Patent ID: 7870712

Claim:
An apparatus for automatically pruning vines grown in a row in a cordon-leading manner in which a cordon is attached on a carrier wire or rail, the apparatus comprising: a chassis suitable for moving along a direction of travel; a pre-pruning module affixed to said chassis, said pre-pruning module having a pair of cutting assemblies suitable for positioning on opposite sides of the row; a clear-cutting module affixed to said chassis behind said pre-pruning module relative to the direction of travel, said clear-cutting module having cutters; and at least one position-sensing means positioned forwardly of said clear-cutting module, the position-sensing means for locating the cordon and positioning said cutters through a transmitter and a receiver so as to achieve a clear cut of prunings from a periphery of the cordon at a predetermined short distance in relation to the cordon.