AU8843998A - An apparatus for harvesting bananas - Google Patents
An apparatus for harvesting bananas Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- AU8843998A AU8843998A AU88439/98A AU8843998A AU8843998A AU 8843998 A AU8843998 A AU 8843998A AU 88439/98 A AU88439/98 A AU 88439/98A AU 8843998 A AU8843998 A AU 8843998A AU 8843998 A AU8843998 A AU 8843998A
- Authority
- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- arm
- gripping
- support
- cutting
- frame
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Description
i r i- P/00/011 Regulation 3.2
AUSTRALIA
Patents Act 1990
ORIGINAL
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION
STANDARD PATENT AN APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING
BANANAS
Invention Title: ii i :4 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: GH REF: P50695A/CLC 1 j
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f! i a i i ~i i. _I i -i AN APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING BANANAS The present invention particularly relates to machines which are able to remove a bunch of bananas from a banana tree.
The conventional way of harvesting bananas is labour intensive. Typically the task of removing a bunch of bananas from a tree requires two people. The removal procedure involves one person taking hold of the bunch over their shoulder and back, while the other person pulls the banana tree down towards that person who is holding and taking the weight of the bunch (up to kilograms)'. The second person then severs the banana bunch stem with a machete or similar type of large knife.
Person 1 then carries the bunch.,and places the bunch on either side of a 6 metre-.long trailer being towed by a farm tractor.
The manual harvesting of banana bunches poses a number of potential health and safety risks as set forth below.
i. The,-ground on which banana trees are grown is often quite rough and sloping as well as being wet and slippery due to rain or irrigation and therefore there is a potential for injury to both persons involved in the banana harvesting exercise.
25 ii. Because of the weight of each bunch of bananas there is a potential for injury to the person carrying the bunch of bananas. Quite often a bunch of bananas will need to be carried up to 15 metres.
iii. If there is any misunderstanding between the two persons involved in the harvesting operation or the tractor driver, the conditions described in paragraphs i and ii above could result in an injury or death.
To deal with the above described problems a mechanical harvester has previously been described in 35 Australian patent application no. 51504/85. In this patent application a harvesting machine is described consisting of a mobile support having an arm rotatably supported for pivotal movement about a vertical and
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!ii~j 3horizontal axis with the arm also being extendable longitudinally. The outer end of the arm supports a harvesting head which is pivotable upon the arm about an upright transverse axis. The harvesting head consists of a stem supporting device and a stem cutting device located there above.
Other types of harvesting. apparatuses have been disclosed, for example in US patent 3182827. The 1 harvesting machine of this patent consists of a mobile support having an extendable arm with a picking platform located at its distal end, a fruit picker can stand on the platform inside a cubicle and is able to manually pick fruit and control movement of the platform using controls located on the platform.
The apparatuses described above have deficiencies which make them unsuitable for harvesting bananas, either A the operator is located too far away from the picking S head which can lead to considerable damage to the leaves of the banana tree and difficulty in controlling a 20 picking operation or alternatively manual picking is required which is also undesirable. The present invention provides an alternative to ',i existing methods of harvesting bananas.
'According to the present invention there is provided 25 an apparatus for harvesting bananas comprising a mobile J. carriage, a control device connected to the mobile carriage and having a gripping and cutting means for gripping and cutting a bunch of bananas, the control t device further comprising a control section adapted to support an operator and operable to move the control device whereby the gripping and cutting means can be S....ositioned for gripping and cutting.
It is preferred that the control device comprises a first arm with the gripping and cutting means located at i 35 an outer end thereof.
The control device preferably comprises a support arm which interconnects the mobile support and control Ssection. I Preferably the control section comprises an operator enclosure.
The operator enclosure may be in the form of a cabin.
It is preferred that the control section includes control means for controlling the first arm, support arm and gripping and cutting means.
The support arm may be operable to move horizontally about a coupling of the mobile carriage.
The support arm may be movable longitudinally.
The apparatus comprises a coupling support which interconnects the support arm and the mobile carriage to permit the support arm to rotate about the coupling supporn.
It is preferred that"-the coupling support is movable between back and front sections of the mobile carriage.
The coupling support may be located on a top surface Sof the mobile carriaae.
S The coupling support is preferably movable on a 20 track of thepobile carriage.
It is preferred that the track comprises rails which extend between the front and back sections.
It is preferred that the rails extend along the centre of 'the mobile carriage.
25 The coupling support preferably comprises a turntable which is able to slide along the rails.
j It is preferred that the turntable is driven by a chain and gearing assembly.
It is preferred that the mobile carriage.comprises a trailer section on which the coupling support is connected.
Alternatively the mobile support comprises a removable trailer comprising a conveying means for moving articles deposited on the trailer from one location to !35 another.
It is preferred that the rails are located on a part S' of the mobile support separate from the trailer.
s all Preferably the conveying means comprises a conveyor belt covering substantially all of the trailer and being operable to move from the front to the back of the trailer.
Preferably the support arm is extendable.
The support arm may be connected to the turntable with part of the support arm acting as a counter balance to the part of the support arm which supports the control section.
The support arm may include a tilting section for tilting the control section.
The -tilting section may comprise a luffing boom connected directly to a cabin frame of the control section.
The operator cabin -may comprise a platform with a frame enclosure.
SA back portion of the frame enclosure may be pivotally connected to the support arm to permit tilting of the frame enclosure with respect to the support arm.
A front ,portion of the frame enclosure may comprise a control panel for controlling operation of the control device.
It is preferred that the control panel is operable to contrdl gripping and cutting by the gripping and cutting means.
The control panel is preferably operable to control movement of the support arm and the first arm.
The control section may comprise a lifting means for lifting the gripping and cutting means and the first arm.
The lifting means preferably comprises an elevation device which permits movement of the first arm along a vertical axis.
The elevation device preferably comprises two Svertical beams and a lifting assembly connected to the 35 first arm and movable along the vertical beams.
It is preferred that the lifting assembly comprises sleeve members which slide over the vertical beams upwardly or downwardly.
i" 6 It is preferred that the elevation device is supported in front of the control section between frame support elements.
The elevation mechanism preferably is located above a slewing platform which allows pivotal movement of the first arm about a central axis of the slewing means.
It is preferred that the slewing means is located on an axle directly below the elevation mechanism whereby operation of the slewing means turns the elevation mechanism with the first arm.
It is preferred that the slewing mechanism is controlled by an hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.
The slewing means preferably comprises an arcuate link which is pivotally connected to a main cylinder of the first arm and to a main frame of the frame enclosure.
It is preferred that the platform of the operator cabin is located below the level of the tilting section of the support arm.
It is preferred that the tilting section is connected through two pivots located approximately at a mid section of a vertical frame of the operator cabin.
It is preferred that the tilting section comprises a parallelogram linkage arrangement with the vertical frame of the operator cabin forming one of the links in the 25 parallelogram linkage arrangement.
According to one embodiment the turntable may be i lifted up and down on the mobile carriage.
According to a further embodiment the support arm is adapted to extend horizontally with a lowermost portion of the tilting means being above the level of the top of a support surface of the mobile carriage.
preferably the gripping and cutting means comprises it clamping members.
The clamping members may include opposing jaws, one of the jaws having a cutting edge.
The cutting edge may be adapted to move to a H *position between adjacent jaw members of one of the jaws.
-i o 7 -7- It is preferred that the gripping and cutting means comprises a gripping tool and a cutting tool.
The gripping tool preferably comprises opposing clamping jaws.
The cutting tool preferably comprises opposing clamping jaws with one of the jaws having the cutting edge and the other of the jaws having two parallel parts separated by a gap between which the cutting edge is able to move.
It is preferred that the gripping tool is located below the cutting tool and in substantial alignment.
Preferably the gripping and cutting means are angled with respect to the first arm.
It is preferred that the gripping and cutting means rI 15 are angled downwardly dr are operable to be tilted downwardly or upwardly.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will 1now be described by way of example only with reference to the accomoanying drawings in which: Figure rA shows a front view of an apparatus for I harvesting bananas according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1B shows a top view of the apparatus shown in Figure A;' 25 Figure 1C shows a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure lA; Figure 1D shows a bottom view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1i; Figure 2A :shows a front view of a second embodiment j 30 of an apparatus for harvesting bananas; SFigure 2B shows a top view of the abparatus shown in Figure 2A; Figure 2C shows a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2A; 35 Figure 2D shows a bottom view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2A; -4 8 Figure 3A shows a side view of the picking arm of the apparatus according to the first or second embodiment of the invention; Figure 3B shows a bottom view of the picking arm B 5 shown in Figure 3A; Figure 4A shows a side view of a picking head of the apparatus according to the first or second embodiment of the invention; Figure 4B shows an opposite side view of the picking head shown in Figure 4A; Figure 5A shows a bottom view of the picking head shown in Figure 4A; Figure 5B shows a sectional end view of the picking head shown in Figure 4A; Figure 6A shows a boEtom view of a clamping assembly of the picking head shown in Figure 4A; Figure 6B shows a side view of the clamping assembly shown in Figure 6A; Figure 6C shows an end sectional view. of the 20 clamping asselbly shown in Figure 6A; Figure 7A shows a top view of a cutter of a picking head sho-wn in Figure '4A; ana Figure 7B shows a side view of the cutter shown in Figure 7A.
25 An apparatus for harvesting bananas according to the first embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures lA to ID is in the form of a four-wheeled vehicle 10 having a chassis 11 and a rectangular flat top surface 12 with a pair of rails 13 extending along the centre of the vehicle from the front to the back.
A turntable 14 is mounted on the rails 13 so as to be movable along the rails and supports a picking arm S The picking arm 15 consists of a cylinder housing 16 which is connected directly to the top of the turntable 14 and includes an overhanging section 17 which counter 'balances the weight of the arm 15 which extends in the opposite direction.
i-4 -9 As shown more clearly in Figures 3A and 3B the picking arm 15 has a main support section 18 in the form of a telescopic support arm 19 which is receivable within the cylinder housing 16.
The distal end of the telescopic arm 19 is connected to a luffing boom assembly 20 consisting of a pair of longitudinally extending links 21, 22 which at their distal ends are pivotally connected to support lugs 23, 24 located on an outer wall of an operator cabin The proximal end of each of the links 21, 22 are pivotally connected to a cross link 26 which is normally oriented vertically and which at its upper end is pivotally connected to a hydraulic cylinder 27 extending longitudinally parallel to links 21 and 22 and at its distal end is pivotally c6nnected to a support link 28 of triangular configuration and extending upwardly from link 21 at its distal end.
The operator cabin 25 consists of a square based enclosure defined by a frame 26.
20 The operator cabin 25 has a horizontal floor 27a ;i with a lower support beam 27b which extends outwardly in the longitudinal direction of the arm 15 and beyond the forward most part 28 of the operauor cabin The forward most part 28 of the operator cabin consists of a vertically oriented frame which extends above the level of the top of the rest of the frame of the operator cabin SAn upper support ,beam 29 extends horizontally A outwardly from the frame 28 and in alignment with the forwardly extending lower support beam 27b of the floor 27a. Supported therebetween is an elevation mechanism and slewing mechanism 31. The elevation mechanism 30. consists of a pair of vertically extending cylindrical rods 32 which are 35 connected together at their upper ends through a horizontal housing arrangement 33 which has a vertical axle support 34 housed within a sleeve comoonent of f support beam 29. At the lower. ends the rods 32 are S:50695A7703 10 io connected through a similar housing arrangement 35 and an axle comonent 36 throuan a sleeve component 37 of support beam 27b.
The elevation mechanism 30 also includes a travelling assembly 40 which has an outer arm 41 connected at a front section thereof as well as cylinder elements 42 which enable the assembly A0 to move up and down the clindrical rods 32.
The sewing mechanism 31 is located directly below the elevation mechanism 30 and consists of a series of linkages including a curved linkage element 43 which at one end is connected to a controlling hydraulic cylinder 44. This controlling hydraulic cylinder 44 extends to the side of the ooerator cabin 25 and at its proximal end is connected to a suoporting element 45 extending transversely from a longitudinally extending support beam 46 and at its distal end to the arcuate link 43 which itself at its outermost end is pivotally connected to small link 47 which is pivocally .connected to another small link 481,-piot~al connected to the axle element 37 The telescopic arm 41 has an extendable rod 49 which is connected to the oickin head assembly 50 shomwn in more detail in Figures 4A to 73.
The 6icking head assembly 50 consists of a clamping assembly 51 and a cutting assemoly 52.
The clamuina arrangement 51 consists of opposing arcuate clampina elements 53, 54 havring their outermost S-surface provided with rubber cushioning elements 55, 56.
Each clamping element 53, 54 is sunported on respective converging angled link elements through pivot pins 59, 60 at the outermost end of these links 57, 58.
One of the links 57 is pivotally connected to a main longitudinal shaft 62 and has an elongated portion 63 which extends beyond this pivot point 61 and is pivotally connected at its outer end to a oiston rod 64 of a hydraulic cylinder 65 which runs in parallel to shaft 62.
The proximal end of the other clamp elements 58 is physically connected to a midpoint of the enlarged cortrion 63, for excamoile by welding and therefore moves wihmoeent of t e ot'er ciam7n el ement 57 nr. a scissors like action- Thne cutter- 52 consists o f an ucaer Jaw element hnaving a blade 7-1 on it i ot rnr.c ace. Te lower iaw,-, 73 has an inner face which has a serrated edge and is pi-votalv connected to the upper jaw 70 which faorms part of a longI Lud inal element 76 to which a heel portion 77 of jawa 73 is connected through a hydraulic cylinder 78 C0 parallel with element 76.
-As sho--wn in FPigure 73 j aw 73 is in the f orm of7 a double serrated an-vill whir means that it is fanmed from two parallel olate elements 80, 8! spaced aoart so that a, galp is formed therebetween- Tn operat ion the blade 71 '~fits into the gaoD 82 to-~enable the stem of a bunch o f bananlas to be cut -Ea-ch or fte clamting- elem--,ents 53, 54 iJs normally urca into Ln ooe oaln prior to clamp-rgbyla 11sorings 82 extending between a backc face of each-clampin *20 -elem7ent to e, dist-al end ofL the suooorc l inks 57, 58 The rubber elements 55-. 56 are in. the .farm or rods inserted into aroo-ves In the clampo elements 53, 54 to ensure theit clamos Drovide a good hol ding far-ce an the stem o f a b u nch at f:ananas, so as to prevent the bunch of' bananas fallin~a fromi the aria orf tb TheclampOS Clamp centring springs 90 as shrwn in Figure 4B 4 ~*extend' from hvdraulic cy,-'-lnder 65 t-o a -ousing =-rame 91 to whi ch th e clia assembly 5± 1 an the ute 52. are connected- The -housina raMle 91 1s -ne~i rorm at a *bracket assembly wic directly attcest the disa eno. of cylinder -r-od 49 so as to form th'e main sup-port for the clainninca ass-embly anda cutter- The chia centring spring, 90, al lows teclapig assembly to be positioned over the ce-ntre of a bunch stem.
pri or to cl-mp ing but alldws ca =,sa to follow the bunch stem during clampning- V 2. f!: ::4 s- 12 A cutter centring spring 92 interconnects element 76 of the cutter 52 and shaft 62 of the clamping assembly 51 and allows the cutter to follow the clamps during a clamping operation.
'The parts of the apparatus which have been described above are connected together for hydraulic of pneumatic operation. A control panel 100 is attached to vertical frame 28 of the control cabin 25 and an operator located in the control cabin 25 can operate control levers of the control panel 100 to move the mobile support 10 to a position where it is between a row of banana trees. The turntable 14 is then operated to move along the rails 13 to a suitable location and a turntable 14 is rotated so that the arm 15 extends towards the tree of a bunch of bananas which are to be picked.
The arm 15 is then controlled to extend telescopic arm 19 so that the picking head 50 is close to the banana I 4 4 ,f:I tree- The luffing assembly 20 is then operated to.tilt the picking head,.50 to an orientation where it is angled towards a bunch of bananas to be picked. The operator can then elevate the arm 41 and picking head 50 by moving the elevation mechanism assembly 40 up and down the rods 32 so that the picking head 50 is positioned at the same 25 level as the bunch of bananas to be picked. Finally the rod 49 and slewing mechanism 31 can be controlled so that the picking head clamping assembly 51 and cutter 52 are positioned around the stem of the bunch of bananas. The picking head 50 can then be operated using the control panel 100 to clamp the stem of the bunch of bananas.
Only after a preset clamping force is reached using the hydraulic cylinder 65 is the cutter hydraulic cylinder 78 operated, thus closing the double serrated anvil 80, 81 and cutting blade 71 towards the stem.
The process of severing of the stem would not begin until the anvil 80, 81 is firmly set against one side of the stem giving adequate support to the severed stem in order to prevent any unnecessary cutting forces being I
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7-3- 7"$ tpa-r--- I I 13 transmitted to the clamps, thus loosening the clamps grip. The serrated shape of the double anvil 80, 81 prevents any longitudinal force being transmitted from the cutter assembly 52 to the clamps 53, 54 during a cutting operation- During that period and until the banana branch is placed firmly on a storing surface it is desirable that the clamping force remains constant to ensure the banana branch is not dropped.
Once the banana branch has been cut the operator can then operate the control panel 100 to move the picking arm 15 so that the banana bunch may be placed in a storage container. As an .example the turntable 14 would be rotated so that the picking head is located above the storage container. This of course may require movement of other components of the:picking arm According to a second embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 2A to 2D, a mobile support 101 having a short wheel base is provided with- rails 102 and a turntable 104 located on an upper surface 103. The 20 picking arm 05 is essentially the same as the picking arm 15 described in relation to the first embodiment of the invention.
The short wheel base vehicle 101 is provided with a long trailer 106 having a level upper surface 107 covered 25 with a conveyor belt 108 which is operable to move from the front of the trailer to the back of the trailer.
Hydraulic legs 109 may also be provided underneath the trailer for parking and unloading purposes. In operation banana bunches placed on the trailer 107 at the front end thereof may progressively be moved to the back of the trailer 107 by operation of the conveyor 108. Desirably operation of the conveyor 108 is controlled through the control panel 100.
It is preferred that in both embodiments of the 35 invention the turntable is able to turn through 360°.
Accordingly when the vehicle is being driven the operator cabin can be located in front of the vehicle by appropriate control of the turntable 14, 104.
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i sS -il r -f i re r r IE .pl r +r :-3L c r r a ~f~C n::i r if; 7~ i i~2 42 tS, 4 14 In its most preferred form the invention overcomes a number of oroblems associated with conventional methods of picking bananas. Thus it is preferred that the invention has the following advantages.
1. The sole operator has control of all harvesting and transport procedures.
2. The harvesting mechanism, in general terms, does not protrude into and above the leaf canopy.
3. The operator's cab and controls are mounted )n the end of the main boom. This feature allows the operator to be in close proximity to the bunch for: a. Assessment of the maturity of the bananas on the bunch, as a guide to harvest or not to harvest.
b. Instant and precise control for removal of the bunch from the banana t-ee, due to the short distance i between the operator and the bunch to be harvested.
c. Precise placement- of the bunch on left or right trays, irrespective of the position of the 3600 turntable device, and boom traversing mechanism on the boom travel rails, which,'are also the main longitudinal structural beams of the vehicle. a 4. The picking arm 15 has a telescopic operation as well as powered operator cab movement in the vertical plane. In addition the picking arm can travel .the 25 desired length of the travel rails, and 3600 slewing is possible for coping with che requirements of banana bunch harvesting.
The picking arm's movement features will also allow the machine to harvest a number of bunches without the 30 need to move the vehicle.
5. Operation of a control device initiates the closing of the clamps that will hold the bunch, or bunch stem at an adequate holding pressure. Once the clamp holding pressure has been reached, the cutting mechanism will automatically sever the bunch stem.
The clamping and cutting device arm and associated framework is mounted on the operator's cab. This will allow the clamping and cutting device to be moved
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ri is 15 vertically, horizontally (1800), and extended and retracted with precise control.
6. Transport Mode The operator's cab can be locked in a suitable position for the effective operation of a steering wheel of the vehicle
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Claims (23)
1. An apparatus for harvesting bananas comprising a mobile carriage, a control device connected to the mobile carriage and having a gripping and cutting means for gripping and cutting a bunch of bananas, the control device further comprising a control section adapted to support an operator and operable to move the control device whereby the gripping and cutting means can be positioned for gripping and cutting.
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control device includes a first arm with the gripping and cutting means located at an outer end thereof.
3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein a support arm interconnects the mobile support and control section. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the control -section comprises an operator enclosure. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the control section includes, control means for controlling the first arm, support arm and gripping and cutting means.
6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding' claims including a coupling support which interconnects the support arm and the mobile carriage to permit the support arm to rotate about the coupling support.
7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the coupling support is moveable between. back and front 30 sections of the mobile carriage.
8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the coupling support is located on a top surface of the mobile carriage and is moveable on a track extending between the back and front sections of the mobile carriage.
9. -An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the coupling support comprises a turntable which is able to slide along the.track. :I :-ii ij Ir, f 1 i: 'C tit C 4 rN t 17 An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the mobile carriage comprises a trailer section on which the coupling support is connected.
11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the mobile support comprises a removable trailer having a conveying- means for moving articles deposited on the trailer from one location to another.
12. An-apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the support arm is extendable.
13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the support arm includes a tilting section for tilting the control section.
14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the tilting section includes- a luffing boom connected directly to a cabin frame of the control section. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the operator enclosure includes a platform with a frame enclosure, the frame enclosure including a back portion which is pivqtally connected to the support arm to permit tilting of the frame enclosure with respect to the support arm.
16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein a front portion of the frame enclosure includes a control 25 panel for controlling operation of the, control device, the control panel being operable to control gripping and cutting by the gripping and cutting means.
17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the control section includes a lifting means for lifting the 30 gripping and cutting means and the first arm, the lifting means including an elevation device which permits movement of the first arm along a vertical axis.
18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the elevation device includes two vertical beams and a lifting assembly connected to the first arm and moveable along the vertical beams.
19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the lifting assembly includes sleeve members which slide over 1, r r r r 18 the vertical beams upwardly or downwardly and the elevation device is supported in front of the control section between frame support elements. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the elevation mechanism is located above a slewing platform which allows pivotal movement of the -first arm about a central axis of a slewing means.
21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the slewing means is located on an axle directly below the elevation mechanism whereby operation of the slewing means turns the elevation mechanism with the first arm.
22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the slewing means includes an arcuate link which is pivotally connected to a main cylinder of the first arm and to a main frame of the frame e~closure.
23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein a platform of the cabin frame is located below the level of the tilting section of the support arm.
24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein the 20 tilting section is connected through two pivots located approximately at a midsection of a vertical frame of the cabin frame. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24 wherein the tilting 'section includes a parallelogram linkage 4 25 arrangement with the vertical frame of the cabin frame forming one of the links in the parallelogram linkage arrangement.
26. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the Spreceding claims wherein the gripping and cutting means comprises clamping members having opposing jaws with one of the jaws having a cutting edge.
27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein the gripping and cutting means includes a gripping tool and a cutting tool, the gripping tool having opposing clamping |f .35 jaws a-nd the cutting tool having opposing clamping jaws. P with one of the jaws having the cutting edge and the Sother of the 'jaws having two parallel parts separated by a gap between which the cutting edge is able to move. rs, 19
28. An apparatus as claimed in claim 27 wherein the gripping tool is located below the cutting tool and in substantial alignment therewith.
29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein the gripping and cutting means are angled with respect to the first arm and are operable to be tilted downwardly or upwardly. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 13th day of October 1998 ASH FLUID POWER ENGINEERING PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK I 4 i
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU88439/98A AU8843998A (en) | 1997-10-21 | 1998-10-13 | An apparatus for harvesting bananas |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUPP3648 | 1997-10-21 | ||
| AUPP364897 | 1997-10-21 | ||
| AU88439/98A AU8843998A (en) | 1997-10-21 | 1998-10-13 | An apparatus for harvesting bananas |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU8843998A true AU8843998A (en) | 1999-05-13 |
Family
ID=25641053
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU88439/98A Abandoned AU8843998A (en) | 1997-10-21 | 1998-10-13 | An apparatus for harvesting bananas |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU8843998A (en) |
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2000048450A1 (en) * | 1999-02-17 | 2000-08-24 | Ns Komatsu Pty Ltd. | Banana harvester |
| ES2274687A1 (en) * | 2004-08-26 | 2007-05-16 | Ruritecno, S.L. | Banana or pineapple harvester has clamp and cutting blade mounted on telescoping arm articulated to mast on tractor-mounted work surface or low frame |
| CN112930860A (en) * | 2021-01-26 | 2021-06-11 | 华南农业大学 | Semi-automatic banana picking harvester |
| CN114711029A (en) * | 2022-04-29 | 2022-07-08 | 华南农业大学 | Vision-positioned large bunch banana fruit combing and picking method and device |
| CN116406569A (en) * | 2023-06-09 | 2023-07-11 | 山西农业大学 | Intelligent fruit picking equipment |
-
1998
- 1998-10-13 AU AU88439/98A patent/AU8843998A/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2000048450A1 (en) * | 1999-02-17 | 2000-08-24 | Ns Komatsu Pty Ltd. | Banana harvester |
| ES2274687A1 (en) * | 2004-08-26 | 2007-05-16 | Ruritecno, S.L. | Banana or pineapple harvester has clamp and cutting blade mounted on telescoping arm articulated to mast on tractor-mounted work surface or low frame |
| CN112930860A (en) * | 2021-01-26 | 2021-06-11 | 华南农业大学 | Semi-automatic banana picking harvester |
| CN112930860B (en) * | 2021-01-26 | 2022-07-05 | 华南农业大学 | Semi-automatic banana picking harvester |
| CN114711029A (en) * | 2022-04-29 | 2022-07-08 | 华南农业大学 | Vision-positioned large bunch banana fruit combing and picking method and device |
| CN116406569A (en) * | 2023-06-09 | 2023-07-11 | 山西农业大学 | Intelligent fruit picking equipment |
| CN116406569B (en) * | 2023-06-09 | 2023-08-15 | 山西农业大学 | Intelligent fruit picking equipment |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MK5 | Application lapsed section 142(2)(e) - patent request and compl. specification not accepted |