GB673306A - Improved method of and apparatus for plucking leaf from tea bushes and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

673,306. Tea leaf harvesters. LINDSAY, W., and THOM, R. P. July 19,1950 [Dec. 3, 1949], No. 18071/50. Class 6(iii) Leaves are plucked from a tea bush by apparatus comprising a rotary impeller 1 for sweeping mature-shoots against severing means 5, a roller 3 so positioned between the severing means and the impeller as to cause the stems of the shoots to be stretched against the severing means by the impeller drawing the tops of the shoots through the nip formed between the impeller and the roller, and means for rotating the impeller. In the construction shown the machine comprises a frame 14 having bearings 8a for the shaft 8 of the paddle wheel 1, the shaft being fitted with a cam 9 and a driving handle 7. The cam serves to impart intermittent rocking movements to a lever 10 pivoted at 10a, and this lever transmits such movements to another pivoted lever 11 driving a cutter knife 5. Associated with the knife are upper and lower plates 5a, 5b, a spring 12, and a rubber guard strip 6. In use, the machine is held in relation to the mature shoots A and immature shoots B as shown in Fig. 1. , Rotation of the handle 7 causes the resilient pads 2 of the paddle wheel to bend over the shoots A to be gripped between the pads and the roller 3. Such action causes the stem to overcome the resistance offered by the strip 6 and to come into the range of the knife 5 which is reciprocated by the cam 9 at the appropriate moment to sever the stem. The immature shoots are bent over by the strip 6. In a modification a machine carried by two operators shears a bush, and in another modification a power driven machine running on wheels or skids is employed.