Abstract: A nut harvesting apparatus for collecting and separating out pecan nuts from the debris from the surface of the ground. The nuts are separated from the debris using two separator sections. The first section removes large sized debris by an endless separator chain loop. The second section uses two converging non-parallel air streams. The nuts are gleaned from the ground by a series of rotating fingers that throw the nuts and accompanying debris into the first separator section. Large debris is caught in the elongated carriers of the endless separator chain loop and subsequently discarded out of the rear end of the apparatus. The small sized debris and the nuts are essentially sifted into the second separator section having a trough containing a rotating screw-shaped auger. The auger carries the nuts and debris along the trough to a side exit area. A fan blows a stream of air along the trough to help carry away some of the debris as the nuts are carried towards the exit.

Abstract: A compact nut harvesting apparatus for collecting and separating out pecan nuts from the debris from the surface of the ground. The nuts are separated from the debris using two converging non-parallel air streams. The nuts are gleaned from the ground by a series of rotating fingers that throw the nuts and accompanying debris into a trough containing a rotating screw-shaped auger. The auger carries the nuts and debris along the trough to a side exit area. A fan blows a stream of air along the trough to help carry away some of the debris as the nuts are carried towards the exit. At the exit area, another stream of air moving upwardly from a second fan meets the debris. The debris is forced out through a chimney with a lateral air port, and the heavier nuts fall onto a conveyer located below the exit area. A series of spaced apart and slanting bars are located at the lower end of the chimney and conveyer to direct the fallen nuts towards the conveyer belt.