Construction machinery mounted walnut vibration harvesting device and harvesting method

Abstract

This invention provides a mechanically mounted walnut vibratory harvesting device and method to solve problems such as poor equipment mobility, limited coverage of single vibration source fruit removal, low fruit removal efficiency and collection rate, and insufficient adaptability of the harvesting head posture during the harvesting process of tall walnut trees in mountainous areas. It includes a connecting frame, a harvesting head body, a worm gear-type horizontal rotating mechanism for adjusting the horizontal clamping direction of the harvesting head body, a swinging mechanism for driving the harvesting head body to swing left and right, and a rope vibration device. The harvesting head body includes a clamping mechanism at the front end and an eccentric block-type excitation mechanism. The clamping mechanism is used to clamp the trunk or lateral branches, the eccentric block excitation mechanism is used to apply clamping low-frequency, large-amplitude main vibration, the worm gear-type horizontal rotating mechanism is used to maintain the stable positioning of the harvesting head body after horizontal angle adjustment, and the rope vibration device applies auxiliary vibration to the tree through a rope, allowing the main vibration and auxiliary vibration to alternate or be timed to complete the walnut vibratory harvesting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechanized fruit harvesting equipment, and in particular to a mechanically mounted vibratory walnut harvesting device and method suitable for mountainous, steep slope, and tall walnut trees. Background Technology

[0002] Walnut trees are widely planted in mountainous areas such as Yunnan. Some walnut trees are tall with thick trunks and high-lying lateral branches, and the orchards often have steep slopes and poor accessibility. Traditional manual harvesting by knocking or climbing is labor-intensive, inefficient, and carries high safety risks. Existing fruit tree vibratory harvesting equipment mostly uses tractors or specialized harvesting platforms equipped with vibratory clamping devices, but their passability and stability are insufficient in steep slopes, narrow roads, and complex geological conditions, making it difficult to meet the mechanized harvesting needs of tall walnut trees.

[0003] Excavators and other construction machinery have mature chassis, good track mobility, flexible booms, and sufficient hydraulic power, making them suitable as platforms for harvesting walnuts in mountainous areas. However, existing excavator attachments are mostly engineering attachments such as buckets, breakers, and log grapples, lacking a dedicated walnut harvesting head that can be quickly installed in the bucket position and used for rapid, non-destructive clamping of walnut tree trunks or thick side branches, low-frequency, large-amplitude vibration, high-position posture adjustment, and alternating or time-shaking vibration assisted by tail ropes.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a composite vibration walnut harvesting device that can directly replace the excavator bucket, has multi-degree-of-freedom attitude adjustment, eccentric block powerful excitation, worm gear horizontal rotation positioning, hydraulic left and right swing, clamping and injury prevention, independent hydraulic control, and tail rope assisted shaking function. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a mechanically mounted vibratory walnut harvesting device to solve problems such as poor equipment mobility, high operating position, difficulty in clamping the trunk and thick lateral branches, limited coverage of single vibration source fruit removal, low fruit removal efficiency and collection rate, insufficient adaptability of the picking head posture, and easy impact damage to the tree and mechanical equipment such as excavator boom during the harvesting of tall walnut trees in mountainous areas.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] The engineering machinery-mounted walnut vibratory harvesting device includes:

[0008] A connecting frame 1 for connecting to the end of the working arm of engineering machinery, a harvesting head body set on the connecting frame 1, a worm gear type horizontal rotation mechanism for adjusting the horizontal clamping direction of the harvesting head body, a swing mechanism for driving the harvesting head body to swing left and right, and a rope shaking device set at the tail or frame of the engineering machinery; the harvesting head body includes a clamping mechanism 26 at the front end and an eccentric block type excitation mechanism; the clamping mechanism is used to clamp the trunk or thick side branches of the walnut tree, the eccentric block type excitation mechanism is used to apply clamping low-frequency large-amplitude main vibration to the clamped tree, the worm gear type horizontal rotation mechanism is used to maintain the stable positioning of the harvesting head body after the horizontal angle is adjusted, and the rope shaking device is used to apply auxiliary shaking to the tree through the rope, so that the main vibration and the auxiliary shaking alternate or are timed to complete the walnut vibration harvesting.

[0009] The aforementioned walnut vibratory harvesting device includes an eccentric block vibration mechanism comprising a hydraulic motor 28, an eccentric block shaft 29 connected to the hydraulic motor, and an eccentric block assembly 23 mounted on the eccentric block shaft. The hydraulic motor drives the eccentric block assembly to rotate around its axis to generate a low-frequency, high-amplitude vibration force suitable for harvesting by clamping the trunk or large lateral branches. The eccentric block assembly includes at least one eccentric block. The eccentric block vibration mechanism is not limited to a single eccentric block structure; it can also employ double eccentric blocks, multiple eccentric blocks, adjustable eccentric blocks, or other eccentric block vibration structures that generate vibration force through the rotation of eccentric masses.

[0010] The aforementioned walnut vibratory harvesting device includes a swing mechanism comprising a connecting frame hydraulic cylinder 24. One end of the connecting frame hydraulic cylinder 24 is hinged to a connecting mounting plate 25, and the other end is hinged to a connecting frame 1. The connecting mounting plate 25 is rotatably mounted on the connecting frame 1 via a pin. The harvesting head body is directly or indirectly mounted on the connecting mounting plate 25. The extension and retraction of the connecting frame hydraulic cylinder 24 drives the connecting mounting plate 25 to swing left and right around the pin, thereby achieving the left and right swing of the harvesting head body. The swing mechanism is used to drive the harvesting head body to swing left and right relative to the working arm of the engineering machinery, and to coordinate with the pitch adjustment to adapt to the clamping posture of inclined trunks and high-positioned lateral branches. The left and right swing angle can reach ±45°, and can be adjusted using different models of hydraulic cylinders according to the growth conditions of the walnut tree.

[0011] The aforementioned walnut vibratory harvesting device includes a worm gear-type horizontal rotating mechanism comprising a worm 13, a worm wheel 12 meshing with the worm, and a rotary table 7 fixedly or transmittedly connected to the worm wheel. The worm 13 is rotatably mounted on a connecting mounting plate 25, and the worm wheel 12 is rotatably mounted on a worm wheel shaft, which is fixed to the connecting mounting plate 25. The harvesting head body is directly or indirectly mounted on the rotary table. The rotation of the worm 13 drives the worm wheel 12 and the rotary table 7 to rotate, enabling the harvesting head body to rotate and position relative to the working arm of the engineering machinery around a vertical axis, thereby adjusting the horizontal clamping direction of the front clamping mechanism. The horizontal rotation angle can reach ±120°.

[0012] The worm gear-type horizontal rotating mechanism has a self-locking or deceleration positioning function, which keeps the horizontal rotation angle of the harvesting head body stable during clamping and vibration, and avoids the harvesting head body from rotating off-center due to the reaction force of the tree. The above-mentioned walnut vibrating harvesting device also includes a U-shaped mounting plate 2 and a vibration damping connection assembly. The U-shaped mounting plate 2 is fixed to or integrated with the rotary table 7. The harvesting head body is installed below the U-shaped mounting plate 2 or the rotary table 7 through the vibration damping connection assembly. The vibration damping connection assembly includes a rubber sleeve vibration damper or an elastic vibration isolator, which is used to isolate the impact load transmitted from the eccentric block type excitation mechanism to the working arm of the engineering machinery. The harvesting head body is suspended on the U-shaped mounting plate 2 by two chains 35 on the left and right sides.

[0013] The aforementioned walnut vibratory harvesting device has a three-jaw clamping mechanism, including a clamping seat, a thickened jaw 4, two jaws 30, and a thickened jaw hydraulic cylinder 22 and a jaw hydraulic cylinder 9 for driving the jaws to open and close. The thickened jaw 4 and the two jaws 30 are opposite each other and hinged to the front sides of the clamping seat. The two ends of the thickened jaw hydraulic cylinder 22 are respectively hinged to the thickened jaw 4 and the clamping seat. The two ends of the jaw hydraulic cylinder 9 are respectively hinged to the two jaws 30 and the clamping seat. Flexible anti-damage pads or anti-slip pads are provided on the inner sides of the thickened jaw 4 and the two jaws 30 and the front end of the clamping seat.

[0014] The aforementioned walnut vibrating harvesting device also includes a hydraulic system, which comprises independent vibration oil circuits, pitch adjustment oil circuits, horizontal rotation oil circuits, and left and right swing oil circuits. Each oil circuit controls its corresponding action, and the vibration oil circuit and the rope swinging oil circuit used to drive the rope swinging device share or switch the same oil circuit through an electromagnetic reversing valve to facilitate action coordination and subsequent intelligent control.

[0015] The aforementioned walnut vibratory harvesting device includes a vibratory frame 34, a vibratory hydraulic motor 16, a swing arm 14, and a vibratory turntable 15, all mounted at the rear of the machinery. The swing arm 14 is mounted on the vibratory frame 34, with one end connected to the vibratory turntable 15 via a crank-connecting rod mechanism. The other end of the swing arm 14 is connected to a rope, which is connected to the tree. The vibratory hydraulic motor 16 drives the vibratory turntable, which in turn drives the swing arm 14 to swing up and down via the crank-connecting rod mechanism. The rope periodically pulls the tree, applying auxiliary vibration to the tree. The vibratory frame 34 can be fixed to the rear of the machinery via a fixed base to form a time-sharing composite vibration harvesting system with the front-end clamping eccentric block vibrating head.

[0016] When the construction machinery is an excavator, the hydraulic cylinder 21 of the excavator base, the hydraulic cylinder 20 of the excavator boom, and the hydraulic lever 19 of the excavator arm drive the linkage mechanism 18, which can drive the harvesting head body to pitch up and down. The pitch angle is greater than 80°. The linkage mechanism 18 can be adjusted or redesigned according to the excavator model, boom size, and the growth of the walnut tree to expand the pitch range of the harvesting head, allowing the harvesting head body to switch from a low-position trunk clamping posture to a high-position side branch clamping posture. The harvesting head body can achieve multi-degree-of-freedom posture adjustment of pitch up and down, horizontal rotation, and left and right swing to adapt to the clamping vibration harvesting of vertical trunks, forward and backward tilted trunks, left and right tilted trunks, and high-position side branches. The clamping mechanism is suitable for trunk or side branch clamping diameters ranging from 110 mm to 400 mm and clamping heights ranging from 1.8 m to 5.0 m, and can be adjusted according to the excavator model, boom size, and the growth of the walnut tree.

[0017] This invention also provides a walnut vibration harvesting method, which can improve the fruit drop efficiency of tall walnut trees and steep slope terrain, reduce damage to the trunk, expand the vibration coverage of different areas of the canopy, and increase the walnut harvesting rate.

[0018] The walnut vibratory harvesting method of the present invention, using the above-mentioned walnut vibratory harvesting device, includes the following steps: moving the harvesting head to the trunk or a large lateral branch of the walnut tree using a mechanical arm; adjusting the posture of the harvesting head by pitch adjustment, horizontal rotation, and left and right swing; clamping the tree body using a clamping mechanism; activating the eccentric block vibration mechanism to apply main vibration to the tree body; activating the tail rope shaking device at different times to apply auxiliary shaking to the tree body; stopping the vibration and releasing the clamping mechanism or stopping the shaking mechanism after the walnut fruit has fallen off.

[0019] In the aforementioned walnut vibration harvesting method, the front clamping mechanism clamps the primary trunk of the walnut tree, or the lower and thicker secondary branches, with a clamping diameter ranging from 110 mm to 400 mm and a clamping height ranging from 1.8 m to 5.0 m. The rope shaking device is used to connect and shake the relatively higher and thinner lateral branches or the outer edge of the canopy. The harvesting head and the rope shaking device are operated alternately or in shifts, that is, the harvesting head first applies the main vibration to the primary trunk or the lower and thicker secondary branches, and then the tail rope shaking device applies auxiliary shaking to the higher and thinner lateral branches, or the operation is switched between the two according to the fruit drop situation, so as to improve the whole tree harvesting rate.

[0020] In this invention, the harvesting head body is installed on the end of the working arm of engineering machinery such as an excavator through a connecting and mounting assembly, and is used to replace the original bucket of the excavator, so that the excavator can be converted from an engineering operation platform into a mountain walnut harvesting operation platform.

[0021] The connection and installation components include a connecting frame that mates with the excavator quick-change joint or the end of the boom, and a U-shaped mounting plate for supporting the harvesting head body.

[0022] The clamping mechanism is located at the front end of the picking head body and is used to clamp the trunk or thick lateral branches of the walnut tree. The clamping mechanism can be a three-jaw clamping mechanism, and the jaws are driven to open or close by a corresponding hydraulic cylinder; flexible anti-damage pads or anti-slip pads can be provided on the inner side of the jaws and the inner side of the clamping seat to reduce local compression and wear on the bark while ensuring the reliability of clamping.

[0023] Furthermore, the clamping mechanism, as a front-end clamping vibration actuator, is mainly used to clamp the primary trunk of the walnut tree, or the secondary branches that are lower in position and have a larger diameter at the bottom of the crown. In accordance with the adaptation range in this embodiment, the clamping mechanism can accommodate branches with diameters ranging from 110 mm to 400 mm and clamping heights ranging from 1.8 m to 5.0 m, thereby ensuring clamping stability, vibration energy transfer efficiency, and minimal damage to the bark. These figures can be adjusted according to the type of construction machinery, such as the excavator model, boom size, and the growth condition of the walnut tree.

[0024] The eccentric block vibration mechanism is located in the middle of the picking head body. It drives the eccentric block shaft to rotate through a hydraulic motor, and the eccentric block shaft drives the eccentric block to rotate, generating periodic centrifugal force. This periodic centrifugal force is transmitted through the picking head body and the clamping mechanism to the clamped trunk or thick lateral branch, thereby forming a clamping low-frequency large-amplitude main vibration, causing the walnut fruit to fall off under inertia.

[0025] The worm gear-type horizontal rotating mechanism is located between the harvesting head body and the connecting mounting assembly, and is used to adjust the horizontal clamping direction of the harvesting head around the vertical axis. By driving the worm gear to rotate the worm wheel and the rotary table connected to the worm wheel, the harvesting head body can obtain a suitable clamping angle in front of vertical trunks, slanted trunks, or laterally extending branches; at the same time, the worm gear transmission has deceleration positioning and a certain self-locking capability, which can maintain the stability of the horizontal angle of the harvesting head during vibration operation.

[0026] The left-right swing mechanism is driven by a hydraulic cylinder of the connecting frame, which is used to swing the harvesting head body to the left and right relative to the excavator boom or connecting frame. This left-right swinging motion cooperates with the original pitch motion of the excavator boom or the redesigned pitch linkage mechanism, enabling the harvesting head body to adapt to forward and backward tilted tree trunks, left and right tilted tree trunks, high-positioned side branches, and irregular tree shapes, thereby improving clamping centering and operational adaptability.

[0027] The tail rope vibration device is installed at the tail of engineering machinery such as excavators or the rear of the frame, and can be connected to the tail of the excavator via a fixed base. During operation, the rope vibration device applies periodic tension or shaking to the tree through the rope, and can work in conjunction with the front clamping eccentric block vibrating head in a time-sharing or alternating manner, thereby creating a composite vibration excitation at different locations on the tree and improving the vibration transmission effect within the range of tall canopies and large lateral branches.

[0028] Furthermore, the tail rope vibration device, as a supplementary vibration actuator, primarily acts on relatively high and thinner lateral branches, and is particularly suitable for the upper part of the canopy, the outer edge of the canopy, or areas where the front clamping mechanism cannot directly clamp lateral branches. This rope vibration device generates auxiliary vibration by pulling the aforementioned lateral branches with a rope, compensating for the insufficient vibration transmission of the front clamping eccentric block vibrator to high, thin lateral branches.

[0029] The hydraulic system of the harvesting head can be equipped with independent hydraulic circuits such as vibration hydraulic circuit, pitch adjustment hydraulic circuit, horizontal rotation hydraulic circuit, and left and right swing hydraulic circuit, so that the vibration of the eccentric block, the pitch of the harvesting head, the horizontal rotation of the worm gear and the left and right swing can be controlled separately. The vibration hydraulic circuit and the rope swinging hydraulic circuit can also share or switch the same hydraulic circuit through electromagnetic reversing valve, so as to facilitate the coordination of actions, the sequence control and subsequent intelligent control expansion during operation.

[0030] The above technical solution includes at least the following beneficial effects:

[0031] (1) This invention utilizes mature engineering machinery such as tracked excavators as a platform and quickly installs walnut picking heads at the excavator bucket position. It can make full use of the excavator's good passability, large boom working range, and sufficient hydraulic power to adapt to mountainous, steep slope, narrow road and tall walnut tree harvesting environment, and reduce the cost of developing a special chassis separately.

[0032] (2) This invention forms a multi-degree-of-freedom attitude adjustment capability through a worm gear-type horizontal rotation mechanism, a hydraulic left-right swing mechanism, and a pitch adjustment mechanism. It can adjust the clamping posture for vertical trunks, trunks tilted forward and backward, trunks tilted left and right, and large side branches at high positions, and maintain a stable horizontal angle during vibration operation, thereby improving the reliability of clamping and positioning. In particular, for excavator-mounted walnut vibratory harvesting devices installed on excavator platforms, the front clamping mechanism can be tilted more than 80° by the excavator boom and arm, and the horizontal rotation angle of the clamping mechanism can reach ±120° and the left-right swing angle can reach ±45°. The front clamping mechanism can adapt to and clamp trunks or branches of different tree conditions, with high flexibility and strong adaptability.

[0033] (3) This invention employs an eccentric block vibration mechanism and a rope shaking device to alternately or sequentially operate on the tree, which improves the harvesting rate compared to using only an eccentric block vibration mechanism or only a rope shaking device to shake the tree. This invention, through the alternating action of the front-end clamping eccentric block vibration head and the rear rope shaking device, forms a composite vibration transmission path between the clamped position and the rope's action position, which helps to expand the tree's vibration coverage area and improve the fruit removal efficiency of the entire tree or large lateral branches.

[0034] The front-end clamping eccentric block vibrating head and the rear rope shaking device do not vibrate the tree simultaneously, but rather alternately or at different times depending on the height, thickness, and fruit drop status of the walnut tree branches. After the front-end clamping eccentric block vibrating head completes the main vibration of the lower trunk or the thicker secondary branches, the rear rope shaking device then provides supplementary vibration to the thinner lateral branches at higher levels. This approach improves the harvesting rate while avoiding excessive load and tree damage. The alternating or timed use of the front-end clamping vibration and the rear rope shaking device allows for vibration of the trunk and higher lateral branches separately to address different tree conditions and improve the overall harvesting rate.

[0035] (4) The present invention achieves action zone control, vibration isolation and tree protection through independent hydraulic oil circuits, vibration damping connection components and flexible anti-damage pads. This facilitates the subsequent connection of sensors and control systems to coordinate the control of vibration frequency, clamping force and attitude angle, and reduces damage to the excavator boom, hydraulic lines and tree trunk surface. Attached Figure Description

[0036] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0037] Figure 1: This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 : This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping vibrating head of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 3 : This is a schematic diagram of the eccentric block excitation mechanism of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the worm gear horizontal rotation mechanism of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 5 : This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the left and right swinging hydraulic cylinder of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 6 : This is a schematic diagram of the tail rope shaking device of the present invention.

[0043] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Connecting frame; 2. U-shaped mounting plate; 3. Flexible anti-scratch pad inside the clamping seat; 4. Thickened gripper; 5. Flexible anti-scratch pad inside the gripper; 6. Upper connecting frame of the shock absorber; 7. Rotary turntable; 8. Rubber sleeve shock absorber; 9. Claw hydraulic cylinder; 10. Rigid connecting rod; 11. Horizontal rotary hydraulic motor; 12. Worm gear; 13. Worm; 14. Swing rod; 15. Shaking turntable; 16. Shaking hydraulic motor; 17. Fixed base; 18. Linkage mechanism; 19. Excavator boom hydraulic cylinder; 20. Excavator arm hydraulic cylinder; 21. Excavator base hydraulic cylinder; 22. Thickened jaw hydraulic cylinder; 23. Eccentric block; 24. Connecting frame hydraulic cylinder; 25. Connecting mounting plate; 26. Clamping mechanism; 27. Rope vibration device; 28. Hydraulic motor; 29. ​​Eccentric block shaft; 30. Clamping jaw; 31. Middle vibration structure; 32. Upper connecting structure; 33. Shock absorber lower connecting frame; 34. Vibration frame; 35. Chain; 36. Clamping seat. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. It should be understood that the following embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] The terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in this specification and claims are only used to illustrate the relative positional relationship of the components in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and should not be construed as the sole limitation on the installation direction or usage state of the device; the terms "connection," "installation," and "hinged" can refer to direct connection or indirect connection through intermediate components.

[0046] See Figures 1 to 6 This invention discloses a mechanically mounted vibratory walnut harvesting device, which uses a tracked excavator as a mounting platform. The harvesting head is installed at the end of the excavator's working arm and replaces the excavator's bucket. The harvesting head includes an upper connecting structure 32, a middle excitation structure 31, and a front clamping mechanism 26, which together form a working end capable of clamping, posture adjustment, and vibratory harvesting.

[0047] Specifically, the upper connecting structure 32, as a connecting and mounting component, is provided with mounting holes or connecting parts for connecting with the excavator quick-connect coupling, including a connecting frame 1, a connecting mounting plate 25, and a U-shaped mounting plate 2. The connecting frame 1 connects to the end of the excavator's working arm, enabling the walnut harvesting head to be quickly installed and removed at the excavator's bucket position.

[0048] In one embodiment, the connecting mounting assembly may further include a vibration damping connecting assembly. The connecting frame 1 is hinged to the end of the excavator boom and the front hinge point of the linkage mechanism 18, respectively. The U-shaped mounting plate 2 is used to support the harvesting head body. The vibration damping connecting assembly is disposed between the upper connecting structure and the middle excitation structure to reduce the impact load transmitted from the eccentric block excitation mechanism to the excavator boom.

[0049] An eccentric block vibration mechanism is installed in the middle of the harvesting head. A hydraulic motor 28, connected to the excavator's hydraulic system, drives the eccentric block shaft 29 to rotate. The eccentric block shaft 29 is rotatably mounted on a clamping seat in the clamping mechanism 26. The eccentric block shaft 29 drives the eccentric block 23 to rotate around its axis, generating periodic centrifugal force. This centrifugal force is transmitted to the clamped tree body through the central front clamping mechanism 26, forming a clamping-type low-frequency, large-amplitude main vibration, causing the walnut fruit to fall due to inertia. The eccentric block structure is easy to arrange inside the harvesting head, making maintenance and repair convenient.

[0050] A worm gear-type horizontal rotating mechanism is located between the harvesting head body and the connecting mounting assembly. The worm 13 is rotatably mounted on the connecting mounting plate 25, and the worm wheel 12 is fixed to the rotary table. The worm wheel 12 is rotatably mounted on the worm wheel shaft, which is also fixed to the connecting mounting plate 25. A horizontally rotating hydraulic motor 11 drives the worm 13 to rotate, which in turn drives the worm wheel 12 and the rotary table 7 connected to the worm wheel to rotate. The rotary table 7 is integrally connected to the U-shaped mounting plate 2. The rotary table 7, the upper shock absorber connecting frame 6, the rubber sleeve shock absorber 8, and the lower shock absorber connecting frame 33 are connected sequentially from top to bottom. The lower shock absorber connecting frame 33 is fixedly connected to the rear of the clamping seat, and the front two sides of the clamping seat are connected to the U-shaped mounting plate 2 via chains 35. When the horizontal rotary hydraulic motor 11 is working, it drives the worm gear 13 to rotate, causing the worm wheel 12, rotary table 7, U-shaped mounting plate 2, vibration damping connection assembly, clamping seat, etc. to rotate together, thereby realizing the horizontal rotation of the picking head body around the vertical axis. The horizontal rotation angle can reach ±120°. During operation, the operator can adjust the horizontal angle of the picking head according to the direction of the trunk or side branches to match the clamping mechanism as closely as possible with the tree axis or the extension direction of the branches. After the angle adjustment is completed, the deceleration positioning and certain self-locking effect of the worm gear transmission can improve the angle stability during vibration operation and prevent the picking head from rotating off-center due to the reaction force of the tree.

[0051] The left-right swing mechanism includes a connecting frame hydraulic cylinder 24. The upper end of the connecting frame hydraulic cylinder 24 is hinged to the connecting frame 1, and the lower end is hinged to the connecting mounting plate 25. The connecting mounting plate 25 is rotatably connected to the lower part of the connecting frame 1 via a pin. When the connecting frame hydraulic cylinder 24 extends or retracts, the connecting mounting plate 25, the worm gear type horizontal rotation mechanism, the U-shaped mounting plate 2, the vibration damping connecting assembly, the clamping seat, etc., swing left and right around the pin, realizing the left or right swing of the picking head body relative to the horizontal position. The left-right swing angle can reach ±45°, and the swing angle can be adjusted according to the hydraulic cylinder model, thereby adapting to walnut trees with tilted trunks, laterally extending thick branches, and irregular tree shapes. The swing mechanism is used to drive the picking head body to swing left and right relative to the excavator working arm, and cooperates with the pitch adjustment to adapt to the clamping posture of tilted trunks and high-positioned branches. The left-right swing angle can reach ±45°, and different models of hydraulic cylinders can be used for adjustment according to the growth of the walnut tree.

[0052] The pitch adjustment mechanism utilizes the existing linkage mechanism of the excavator's working arm. Through the hydraulic cylinder 21 of the excavator base, the hydraulic cylinder 20 of the excavator boom, and the hydraulic lever 19 of the excavator arm, the linkage mechanism 18 can drive the picking head to pitch up and down. The pitch angle of the picking head is greater than 80°, and can be adjusted according to the excavator model, boom size, and the growth condition of the walnut tree. Alternatively, the linkage mechanism 18 can be redesigned to expand the pitch range of the picking head, allowing it to switch from a low-level trunk-clamping posture to a high-level side-branch-clamping posture. In this embodiment, the linkage mechanism 18 has three hinge points: a front hinge point, a rear hinge point, and an upper hinge point. The front hinge point is hinged to the connecting frame 1, the rear hinge point is hinged to the end of the excavator's working arm, and the upper hinge point is hinged to the hydraulic lever 19 of the excavator arm.

[0053] The clamping mechanism is preferably a three-jaw clamping mechanism, including a clamping base, a thickened jaw 4, two jaws 30, a rigid connecting rod 10, a thickened jaw hydraulic cylinder 22, and a jaw hydraulic cylinder 9. Through the extension and retraction of the thickened jaw hydraulic cylinder 22 and the jaw hydraulic cylinder 9, the jaws can open to encompass the trunk or large lateral branches, and form a stable clamping grip after closing. Flexible anti-damage pads 5 and 3 are provided on the inner sides of the jaws and the clamping base, respectively, to increase clamping friction and reduce damage to the bark. The clamping mechanism is adaptable to trunks or large lateral branches with diameters ranging from 110 mm to 400 mm.

[0054] In this embodiment, the preferred target of the front-end clamping mechanism is the primary trunk of the walnut tree, or lower and thicker secondary branches. These branches have high rigidity and can withstand the low-frequency, large-amplitude main vibrations caused by clamping, and the clamping mechanism can reliably hold them within a diameter range of 110 mm to 400 mm. When the clamping position is within a height range of 1.8 m to 5.0 m, centering and clamping can be achieved through the excavator's boom pitch, horizontal rotation, and left-right swing mechanisms, and can be adjusted according to the excavator model, boom size, and the growth condition of the walnut tree. Thin lateral branches that are higher than this comfortable clamping range, have a smaller diameter, or are easily damaged by clamping are generally not considered the primary clamping targets of the front-end clamping mechanism.

[0055] The vibration damping connection assembly includes an upper shock absorber connecting frame 6, a rubber-sleeved shock absorber 8, and a lower shock absorber connecting frame 33, which are disposed between the upper connecting structure 32 and the middle excitation structure 31. The vibration damping connection assembly can reduce the transmission of main vibration to the excavator boom, hydraulic lines, and cab while ensuring the overall connection strength of the harvesting head, thereby improving the reliability of the whole machine and the comfort of the operator.

[0056] The tail rope vibration device is located at the tail of the excavator and is fixed to the tail of the excavator by a fixed base 17. This rope vibration device can be a commercially available vibration mechanism, or it can include a vibration frame 34, a vibration hydraulic motor 16, a crank-connecting rod mechanism, a swing arm 14, and a vibration turntable 15. The crank-connecting rod mechanism includes a crank eccentrically connected to the vibration turntable 15, a connecting rod hinged to the crank, and a universal joint connected to the connecting rod. The swing arm 14 is mounted on the vibration frame 34, swinging up and down. One end of the swing arm 14 is hinged to the universal joint, the other end of the connecting rod is hinged to the crank, and the other end of the swing arm 14 is connected to the rope. During operation, one end of the rope is connected to a suitable position on the tree, and the other end is connected to the tail rope vibration device. The hydraulic motor 16 drives the vibration turntable 15 to periodically pull the rope, creating auxiliary vibration on the tree.

[0057] In this embodiment, the preferred target of the tail rope shaking device is relatively high and thin lateral branches, especially those located in the upper part of the canopy, the outer edge of the canopy, or those that are difficult for the front clamping mechanism to directly clamp. The rope connection position can be selected according to the height of the lateral branch, the diameter of the lateral branch, the distribution of fruit, and the stress on the tree, so that the rope shaking device can provide supplementary shaking to the high lateral branches without damaging the thin branches.

[0058] The front-end clamping eccentric block vibrating head and the tail rope shaking device can be activated in stages or alternately according to the size of the walnut tree, the height of the canopy, the distribution of lateral branches, and the fruit removal status. For walnut trees with thick trunks and tall canopies, the picking head can clamp the main trunk or thick lateral branches, while the tail rope can act on another position on the tree, so that the main vibration and auxiliary shaking form a multi-point compound excitation within the tree, improving the vibration coverage and fruit removal efficiency.

[0059] Specifically, the two processes are not initiated simultaneously to vibrate the same tree. Instead, they are carried out in an alternating or time-sharing manner: First, the front-end clamping eccentric block vibrating head clamps the primary trunk or the lower, thick secondary branches and applies the main vibration to cause the walnuts on the trunk, lower scaffold branches, and adjacent areas of the canopy to fall off. After the main vibration at the front end is completed, the eccentric block excitation mechanism is stopped, and then the tail rope shaking device is activated to provide auxiliary shaking for the relatively higher and thinner lateral branches or the outer edge of the canopy. For walnut trees with large canopies or uneven fruit drop, the process can be switched multiple times between the front-end clamping main vibration and the tail rope auxiliary shaking to improve the overall tree harvesting rate.

[0060] Preferably, the harvesting head hydraulic system has four independent oil circuits, each used for vibration, pitch, horizontal rotation, and tilting or lateral swing control. Each oil circuit can be started, stopped, reversed, and its flow rate regulated by corresponding valve groups to avoid interference between different actions. The vibration oil circuit and the rope swaying oil circuit can share or switch the same oil circuit through an electromagnetic directional valve, thereby achieving coordinated action between the front-end vibration and the tail-end swaying without changing the basic structural principle.

[0061] During harvesting, the excavator first travels to the vicinity of the walnut tree and stops. The operator then uses the excavator's boom to move the harvesting head to the trunk or a large lateral branch. The harvesting head's posture is then adjusted by pitch, horizontal rotation, and left-right swing to match the clamping mechanism with the tree to be clamped. After the clamping mechanism clamps the tree, the eccentric block vibration mechanism is activated to output the main vibration. Depending on the tree size and fruit removal status, the tail rope shaking device can be activated at different times to apply auxiliary shaking. Once the walnuts have fallen off, the vibration and shaking are stopped, the clamping mechanism is released, and the harvesting head is moved to the next working position.

[0062] More specifically, harvesting operations can be carried out in zones based on branch thickness and height: when the target is a primary trunk or a low-lying, thick secondary branch, the front-end clamping mechanism should be used first, with the eccentric block vibration mechanism performing the main vibration harvesting; after the main vibration at the front end is completed, if there are still fruits on higher, thinner lateral branches or on the outer edge of the canopy that have not fully fallen off, the front-end clamping vibration should be loosened or stopped, and then the rope should be connected to a safe position on a relatively high, thinner lateral branch, and the tail rope shaking device should be activated for supplementary shaking. Through the above alternating or time-sharing operation methods, the overall walnut harvesting rate can be increased while reducing the risk of damage from clamping thin branches.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment, the excavator platform weighs approximately 3750 kg, the harvesting head weighs less than 300 kg, the width of a single track is 300 mm, the minimum clearance height is approximately 300 mm, and the clamping height ranges from 1.8 m to 5.0 m. These parameters can be adjusted according to different excavator models, harvesting head structural dimensions, hydraulic system configurations, and walnut tree growing conditions, and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention.

[0064] In summary, this invention discloses a mechanically mounted vibratory walnut harvesting device, belonging to the technical field of mechanized fruit harvesting equipment. This device uses mature engineering machinery, such as a tracked excavator, as its mounting platform. The harvesting head is mounted on the end of the excavator's boom via a quick-change mounting base, replacing the excavator's bucket. It includes a connecting frame connected to the excavator, a U-shaped mounting plate, a clamping mechanism, an eccentric block-type vibration excitation mechanism, a worm gear-type horizontal rotation mechanism, a left-right swing mechanism, a pitch adjustment mechanism, a vibration damping connection assembly, and a rope vibration device located at the rear of the excavator. The clamping mechanism is used to clamp the trunk or thick lateral branches of the walnut tree; the eccentric block vibration mechanism drives the eccentric block to rotate via a hydraulic motor, forming a clamping-type low-frequency, large-amplitude main vibration; the worm gear horizontal rotation mechanism is used to adjust the horizontal clamping direction of the picking head around the vertical axis, and to achieve deceleration, positioning, and angle stabilization during vibration operation; the left-right swinging mechanism drives the picking head to swing left and right relative to the connecting frame via a hydraulic cylinder, and coordinates with pitch adjustment to adapt to inclined trunks and high lateral branches; the tail rope shaking vibration device applies auxiliary shaking vibration to the tree body via ropes, working in sequence or alternately with the front clamping eccentric block vibration head. The hydraulic system of the picking head can be set with independent oil circuits for vibration, pitch, horizontal rotation, and swing / flipping, facilitating zone control and subsequent intelligent control. This invention can improve the fruit drop efficiency of tall walnut trees and steep slope terrain conditions, and reduce damage to the trunk.

[0065] The walnut vibratory harvesting method using the aforementioned walnut vibratory harvesting device primarily uses a front-end clamping mechanism to clamp the primary trunk of the walnut tree, or lower-positioned and larger-diameter secondary branches. The suitable branch diameter and clamping height can be referenced from the range of 110 mm to 400 mm and 1.8 m to 5.0 m in other embodiments of the present invention. The tail rope shaking device is mainly used for relatively high, thinner lateral branches that are not suitable for direct clamping by the front-end clamping mechanism. The front-end clamping eccentric block vibrating head and the tail rope shaking device do not operate simultaneously, but rather alternately or at different times depending on the tree structure and fruit drop conditions, in order to expand the vibration coverage of different areas of the canopy and improve the walnut harvesting rate.

[0066] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive; those skilled in the art, under the guidance of the present invention, can make various equivalent substitutions or conventional modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, all of which should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mechanically mounted vibratory walnut harvesting device, characterized in that, include: A connecting frame (1) for connecting to the end of the working arm of the engineering machinery, a picking head body set on the connecting frame (1), a worm gear type horizontal rotation mechanism for adjusting the horizontal clamping direction of the picking head body, a swing mechanism for driving the picking head body to swing left and right, and a rope shaking device set at the tail of the engineering machinery or the tail of the frame; the picking head body includes a clamping mechanism (26) at the front end and an eccentric block type excitation mechanism; the clamping mechanism is used to clamp the trunk or thick side branches of the walnut tree, the eccentric block type excitation mechanism is used to apply clamping low-frequency large amplitude main vibration to the clamped tree, the worm gear type horizontal rotation mechanism is used to keep the picking head body stably positioned after the horizontal angle is adjusted, and the rope shaking device is used to apply auxiliary shaking to the tree through the rope, so that the main vibration and the auxiliary shaking alternate or are timed to complete the walnut vibration harvesting.

2. The walnut vibrating harvesting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The eccentric block vibration mechanism includes a hydraulic motor (28), an eccentric block shaft (29) connected to the hydraulic motor, and an eccentric block assembly (23) mounted on the eccentric block shaft. The hydraulic motor drives the eccentric block assembly to rotate around the axis to generate a low-frequency, large-amplitude vibration force suitable for harvesting tree trunks or thick lateral branches. The eccentric block assembly includes at least one eccentric block.

3. The walnut vibrating harvesting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The swing mechanism includes a connecting frame hydraulic cylinder (24), one end of which is hinged to the connecting mounting plate (25) and the other end is hinged to the connecting frame (1). The connecting mounting plate (25) is rotatably mounted on the connecting frame (1) via a pin. The picking head body is directly or indirectly mounted on the connecting mounting plate (25). The extension and retraction of the connecting frame hydraulic cylinder (24) drives the connecting mounting plate (25) to swing left and right around the pin, thereby realizing the left and right swing of the picking head body. The amplitude of the left and right swing is ±45°.

4. The walnut vibrating harvesting device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The worm gear horizontal rotating mechanism includes a worm (13), a worm wheel (12) meshing with the worm, and a rotary table (7) fixedly or transmittedly connected to the worm wheel. The worm (13) is rotatably mounted on the connecting mounting plate (25), and the worm wheel (12) is rotatably mounted on the worm wheel shaft, which is fixed on the connecting mounting plate (25). The harvesting head body is directly or indirectly mounted on the rotary table. The rotation of the worm (13) drives the worm wheel (12) and the rotary table (7) to rotate, so that the harvesting head body can rotate and position relative to the working arm of the engineering machinery around the vertical axis to adjust the horizontal clamping direction of the front clamping mechanism; the horizontal rotation range is ±120°.

5. The walnut vibrating harvesting device according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a U-shaped mounting plate (2) and a vibration damping connection assembly. The U-shaped mounting plate (2) is fixed or integrated with the rotary table (7). The harvesting head body is installed below the U-shaped mounting plate (2) or the rotary table (7) through the vibration damping connection assembly. The vibration damping connection assembly includes a rubber sleeve damper or an elastic vibration isolator, which is used to isolate the impact load transmitted from the eccentric block excitation mechanism to the working arm of the engineering machinery. The harvesting head body is suspended on the U-shaped mounting plate (2) by two chains (35) on the left and right sides.

6. The walnut vibrating harvesting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism is a three-jaw clamping mechanism, including a clamping seat, a thickened jaw (4), two jaws (30), and a thickened jaw hydraulic cylinder (22) and a jaw hydraulic cylinder (9) for driving the jaws to open and close. The thickened jaw (4) and the two jaws (30) are opposite to each other and hinged to the front sides of the clamping seat. The two ends of the thickened jaw hydraulic cylinder (22) are respectively hinged to the thickened jaw (4) and the clamping seat. The two ends of the jaw hydraulic cylinder (9) are respectively hinged to the two jaws (30) and the clamping seat. Flexible anti-damage pads or anti-slip pads are provided on the inner sides of the thickened jaw (4) and the two jaws (30) and the front end of the clamping seat.

7. The walnut vibrating harvesting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a hydraulic system, which consists of independent vibration oil circuits, pitch adjustment oil circuits, horizontal rotation oil circuits, and left and right swing oil circuits. Each oil circuit controls the corresponding execution action. The vibration oil circuit and the rope swinging oil circuit used to drive the rope swinging device share or switch the same oil circuit through an electromagnetic reversing valve to facilitate action coordination and subsequent intelligent control.

8. The walnut vibrating harvesting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rope shaking device includes a shaking frame (34) set at the tail of the engineering machinery, a shaking hydraulic motor (16), a swing arm (14), and a shaking turntable (15). The swing arm (14) is set on the shaking frame (34) in a swinging manner. One end of the swing arm (14) is connected to the shaking turntable (15) through a crank-connecting rod mechanism. The other end of the swing arm (14) is connected to the rope. The rope is connected to the tree body. The shaking hydraulic motor (16) drives the shaking turntable, which drives the swing arm (14) to swing up and down through the crank-connecting rod mechanism. The rope periodically pulls the tree body and applies auxiliary shaking to the tree body.

9. A walnut vibratory harvesting method using the walnut vibratory harvesting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: using the working arm of the machinery to move the harvesting head to the trunk or a large lateral branch of the walnut tree; adjusting the posture of the harvesting head by pitch, horizontal rotation, and left and right swing. The tree is clamped by a clamping mechanism; the eccentric block vibration mechanism is activated to apply the main vibration to the tree; the tail rope shaking device is activated in stages to apply auxiliary shaking to the tree; the vibration is stopped and the clamping mechanism is released or the shaking mechanism is stopped after the walnut fruit falls off.

10. The walnut vibration harvesting method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The front clamping mechanism clamps the primary trunk of the walnut tree, or the lower and thicker secondary branches, with a clamping diameter ranging from 110 mm to 400 mm and a clamping height ranging from 1.8 m to 5.0 m. The rope shaking device is used to connect and shake the relatively higher and thinner lateral branches or the outer edge of the canopy. The picking head and the rope shaking device work alternately or in shifts, that is, the picking head first applies the main vibration to the primary trunk or the lower and thicker secondary branches, and then the tail rope shaking device applies auxiliary shaking to the higher and thinner lateral branches, or the operation can be switched between the two depending on the fruit drop situation, so as to improve the whole tree harvesting rate.

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