to the crops. The present invention also concerns methods of using such rotary brush harvesters. The rotary brush harvesters and methods described herein prevent or reduce bruising and wounding of harvested crops and allow for selective harvesting of ripe crops.

[0007]Unlike conventional harvesting machines, the presently disclosed brush harvesters include one or more pairs of angled brushes and conveyors that together allow an entire row of trees or bushes to be harvested in one pass while preventing the harvested produce from dropping long distances from trees or bushes. The brushes are actively rotated to remove, or “pick”, the harvested produce from the trees or bushes. The active rotation of the brushes of the present invention are distinct from conventional row harvesters which have rigid radiating arms that passively rotate as a result of contact with the trees or bushes. The brushes of the present invention have soft radiating members (e.g., bristles) that allow the brushes to be actively rotated into the trees or bushes to remove the produce therefrom as the brush harvester moves down a row of the trees or bushes, without the brushes causing damage to the produce as it is harvested.

[0009]In some embodiments, the brush and conveyor are arranged substantially parallel to one another and in close proximity. Such an arrangement allows the harvested produce (e.g., stone fruit) to be collected without falling long distances or sustaining damage. The paired brush and conveyor can be positioned at various angles relative to the ground and / or the row of trees or bushes to accommodate different crop arrangements (e.g., trellising, espaliered trees or bushes, a “V” row arrangement or “perpendicular V”, etc.). However, it is preferable that the angle of the brush allows the produce to be caught on the conveyor and then delivered to a collection receptacle without sustaining bruising or wounds. Thus, both the parallel angled brushes and conveyors, and the relatively soft brushes contribute to a high yield of undamaged, ripe crops.

[0010]The capability of the rotary brush harvester to catch the harvested produce as it is removed from trees or bushes, thereby preventing them from falling substantial distances, is particularly important with respect to stone fruit (e.g., peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, etc.) and some other tree fruit (e.g., apples, pears, citrus, etc.). Stone fruit and some other tree fruit cannot be effectively harvested with shakers and other conventional harvesting devices because the fruit are damaged when they fall from the tree to the ground. The presently disclosed rotary brush harvesters are able to automate harvesting of stone fruit and other produce while preventing or reducing damage to the produce.

[0012]The presently disclosed harvesters are particularly useful and effective in combination with a system of espaliered or trellised fruit trees or bushes that provide a substantial vertical tree-wall, in which the fruit bearing limbs are located in a relatively narrow wall that can be easily accessed by rotary brush harvester. When the trees or bushes are so arranged, the rotary brush harvester can efficiently capture the produce from the tree-wall without having to make substantial adjustments to angle or position of the one or more harvesting brushes.

[0013]In some embodiments, the present invention relates to apparatuses for harvesting produce from espaliered trees that includes a rotating brush having a generally elongate cylindrical shape for removing produce from the trees, a motor connected to the rotating brush and operable to actively rotate the brush, a conveyor running about parallel to the rotating brush for receiving the produce from the rotating brush, and a plurality of receptacles for receiving the produce from the conveyor. The rotating brush may include flexible radiating members (e.g., bristles, filaments, fibers, pegs, etc.). The longitudinal axis of the rotating brush may be at angle in a range from about 20° to about 70° (e.g., about 45°) relative to the ground, within a vertical plane that is parallel to a direction of travel of the harvesting apparatus. The apparatus for harvesting fruit may further include a second rotating brush on the same side of the apparatus as the first rotating brush and located below the first rotating brush, allowing the apparatus to harvest produce from two different areas (a top and a bottom) of the espaliered trees at different rotational speeds, at different depths in the trees, or with brushes having different characteristics (e.g., flexibility, bristle length, etc.).

Problems solved by technology

The rotary harvesters described herein may prevent fruit and other crops (“produce”) from falling substantial distances when they are removed from their trees or bushes, which would cause bruising and wounds to the crops.

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