Abstract: The tobacco harvester as pulled by a tractor and is adapted to span two rows of tobacco simultaneously, two subframes are pivotally mounted from the main frame of the harvester and each subframe includes a pair of spaced apart flat header boards which are spaced apart so as to allow a row of tobacco plants to pass therebetween. A rotating defoliator blade is mounted above each header board and an adjustable deflector is adjustably mounted above each defoliator blade. A horizontal and vertical conveyor arrangement is disposed between each subframe and an identical conveyor arrangement is disposed along the outer side of each conveyor frame for receiving the tobacco leaves and conveying them rearwardly and upwardly to a transverse conveyor.

Abstract: The tobacco harvester is pulled by a tractor having an offset hydraulically operated hitch arrangement which permits the harvester to be selectively positioned to the side of the tractor. A tobacco receiving trailer is coupled to the harvester by a hydraulically operated coupling whereby the trailer can be shifted forwardly and rearwardly alongside the harvester to insure the even distribution of tobacco within the trailer as it is supplied via a conveyor which is laterally shiftable to compensate for the lateral shifting of the harvester relative to the trailer. The harvester is provided with a pair of spaced apart defoliators adapted to be located on opposite sides of a tobacco row. The defoliators are mounted in a sub-frame which is mounted for lateral movement relative to the main frame. The defoliators may be comprised of elongated spiral webs rotatable about their own axes or may be comprised of a pair of oscillating bars having a plurality of laterally extending flexible fingers thereon.

Abstract: A trailer having a tobacco receiving box thereon is connected to a tobacco harvester which in turn may be pulled by a tractor or which may be self-propelled. The trailer is connected to the tobacco harvester by a hitch at one side of the harvester for forward and rearward movement of the trailer relative to the direction of movement of the harvester so as to evenly distribute the tobacco being delivered from the harvester into the tobacco box on the trailer. A double acting hydraulic piston and cylinder is connected to one end of a pivoted lever, the opposite end of which is connected to the trailer tongue, for oscillating the lever and reciprocating the trailer forwardly and rearwardly relative to the tobacco harvester.

Abstract: The tobacco harvester is adapted to be mounted adjacent the side of a tractor and includes an inclined chute with a chain conveyor operating in an aperture in the bottom of the chute extending the full length of the chute. The lower end of the inclined chute straddles the tobacco plant and a rotating cutter blade mounted at the lower end of the chute severs the stalk close to the ground. The cut tobacco plant travels top first up the conveyor and at the top end of the chute the top of the stalk passes through an aperture formed by orthogonally disposed stationary bars and into the nip between a pair of rotatable feed rollers, one of which is driven. The feed rollers draw the stalk through the stripper bars to strip the leaves from the stalk so that the stalk and the leaves will fall into separate containers.