Abstract: To couple a drive shaft to a rotatable member for rotation therewith and the method of doing so includes providing a rotatable member having at least one end with a bore therein, a drive shaft, and an expandable and compressible coupler having a first segmented sleeve and a second segmented sleeve. The coupler is positioned within the bore of the rotatable member and the drive shaft is extended within a bore of the coupler and is coaxially disposed relative to the rotatable member. Without having to bolt or weld the drive shaft to the rotatable member, the user securely couples drive shaft to the rotatable member and substantially prevents removal of the drive shaft from the rotatable member by the user simply threading the first segmented sleeve into the second segmented sleeve thus simultaneously effecting engagement of the coupler within the bore of the rotatable member and substantially clamping or compressing of the coupler about the drive shaft.

Abstract: A thrashing system for a vegetable harvester including a plurality of tines on an oscillating shaker head which engage vines and shake the fruit such as cucumbers, from the vines. The fruit is collected on a cross conveyor and the vines are pulled through at least one pair of pinch rolls for discharge on the ground. A full width blower directs high pressure air across the cross conveyor to lift and spread the vines allowing disconnected fruit to fall therethrough onto the cross conveyor.

Abstract: The leaf-stripping machine of the present invention is provided with a pair of leaf-stripping rollers, the length of which is substantially the same as a tobacco stalk. The leaf-stripping rollers include a horizontal longitudinal axis, extend parallel to and are in rolling contact with each other. A holding frame, on which the tobacco stalk is placed in parallel to the leaf-stripping rollers, is located above the leaf-stripping rollers. The holding frame includes holding rods arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the leaf-stripping rollers. The central portion of each holding rod is curved toward the leaf-stripping rollers, and is cut in such a manner as to provide a gap smaller than the diameter of the tobacco stalk. A plurality of partitioning plates are arranged under the leaf-stripping rollers, such that they are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the leaf-stripping rollers.