Pull Type Pepper Harvester

Abstract

The harvester frame is supported by laterally adjustable wheels. A hitch draft tube connects the frame to a tractor. A transverse horizontal shaft is journaled on a frame mast. A header frame rear is attached to the horizontal shaft. Ground engaging wheels support the header front. Two spaced apart helix assemblies on the header frame are rotated to remote fruit from plants. The helix forward ends work at ground level. Helix rear ends are elevated. A header lift bar is journaled on the horizontal shaft. A header lift cylinder pivots a free end of the lift bar into engagement with the header frame and lifts header wheels from the ground. Conveyors convey crop material from the helix assemblies to a fruit cleaning assembly with a forward end attached to the frame mast. Separated and cleaned fruit is received from the cleaning assembly and discharged from the harvester.

1 . A pull type pepper harvester comprising:
 a frame   a left tire and wheel journaled on the left side of the frame and laterally adjustable to position the left tire and wheel between two plant rows, and a right tire and wheel journaled on the right side of the frame and laterally adjustable to position the right tire and wheel between two plant rows;   a hitch assembly including a main draft tube with a draft tube rear portion pivotally attached to the frame by a pin for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, a draft tube forward portion adapted to be connected to a tractor, and an adjustable length strut pivotally attached to the frame and to the main draft tube that is locked in an extended position to hold the frame in a harvesting position and that is locked in a retracted position to hold the frame in a transport position;   a header assembly including a rigid header frame with a header frame rear portion attached to a transverse horizontal shaft journaled on the frame for pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal axis, a left side ground engaging tire and wheel journaled on a left yoke assembly that is pivotally attached to a header frame front portion by a left transverse horizontal pivot pin and a left adjustment assembly that holds the left yoke assembly in selected positions about the left transverse horizontal pivot pin, a right side ground engaging tire and wheel journaled on a right yoke assembly that is pivotally attached to the header frame front portion by a right transverse horizontal pivot pin and a right adjustment assembly that holds the right yoke assembly in selected positions about the right transverse horizontal pivot pin, a left helix assembly with a left conical member on a helix forward end and a left cylindrical tube on a helix rear end and a left helical bar extending from the left conical member to the left cylindrical tube, a right helix assembly with a right conical member on a helix forward end and a right cylindrical tube on a helix rear end and a right helical bar extending from the right conical member to the right cylindrical tube, at least one left bearing rotatably mounting the left helix assembly on the rigid header frame with the left cylindrical tube above and to the rear of the left conical member and at least one right bearing rotatably mounting the right helix assembly on rigid header frame in a position with a right helix axis in a common plane with a left helix axis of the left helix assembly and spaced from the left helix assembly to form a plant passage between the left helix assembly and the right helix assembly, a left continuous belt and slat conveyor mounted on the rigid header frame on the left side of the left helix assembly, a right continuous belt and slat conveyor mounted on the rigid header frame on the right side of the right helix assembly and wherein the left continuous belt and slat conveyor and the right continuous belt and slat conveyor receive fruit separated from plants by the left helix assembly and the right helix assembly and elevate and move the fruit to the rear;   a header lift assembly including a lift bar assembly with a lift bar upper end journaled on the transverse horizontal shaft, a header hydraulic lift cylinder connected to the frame and to the lift bar assembly and wherein extension of the header hydraulic lift cylinder moves a lift bar lower end into engagement with the rigid header frame and continued extension of the header hydraulic lift cylinder lifts the left side ground engaging tire and wheel and the right side ground engaging tire and wheel to a transport position off the ground;   an elevating conveyor mounted on the frame that receives harvested fruit from the left continuous belt and slat conveyor and from the right continuous belt and slat conveyor on the rigid header frame and elevates the fruit;   a fruit separating and cleaning assembly with a left vertical side wall, a left vertical wall rear end, and a left vertical wall front end attached to the frame, a right vertical side wall, a right vertical wall rear end and a right vertical wall front end attached to the frame, a blower attached to the left vertical wall front end and the right vertical wall front end, a transverse rear wall attached to the left vertical wall rear end and a right vertical wall rear end, a hood secured to the transverse wall and extending forward to a fruit inlet into the fruit separating and cleaning assembly, a plurality of horizontal star wheel shafts each of which is journaled on the left vertical side wall and the right vertical side wall, a plurality of star wheels with rubber fingers mounted on each star wheel shaft forming a separation bead, a front star wheel shaft of the plurality of star wheel shafts that receives fruit and other plant material discharged from the elevating conveyor that passes through the fruit inlet and wherein the star wheel shafts are spaced apart so that fruit passes downward between star wheels on adjacent star wheel shafts and wherein the star wheels are rotated to elevate the large pieces of plant material and convey the large pieces of plant material to a trash discharge chute between a rear star wheel shaft and the transverse rear wall, a fan mounted on the left vertical wall front end and the right vertical wall front end that discharges air forward of the fruit inlet and under the hood and separates light trash from fruit and carries the separated light trash through the trash discharge chute, a plurality of horizontal plate shafts each of which is journaled on the left vertical side wall and the right vertical side wall and below the plurality of horizontal star wheel shafts, a plurality of plate assemblies mounted on each of the plurality of plate shafts and wherein the plurality of plate assemblies on each of the plurality of plate shafts extends between the plurality of plate assemblies mounted on each adjacent one of the plurality of plate shafts and wherein each plate assembly includes a periphery with a plurality of projections that engage fruit upon rotation of the plurality of plate shafts in a common direction, accelerate fruit upward thereby separating foreign material from the fruit to pass down between the plurality of plate assemblies and simultaneously conveys fruit toward a fruit discharge from the fruit separating and cleaning assembly; and   a conveyor system mounted on the frame that receives fruit discharged from the fruit separating and cleaning assembly and conveys fruit away from the pull type pepper harvester.   
   
   
       2 . A pull type pepper harvester, as set forth in  claim 1 , including a left helix front support bearing supported by the rigid header frame and rotatably supporting the left conical member, and a right helix front support bearing supported by the rigid header frame and rotatably supporting the right conical member. 
   
   
       3 . A pull type pepper harvester, as set forth in  claim 1 , including a left snout assembly pivotally attached to the header frame front portion and covering the left side ground engaging wheel, and a right snout assembly pivotally attached to the header frame front portion and covering the right side ground engaging wheel. 
   
   
       4 . A pull type pepper harvester, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor system mounted on the frame includes a transverse conveyor assembly that receives fruit discharged from the fruit separating and cleaning assembly discharge and conveys the fruit away from the fruit separating and cleaning discharge, and a fruit discharge conveyor that receives a fruit from the transverse conveyor assembly, elevates the fruit and discharges fruit from the pull type pepper harvester.