Harvesting apparatus for leafy vegetables

Abstract

A mobile harvester of leafy produce has two harvesting sections with a cutter located forwardly for severing the produce from the ground. A continuous belt having a large number of openings moves in a closed path presenting an upwardly facing surface. A low pressure plenum underneath the belt provides a vacuum attraction to the belt upwardly facing for picking up severed produce. An enclosure ove the belt protects against wind removal of produce leaves from the belt. The two harvesting sections are individually adjustable for proper height above the ground.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for harvesting leafy produce, comprising: a .[.wheeled.]. frame for ground based movement having a front end, a rear end and sides, said frame carrying .[.first and second harvesting sections, each section including.]. .Iadd.at least one harvesting section that includes.Iaddend.,   cutter means .[.mounted on.]. .Iadd.located adjacent .Iaddend.the front end of the frame for severing produce from the ground;   a belt arranged in a closed loop and presenting an upwardly directed surface extending from a point just rearward of the cutter means to a point farthest to the rear, said belt on reaching the point farthest to the rear reverses its direction on the loop presenting its outer surface downwardly from the point farthest to the rear until the point just rearward of the cutter means, said belt having a large number of openings uniformly distributed over the belt surface;   side walls located adjacent the belt loop forming a plenum with the belt upwardly directed surface;   fan means mounted under the belt upwardly directed surface for removing air from the plenum and forming a vacuum region adjacent the belt upwardly directed surface; and   drive means interconnected to the fan means and belt.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which an enclosure is provided having a top wall located over the belt and having side walls secured to the frame, a portion of the top wall positioned adjacent the cutter means and having a plurality of openings therein. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as in claim 2, in which a hood is connected to the enclosure adjacent the cutter means, said hood having portions thereof extending over and forwardly of said cutter means. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which the belt openings are about 15% of the belt surface. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which the frame has at least two wheels spaced apart approximately 80 inches. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which the cutter means is a sickle-bar cutter. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which the belt upwardly directed surface moves a predetermined amount at a first angle with respect to the horizontal and then at a second lesser angle with respect to horizontal until it reaches the belt farthest to the rear point. .Iadd.8. An apparatus for harvesting leafy produce, comprising: a frame for ground base movement;   cutter means mounted on the frame for severing leafy produce growing out of the ground;   a perforated endless transport member carried on the frame and presenting an outwardly directly surface that extends from a point closely adjacent said cutter means, said outwardly directed surface extending upwardly away from the cutter means to a rearwardmost point relative to said cutter means and extending downwardly toward said cutter means subsequent to reaching said rearwardmost point, said perforated endless transport member enclosing an interior space;   means for defining in conjunction with said perforated endless transport member an enclosure within said interior space;   vacuum producing means positioned within the interior space for producing a vacuum within the enclosure adjacent the perforated endless transport member; and   means for operating said vacuum producing means and for driving said perforated endless transport member so that produce severed by the cutter means is drawn towards and held against the outer surface of the perforated endless transport member by the vacuum produced by the vacuum producing means and is transported upwardly away from the cutter means toward the rearwardmost point as a result of the driving movement of the   
     
     
        perforated endless transport member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9.  The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said means for operating said vacuum producing means and for driving said perforated endless transport member includes an engine. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said vacuum producing means is a fan located within the enclosure. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said engine drives said perforated endless transport member and operates said fan. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. The apparatus according to claim 8, including wheels mounted on said frame. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said means for defining an enclosure includes side walls located adjacent the perforated endless transport member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said perforated endless transport member is an endless belt. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.15.  The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said perforated endless transport member extends to an uppermost point relative to said cutter means before extending downwardly toward said cutter means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said uppermost point and said rearwardmost point are coincident. .Iaddend.