CUCURBIT FRUIT CATCHER Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC A01D51/00 A01D45/00 

FIELD: agriculture.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to agricultural engineering, particularly to machines meant for collecting cucurbit fruits. The fruit catcher has blades, the frame of which has an inner elastic cover. An elastic net is stretched between racks of the frame. A swath maker is mounted in front of a tractor for preparing a swath from cucurbit fruits. A roller is provided for moving fruits into the inter-blade space, the main working element of which is in form of bars mounted at an angle to the direction of motion and gauge wheels. There is a fruit-lifting drum, inside of which there is a fruit receiving tray. The fruit-lifting drum is encircled with continuous belts separated by a distance equal to 09 dmin, where dmin is the minimum diametre of the selected fruits. The distance between the belts is fixed by braces on outer racks of the frame. The side wall of the blade space on the opposite side of inlet windows has an elastic cover. There are grousers on the belts, situated on the butt-end of the blades on rims and belts. Fruit-moving bars of the roller and swath maker are mounted at an angle of 40-45° to the direction of motion.

EFFECT: reduced damage to fruits and increased operating reliability.

6 dwg