Patent ID: 8069641

Claim:
A harvesting head apparatus for harvesting small fruit in fruit-bearing arboriculture, the harvesting head having a direction of forward movement during harvesting, the harvesting head apparatus comprising: a first shaking assembly; a second shaking assembly mounted opposite to said first shaking assembly and separated by a vertical space, each of said first and second shaking assemblies comprising: a lower first subassembly; and an upper second subassembly offset rearwardly of said lower first subassembly relative to the direction of forward movement, each of said lower first subassembly and said upper second subassembly having a plurality of shakers superposed and spaced in a vertical direction; and a first vertical oscillating drive shaft attached to said lower first subassembly so as to transmit an oscillating movement of said first vertical oscillating drive shaft to said lower first subassembly; a second vertical oscillating drive shaft attached to said upper second subassembly so as to transmit an oscillating movement of said second vertical oscillating drive shaft to said upper second subassembly.