Patent ID: 6009696
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
A device for harvesting a crop from a crop plant, the device comprising:a frame;a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted to the frame, each shaft being rotatable about an associated axis;a drive system coupled to the shafts; anda plurality of crop beater rods extending in cantilever from the shafts to free distal ends of the rods, each rod defining an axis, the axes of the rods being laterally offset from the axes of the shafts so that the rods orbit about the axes of the shafts to detach the crop from the crop plant when the shafts are rotated by the drive system, wherein the orbit of each free distal end defines an orbital path diameter about the shaft axis, and wherein the rods flex laterally so that the orbital path diameters increase when rotational speeds of the shafts increase.