Patent ID: 9629390
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: A23N

Claim:
1. A sorrel harvesting machine for removing the calyces from the seed of a sorrel bud, said machine comprising: a frame; a return drum having a central return drum axle rotatably mounted to said frame, said return drum having a substantially smooth surface about a periphery of said return drum; a cutting drum having a central cutting drum axle rotatably mounted to said frame in a spaced tandem relationship with said central return drum axle, said cutting drum having a plurality of circumferential blades about a periphery of said cutting drum being oriented perpendicular to said central cutting drum axle and substantially equally spaced one from another, said cutting drum and said return drum being disposed in a spaced tandem relationship with one another so as to define an opening of a throat therebetween for receiving sorrel buds; an arcuately configured blade tray affixed to said frame and disposed below said opening of said throat and said cutting drum for receiving sorrel buds exiting said opening of said throat, said blade tray comprising a plurality of spaced apart blades extending across said frame; and a drive mechanism supported by said frame adjacent to and outwardly spaced from one side of said return drum and said cutting drum and being rotatably drivingly interengaged with said return drum axle of said return drum and said cutting drum axle of said cutting drum so as to simultaneously rotate said return drum and said cutting drum in the same angular direction causing portions of said peripheries of said return drum and said cutting drum located at said opening of said throat to move in opposite directions relative to one another at said throat.