Abstract: The invention is concerned with apparatus for harvesting mushrooms and the like. The apparatus comprises cutting means such as a knife which may be moved over a mushroom bed to sever mushrooms in the bed and lifting means for removing the severed mushrooms from the bed and transferring them to collecting means. The lifting means comprises an air mover. The air mover is comprised of a cylindrical chamber or bore having an inlet disposed above the cutting means and an outlet communicating with the collecting means. Compressed air is directed into the chamber through an annular orifice which is so profiled to cause the air stream to flow towards the outlet. A zone of low pressure is created adjacent the chamber inlet which draws ambient air into the chamber. The cut mushrooms are lifted into the chamber, are entrained in the stream of air passing through the chamber, and are delivered onto the collecting means which preferably is a conveyor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compact mushroom harvester which utilizes a relatively short blade adapted to oscillate horizontally in an arcuate manner and move laterally and longitudinally over the bed, thereby allowing selected mushrooms or small groups of mushrooms to be picked individually. The picked mushrooms are transferred from the bed, preferably by a vacuum article transfer device.