Abstract: A crop harvesting apparatus having a plurality of rotatable crop-severing rods of generally circular cross section extending from a support for insertion into crop-bearing foliage with the crop-severing rod longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the direction of thrust. In one embodiment of the present invention, the rods are formed of a rigid, flexible material and are rotated at speeds sufficient to cause the rods to flex to rotate orbitally about the stationary positions of their longitudinal axes. In a second embodiment, the crop-severing rods have frictional surfaces on at least the longitudinally outer portions thereof. These crop-severing portions of the rods have no significant abrupt enlargement of diameter, and so no bulges exist which might contact and sever immature fruit or foliage from a crop-bearing plant. The rods are rotated and are thrust into a crop-bearing plant, and the frictional surfaces contact the crops to remove the mature crops from the plant.

Abstract: A crop harvesting apparatus for harvesting treeborne crops such as fruits and nuts. A plurality of crop-severing rods extend from a planar support member from which the rods are mounted for rotation. In preferred embodiments, each crop-severing rod includes a crop-contacting surface portion. The rotating rods are thrust lengthwise into a crop-bearing plant and rotated, causing the crop-contacting surface portions to rotate orbitally to contact the crops to sever them from the plant. In one embodiment the crop-severing rods are mounted for orbital rotation on the outer cylindrical surface of a rotating cylinder, and in another embodiment the crop-severing rods extend from an end surface of a rotating cylinder, with the crop-severing rod longitudinal axis offset from the rotating cylinder longitudinal axis. In a further embodiment, the crop-severing rods are of oval cross-section and each rotates about its longitudinal axis to orbitally rotate a crop-contacting surface portion.

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: A mechanized harvester for tree borne crops. A plurality of crop harvesting heads are supported from a support station which is rotatably mounted on the end of an extendible boom. The boom, in turn, is rotatably mounted on a tractor. The support station includes an operator location from which an operator can control operation and movement not only of the crop harvesting heads and the support station but also of the tractor. Consequently, a single operator can accomplish the entire crop harvesting operation, including moving the tractor from place to place as needed, from a location which enables him to see the entire operation so that he can move the crop harvesting heads as needed to assure that all crops are harvested.