AU3585299A - Cutting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

CUTTING APPARATUS FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a mechanical cutting apparatus for cutting and removing fruit from fruit trees such as banana bunches from banana trees. By way of example only the invention will be described with reference to the harvesting of banana bunches from banana trees.

PRIOR ART 10 The conventional method of harvesting bananas is to manually remove •banana bunches from the banana trees. A labourer usually with a machete or some other sharp knife cuts a stalk from which a banana bunch is suspended. To cut the stalk the labourer often climbs a ladder or is elevated by some other means such as a cherry picker. When the banana stalks are severed, the banana bunches are usually carried on the back of the labourer to a trailer for transport to a suitable processing and packaging area. As a result of the harvested bunch being carried and the accidental dropping of the harvested bunch from the stalk, the harvested bananas may bruise particularly around the stem of the banana.

The manual method of harvesting bananas has a number of problems.

Usually a large number of labourers need to be employed to harvest the bananas because the harvest period is a short and physically demanding. The hilly terrain on which bananas are grown commercially further exacerbates harvesting. There are therefore relatively high labour costs associated with manually harvesting bananas.

Labour costs are further increased with the payment of compensation cover to provide for labourers who suffer injury such as back problems from the high physical demand of the work.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the invention broadly resides in a cutting head for use as part of an apparatus for cutting a plant including:a plurality of clamping members cooperatively connected to releasably clamp a portion of the plant to be harvested; a cutting blade adapted to sever the portion to be harvested whereby the harvested portion remains supported by said clamping members; clamping means for actuating said clamping members; and cutting means for actuating said cutting blade; wherein said clamping means 10 and said cutting means are disposed adjacent each other with one of said means rearward of the other said means and both of said means are rearward of the :.:":clamping members and the cutting blade.

o .The clamping means and the cutting means are preferably arranged in a spatially compact arrangement. The clamping means and the cutting means are 15 preferably arranged in a spatially compact arrangement so that they occupy minimal space proximal to the clamping members and cutting blade. The one of said means may be partially or entirely rearward of the other said means.

The clamping means and the cutting means may be any suitable type of o. :actuators but preferably they include hydraulic or pneumatic rams. It is also preferred that the rams are supplied with actuating fluid from a common source and that the cutting ram be arranged for sequential operation after a predetermined force has been applied to the clamping members to securely support the harvested portion. The clamping actuation ram preferably clamps the clamping members about the plant portion such as a stalk to a predetermined pressure. The predetermined pressure preferably clamps but does not crush the plant portion. Said rams are preferably operatively linked so that cutting occurs sequentially after clamping. The sequential actuation of said cutting actuation ram preferably occurs with the use of a common fluid line with a diverter sequence valve which diverts fluid from the clamping actuation ram to the cutting actuation ram upon reaching the predetermined pressure. Alternatively each of said rams may be independently controlled.

The rams are preferably arranged in a spatially compact arrangement so that they occupy minimal space proximal to the clamping members and cutting blade but extend longitudinally therefrom. The rams are preferably co-axially aligned.

Preferably one of the rams is able to extend rearwardly relative to the clamping members and the cutting blade and linkage means translates the rearward movement of the ram to either the clamping members or the cufftting blade.

The clamping members are preferably two cooperatively engagable arms 10 adapted to pivot about a common axis. The arms are preferably cooperatively connected by a mutual pivot to the clamping means. The clamping members are preferably spaced apart from the cutting blade so that the harvested portion is .supported by the clamping members after it has been severed from the plant.

~The cufftting blade is preferably two blades that are co-operatively connected at 15 a common pivot. The blades move about the common pivot connection and have a secature action. Alternatively the cutting blade may be a single blade that has a slicing action.

The spatial arrangement of the rams, the blades, and the clamping arms So°** 0, preferably provides a compact cutting head that occupies a minimum amount of space to minimise the risk of interference or blockage by plant matter during the harvesting of banana bunches.

The cutting head may include rotation means for rotating the clamping members and cutting blade about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the clamping members and cutting blade. Preferably the rotation means is a rotary coupling enabling the cutting head to rotate in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. Preferably the rotary coupling enables the cutting head to rotate 360 degrees. Preferably the rotary coupling is mounted to the cutting head distal from the cutting blade and clamping members. Preferably the rotary coupling is mounted adjacent the rams.

The cutting head in use is attached to a boom or some other extension means and forms part of a cutting apparatus. For example the cutting head may be attachable to the lifting arm of a cherry picker or the rear arm of a backhoe. In a preferred embodiment the head is attached to the end of an extendable lifting arm mounted on a vehicle such as a trailer.

The cutting head may include levelling means for altering the attitude of the cutting blade and the clamping members relative to the rams. The cutting head 10 preferably includes levelling means when it is attached to a cutting apparatus. For example the levelling means may include a switch such as a mercury switch used to operate an electric solenoid that controls a hydraulic valve to keep the cutting head level.

In another aspect the invention broadly resides in a cutting apparatus 15 including: an extendable arm assembly; a cutting head as described above and attached to a free end of the extendable arm assembly; and control means for controlling the position of the extendable arm assembly and S .I the cutting head.

The extendable arm assembly in one form includes a first arm member pivotally connected to a second arm member. The extendable arm assembly in another form includes three arm members pivotally linked together.

The extendable arm assembly may be mounted on a rotatable turntable adapted to support an extendable arm thereon.

The control means preferably includes means for controlling the position of the turntable, the extension of the arm members above the turntable, and the position of the cutting head relative to the arm members. The control means preferably is pneumatically or hydraulically actuated.

Preferably there is a levelling means as described above which can maintain the cutting head substantially level when the arm is extended or retracted. The levelling means preferably includes an hydraulic or pneumatic ram for controlling the attitude of the cutting head.

The apparatus preferably includes a mounting. The mounting supports the extendable arm assembly and the control means. The mounting is preferably a wheeled frame. The wheeled frame is preferably a trailer that can be attached to a S 10 tractor or the like. Alternatively the wheeled frame maybe motorised and self propelled. The mounting preferably includes storage means for storing harvested plants. The storage means may be a suitable support rack for stacking harvested banana stalks.

*9 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS .99.

In order that this mention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein: Fig 1 is a top plan view of the cutting head with both rams fully extended and clamping jaws and blades fully opened; Fig 2 is an inverted plan view of the cutting head with both rams fully extended and clamping jaws and blades fully opened; Fig 3 is an elevation view of the cutting head with both rams fully extended and clamping jaws and blades fully opened; Fig 4 is a diagrammatic view of an inverted cutting head with both rams fully extended and clamping jaws and blades fully opened; Fig 5 is a diagrammatic view from below of a cutting head with a rotary coupling; Fig 6 is a diagrammatic view from above of a cutting head with a rotary coupling; Fig 7 is a perspective view of an extendable lifting arm with a cutting head mounted on its end with 7a showing the cutting head without the rotary coupling and 7b showing the cutting head with a rotary coupling; Fig 8 is a diagrammatic view of a cutting apparatus with a cutting head with the rotary coupling; and 10 Fig 9 is a scanned photograph of the cutting head with the rotary coupling.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the figures there is shown a cutting head 10, having a pair of cooperating blades 11,12 which are pivotally connected to each other by a 15 connection pin 13. Each blade 11,12 is pivotally attached to blade arms 14,15 respectively. Blade 11 is attached to blade arm 14 by pivot pin 16, whereas blade 12 .oo.

is attached to blade arm 15 by pivot pin 17. Each blade arm 14,15 is also pivotally attached to a first cylinder cross-arm 20 by linkage pins 18,19 respectively. The S- cross-arm 20 is attached by pin 21 to piston rod 22, which can reciprocate within the first cylinder 23. The first cylinder 23 is co-axial with a second cylinder 24 whereby end 25 of the first cylinder 23 opposes corresponding end 26 of the second cylinder 24. The second cylinder 24 has a piston rod 27 which can reciprocate within the second cylinder 24. The piston rod 27 is pivotally attached at pivot pin 28 to clamping jaws 29,30. Each clamping jaw 29,30 is connected to the second cylinder 24 by clamping arms 31,34 respectively. Clamping jaw 29 is connected to clamping arm 31 by pivot pin 32. The clamping arm 31 is pivotally connected to the second cylinder 24 by pivot pin 33. In a corresponding manner clamping jaw 30 is pivotally connected to clamping arm 34 by pivot pin 35. The clamping arm 34 is pivotally connected to the second cylinder 24 by pivot pin 36. As shown in fig. 3 the clamping jaws 29,30 are spatially separated from blades 11,12 so that the clamping jaws 29,30 can be located below the blades 11,12. The spatial arrangement of the cylinders 23,24, the blades 11,12, and the clamping jaws 29,30 provides a compact cutting head that occupies a minimum amount of space thereby enabling the cutting apparatus to reach banana stalks that could not be reached by a larger or bulkier cutting head.

To clamp the clamping jaws 29,30 around a banana stalk, hydraulic oil is introduced into the second cylinder 24 through an oil inlet (not shown) which in turn S'.i 10 moves the piston rod 27 into the second cylinder 24 thereby closing clamping jaws 29,30. When a predetermined pressure between 600 700 psi is reached, a sequence valve diverts the oil into the first cylinder 23 through an oil inlet (not 9shown), while maintaining the predetermined clamping pressure. The predetermined clamping pressure does not crush the banana stalk. The introduction of oil into the 15 first cylinder 23 moves the piston rod 22 into the first cylinder 23 thereby moving blade arms 14,15 to close blades 11,12. As a result the banana stalk is cut and the cut portion remains held in clamping jaws 29,30. The cut stalk is released when the above steps are reversed and the clamping jaws 29,30 release the stalk.

2 In the preferred embodiment the cutting head also has a mounted rotary coupling 80 which provides clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation. The rotary coupling 80 includes housing 81, toothed collar 82, shaft mountings 83, fluid inlets 84 and fluid outlet 85. The housing 81 is securely attached by brackets 86 to cylinders 23, 24. Inlet fluid hoses 87 are connected to fluid inlets 84 allowing fluid to enter housing 81 and pass through fluid outlet 85 to fluid hose 88. The housing 81 may have an internal banjo joint or the like which allows fluid to pass through without causing fluid hoses to be tangled during the rotation of the rotary coupling 80. The shaft mountings 83 are on opposite sides of the housing 81 and fixedly attach the rotary coupling 80 to the shaft 90. Shaft 90 is also attached to the bifurcated arms 8 91,92 of a boom 93 which in the preferred embodiment of the cutting apparatus shown in figure 7 is second arm 62. The attachment of the bifurcated arms 91,92 has bearings and the attachment allows the shaft to rotate relative to the bifurcated arms. The link arms 95 are fixedly attached to the shaft 90. The link arms 95 are also pivotally attached to the ram 96. When the ram 96 is extended the link arms cause the shaft 90 to rotate forwards and downwards thereby lowering the blades 98 and clamping jaws 99 relative to the rotary coupling 80. When the ram 96 is retracted the blades 98 and clamping jaws 99 are raised relative to the rotary coupling 80. Rotational movement of the rotary coupling 80 is effected by electric 10 motor 100 which rotates cog 101 that cooperatively mates with toothed collar 82.

The cog 101 has a series of teeth surrounding its periphery for engagement with toothed collar 82. A electrical cables 102 provide power to the electric motor 100 and *control the rotary movement at a remote control panel (which in the preferred embodiment shown in fig.7 is control panel 57).

15 The cutting head may be mounted on the front of a cherry picker, a backhoe, a trailer or on a tractor to suit a particular operation. In a preferred embodiment the cutting head is attached to an extendable arm mounted on a trailer. In the figure 7, there is shown an extendable arm assembly 50, including a turntable 51, which can

S

rotate 360 degrees within a slew ring (not shown). On the turntable 51 there is a fixed mounting 53 to which a first arm 54 is pivotally attached by pivot pin 55. The turntable 51 also includes a centrally located hose guide 56 through which hydraulic hoses and electrical wiring can pass to the arm assembly 50. There is also a first hydraulic ram 58 mounted to the turntable 51 and the first arm 54. The first hydraulic ram 58 allows the first arm 54 to be raised or lowered. There is also a control panel 57 attached to mounting 53. The control panel 57 includes five lever controls for controlling the position of the cutting head 59. In another embodiment the lever controls may be replaced by one or more joy stick arrangements. There is also a 9 chair 60 attached to the mounting 53 to position the operator where they can observe the operation of the extendable arm assembly 50 and the cutting head 59.

While one end of the first arm 54 is pivotally attached to mounting 53, the other end is pivotally attached by pin 61 to the second arm 62. The movement of the second arm 62 is controlled relative to first arm 54 by the second hydraulic ram 63.

The second arm 62 has telescopically extendable sections 64,65 and the extent of telescopic extension is controlled by the third hydraulic ram 66. The hydraulic rams 58,63,66 are controlled at the control panel 57.

The second arm 62 bifurcates at the free end 70. The bifurcated end 10 consists of two substantially parallel mounting members 71,72. The cutting head 59 is supported by a cradle 74 and mounted between mounting members 71,72 with pivotal pin 73.

*The attitude of the cutting head 59 is controlled by hydraulic rams 67,68, which operate cooperatively in a sealed system. These hydraulic rams 67,68 15 operate independent of the other hydraulic rams 58,63,66. Hydraulic ram 67 serves as a drive ram for ram 68 whereby movement of the second arm 62 relative to the °.°first arm 54 actuated by hydraulic ram 68 correspondingly moves ram 67 which in turn causes movement of the ram 68. When the ram 67 is extended, the ram 68 is :closed whereas when the ram 68 is extended, the ram 67 is closed.

The hydraulic ram 68 is attached to the second arm 62 and pin 73 thereby controlling the attitude of the cutting head 59 relative to the second arm 62. By this means the cutting head 59 may be maintained at a substantially level position irrespective of the positions of the arms 62,54. In the preferred embodiment a mercury switch is used to operate an electric solenoid that controls a hydraulic valve to keep the cutting head substantially level. A level position of the cutting head is desired because an angle of 15 degrees or more from the horizontal axis will cause the clamped stalk to break off with the weight of the banana bunch. In another embodiment sensors may be used to determine the position of the cutting head and C automatically adjusted by hydraulic means should the attitude of the cutting head be more than 15 degrees from the horizontal axis.

In figure 7b, the cutting head with the rotary coupling is shown where it attaches to the second arm 62. The cutting head with the rotary coupling has been described above.

In figure 8 there is showing a cutting apparatus 110 including a trailer frame 111, shaped racks 112 for supporting harvested banana bunches and an extendable arm assembly 113 having a cutting head 114 with a rotary coupling 115.

The cutting apparatus 110 is coupled to a tractor or the like and moved up and down 10 the rows of banana trees. The operator operates the arm assembly and cutting head remotely from the control panel on the trailer. Operation of the arm assembly and cutting head remotely allows the operator to stack the banana bunches on the rack U.°*e 112 and see and cut the banana bunches from a safe distance to avoid personal injury. In another form the cutting apparatus may be self-propelled thereby avoiding 15 the need for a tractor or the like to tow the cutting apparatus. A self propelled cutting apparatus may be driven and operated by a single person from one position.

*The apparatus in one form can be used to pick fruit such as coconuts and bananas. The apparatus in another form may also be used to prune trees by S. removing unwanted branches or clear bushes such as salt bush, groundsel and other noxious weeds by preferably cutting their trunks close to the ground and removing the bush. In this form the cutting head is in an inverted orientation compared with its use in cutting a banana stalk.

It will, of course, be realised that while foregoing has been given by way of example, all such and other modifications and variations thereto, as would be apparent persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as herein set forth.

Claims (15)

1. 2. A cutting head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the clamping means and the cutting means are arranged in a spacially compact arrangement so that they occupy minimal space proximal to the clamping members and the cutting blade. S .oco
2. 3. A cutting head as claimed in claimi or claim 2 wherein said means includes
3. 9. 9. hydraulic or pneumatic rams. 4. A cutting head as claimed in claim 3 wherein the rams are supplied with actuating fluid from a common source and the cutting actuation ram is arranged for sequential operation after a pre-determined force has been applied to the clamping members. A cutting head as claimed in claim 4 wherein the sequential operation of the said cufftting actuation ram occurs with the use of a common fluid line with a diverter sequence valve which diverts fluid from the clamping actuation ram to the cutting actuation ram on reaching the predetermined pressure. 6. A cutting head as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein said clamping members are spaced apart from the cutting blade so that the harvested portion is supported by the clamping members after it has been severed from the plant. 7. A cutting head as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein the rams are coaxially aligned. A cutting head as claimed in claim 7 wherein one of the rams is able to extend rearwardly relative to the clamping members and the cutting blade, and linkage ':means translates the rearward movement of the ram to either the clamping members or the cutting blade. 9. A cutting head as claimed in claim 8 wherein the cutting blade is actuated by a rearwardly extending ram and the clamping members are actuated by a forwardly *000 oo.. extending ram. S 10. A cutting head as claimed in claim 9 wherein the clamping members are two co-operatively engagable arms connected by a mutual pivot to the clamping actuation ram; and the cutting blade comprises two blades that are co-operatively connected at a common pivot and each blade can be actuated by the cutting actuation ram.
4. 11. A cutting head as claimed in any one of the claims 3 to 10 wherein the cutting head includes a rotation means for rotating the clamping members and cutting blade about an axis perpendicular to the longtidunal axis of the clamping members and cutting blade. 13
5. 12. A cutting head is claimed in claim 11 wherein the rotation means is a rotary coupling enabling the cutting head to rotate 360 degrees.
6. 13. A cutting head as claimed in claim 12 wherein the rotary coupling is mounted adjacent the rams.
7. 14. A cutting head as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. A cutting apparatus including: an extendable arm assembly; cutting head as defined in any one of the claims 1-14; and control means for controlling the position of the extendable arm assembly and the cutting head, wherein the cutting head is attached to a free end of the extendable arm assembly. S
8. 16. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the extendable arm assembly includes a plurality of arms pivotally linked together.
9. 17. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 15 or 16 wherein the extendable arm assembly includes a rotatable turntable adapted to support an extendable arm thereon.
10. 18. A cutting apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 15, 16 and 17 wherein a levelling means is used to change the attitude of the cutting head relative to the extendable arm assembly. 14
11. 19. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the levelling means includes a hydraulic or pneumatic ram connected to the cutting head. A cutting apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 15-19 wherein the extendable arm assembly is mounted on a mounting.
12. 21. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the mounting is a self propelled wheeled frame.
13. 22. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the self propelled wheeled 0 *frame has a single position for an operator to drive and harvest the banana bunches. o*o°0o d o
14. 23. A cufftting apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein the self propelled wheeled frame includes one or more racks for stacking harvested banana bunches.
15. 24. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the mounting is a trailer able to be coupled to a self propelled vehicle, said trailer including one or more racks for stacking harvested banana bunches. a. a A cutting apparatus as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS TWENTY-THIRD DAY OF JUNE 1999 FRANCIS BIANCHIN by PIZZEYS PATENT AND TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS 0* U. S S .59 4* S S SS S* S 9 S. 56 S S S. '.95 *5 S. S S. 4 4 US.. .555 S S. t. 0 S 55 S S S 5 55