EP1463402A1

EP1463402A1 - Versatile vegetation-reducing machine

Info

Publication number: EP1463402A1
Application number: EP03712224A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Georges Andelfinger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-09
Filing date: 2003-01-09
Publication date: 2004-10-06
Also published as: FR2834424A1; FR2834424B1; AU2003216797A1; WO2003056902A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a cutting machine used for laterally trimming vines or for trimming and topping, comprising one or several cutting bars (1), provided with an entire or partial leaf-removing device (10; 100) interacting with said cutting bar (1) in such a way that said machine can simultaneously or according to the degree of integration almost simultaneously carry out the trimming or the trimming and topping, whereby a specific number of leaves are removed in a predefined fruit-bearing area of the vines during different times of the year. The leaf-removing device comprises a turbine (10) which can directly or indirectly be connected to a hood (30; 130). Said hood is directly or indirectly connected to the base of the cutting bar by means of a pipe and can be vertically adjusted in a manual or automatic manner. The integrated leaf-removing device can be provided with a lateral positioning device. The inventive combination makes it possible to top vines and remove leaves in one operation under optimal conditions, particularly in terms of the quality of workmanship, ease of execution, and costs.

Description

Versatile vegetation reduction machine

The present invention relates to a machine for reducing vegetation, usable in particular in agriculture, arboriculture and viticulture, according to the preamble of independent claim 1, this machine of general-purpose character making it possible to be implemented for trimming, topping and leaf stripping. These operations can, moreover, be executed simultaneously.

More particularly in viticulture, a preferred field of application, there is known a cutting machine commonly called "trimmer", intended to be mounted, as a rule, in the front area of a tractor and comprising at least one vertical cutter bar or quasi-vertical, with which an upper horizontal cutter bar can be associated, the machine thus having a shape corresponding to the letter T "of the Greek alphabet, or to the inverted letter" U "when it has two cutter bars It is used at different times of the year to perform a lateral pruning of the vegetation, and concomitantly a topping when it is provided with a horizontal cutting bar. This pruning consists in cutting vine branches, which causes a stop of sap on the cut branches and, consequently, appreciably improves the development of the foliage, essential contribution to the supreme aim aimed, namely cel ui to optimize the quality of the grapes to be harvested.

Is also known in viticulture - and implemented for the same purpose and concern to optimize the quality of the harvested product - a machine called stripper of which there are different kinds on the market. As a general rule, this implementation takes place at periods which follow, at more or less important variable time intervals, those of the size mentioned above. But if the intervention of the leaf stripper pursues the same cause as that of the trimmer, it does not differ from it less by its object and its mode of work, in the sense that one is concerned there to remove only leaves of a vine stock acting in a restrictive way on a space located between a lower height and an upper height of the vine defined with respect to the soil, i.e. on the lower zone of the plant which is the fruiting zone (this action having no influence on the remaining foliage). In fact, in addition to their weak vitality, the leaves in question prevent good air circulation, keep captive the humidity generated in particular by dew and fog (main cause of rotting of the berries) and considerably reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. localized clusters.

There are different types of leaf strippers currently on the market. Depending on the type, the removal of the leaves proceeds either from a cutting system formed for example of knives subjected to a motor drive, or in rotation, or in linear-reciprocating translation and with which a suction device is associated (generally with by means of a fan or a turbine) of the sheets thus sectioned - thus, among others, EP-0,278,607 or also FR-2,808,964 - or of an air propulsion system passing through a rotary arm at the end of which is fixed a nozzle fed by a compressor (the sheet being then torn from the branch).

The quality of stripping work will be all the better as the more uniform the flatness of the area to be worked as defined above (first parameter) and the shorter the distance between this area, therefore of the leaves to be eliminated, and the device implemented (second parameter). However, it is understandable that at the time when a leaf stripping operation is performed, the data for these two parameters - taking into account that in general several weeks will have passed since the last pruning carried out using a trimmer - will not be ideal: the vegetation which has grown in the meantime, in particular the surface of the fruiting zone is fractal, which makes the maneuvers consisting in approaching the machine as close as possible to the area to be stripped very problematic. Indeed, in the absence of adequate technical measures, the work would cause damage to the grape berries, damage which would go on increasing, the degree of ripening of the berry clusters being more advanced. each intervention approaching. the grape harvest period. It is why, many leaf strippers are equipped with self-regulating alignment or positioning systems, for example by feelers, in order to avoid the damage mentioned above. However, these systems, some of which are fairly sophisticated, considerably increase the cost of the machines which are provided with them, even though their adjustment is quite delicate and even poses, particularly with regard to the type of air powered stripper, serious difficulties. On the other hand, the leaf strippers whose device for approaching the fruiting zone is more rudimentary are certainly more affordable, but at the expense of the quality of work.

This observation having been made, it is understandable that these machines, trimmers and leaf strippers, all known as such for decades, if they have the same goal, are specific both in their applications and in their technical means.

And the user having a trimmer (basic machine with which he is equipped in the first place), when he has decided to acquire a leaf stripper that he knows is essential or at least advantageous to improve the quality of the product of its harvest, is placed before the delicate choice involving considerations as to the quality of the work, whose weighting is itself a function in particular of the destination of the final product, and as to the volume of investment, while the market does not offers no truly optimal solution, that is to say a machine making it possible to perform high quality work for a reasonable investment, it being observed, moreover, that the leaf stripper, like the trimmer, are machines put implemented punctually, certainly several times during each season, but only two to four times each time for a given plot of vines.

This is the problem which the inventor has given himself the task of solving. But by formulating it and approaching it in a global manner, that is to say without focusing in particular on the leaf stripper in an attempt to overcome the disadvantages, even as a trimmer and leaf strippers have always appeared to those skilled in the art to be exclusive of one another because of their technical specificity: therein lies already the primary interest of the invention, the basis of all the other subsequent ones. In other words, rather than locking oneself into a research aiming only to bring such or such specific improvement or improvement on a machine, the inventor, overcoming the handicap posed by the aforementioned exclusive character, imagined an association with varying degrees of integration of the two machines, trimmer and leaf stripper, exceeding a juxtaposition of means, which itself was already unthinkable, as evidenced in particular by their very long coexistence on the market, and had therefore never been envisaged, because not free from certain technical difficulties, in order to achieve a combination of the functions of the said machines, not only theoretical, but truly applicable in practice, this association making it possible to directly exploit the effects produced by the first (of these two machines) and constituting advantages for the second.

In FR-A-2,808,964 it is certainly proposed to mount, at the front of the stripping device (relative to the direction of advance), at a distance therefrom, a cutter bar in order to perform roughing. But it is a complement, it seems optional, the stripper described - extremely complex, therefore expensive - being called to be implemented in order to carry out, in any event, only works of leaf stripping; in fact, there is no question of it being able to replace a trimmer-type cutting machine. In other words, the harvester must always, as in the past, be equipped with priority, that is to say, in addition to a possible leaf stripper according to FR - A - 2,808,964, the essential basic machine that constitutes the trimmer.

WO 02/41689 (PCT / FR 01/63725), document not published at the date of the present application, relates to a trimmer (having at least one cutter bar for the lateral pruning of the vines), aiming, on the one hand , to cut as closely as possible the useless woods called "greedy", more susceptible to diseases, and thus to make the treatment phytosanitary subsequent more effective, and, on the other hand, to reduce the dimensions of cutting debris. The means proposed to achieve these goals consist in surrounding all of the cutting members of the cutter bar with a housing forming an L-shaped channel, in mounting the cutting members with an inclination so that their front end is further from the longitudinal median plane of the row of vines as their rear end, and to conform said cutting members so that they cause during their rotation a suction / depression which would force the cut wood to be evacuated along said channel. In this case, it is not a question of carrying out a stripping operation as explained in detail above. Also the means described in this document are not suitable for carrying out the task formulated, apart from the fact that in the end, besides that there is no leaf removal, the cutting work itself carried out with this trimmer cannot be of high quality, having regard, in particular, to the chosen orientation of the cutting members (a clean cut requiring reverse pinching).

The problem set out above therefore remains unresolved. The solution is provided and the intended effects are achieved by the means defined in independent claim 1, the dependent claims defining specific means allowing preferred and inexpensive embodiments of the invention.

Whatever the degree of integration of the association of technical means, the multi-purpose machine makes it possible to save a passage in the row of vines, the operations of pruning (or trimming) and stripping being practiced simultaneously or almost simultaneously, while stripping takes place by definition in the best possible conditions, the surface of the fruiting zone having just been made plane by the lateral pruning, and which we will pass, in this zone, at most near the clusters - but without touching them - the latter, then ideally exposed to the sun, no longer suffocated by humidity. To these advantages is added that provided by a modulated integration, that is to say chosen by the user. According to total integration, the action of the cutting members of the cutter bar of the trimmer is double, these cutting members simultaneously performing, on the one hand, a side pruning and, on the other hand, leaf stripping by sectioning of sucked leaves, combination which provides an additional economy, namely that of cutting system and its drive with which any conventional leaf remover implements a leaf suction function. According to a less extensive integration, a complementary and simple cutting system for the leaf stripper is provided. But in any event, the two operations are, as indicated above, carried out at least almost simultaneously, completely and completely, by a single truly versatile machine. When the user plans to perform only trimming operations, it will suffice in each case to remove all or part of the stripping device, or rather he can proceed with this disassembly if he wishes, since in doing such intervention is optional.

Two embodiments of the machine according to the invention are described below, by way of nonlimiting examples, in support of the appended drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a trimmer cutting bar provided with the device according to the invention, according to a first embodiment, the machine being placed between the observer and the cutting and stripping plane,

FIG. 2 is a top view of the cutter bar of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a partial side view (side coming against and forming the cutting plane), showing the cutting members and the leaf discharge member to be eliminated in the fruiting zone,

FIG. 4 is a partial front view, corresponding to FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, without the suction device,

FIG. 6 is, like FIG. 1, a side view of a cutter bar provided with the stripping device, but according to a second embodiment, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a trimmer cutting bar equipped with a stripping device according to a variant corresponding to the second embodiment (the observer being located at the rear right of the trimmer and looking in the direction of travel),

it being observed that identical or similar elements can have the same reference and that the choice of scales of representation is not uniform.

The basic machine of the multi-purpose machine according to a first embodiment of the invention is a cutting or trimming machine comprising at least one cutting bar of the type of those designed by the same inventor and described in particular in FR-94.04484 (2,718,326 ) (trimmer whose side cutter bar (s) have an erasing device) and FR-01.14580. The cutter bar 1 according to FIGS. 1 and 2 (side and top views respectively, as presented above, the direction of advance of the machine being indicated by arrow A) comprises a frame 7, advantageously formed of a deflector 80 and a frame 70, connected to support tubes 2, 3 with square section by means of sleeves 5, 76 secured to the frame 7, the sleeve 5 being connected to the latter by a fixing spacer plate 5 A. The chassis 70 is closed by a cover (not referenced) (see FR-0114580), so as to form a channel in which are housed modules 9 provided for the rotation drive R of cutting members 8, 8 A, one of the modules, in this case that corresponding to the module of the upper cutting member 8, being connected to a hydraulic motor Ml (see also Figure 2), the rotational movement being returned to the adjacent module 9 each time by means a belt 51 mounted on a pulley 50 (for the sake of simplification, a single cutting member 8 is shown, a cutting bar can of course include a series of several of these members (8). According to a variant, it is possible to provide a cutting system composed of knives subjected to a reciprocating rectilinear movement and counter knives, the latter fixed or subjected to reciprocating rectilinear reciprocating movement.

The machine can be used to carry out not only a lateral pruning or pruning operation by means of the cutting members 8, 8 A (accompanied, in principle by topping by means of a horizontal cutter bar not shown ), but also, simultaneously, a stripping operation in the fruiting zone, using a device which will be described in more detail below.

Figures 3 and 4 are partial views of the cutter bar, the observer being placed respectively opposite the cutting members and at the rear of the machine. The deflector 80 of the frame 7 has a cutout 81 into which opens an opening 32 of a hood 30. This hood is integral with a sleeve 40, advantageously by means of a flange 41, said sleeve 40 itself fixed on a support tube 4 (see also Figure 2) with a sliding ability allowing the operator to adjust the stripping device or at least the assembly 30, 40 in height and, therefore, to correctly place the mouth 32 at the desired height, that is to say facing the fruiting zone to be stripped, before blocking this sleeve 40 on said support 4 by means of fixing members 49. According to a variant not shown, this adjustment in height is automatic, for example by means of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder arranged on the support 4, the rod of the cylinder being connected to the sleeve 40. The cylinder itself is advantageously controlled by a signal supplied by a probe arranged on the device leaf stripping, by e xample in the lower zone of the hood, so that the suction mouth 32 is maintained at a desired height and defined as a function of said fruiting zone, the control signals being able to be emitted each time a value minimum and / or maximum has been reached. Also the cutout 81 is oversized accordingly with respect to the dimensions of said mouth 32, as can be seen in FIG. 3. On the side opposite the mouth 32, the hood 30 has a circular opening 33, the two openings 32, 33 being connected by an envelope 31.

Reading Figures 1 and 2 shows that the support 4 is integral with the frame 7 of the cutter bar 1 via, at the upper part, a fixing reference 45 and, at the lower part, the sleeve 76 , in fact a double-sleeve, formed of two sleeves 77, 78 connected by a spacer plate 79. These sleeves can slide along the supports 3 and 4 respectively and be locked by means of fixing members 49 on the latter. The sleeve 77 is secured to the frame 70, therefore to the frame 7, by means of fixing members 49. As for the fixing reference 45, secured to the sleeve 6 connected to the support tube 2, it is formed for example of a structure U-shaped whose triangular wings bear the references 46, 47.

Returning to FIGS. 3 and 4, it is known that the lateral cutting is carried out by means of at least one cutting member 8 and, more particularly for which relates to the fruiting zone, at least one cutting member advantageously having a shape of "S" whose upper and lower loops have been truncated (thanks to this shape, the resistance force of the sheets to be cut is less and the quality of cutting of the fibers is improved) and whose cross section (not shown), at instead of being flat, can be curved, or have any other suitable shape (see cutting member (s) 8 A). According to the embodiment described, one and the same cutting system (in this case the members 8 A) is applied to effect said lateral pruning (trimming) and stripping. In other words, simultaneously and additionally to the pruning operation, the leaves of the fruiting zone - all or part of them only, depending on whether one wishes to practice total or partial leaf stripping - are straightened or positioned more or less horizontally under the effect of a suction exerted by a device (see below) arranged at least approximately opposite and preferably slightly behind the cutting system of the cutter bar (1) relative to the direction of advance (arrow A) , more specifically cutting members 8A, and are immediately sectioned. By definition itself - in addition to this functional integration allowing the economy of a cutting system and its drive - the stripping operation will therefore take place in the best possible conditions, since the surface of the fruiting zone will be flat while the 'We will pass as close as possible to this zone, which makes costly devices of the type of those comprising feelers superfluous requiring frequent, even continual adjustments, of the lateral positioning of the leaf stripper. According to the example, the suction and the evacuation of the desired quantity of leaves to be eliminated are obtained by means of the device which has just been mentioned and which comprises a turbine 10. This turbine comprises a rotor 11 driven in rotation (in the trigonometric direction (positive) by looking at FIG. 3) by means of a motor M2 and is essentially formed by vanes or fins 14 fixed between two flanges or discs 12, 13. The disc 12 which faces the hood 30 has a central opening 15 (this delimiting with the mouth 32 of the hood 30 a space 25). The rotor 11 is arranged in a casing whose profile 17 evolves in a spiral, a corresponding conduit 18 leaving a minimal space 19 between the outer edges (not referenced) of the flanges 12, 13 and the casing, to lead to an opening d discharge 20. The turbine casing 10 comprises a ring 16 which is fixed to the flange 41 of the sleeve 40 by fixing members 49. The suction power and the speed of rotation of the turbine are defined as a function of there desired quantity (mentioned above) of leaves to be eliminated. Finally, the location of the axes of rotation 21, 23 of the cutting members 8 A and the dimension of the latter are defined so that the entire surface of the mouth 32 of the hood 30 is scanned (see, at Figure 3, the circular arcs 22, 24 that describe at this location the ends of the cutting members 8 A). When the multipurpose machine is used only for cutting purposes, the turbine can be detached very easily and quickly from the assembly {hood 30, sleeve 40}. Of course, it is understood that this assembly itself can be disassembled with the support 4 and the fixing reference 45, so that there is then found a conventional or quasi-conventional cutter bar, the cutting tools 8 A can remain in place or be replaced by cutting tools 8-

FIG. 5 is equivalent to FIG. 4, with the difference that on the flange 41 of the hood 40 is fixed an adaptation piece 35 comprising an end piece 37 and a ring or flange 36. In fact, when the trimmer comprises more of two cutter bars, or if necessary from two cutter bars already, it is advantageous to provide a single turbine, of higher power, and to have this on a suitable support mounted on the tractor, the turbine being then connected to the end pieces 37 by means, for example, of flexible pipes (known and not shown), each cutter bar being equipped with the assembly {4, 45; 30, 40; 35}.

In all cases, simultaneously with trimming, in the fruiting zone (which faces the mouth 32 of the hood 30), additional leaves are, in desired quantity, straightened, cut and snapped up to be swallowed up in space 25 before being ejected from the turbine 10 through the opening 20 thereof.

Figure 6 (which can be compared to Figure 1) shows a second embodiment of the multipurpose machine. The degree of integration of the pruning and stripping functions according to this embodiment is somewhat less than that which allows the first embodiment which has just been described. The multipurpose machine comprises at least one known trimmer cutting bar of the kind described above, associated with a frame 7, with the difference in particular that the cutting members can all be identical (members 8). Set back from the cutting system provided for the lateral size with respect to the direction of advance (arrow A), the stripping device is arranged, the latter being made integral with the cutter bar (same reference 1) by means of the elements 4, 76, 45, 6 and comprising a turbine 10 and its motor M2, a cutting system 8 B - here a double ramp of knives / counter-knives, at least one of which is subjected to a reciprocating rectilinear movement - and a hood assembly 30 advantageously retained by a sleeve 40, the hood being symbolized in the drawing by a dotted line representing the suction mouth (not referenced here). Leaf stripping - which takes place almost simultaneously (with a delay shift of a few fractions of seconds compared to the first embodiment where the two operations take place simultaneously) also takes place under optimal conditions (fruiting zone coming from be made flat by the lateral pruning performed by the cutter bar 1 and pass as close as possible to said zone, this without a device for positioning and lateral adjustment of the cutting system and / or of the suction device, or else with a extremely simple and inexpensive adjustment device, while allowing better quality work. Of course, like the first embodiment, a more powerful central turbine can be mounted on a support integral with the tractor, when the machine comprises several side cutter bars, this turbine then being connected to the hoods 30 with which each cutter bar is fitted. eral, the suction of the second embodiment of the device is identical or similar to the suction device according to the first embodiment.

Figure 7 shows an interesting variant according to this second embodiment. The leaf stripping device 100 integrated into the cutter bar 1 of the trimmer comprises a leaf stripper head, a cutting device, a lateral positioning device and a height adjustment device. The leaf stripper head 101 includes a hood 130 having a suction mouth 132 and an ejection mouth 133 (whose planes are, according to this variant, orthogonal and connected by an envelope 131) and a nozzle 137 intended to receive a suction turbine or a duct (for example a flexible pipe) connecting it to a suction turbine when the latter is not directly mounted on the said head. Preferably, the plane PBA formed by the mouth 132 has a defined positive angle β (for example 12 degrees) with a vertical plane PR formed by the row of vines. This inclination contributes in particular to better preserving the grape from any damage and to better managing the vegetation. The hood 130 is integral with a support cradle 135. Near the mouth 132, preferably in the region of the rear vertical edge 132R and along this edge extends the cutting device 8B, comprising in l 'occurrence a cutting member in the form of a ramp of knives driven in an alternating rectilinear movement by means of an M3 motor, this device being connected to the hood 130 by means of a support 8C.

The hood 130 - cradle 135 assembly is connected to the support 3 of the cutter bar by a sleeve 111 of a sliding device 110, this by means of a pivoting and adaptation device 115. The sleeve 111 can be adjusted in height (see arrows H (+) and H (-)) depending on the fruiting area, before being locked on the support 3 using pressure screws 113 pressing on brass lardons housed in cups 112. Of course, the height adjustment could also be carried out automatically (see above).

The lateral positioning device 115 comprises a double-parallelogram system 116; 117 and a support or control element.

The parallelogram 116 comprises two parallel bars 120 articulated, on the one hand, around two shafts 121 mounted in a rear support 118 in the shape of a U (including the parallel wings are arranged horizontally) and, on the other hand, around two shafts 122 mounted in a U-shaped front support 119 (whose parallel wings are arranged horizontally). The supports 118, 119 are respectively secured to the cradle 135 and to the sleeve 111. The bars 120 are subjected to the action of elastic members 123 cooperating with the shafts 122. The upper wing of the support 119 extends over a distance to form a fork 124 provided to hold a roller 125 free to rotate.

The parallelogram 117 is identical to the parallelogram 116.

The support or control element consists, according to the example shown, of a metal ramp 126, preferably. This ramp is connected to the hood 130 in an articulated manner by means of hinges 127 arranged in the upper and lower parts of the edge 132F of the mouth 132. In contrast, the ramp 126 is in abutment against the rollers 125 .

Thus, during work, the rear part of the support ramp 126 (in the area of the hinges 127) remains in contact with the face of the vegetation of the row of vines having been pruned a fraction of a second earlier by the cutting members 8 of the cutter bar 1, under the action of the elastic members 123 of the double-parallelogram system 116, 117, the vegetation of the cut surface simultaneously exerting a reaction against the action of said elastic members. In doing so, the stripping device oscillates (cf. the arrows Dl, D2, the arrow D2 showing that an axis 133 A of the mouth 133, orthogonal to the pruning plane or plane of the row of vines PR, remains at least approximately orthogonal to this PR plane when pushed to position 133 A (W)). The above-mentioned angle β remains at least approximately constant. It is thus possible to effectively correct the differences in vegetation density that may remain after trimming, so that the suction mouth 132 is always as close as possible to the fruits, without touching them, thus ensuring optimal leaf removal, even when the the means implemented are simple and inexpensive. According to a variant, the ramp 126 may be formed of an endless band which can take place around free cylindrical guides in rotation and arranged with known means, at the rear in place of the hinges 127 and, at the front , instead of or in the area of the rollers 125.

We finally observe that like the angle β formed by the planes PR and PBA (see above) the plane P (8) of the cutting members 8 forms with the plane PR parallel to the direction of advance A defined positive angle (for example α - 5 °). This inclination gives the advantage of an ideal quality of cut.

A third embodiment, not described in detail here but very easily achievable from the teachings delivered above and falling perfectly within the scope of the present invention, consists in providing on the first embodiment a lateral positioning device equivalent to the device 115 and cooperating with the hood 30, while the cutting of the leaves, therefore the leaf stripping in the fruiting zone is carried out by the cutting members 8A, concomitantly with the trimming. Of course, the location of the support to which the hood 30 is to be connected, will then have to be adapted accordingly.

It goes without saying that, according to one embodiment (not shown), the evacuation of the leaves from the fruiting zone could proceed from a means of air propulsion instead of suction. In this case, it will be necessary to provide, behind the evolution of the cutting members 8, 8A embodied in FIG. 3 by the circular arcs 22, 24, the known device of rotary nozzle connected to a compressor, which would lead to widening substantially, at the place of the fruiting zone, the frame 7, that is to say the deflector 80, for mounting the rotary nozzle therein, this deflector comprising, facing the surface of the nozzle evolution, an opening for the passage of air under pressure. According to this variant, less preferred, but to the degree of integration of the association of the operations of pruning and stripping roughly equivalent to that of the alternative embodiment described according to the second embodiment, the operation of leaf stripping there too, in the best possible conditions (surface of the flat vegetation, since having just been trimmed, and passage as close as possible to the stripping device at the place of the fruiting area to be stripped), while the adjustment of the air pressure will be much easier and easier than on current stripping devices of this type.

When. the machine according to the invention, designed from a trimmer, comprises at least one lateral cutter bar provided with the stripping device described, and in addition at least one upper horizontal cutter bar, it is capable of carrying out simultaneously or almost concomitantly three operations at the same time, namely the lateral pruning of the vegetation over its entire height, the topping and, in a delimited fruiting zone, stripping. The machine according to the invention is designed so that all or part of the means ensuring the stripping can be dismantled easily and quickly, this same machine can then be implemented for the only trimming or trimming and topping. The machine is simple to make and has a truly versatile character for a relatively low additional cost, the investment required being significantly less than that involved in the double purchase of two specific machines, trimmer and leaf stripper.

Claims

claims

1.- Vegetation reduction machine, usable in particular in agriculture, arboriculture and viticulture, comprising at least one cutter bar having a support frame and a cutting system comprising at least one cutting member, at least one of these organs being subjected to a motor drive to effect a lateral pruning of vegetation of a plantation or pruning making the corresponding surface at least approximately planar, characterized in that all or part of a stripping device is integrated into the bar cutting to cooperate with the latter, so that the machine is capable of performing simultaneously or almost simultaneously with the pruning or pruning operation at least one additional operation consisting in detaching a desired quantity of leaves from a defined fruiting area of the plantation and to evacuate these leaves out of the plant.

2.- Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the stripping device comprises a device causing either an air suction or an air propulsion.

3.- Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the suction / propulsion device comprises a hood connected to a support of the cutter bar by means by which said hood can, relative to said cutter bar, be either fixed, or mobile in a horizontal plane.

4.- Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the position of the hood is adjustable in a vertical plane, automatically or manually.

5.- Machine according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the hood comprises a suction / propulsion mouth of the cut sheets and that the plane of this mouth can form with the plane of the fruiting zone an angle β, the latter remaining at least approximately constant during work.

6.- Machine according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the hood cooperates with a lateral positioning device.

7.- Machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the lateral positioning device comprises a parallelogram system, preferably a double parallelogram, and a control element.

8.- Machine according to claim 7, characterized in that the parallelogram system (s) comprises elastic means.

9. Machine according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the control element comprises articulation means and is subjected to a double action, an action being exerted by the vegetation against the action of the elastic members, and vice versa.

10.- Machine according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the control element is formed of a ramp.

11.- Machine according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the control element is formed of an endless band which can take place around free rotating rollers.

12.- Machine according to one of claims 3 to 11, characterized in that the suction / propulsion device comprises a turbine to which the hood is connected, either directly or indirectly via a turbulide preferably flexible.

13.- Machine according to claim 12, characterized in that the turbine comprises a casing housing a rotor formed by two flanges between which are arranged fins (14) and an opening (20) for discharging the sectioned sheets.

14.- Machine according to one of claims 5 to 13, characterized in that at least one cutting member ensuring the stripping in the fruiting zone is arranged at least approximately either facing the suction / propulsion mouth of the hood, either at the edge of said mouth.

15.- Machine according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that at least one cutting member of the cutter bar simultaneously exerts in addition to the lateral cutting function of the vegetation, the stripping function in said fruiting zone .

16.- Machine according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that at least one cutting member is arranged set back from the cutting system of the cutter bar to exercise the stripping function in the almost fruiting zone -simultaneously to the lateral cutting function exerted by said cutter bar.

17.- Machine according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that all or part of the stripping device is removable from the cutter bar, the latter can be implemented for the purpose of only pruning work.