Machine for harvesting in-line crops

This machine adapted to move on the ground and designed for harvesting in-line crops comprises a frame mounted on wheels and a pair of endless conveyors disposed on either side of the in-line plants to be harvested; the conveyors are movable at a linear velocity substantially equal to that of the machine in operation, and consist each of substantially vertical front and rear runs, of a substantially horizontal bottom run and of a top run; each conveyor consists of a series of transverse buckets and the buckets of the two conveyors have matching end walls for clamping the plants therebetween, the upper run of each conveyor diverging from each other to permit the passage of said plants through the machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to agricultural machines and more 
particularly to a harvesting machine comprising a frame movable in 
relation to the ground along rows of standing plants, members for picking 
up the crop from said plants, and at least two conveyors for transferring 
the crop towards the interior of the machine. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
In hitherto known machines of this type, notably grape-gathering machines, 
sealing members and crop transfer members, such as automatic conveyors, 
are provided. As a rule, in machines of the above-defined type the sealing 
members consist of inclined surfaces disposed on either side of the row of 
plants and fixed in translation in relation to the machine. 
Each sealing surface, consisting either of a flexible longitudinal strip or 
belt, or of a series of rigid retractable plates, engages with its inner 
edge the lower portion of the plant foot or stem, its outer edge being 
disposed at a lower level in the vicinity of an automatic conveyor 
equipping the machine. 
The crop gathered from the plants by the corresponding members of the 
machine, such as beaters, shakers or whips, and more particularly the 
grapes detached from the vine, drop partially upon said surfaces and slide 
thereon until they reach one of the conveyors which transfers the crop to 
a discharge place. As a rule, these conveyors consist of casings in which 
endless belts are caused to circulate continuously. 
These two known systems are attended by the same, multiple inconveniences. 
It is obvious that these systems on the one hand cause a permanent wear and 
tear of the sealing surfaces due to the continuous frictional contact 
between these surfaces and the lower portion of the plants, and on the 
other hand have considerable vertical and horizontal dimensions due to the 
superposition and juxtaposition of the sealing members and transfer 
members, the latter having in addition a substantial height as a 
consequence of the superposition of the two runs of the endless belts or 
like elements. 
Moreover, the use of two flexible bands as sealing surfaces is attended, on 
either side of the fixed obstacles consisting for example of vine-plants, 
by the formation of longitudinal areas of relatively great amplitude 
separating the two belts, thus creating particularly detrimental untight 
spots. 
Finally, the construction of sealing surfaces in the form of rigid 
retractable plates resiliently urged to their closed position and opening 
when engaged by fixed obstacles is attended by other specific 
inconveniences, notably a certain complexity and a relatively high cost, 
with a poor reliability in service due to the distortions and breakages 
likely to occur in case of fierce shocks against fixed obstacles, a 
considerable risk of damaging the stems of plants and the impossibility, 
for a machine engaged along a row of plants, of reversing due to the 
one-way mode of operation of the plates. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is the essential object of the present invention to provide an 
agricultural machine for harvesting in-line crops or crops arranged in 
rows, this machine being characterized essentially in that, in comparison 
with existing machines intended for the same purpose, it reduces very 
considerably on the one hand the wear and tear of the members or tools 
engaging the plant stems and on the other hand the over-all dimensions of 
the machine, both vertically and horizontally or laterally, thus affording 
an efficient operation in the case of low crops and narrow plantations. 
With the machine according to the present invention, especially in its most 
elaborate form of embodiment, it is possible to avoid all the 
inconveniences described hereinabove with reference to hitherto known 
systems. 
The machine according to the present invention is characterized essentially 
in that the conveyors equipping the machine form two vertical loops 
disposed side by side, each loop comprising a substantially horizontal 
bottom run, a substantially vertical rear run, an upper run and a 
substantially vertical front run, in that the bottom runs of the two 
conveyors are adjacent and guided on either side of a row of plants to be 
harvested so as to clamp the lower portion or foot of the stem of each 
plant, gather the crop detached from the plant so that said crop falls 
directly into said runs, and transfer this crop to the rear of the 
machine, in that the substantially vertical front and rear runs diverge 
laterally and upwardly away from each other to permit the passage, through 
the machine, of the upper portion of the plant, and that the linear 
velocity of said bottom runs in relation to said frame is equal and 
opposed to the linear velocity of the machine along the row of plants 
being harvested.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The machine according to the invention, intended more particularly for 
harvesting in-line plants, comprises a conventional frame 1 movable in 
relation to the ground, along rows 2 of plants or like vegetation, and 
conveyors 6a, 6b mounted on this frame and adapted to transfer the crop 
inside the machine, notably into a storage bin. 
According to this invention, the conveyors 6a, 6b form a pair of loops 
disposed substantially vertically side by side and comprising each a 
substantially horizontal bottom run 7a, 7b, a substantially vertical rear 
run 8a, 8b, an upper run 9a, 9b and a substantially vertical front run 
10a, 10b. 
The bottom runs 7a, 7b of conveyors 6a, 6b are adjacent to each other (see 
FIG. 3) and guided on either side of the row of plants 2 to be harvested 
so as to clamp the lower portion or stem 11 of each plant (FIG. 2), gather 
the crop thus detached from the plant 5, so that this crop will fall 
directly upon these bottom runs 7a, 7b, and eventually transfer this crop 
to the rear end of the machine. On the other hand, the substantially 
vertical front and rear runs 10a, 10b and 8a, 8b respectively diverge 
upwardly and laterally from the vertical axes 12a, 12b of the bottom runs 
7a, 7b to clear the passage of the upper portions 5 of the plants through 
the machine in the longitudinal direction thereof. Finally, the linear 
velocity V of the bottom runs 7a, 7b in relation to the frame 1 is equal 
and opposed to the linear velocity of the machine along the row of plants 
2. In other words, the movement of conveyors 6a, 6b in space is, according 
to this invention, kinematically similar to the movement that would be 
impressed to a pair of driving crawler tracks, if by hypothesis such 
crawler tracks were provided for driving the machine. This technical 
result is obtained in a manner known per se by coupling kinematically the 
conveyor drive members to the locomotion means, in this case wheels 3, or 
any other suitable servo means. 
Each conveyor 6a, 6b comprises preferably a series of separate buckets 13 
obtained by transverse folding a flexible, continuous band 14 of suitable 
material in order to constitute in longitudinal section a regular series 
of alternate triangles open at the bottom and trapeziums open at the top, 
as clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the trapezoidal portions being closed 
at one end by bellows 15 and at the opposite end by beaks or plain walls 
16. 
Each series of buckets is fastened to a traction member 17 at spaced 
fastening points 18 where the bottoms of the buckets are secured to this 
traction member, the latter consisting for example of a cable, a belt or a 
chain. 
Conveyors thus constructed and consistent with the teachings of the 
co-pending U.S. Patent Application filed by the Applicant[(s)] for 
"Conveyor Belt Deformable in Space" may be guided in a conventional manner 
the description of which is therefore deemed unnecessary. 
However, as shown in FIG. 3, the inner edge of the plain end walls or beaks 
of each conveyor has the shape of a regular broken or undulated line, for 
example a sinusoidal line, so that the beaks of one conveyor are 
imbricated between the beaks of the other conveyor. 
It is therefore necessary to drive the two conveyors in synchronism in 
order to preserve this half-bucket shifting between them. This requirement 
can easily be met, in the known fashion, by means of pinions or gears when 
the traction member 17 is a chain. 
Preferably, the central portion 16a of the beaks is higher, in relation to 
the bucket bottoms, than the lateral portions 16b of said beaks. Thus, as 
illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, not only the beaks of the conveyor buckets 
engage the indentations formed between the beaks of the adjacent conveyor, 
but in addition the central portions 16a of the beaks of each conveyor 
overlie the gaps or lateral portions formed between the beaks of the other 
conveyor, so that no clearance is left between the two conveyors when no 
plant or like obstacle is present between the conveyors. 
When such plant or like obstacle is engaged between the two conveyors, 
notably in the case of the stem or foot 11 of a plant, the beaks undergo a 
distortion and move away from each other, but the clearance 19 thus 
produced therebetween is very moderate and does not constitute a 
detrimental lack of tightness. 
With this arrangement it is thus possible, when the two bands 13 are again 
joined at the front of the machine, to obtain a perfect coupling or 
intermeshing engagement between the inner contours of these bands, each 
beak 16 engaging the cavity formed between the two adjacent beaks of the 
adjacent band to provide a meshing engagement similar to that of bevel 
gears. 
Transverse lips or ledges 20 are provided for partially closing the tops of 
the buckets and permitting a vertical transfer of the crop. 
The crop falling upon the bottom runs 7a, 7b is transferred at the velocity 
of travel of the machine firstly to the rear of the latter and then 
vertically upwards by the substantially vertical rear runs 8a and 8b. In 
the vicinity of the turning section 21 of the bucket loops a hopper or a 
transverse conveyor (not shown) is provided for either storing, or another 
transfer of, the crop. 
It may prove advantageous, especially in the case of low plants, to arrange 
the assembly in such a manner that the substantially vertical front and 
rear runs 10a, 10b and 8a, 8b depart from the vertical axes 12a, 12b of 
the bottom runs only at their lower portions, as shown diagrammatically in 
FIGS. 2 and 6. 
In this last instance, the conveyors 6a, and 6b following a path having a 
radius of curvature in a longitudinal plane (i.e. the plane of FIG. 1) and 
another radius of curvature in a transverse plane (the plane of FIG. 2) 
will consist each, preferably, of the buckets described hereinabove and 
associated with a chain 17 of the so-called "universal deflection" type, 
i.e. provided with pivot points having alternate axes perpendicular to 
each other. 
Of course, it would not constitute a departure from the basic principles of 
this invention to bring various modifications and changes to the specific 
form of embodiment shown and described herein, as will readily appear to 
those conversant with the art.