Multiple row harvester for peanut crops

An apparatus adapted to dig four rows of growing peanut-laden plants and dispose them in turned position as two windrows, the apparatus having two sets of plows with the forward push of the leading end of the plows being away from the center of the front of the apparatus, and two elevating conveyors, one behind each set of plows, for removing as ribbons of peanut plants the four rows of plants, two ribbons of plants being elevated by each conveyor and dropped from the height of the conveyor to an inverting means to place the rows of plants from each conveyor in a windrow on the ground in a turned position.

This invention relates to root crop harvesting and more particularly to an 
improved apparatus for simultaneously digging multiple rows of 
peanut-laden plants, shaking loose the soil from the plants, and inverting 
and depositing them in windrows on the soil in which they grew, with the 
peanuts spaced above the ground. 
In the mechanical harvesting of a peanut crop, rows of peanut-laden plants 
are first progressively dug from the ground to remove the buried peanuts 
which are attached to the plants, and then the plants are immediately 
passed in the form of two ribbons of moving plants onto an elevating bar 
conveyor. During their travel up the conveyor, soil is shaken from the 
plants by the rough action of the conveyor, with the soil falling through 
the spaces between the bars. At the end of their travel on the conveyor 
surfaces, the peanut plants are dropped and manipulated in such a manner 
as to deposit them in an inverted position on the ground as a single 
windrow, with the peanuts spaced from the ground and on top of the plant 
foliage. The windrows of peanut plants are subsequently picked up and 
processed through a thrashing operation. 
Several types of apparatus appear in the prior art directed to harvesting 
two rows of peanut plants on a single conveyor and manipulating and 
depositing the plants inverted in a single windrow. Such apparatuses are 
in general referred to as peanut digger-shakers, and the following patents 
are representive of the pertinent patented art: U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,345 to 
Harrell et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,194 to Whitfield, U.S. Pat. No. 
3,804,176 to Harrell at al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,225 to Whitfield, U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,976,143 to Rodger and U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,111 to Hobbs. 
The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved peanut harvesting 
apparatus that is both more efficient and economical to operate, which is 
of primary concern in the harvesting industry. 
It is therefore the object of this invention to provide an apparatus for 
plowing four rows of peanut-laden plants, shaking the dug plants to remove 
soil therefrom and elevate the plants with the peanuts still attached 
thereto to the back of the apparatus, dropping the plants behind the 
apparatus as it moves forward over the ground, inverting the plants and 
depositing them on the ground where they have grown in two separate 
windrows with the peanuts above the ground. Another object of this 
invention is to provide an apparatus having two elevating bar-type 
conveyors side-by-side, each conveyor being disposed to receive two rows 
of plowed peanut plants, and having means for preventing foliage in the 
form of vines from the two adjacent center rows of plants from becoming 
entwined in the side-by-side mechanism and the foliage from the outside 
rows from becoming entangled in the side mechanism that are parts of the 
drive for the conveyors. A still further object is to provide an improved 
plow arrangement so that fouling of the side-by-side and the outside 
mechanism of the conveyors is substantially eliminated. A still further 
object is to place four rows of peanut plants in two windrows with the 
peanuts spaced from the ground. A further object is to provide a reshaker 
arrangement that removes additional soil from the peanut plants after they 
exit from the conveyor, and then pushes the plants over a set of plant 
inverting bars to deposit the plants in windrows on the ground.

Generally speaking, the foregoing objects and others are accomplished in 
accordance with this invention by providing an apparatus for harvesting 
multiple rows of peanut plants having means for simultaneously plowing 
four rows of peanut-laden plants, two of the four rows being plowed by one 
set of two plows associated with one elevating and shaking conveyor and 
the other two rows being plowed by a second set of two plows associated 
with a second elevating and shaking conveyor. The plows in one set have 
their leading end oriented in one direction and the leading end of the 
plows in the other set oppositely oriented. The mounting of the sets of 
plows provides for a forward push of the leading end of the plows to 
opposite sides of the two center rows and away from the middle rows at the 
center of the frame of the apparatus. In this arrangement, each set of 
plows digs two rows of peanut plants separately and removes any growth 
from the space between the two center rows. The plowed plants from each 
set of plows are picked up by a separate elevating conveyor, by which they 
are conveyed to the rear of the apparatus as ribbons and shook during 
travel to loosen and remove soil before exiting from the conveyor. 
The novel plow arrangement of this invention substantially avoids plugging 
between the two center plows. The elevating conveyors for each set of 
plows are positioned side-by-side with their inside drive mechanisms 
positioned adjacent to each other. Spaced projecting means normal to the 
surface of the conveyors are attached at adjacent sides of the conveyors 
to prevent foliage in the form of vines of the peanut plants from moving 
into or extending over the sides of the conveyors to prevent fouling of 
the side-by-side drive mechanism and the outside drive mechanisms of the 
conveyors. 
In addition, the apparatus of this invention provides for the ribbons of 
peanut plants exiting from the rear of each conveyor to be dropped on a 
set of adjustable backward extending inverter rods attached to the 
apparatus at one end, and to be pushed rearwardly by a series of rotating 
reshaker spokes located on the surface of a revolving drum. The rotating 
reshaker spokes are continuously brought in contact with the ribbons of 
plants as they traverse down the inverter rods to reshake soil from the 
plants and cause the plants, as they progress rearward, to turn in such a 
manner that the peanut plants are inverted and set on the ground with the 
peanuts being spaced from the ground in a single windrow behind each 
conveyor. The adjustable inverter rods can be moved to form windrows that 
fit desired row patterns. 
Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a peanut plant 
harvesting apparatus 10 having a frame 11. Supported on frame 11 and 
depending therefrom are two sets 12, 13 of plows 14, there being two plows 
in each set. The plows 14 are suspended from the frame 11 by tubular plow 
support members 15. The sets 12,13 of plows are positioned along the front 
of the frame 11, and when the apparatus 10 is harvesting rows of peanut 
plants, the line of plows 14 is normal to the rows of peanut plants. The 
sets 12,13 of plows are positioned with one set along one side of the 
front of frame 11 and the other set along the other side of the front of 
frame 11. Each plow 14 has a leading edge 16 disposed to enter the soil 
and plow a row of peanut plants adjacent the root network, which contains 
the buried peanuts, and lift the plants with their root network of 
attached peanuts from the soil. It will be appreciated that the root 
network carries considerable soil with the lifted plants. 
The tubular plow support members 15 are fixed by welding at their elevated 
ends to hollow attaching members 17 fixedly mounted on frame 11. Each plow 
14 is maintained in fixed position on the other end of the tubular plow 
support members 15 by a set of nuts and bolts 18 to place the plow at the 
required pitch and angle for the required depth of plowing and the proper 
angle for continuously lifting a row of peanut-laden plants from the soil. 
The trailing edge of each plow 14 has two slide prongs 19 attached at one 
end to the plow with the free end extending rearward and upward. The plow 
arrangement of this invention provides for one set 12 of plows 14 to have 
a forward push of the leading end of the plows away from the center of the 
frame 11 and the other set 13 of plows 14 to have a forward push in the 
opposite direction, with each plow in position to continuously plow a row 
of peanut plants when the frame of the apparatus spans four rows of plants 
and is moving in a parallel direction to the rows of plants. In this 
position, the plows, when in engagement with the soil, lift the peanut 
plants and move soil away from the center space between the second and 
third rows of plants in front of the harvesting apparatus as it progresses 
downfield during the plowing operation. 
Operatively positioned on frame 11 are a first and a second elevating 
conveyor means 20,21 positioned side-by-side. The first conveyor means 20 
is positioned behind the first set 12 of plows and the second conveyor 
means positioned behind the second set 13 of plows. Each elevating 
conveyor means has laterally spaced sprocket drive chain means 22 on each 
side of the conveyor. The sprocket drive means 22 includes parallel spaced 
continuous link chains 23, each looped about a lower small sprocket wheel 
24 and elevated driven larger sprocket wheel 25, the sprocket wheels 25 
being mounted on a shaft 26 driven by sprocket chain 26a and sprocket 
wheel 26b as shown in FIG. 5. 
Positioned between the parallel spaced linked chain 23 of each conveyor and 
normal thereto are a plurality of spaced conveyor plant carrying bars 28 
having their opposite ends secured on opposite faces of a link 29 of the 
chain 23 so that rotation of the driven shaft 26 provides for a conveyor 
means having continuously rotating spaced carrying bars 28 that generate a 
substantially elliptical path and provide a continuous carrying surface 
that moves upwardly and rearwardly as the apparatus traverses the rows of 
peanut plants and, because of the movement of the chain and sprocket, 
shakes soil from the plants that is attached in the root network of 
peanuts (see FIG. 2). 
As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, each of the carrying bars 28 is 
provided with a set of spaced tines 30, all of which are approximately the 
same length. The tines 30 project outwardly from the outer face of each of 
the carrying bars and are arranged in a line with the end tines spaced 
inwardly from the side of the link chains 23 to which the carrying bars 
are operatively connected so that, when the conveyor is in operation 
during plowing, the tines act as catch fingers that project into the 
foliage and root network of the plants immediately after their uprooting 
by the plow and they have been guided onto the conveyor by the slide 
prongs 19. The carrying bar 28 conveys the plants received from the slide 
prongs 19 upwardly to an elevated position at the rear of the apparatus 
where the plants are dropped to be inverted and placed in windrows with 
the peanuts spaced from the ground. 
Each conveyor bar 28 has an L-shaped bracket 31 fixed on each of its ends. 
The bracket 31 is, in turn, attached to a similar L-shaped link chain 
bracket 32 by bolt 33 as shown best in FIG. 4. In this construction, the 
outward face of each bar 28 is positioned below the spaced link chains 
which move the bar in a direction opposite to the movement of the 
apparatus 10. 
The space between carrying bars 28 is provided by attaching the chain link 
brackets 32 to a series of links spaced equally from one another by links 
which do not have a bracket 32 attached to them. By using this symmetrical 
arrangement of spacing there is provided a series of conveyor bars 28 that 
are end connected to the inner link surfaces of the two parallel link 
chains 23 that form the drive means for producing the continuous motion of 
the conveyors. 
The pattern of spaced tines 30 is such that on one bar the end tines are 
set in from the bar bracket 31 and on the next succeeding bar the end 
tines are spaced so that the end tines line up between the end tine and 
the next succeeding tine along the bar. 
Positioned adjacent to bracket 31 and projecting from the surface of the 
carrying bar 28 on the link chains 23 of each conveyor means is a pin 34 
which is longer than pins 30 and projects above the height of the pins 30 
and the link chains 23. Pin 34 may be positioned on alernate carrying bars 
adjacent the L-shaped bracket 31 where the end pin or tine 30 is farther 
removed from the link chains than the end tine on the next succeeding 
carrying bar. These projection pins 34 assist in keeping the vines of the 
two inside ribbons of dug peanut plants, which are moving onto different 
conveyors, from becoming entangled in the side-by-side link chain and 
small sprocket wheels of the two parallel conveyor means, thus preventing 
fouling of the operation of the apparatus by pulling vines and other 
growth material from between the two conveyor means onto one of the 
conveyor means (see FIG. 4). 
Advantageously, sprocket chains 23 are provided with longitudinally spaced 
thin cleats 37 (FIG. 3) which are a part of the link chain. The outward 
projection of the cleats 37 is higher than that of the tines 30 and is 
positioned at intervals spaced by an even number of chain links. The outer 
ends of the cleats 37 are of a size and shape such that they assist the 
moving of the divided plant foliage between the second and third rows so 
that they are parted and divided and pulled into engagement with the tines 
34 and 30 of the conveyor bars 28, thus helping to prevent entanglement of 
the vines in the side-by-side link chains, the outside link chains, and 
small sprocket of the two parallel conveyor chains. 
The open link chains which run on idler rollers are able to lift peanut 
vines which overhang the outside edge of the conveyor and, with the 
addition of their cleats 37 mounted on the chains, heavy grass and other 
foreign plant material can be lifted, or matted sod can be sliced, chopped 
or cut to prevent fouling of the sprocket drive chain means. 
Positioned on the outside of each side of the first and second conveyor 
chains and between them are side shields 39 that prevent plant vines and 
foliage from flopping over the sides of the conveyor means. 
Positioned on the apparatus 10 and projecting rearwardly therefrom are a 
first and second set 40,41 of inverter rods 42 onto which ribbons of 
peanut plants drop as they exit from the elevated end of the first and 
second conveyor. Each set of inverter rods has a right and left series of 
spaced rods 42 attached at one end to the rear portion of the apparatus 
and having free ends that extend rearwardly and downwardly, each spaced 
rod following a different contour. The right and left series of rods 42 
retard the fall of the peanut-laden ribbon of plants to allow the foliage 
upper portion to drop more quickly thus effecting rotation of the ribbon 
of conveyed peanut plants to place it on the ground in a turned position 
with the network of peanuts raised above the ground. Each of the spaced 
inverter rods 42 in a set of rods has a particular shape so that the 
ribbons of peanut plants are guided and turned as they move to the end of 
the rods. In each set 40, 41 there are six left-hand and six right-hand 
rods 42. The six rods in each set are spaced inwardly from each side of a 
conveyor. Attached to the side shields 39 are two spaced rods 39a and 
39b(FIG. 3) that are curved inwardly and downwardly to guide the ribbon of 
plants onto six spaced rods 42 as shown in FIG. 1. The first four spaced 
rods 42 curve inwardly from the side of the conveyor and progressively 
downward and the remaining two rods 42 curve downward (see FIGS. 1 and 3). 
Each of the inverter rods 42 is attached to the frame in such a manner as 
to be adjustable both in a vertical direction and in a turning direction. 
This is accomplished by the rods 42 having a vertical shaft end 42a which 
fits into an opening 42b of a portion of the frame and is held in the 
proper vertical height position and in a set turned position by a set of 
screws 42c (FIG. 6). Thus, by adjusting the six inverter rods 42 of each 
series 40 and 41 of rods in each set for proper height and angle, the 
desired windrows are produced between a series of left- and right-hand 
inverter rods 42 (see FIG. 6). 
It will be appreciated that the movement of the ribbon of plants on the 
surface of the conveyor means will remove loose dirt, but it has been 
found that more dirt is removed as the plants are moved over splines 48 by 
drum 45 formed by circumferentially spaced bars operatively mounted across 
the back end of frame 11 and under the two sets 40,41 of inverter rods 42. 
The drum 45 is mounted on a shaft 46 that is operatively connected and 
driven in unison with the drive shaft 26 that powers the first and second 
conveyor means 20,21. The drum 45 has a surface 47 which contains a series 
of groups of spaced curved splines 48, each group of splines 48 equally 
spaced one from the other and the splines 48 emanating from the surface 47 
of the drum with the splines pitched in an opposite direction to the 
rotational direction of drum 45. The end portions of each group of splines 
48 are of such height that as the drum 45 rotates end portions of the 
splines in each group pass between adjacent spaced rods 42 near their end 
attachment to the frame 11, or in the case of some of the group of splines 
in the series, adjacent to rods 42. Drum 45 extends longitudinally across 
the back of the digger-shaker in a plane substantially normal to the 
vertical axis of the apparatus, or, in other words, substantially parallel 
to the ground. 
Thus, a constant lifting and pushing of the peanut plants is effected as 
the plants are continuously dropped over the end of the conveyor, which 
also aids in removing dirt from the plants as the plants are pushed from 
the fixed end portion of the inverter rods 42 down the rods 42 to assist 
in the inverting of the plants to produce a single windrow behind each of 
the two conveyors 20, 21. 
The frame 11 is supported and moved on wheel assembly 50 which includes a 
pair of spaced side wheels 51 that span four rows of peanut plants, the 
wheels riding in the space between the rows. A freely turning coulter 
wheel 52 is centrally mounted and located in the front of the frame 11 of 
the apparatus 10 and is positioned between the first and second sets 12, 
13 of plows. The coulter wheel 52 has a sharp circular edge that cuts the 
vines between the second and third rows as the apparatus travels over the 
four rows of plants so that each set of plows will feed two ribbons of dug 
plants to each of the first and second conveyors 20, 21 (see FIG. 5). 
Advantageously, the rear portion of the frame 11 may have a rear support 
wheel 53 located in the center between the first and second conveyor means 
20, 21 and riding in the space between the second and third rows of plants 
(see FIGS. 1 and 2). 
Attached to the frame 11 is a tractor-trailer hitch 54 for making 
connection with a tractor that moves the harvesting apparatus and controls 
the plowing or non-plowing position of the frame, and a lifting bracket 
60. 
The first and second conveyors 20,21 and the drum 45 are rotated by common 
power source having a power take-off drive means 55 (FIGS. 4 and 5) which 
transmits rotary power received from a tractor connected to hitch 54 of 
frame 11. The rotary power is supplied from a power drive output (PDO) of 
the tractor through a take-off shaft 56 which is operatively connected to 
a gear box 57 attached to the frame of the apparatus. 
An output shaft 62 of gear box 57 is coupled to an endless drive chain 64 
via a drive sprocket 66. Drive chain 64 is further coupled to an 
adjustable idler wheel 68 provided for varying the tension on drive chain 
62, and to a chain sprocket 102 which forms part of a slip clutch assembly 
70 (see FIG. 6). The sprocket 102 rotates about a shaft sleeve 104 
encircling conveyor drive shaft 26 and is coupled via friction discs 106 
and 108 to a drive disc 110. Drive disc 110 is provided with a keyway 
which mates with driving shaft 26. Shaft 26 is operatively connected to 
the drive shaft 46 of the shaker drum 45 by sprocket 72 fixed to shaft 26 
which, in turn, is coupled to a drive chain 74 and a sprocket 76 fixed to 
drive shaft 46. Drive chain 74 is further coupled to an adjustable idler 
wheel 80 provided for varying the tension on drive chain 74. 
The clutch assembly 70 also includes a spring and clutch disc 114, a series 
of springs 116 and a spring mounting disc 118. Spring mounting disc 118, 
springs 116, spring clutch disc 114, and sprocket 102 are held together in 
a working clutch assembly via screws or bolts 120. Under normal operating 
conditions the motive power is supplied by chain 64 to sprocket 102 which 
is coupled via slip clutch 70 to drive shafts 26 in an unimpeded manner. 
If, during the operation of the harvesting apparatus either of the 
conveyors are prevented from turning, the sprocket 102 will slip via the 
clutch 70 thus preventing damage to the mechanical elements of the 
harvester or the power drive output of the tractor. The slip clutch 
assembly also allows the outer sections to be raised or lowered on 
tractors equipped with a P.T.O. brake even if the brake is engaged. 
The drive chain 64 and associated idler 68 and sprocket wheel 102 are 
partially protected from dirt, mud, vines, etc. by a suitable covering or 
housing 161. 
Appropriate gear ratios are chosen to provide conveyor speeds which allows 
the uprooted vines to be lifted, transported as a continuous ribbon on 
each conveyor surface and discharged from the conveyor without pitching of 
any vines or unnecessary break up of the windrows. This helps to ensure 
that the peanuts will not prematurely detach from the vines. 
In operation, a tractor is coupled to the tractor-trailer hitch 54 is 
positioned centrally in the front of the apparatus. The P.T.O. of the 
tractor is attached via a shaft (not shown) to gearbox input shaft 56. 
Lowering of the apparatus for plow engagement with the soil is 
accomplished by hydraulically controlled lifting mechanism (not shown). 
After lowering of the apparatus so that the plows are aligned in a 
position to plow under four adjacent rows of peanut-laden plants, the 
plowing operation is begun by engaging the P.T.O. output to cause the 
conveyor chains to begin rotating as the plows are moving under the rows 
of plants. As the apparatus is transported over the row of plants being 
plowed, the leading edge of each conveyor section, i.e., that closest to 
the ground, picks up the vines via the pins and transports them in 
generally continuous ribbons along the upper surface of the conveyor to 
the discharge end of the conveyor where the continuous ribbons of plants 
are gently discharged and deposited on the ground in windrows. When the 
harvesting of four rows of plants is completed, the tractor operator may 
again raise the conveyor by supplying hydraulic pressure to the lifting 
mechanism apparatus for transporting the harvester to a new location or 
for storage. 
Although the present invention has been described with reference to a 
particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated that various 
modifications can be made to this specific embodiment without departing 
from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, although 
the invention has been particularly described with reference to harvesting 
peanut plants, other types of plants may also be harvested with the 
invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is to be taken as purely 
exemplary and not limiting of the present invention which is defined 
solely by the appended claims.