Abstract: A sugar cane harvester having walls defining a channel through which harvested sugar cane is to be conveyed. Power-rotated conveyor rollers extending across the channel move the cane through the channel. At least one of the rollers is in the form of a drum of expanded metal which allows escape from the cane of earth and rocks and permits inflow of air to trash removal apparatus.

Abstract: A mobile viner having a beating and riddling chamber which is of greater length than conventional viners while retaining the same general diameter of the riddle chamber and in which the customary reclamation or rear cleaning unit is completely omitted. In the beating and riddling chamber the vines are subjected to a beating and riddling action save at the rear extended end of the riddling chamber within which only a riddling action is effected. The ratio of riddling chamber diameter to length is preferably 1:3.

Abstract: The pod combine includes a harvester and thresher mounted in tandem on a self-propelled mobile frame. The harvester removes the unopened pods and a portion of the foliage and vines from the plants. A twin screw feed device feeds the harvested material to the thresher. The thresher includes a foraminous reel arranged to be driven in preselected opposite directions and an axially positioned impeller. The impeller includes a plurality of beaters with open portions to minimize convective currents within the thresher. A product collecting device is positioned below the foraminous reel and includes side boards over a housing that oscillate linearly to deposit the shelled product on an endless conveyor and a separator device is arranged to separate the foliage from the shelled product. The separator includes a material distributing device which permits the foliage to be separated from the shelled product by an air blast.

Abstract: A pod combine includes a harvester and a thresher mounted in tandem on a self-propelled mobile frame. The harvester removes the unopened pods and a portion of the foliage from the plants. An inclined endless belt conveyor transports the harvested material through a cluster breaker assembly that picks up clusters of the foliage and product, individualizes the crop and returns it in even distribution to the endless conveyor. A suction fan is positioned rearwardly of the cluster breaker assembly and separates a portion of the foliage from the crop before the crop is conveyed to a product feed apparatus that conveys the harvested material to the thresher. The thresher includes a foraminous reel arranged to be driven in preselected, opposite direction and an axially positioned impeller having a plurality of beaters secured thereto. A product collecting device is positioned below the foraminous reel.

Abstract: A crop harvesting apparatus particularly suited for harvesting fruit and nuts from crop-bearing trees. A plurality of crop severing devices are mounted on rotatable drive shafts. The crop severing devices can take any of several forms. In one illustrative form of the present invention, the crop severing devices can be arcuate members mounted on a drive shaft by two or more support members such as support discs, with each arcuate member including a crop engaging portion and a crop passage portion terminating in a crop severing edge. Alternatively, the crop severing devices can be one or more crop severing rods mounted onto a drive shaft by support members, with the crop severing rods straight, slightly spiralled or wavy in configuration.

Abstract: This mower consists of a cylindrical housing having a power shaft therein carrying a cutting blade at the lower portion of the housing and having mounted on said shaft above said cutting blade in the upper portion of said housing a plurality of pulverizing members which pulverize the grass, leaves and other material drawn into the housing and the upper portion of said housing has an apertured wall through which said pulverized material is discharged.

Abstract: A machine for automatically picking fruits on shrubs and notably ripe grapes from vine-stocks with a view to provide a clean and stripped vintage for making wine. The machine comprises a series of juxtaposed bells formed in a passage-way duct adapted to move along a row of shrubs. Means for blowing a rising gyratory main air flow in each bell are provided ensuring the picking of the fruits and their carrying along through a lifting centrifugation up to the top of the bells where they are received in a collecting tank.

Abstract: A vehicle mounted cane cleaning apparatus is disclosed including a large drum having inwardly facing conveyor pockets mounted for rotation about a horizontal front-to-rear axis on a tracked vehicle; cane segments are hurled from a conventional segmentizer into a lower portion of the drum against a shroud plate and rotating perforated cylinder across which a trash removing airflow is provided by blower means. Rotation of the drum carries the can upwardly to a location at which it falls downwardly in a cascade of segments across which a fan driven airflow extends for removing remaining additional trash particles with the cleaned cane segments falling on conveyor means carrying the segments rearwardly and then transversely to a receiving vehicle.