Abstract: A tomato harvester having a standard tractor pulling a non-self powered harvester assembly partially supported on wheels and partially supported by the tractor. The harvester assembly has a main frame made up of two parallel longitudinal beams joined together by three transverse cross members, all lying approximately on the same horizontal plane. Brackets secured to the beams and extending down below them support a pair of two-wheel truck assemblies, the wheels lying below the frame. The frame carries a pivotally attached pickup unit, with a cutter, a separator unit for separating the tomatoes from the plants, and a conveyor system for transporting the collected tomatoes and delivering them to bin-trailers.

Abstract: An agricultural machine having a machine element supported by and movable relatively to a wheel-supported main frame with power means for moving it up and down relatively in small incremental steps, to vary the distance to ground level. The distance to ground is determined and electrical signals corresponding to the distance generated. A control circuit receives the signals and provides "up" and "down" pulses. A monitor-controller circuit receives the "up" and "down" pulses and transmits them to the power means for actuating an incremental step up or down for each pulse.

Abstract: A tomato harvester of the type having a main frame and acting to sever the tomato plants below ground and to pick up and elevate them to a tomato separator for separating the tomatoes from the vines. A low elevator segment is separated from an upper elevator segment to provide a gap between them through which dirt clods and some loose tomatoes can fall. The length of the gap is adjustable by moving the upper segment relative to the lower one. The separator includes a walking bar type of shaker with vine retarding tines above the walking bars, and the tines are rotatable and ganged for movement up and down, to adjust dwell time in the separator. The crankshaft for the walking bars has crank pins alternating at 180.degree. and has at each end a pair of timing journals extending at 90.degree. to the crank pins to which the walking bars are secured. The outside journals are located 180.degree. out of phase with the two journals mounted inwardly thereof, to provide two force couples in balance.

Abstract: A distance-determining detector and method. A piezoelectric ultrasonic transceiver sends out pulses and receives their reflection and produces an analog output and a trigger output. The analog output is given effect only when it exceeds a threshold level, as shown by a comparator. The trigger output is used for disabling detection during transmission of the transmitter pulse and for producing a time interval during which the analog output is valid, when enabled. An AND gate is connected to the comparator and to the enabled trigger output. Clock pulses are counted, and a flip-flop circuit is connected to the counter and to the output from the AND gate. A multiplying digital-to-analog converter is connected to the flip-flop circuit for determining the distance. There may also be temperature compensation and scaling for the converter for validating the output thereof over a wide range of temperatures.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining the distance from a preselected point to a target. An electrostatic ultrasonic transducer in a special protective housing is used with a single-pulse, square-wave transmitter to compare a main signal with a calibration signal. A warning signal indicates when the number of signals actually received during each one hundred signals sent drops below a predetermined percentage. Noise is minimized by careful spacing and shaping of the calibration bar and by insulating foam in the housing.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for keeping a machine member of an agricultural machine at a substantially constant height above a field during its movement through the field. A wheel-supported main frame supports, for vertical movement, an auxiliary frame carrying the machine member and also carrying an ultrasonic transducer spaced at a constant distance away from the machine member. The machine member is set at an initial position relative to the surface of said field. Thereafter the position of said machine member relative to said main frame is determined, and an electrical signal corresponding thereto generated. The height of said transducer above the field is determined ultrasonically and an electrical signal corresponding thereto generated.

Abstract: A lid unit for a portable refuse bin adapted to be engaged and inverted, by the lift mechanism of a refuse truck, to discharge a load of refuse from the bin and into the receiving body of the truck; the lid unit being hinged to the bin and normally but releasably latched in closed position, and a hinged loading lid is included in the lid unit and normally but releasably latched in closed position; the loading lid--when unlatched--being manually swingable, relative to the remainder of the lid unit, to open position to permit manual deposit of refuse in the bin, and the entire lid unit gravitationally swinging to open position when unlatched and upon such inversion of the bin, whereupon the load of refuse dumps from the bin and into the receiving body of the truck; the loading lid remaining in latched, closed position during said inversion of the bin.

Abstract: A load retraction preventing finger array for a unitary heavy-duty refuse compactor which includes a hopper from which pre-deposited refuse is forcefully thrust by a power-advanced packing blade through an intermediate throat and into a large, normally closed, box-like container which provides a packing chamber in which the load--as it progressively increases in volume upon recurrent operation of the packing blade--is thereby placed under compression; the load retraction preventing finger array embodying a plurality of initially depending, pivoted, dual finger units mounted in a horizontal transverse row extending across the top of such throat and operative in certain positions of engagement with the load of compressed refuse to substantially preclude such load from falling back (by reason of its tendency to expand) through the throat and into the hopper upon retraction of the packing blade.

Abstract: An improvement in a heavy-duty refuse compactor which includes a large capacity container having an initially open rear end normally closed by a top-hinged, releasably-locked door adapted to be swung upward to an open position for discharge of refuse from the container; the improvement comprising a counterbalance mechanism, connected between the container and the door, arranged to assist in the manual opening and closing of the door by the operator, and to permit such opening and closing from a convenient position. The counterbalance mechanism includes a novel link and lever array wherein the lever carries a heavy counterweight.

Abstract: A lid unit for a refuse compactor which includes a bin having a power-actuated compacting blade therein; the lid unit comprising a flat, dual-section lid supported on the bin in normally closing relation thereto, the lid embodying a front section and a rear section transversely hinged together at adjacent edges, the lid being longitudinally shiftable a limited distance on the bin to different selective positions, and instrumentalities provided between the lid and the bin arranged to prevent opening of either of the lid sections when the lid is in one position, to permit the front lid section only to be opened when the lid is in a second position, and to permit the rear lid section to be folded onto the front lid section and the folded-together sections then swung to depend in front of the bin when the lid is in a third position.

Abstract: An improvement in a commercial, pick-up type, portable refuse bin--such as commonly in use outdoors at restaurants, stores, apartment houses, and other establishments--which has a normally-closed, releasably-latched lid openable when unlatched to permit deposit of refuse into the bin; the improvement comprising a normally closely underlying compactor blade hinged to the lid for downward swinging therefrom, and power means connected between the lid and compactor blade operative, when the lid is closed and latched, to forcefully swing said compactor blade downwardly into the bin to compact predeposited refuse therein.