Patent · US Expired

Picking device for harvesting machines

US4236371A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
11References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 2, 1978
Grant dateDec 2, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 2, 1998

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S56/15
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A pivotal striker rod picking device carried by a row harvesting machine, the picking device having opposed striker rod holders each pivoting about a vertical axis, one on each side of the centerline of the machine, the striker rod holders each having horizontal striker rods mounted thereon. A cyclically operable drive means is connected to each striker rod holder to oscillate each of the striker rods horizontally through a constant amount of arcuate stroke, inwardly towards and outwardly away from the machine centerline. The force of each striker rod against an object in its path of inward movement is sensed and used to shift the striker rod stroke horizontally relative to the machine centerline. A first control shifts the strokes in the same direction to maintain an equal amount of striker rod force on both sides of an object which is off-center relative to the machine. A second control shifts the stroke of a striker rod away from the machine centerline in the event the striker rod strikes the object with more than a predetermined amount of force.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.