VINE CROP FRUIT PICKUP APPARATUS Russian patent published in 2008 - IPC A01D51/00 A01D45/00 

FIELD: agricultural engineering.

SUBSTANCE: pickup apparatus has frame with carrier-wheels, left-hand and right-hand fruit guides, drum designed for rotation by engagement with ground and having one of rims fixed to pin and other rim designed for moving along said pin, and clamps having rounded surfaces and being made of various lengths. Clamps are positioned so as to be deflected inward of drum and moved to initial position for fruit holding. Apparatus is further provided with roller conveyor, vine pulling-off roller, and charging conveyor. Each fruit guide is made in the form of pneumatic chamber positioned on disk provided with hub which is mounted for free rotation on pin arranged at an angle to horizontal plane. Ground-engaging devices are located in lower part, on peripheral edge of disk. Outer diameter of pneumatic chamber is 1,500-1,900 mm. Excessive air pressure within chamber cavity is set to be 0.012-0.016 MPa. Convergent surfaces of opposite left-hand and right-hand chambers are spaced away from one another by distance less than 60 mm.

EFFECT: reduced damage to fruits and improved quality of harvested products.

4 dwg