Abstract: A potato harvesting machine has a lifting device picking up a mixture of crop and admixtures. Screening belts downstream of the lifting device transport the mixture away from the lifting device and a feed belt feeds the mixture to a sorting zone. A separating device is arranged in the sorting zone above the feed belt. A sorting belt is arranged downstream of the separating device that has first and second stripper belts circulating in a stripping direction and provided with stripper elements. The stripper elements act on the crop transverse to a feed direction and supply the crop to the sorting belt. The admixtures remain on the feed belt and are discharged in a guiding direction angled to the stripping direction. First and second support devices hold the first and second stripper belts. The first and second stripper belts are individually adjustable at the first and second support devices.

Abstract: A new and more efficient tomato harvesting machine is capable of simultaneously severing up to three (3) rows of tomato vines or other similar crops. The harvesting machine comprises pick up means adjacent to the forward end of the machine for picking up and severing vinous crops from the field, where the crops remain attached to the vines, as the vines are severed. The pick up means carry the crops and vines rearwardly and upwardly. The harvesting machine further comprises separating means for separating crops from the vines. The present invention comprises improvements to the pickup means and the separating means. These improvements allow a harvester to gather vines and crops from up to three adjacent rows simultaneously, and to process the increased volume of vines and crops without overloading the processing equipment.

Abstract: A machine designed to remove grapes from the bunch before making wine. The machine contains a flat sieve capable of letting only the juice and the grapes pass therethrough by a toothed roller driven in axial rotation and containing separating fingers associated with the sieve and animated in relation to the sieve by a movement relative to translation in a direction parallel to the sieve allowing separation of grapes from the stalk by an ejection effect.

Abstract: The invention provides a harvesting shaker with a set of primary eccentric weights and secondary eccentric weights. The invention rotates the primary and secondary eccentric weights at the same speed, but may on the fly, using a hydraulic rotary actuator, change the rotational phase between the primary and secondary eccentric weights, causing an on the fly change of amplitude of the inventive shaker. The invention also uses a rotary valve, that does not require high pressure bearings, and that provides damping of the control system.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating produce from a produce vine comprising: a frame (28); a substantially cylindrical shaker brush assembly (21) mounted to the frame for rotation about an axis of rotation (32), the shaker brush assembly having a plurality of spaced-apart tines (27) extending radially outwardly from the axis of rotation and terminating in free ends (31), the shaker brush assembly further being formed for vibration of the free ends of the tines as the shaker brush assembly rotates; a conveyor assembly (22) mounted for movement to the frame in a direction of rotation of the shaker brush assembly along a substantially arcuate path (37) substantially concentric to the axis of rotation of the shaker brush assembly at a radial distance therefrom positioning the free ends of the tines in close proximity to the conveyor assembly along the arcuate path; and a drive assembly (43) coupled to drive the conveyor assembly in the direction of movement.

Abstract: The invention provides a shaker with a set of primary eccentric weights and secondary eccentric weights. The invention rotates the primary and secondary eccentric weights at the same speed, but may on the fly change the rotational phase between the primary and secondary eccentric weights, causing an on the fly change of amplitude of the inventive shaker.

Abstract: The invention provides a shaker with a set of primary eccentric weights and secondary eccentric weights. The invention rotates the primary and secondary eccentric weights at the same speed, but may on the fly change the rotational phase between the primary and secondary eccentric weights, causing an on the fly change of amplitude of the inventive shaker.

Abstract: Apparatus for shelling seed corn in a manner which minimizes damage to the individual kernels includes a generally closed housing open at the top to receive ears of corn and having lower apertures for discharging the corn cobs to waste and recovering the kernels extracted from the cobs. Disposed within the housing are a pair of vertically aligned arrays of rollers, with the pair of roller arrays horizontally spaced from one another. Ears of corn are deposited through a slot in an upper portion of the housing and pass between the two arrays of vertically aligned rollers. The horizontal spacing between adjacent, horizontally aligned rollers in the first and second arrays of rollers decreases in proceeding from top to bottom, with the spacing between the two uppermost rollers being such as to easily allow an ear of corn to pass therebetween and the spacing between the bottom pair of rollers being essentially equal to the diameter of a corn cob.

Abstract: A rotary powered crankshaft affixed transversely underneath a plurality of endless spaced apart conveyor belts on a tomato harvester. The crankshaft having a plurality of offset journals covered with rotatable bearing sleeves equal in number to the belts is positioned to have each journal bearing sleeve strike a belt when the journal reaches a raised position. The striking of the belts causes shaking of tomato vines riding atop of the conveyor belting to dislodge tomatoes which then fall through the spacings between the belts. The bearing sleeves covering each journal are freely rotatable, being sized with an internal diameter larger than the external diameter of the journal to allow both eccentric movement and rotation about the journal. The bearing sleeves are split lengthwise and include snap locks to allow initial installation thereof, and replacement when worn.

Abstract: Apparatus for shelling seed corn in a manner which minimizes damage to the individual kernels includes a generally closed housing open at the top to receive ears of corn and having lower apertures for discharging the corn cobs to waste and recovering the kernels extracted from the cobs. Disposed within the housing are a pair of vertically aligned arrays of rollers, with the pair of roller arrays horizontally spaced from one another. Ears of corn are deposited through a slot in an upper portion of the housing and pass between the two arrays of vertically aligned rollers. The horizontal spacing between adjacent, horizontally aligned rollers in the first and second arrays of rollers decreases in proceeding from top to bottom, with the spacing between the two uppermost rollers being such as to easily allow an ear of corn to pass therebetween and the spacing between the bottom pair of rollers being essentially equal to the diameter of a corn cob.