HIGH-YIELD OLIVE PICKING BEATING TOOL

Abstract: The invention addresses an olive picking beating tool, a small agricultural hand tool designed for detaching olives from branches, characterized by a high-yield mechanical solution, allowing an optimized penetration into the depth of a high-productivity plant, while using a low power motor drive, such as a small battery-operated motor.

Description: High-yield olive picking beating tool The invention addresses an olive picking beating tool constructed in accordance with the brief description of Fig. 1: it is compose of a motor unit M, a power cord E, a rod A which forms the tool handle, a case C for enclosing the drive shaft, a rocking plate E> for supporting a certain number of end bars B; during operation the oscillating movement of the bar ends, in contact with the plant vegetation, will cause the oliyes to come off and fall, due either to direct hits, or to the beating action transmitted to the thin branches whereto they ar§ attached. The main specifications of the tool according to a basic design are as follows: Total length: 2.5 meters. Bar length: 40 centimeters. Number of bars: 6, arranged around a 20 cm diameter circumfereηc . Average power consumption: 50 wfatt. Weight: slightly above 2 kg. Separate battery unit having a weight of about 15 kg (lasting about 10 hours) . Obviously, these specifications are only provided by way of indication and may be greatly varied. Equivalent tools currently on sale operate according to a totally different mechanical principle. a compressed air-powered pneumatic cylinder puts in Reciprocation motion o e or two "rakes" formed by a certain number of "fingers", having a length of about fifteen centimeters. This solution involves a number of serxous drawbacks: - Compressed air operation requires the use of $lh at least 2.5 horsepower continuously operated compressor fqr each tool, which is used in the open country, and therefore must be driven by an explosion engine, thereby causing a number Of discomforts (high purchase costs, difficulties for compressor transportation, refueling needs, and daily costs thereof, maintenance costs and times, operators working all day in noi^y conditions, and smelling exhaust gases, possible starting failures) . - Rake tips hit the plant at a rather high speed and thereby cause, in addition to possible consequences for the plant, considerable vibrations to be transmitted to th hands and arms of the operator which, when added to a tool weight of at least 4 kg, cause fatigue and require the tool to be used by strong and trained personnel. - The pneumatic cylinder is fitted at the top of the tool, whereby all the weight of the tool is conpentrated on the end opposite to the handle, said handle being further required due to the presence Of the compressed sμ.r control lever, which is to be held down continuously during operation. Considering the length of the tool, this weight distribution causes further fatigue. - Rakes must operate with an appropriate inclination with respect to the plant; therefore the tools must have an articulation at their top which is to be adjusted from time to time, in a time consuming operation, and is additionally exposed to failure^ loosening and rupture. - The size, conformation and movement of the rakes do not allow to operate deeply into the plant but only at the surface thereof, wherefore this type of tool dan be only effectively used on plants which have bee specially pruned in view of such a use. The basic construction details of the preset invention, which perfectly solves the above problems > are schematised in Fig. 2. A small motor M, driven by the power cord £, sets into rotation, through its drive shaft AM and possibly a reduction gear R, the gear shaf , supported inside the od A by an adequate number of small supports S, preferably made of an antifriction plastic material. The main shaft AP, supported by its support SA at the upper end of the rod A, redeives motion from the gear shaft AT whereto it is directly connected and ends by its Slightly slanted end into the support SP which is integral with the rocking plate P. The supports SA and SP may be each made of a simple pair of ball bearings, appropriately spaped in such a manner as to be able to withstand mechanical stresses in any direction. Finally, the bars B are integral with the rocking pla^e P. During operation, the rocking plate P, which cannot be driven into rotation by the main shaft AP because it is free from the support SP, will be nevertheless forced to s. rocking swinging motion, symmetrical all through the 360° rotation of the shaft AP, thanks to the inclination of the end portion thereof. Once half a turn is run by the s aft AP, th bars B and the plate P will be in a position opposite to the one shown in Fig. 2, as outlined by dotted lines; withoμt rotating, the bars B ill run through a conical path, as shown in the perspective view of Fig. 3. The inertia of the masses which partipipate in the rocking motion even when minimized, would generate, as a reaction, a rather strong vibration all over the tool therefore, the main shaft AP is fitted with two rotating masses MR which, if suitably dimensioned and positioned, for instance a& shown, allow to accurately balance, both statically and dynamically, the rocking system, thereby totally removing such vibrations. The bars B will have to e made of an appropriate light-weight., rigid and strong material, e.g. cartoon fiber, to minimize inertia and bending characteristics, to keep unaltered effectiveness, and withstand mechanical stresses, mainly caused by bending, whereto they are exposed during operation. Finally, the case C, which is integral with the rod A has the function to cover the main shaft AP and may be provided with a small gasket <5, e.g. made of rubber sponge which, besides preventing possible foreing bodies froift infiltrating between the case and the rear edge of the plate P, may also prevent the latter, by exerting a slight friction thereon, from spontaneously rotating inside the support DP, due to the friction, however slight, between the inclined rotating end portion of the Shaft AP and the plate P. (To this purpose, more drastic arrangements may be also provided, such a simply using one or more teeth on the case C, and a corresponding number of matching grooves on th edge of the rocking plate P, thefeby allowing the latter to rock as desired without rotating.) The ma n feature of the drive system Which characterizes the invention lies in its high mechahiσai effectiveness: assume that the end of a bar B loads a spring in its path. Along the portion in which the spring is compressed, it will absorb mechanical power from the main shaft AP but, in the next stp, when the spring extends again, the exact contrary will occur, i.e. the spring will return the accumulated power to the main shaft AP, thereby facilitating its rotation. In actual operation, the considerable elasticity of the small branches contacted by the bars causes them to essentially behave as an ideal spring, wherefore even upon a sufficiently strong beating action, the pqwer which is actually absorbed by the plant and hence consumed, is limited; the great simplicity of the mechanical solution taken herein implies that, even in idling operation, due to the faαt that only small frictions due to branch rotation have to be overcome, power consumption is actually negligible (about 10 watt as a whole) . Opposite to the defects of the systems currently on sale, the invention has considerable advantages, which may be summarized as follows: - Possibility of using a special portable battery (very low cost) which, if charged at night, allows the tool to be used all through the following Work day. - Possibility of direct connection to the battery of a car or a tractor. - Negligible power consumption: the cost of a complete battery recharge for a whole work day is currently estimated at about 100 Liras. - Negligible noise and no pollution. - The contact of the tool against the plant is not violent and the ibratiorts transmitted to the operator as a reaction are very limited, which - furter considered together with the slight weight of the tool makes the invention suitable for being used by anyone; even the position of the motor unit, when mounted as preferred (but without limitation) at the lower end of the rod to at least partly counterbalance the weight of the parts situated at the pposite end, contributes to a lower fatigue. - Thanks to its very limited absorption in idling operation, and to its not being dangerous, the tool may be always left in operation/ by using a toggle switch, and be hel in any intermediate point f the rod in the most comfortable and non-fatiguiήg position. - The bars B may contact the plant at any angle, hile keeping the same efficiency, hence the tool doesn't require any articulation or adjustment. - The length f the bars B and the path thereof, allow, as shown in Fig, 4, to drive the tool deep into the plant and, after passing any branches R which, as Is evident, do not interfere with the movement, to reach a position z in which it is completely covered thereby; this characteristic further differentiates the invention from prior art solutions and makes it Universally suitable for use o any type of plant or pruning. A small electronic power supply may be possibly f rther provided, preferably between the battery and the power cord, which may provide the following benefits : - Possibility of a universal supply 12/24 Volt- - Possibility of increasing voltage (for instance to the non dangerous 48 Volt rating) which, while considerably decreasing losses at the power cord, allows the use of longer and/or thinner cords. - Possibility of stabilizing the number of turns of the motor in optimal running conditions. Possibility of limiting the highest torque delivered by the motor to limit any accidental overload. A further improvement may be made by providing, preferably at the lower end of the housing of the motor M, a special mount which allows the tool to be possibly fitted onto a special extension, if used On particularly high plants. The motor unit has been only placed in the described position to improve weight distribution, hence, by giving up this benefit, there is no limitation as to mount it at the upper end of the rod A, in direct connection with the main shaft AP, therefore removing the gear shaft AT and the associated supports S. The main shaft AP also allows to provide different construction artangements, herein, for instance, the rotating masses are a part thereof. Particularly, even the number, arrangement, symmetry and length of the bars B may be widely varied: bars might be, for instance, aligned side by Side or provided in arrangements more Or less similar to those illustrated, symmetrical or not, including one or more of them at the center; their length might not be uniform.

Claims: C LA I M S 1. A beating tool, typically but ithout limitation for Olive-picking, characterized by a drive consisting of a rotating shaft AP which, by a slanted 5 portion inserted in a support SP, forces a generic plate P, integral with the support SP, into cyclic rocking motion. 2. A beating tool as claimed in claim 1, h in the rotating shaft AP is characterized in that it has 0 two rotating masses MP, integral therewith or parts thereof, which allow the drive to be balanced both statically and dynamically. 3. A beating tool as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by a certain number of 5 bars, integral with the rocking plate P, made (preferably as small tubes of a Composite material) of " a suitable light-weight and strong material, and having a length and arrangement selected as the most effective for the intended use, such as, as a mere exampl of a 0 general use, 6 bars having a length of 40 centimeters arranged symmetrically over a 20 centimeter diameter circumference, as shown. . A beating tool as claimed in One or more of the preceding claims, characterised by a case C hich, $ besides enclosing the mechanical drive, prevents, thanks to one or more special teeth or preferably simply by the friction caused by a gasket G, any spontaneous rotation of the rocking plate P, due to unavoidable slight frictions occurring inside the 0 support SP. 5. A beating tool as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is driven by a simple and light-weight motor drive (motor M + possibly a gear reduction R) , preferably disposed at the lower end Of the tool and connected to the drive system by means of a gear shaft AT housed inside the rod A in which it is borne by supports S to allow a better weight distribution. 6. A beating tool as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the power supply is provided by a battery, preferably through a small electronic adapter which provides one or more, or all of the following eatures : - Universal supply at 12/24 Volt. - Voltage increase to reduce losses at the power cord, and allow the use of longer and/or thinner cords, - Stabilization of the number of turns of the motor in optimal running conditions. - Limitation of the highest torque delivered by the motor to prevent any accidental overload. 7. A beating tool as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has, preferably at the rear Of the motor unit M, a special mount which allows the tool to be possibly fitted onto an extension, in order to reach the tOp of particularly high plants. 8. A beating tool, wholly or partly substantially as described, illustrated and for the purposes stated herein.

Inventors: ROLLA ALBERTO, ROLLA, ALBERTO
Applicants: ROLLA ALBERTO, ROLLA, ALBERTO
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A01D46
IPC codes: A01D46