Patent ID: 6350198
Filing Date: 2002-02-26
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
In a tomato harvester having a system for picking up and introducing cut plants with tomatoes into the harvester, a shaker for detaching tomatoes from the cut plants and a system for receiving cut plants without tomatoes at an exit of the shaker and for discharging the cut plants without tomatoes onto the ground, an improvement comprising:a feed belt for receiving the cut plants with tomatoes from the system for picking up and introducing the cut plants, the feed belt conveying the cut plants with tomatoes to the shaker, the shaker having a route and the feed belt following part of the route of the shaker to accompany the cut plants along the part of the route; the feed belt comprising a conveyor belt, a plurality of support arms extending outwardly from the conveyor belt and toward the shaker along the part of the route of the feed belt following the route of the shaker, a ring at an outer end of each arm and a plurality of parallel flexible elongated members seated in the rings and extending parallel to a movement direction of the feed belt for maintaining the cut plants at a location raised from the conveyer belt for allowing the shaker to act between the flexible members to remove tomatoes from the cut plants.