Systems and methods for separating harvested crop product from twigs, dirt, dust, and other debris. A disk to be used in a harvester includes a first segment and a second segment and is configured to cooperate with adjacent disks axially mounted on a common rotational shaft, and radially cooperate with disks mounted on a parallel rotational shaft. The disks are used in a roller assembly or a harvester, and gaps between cooperating disks remain effectively constant during operation.

A harvest weighing mechanism utilizes a variable speed conveyor comprised of evenly spaced solid rods such that marketable product is suspended on the rods while small foreign material falls between the rods. The product moves at the same velocity as the conveyor until discharged and directed into an impact plate attached to an impact sensor. As the product collides with the impact plate the resultant deflection of the impact plate is converted to an electronic signal which is sent to a control box which uses an algorithm to convert radial velocity to linear velocity and through laws of energy conservation determines the weight of the product required to cause the deflection measured by the impact sensor.

A harvester lifts plant material and usable product off the ground using a header to create one or more distinct ribbons of material which are each fed axially into the front of rotating foraminous drums carrying stripper springs and within which a rotor with threshing springs and a screw conveyor on its outer surface is cooperatively mounted. The usable product thus separated from the plant material exits the foraminous drums to be collected and conveyed to the cleaning portion of the harvester. The product and foreign material are mechanically sized using a series of rollers and an air stream separates the product for subsequent trimming of stems therefrom. The product is then deposited on a sizing conveyor further separation and weighing.

Apparatuses for and methods of moving the ends of windrows inward are disclosed. The apparatuses of the present invention include a front end, a rear end and two opposing sides, the front end configured to be wider than the rear end, two skids attached to the two opposing sides, a gate rotatably attached to the rear end and configured to cover an opening in the rear end, a gate cylinder operably attached to the gate and configured to close the gate to collect fruit and/or nuts within the apparatus, and open the gate to distribute the fruit and/or nuts outside of the apparatus, thus eliminating the need to hand rake the ends of the windrows inward or to blow the ends of the windrow inward with a hand blower.

Disclosed herein is a device and method of use for a pecan picker. More specifically, the present invention generally relates to a device and method of use for a pecan picker, which utilizes suction to pick up the pecans as well as a container body for storing the picked up pecans with at least one partition for separating the picked up pecans from extra extracted material obtained through the suction process. In one embodiment the device has a hose portion and a container body portion. The container body portion has a motor portion for providing suction for the device. In other embodiments the device also has a partition portion for separating the picked up pecans from extra extracted material obtained through the extraction or suction process. In another embodiment, the device also has a frame portion for moving the device.

Apparatuses for and methods of moving the ends of windrows inward are disclosed. The apparatuses of the present invention include a front end, a rear end and two opposing sides, the front end configured to be wider than the rear end, two skids attached to the two opposing sides, a gate rotatably attached to the rear end and configured to cover an opening in the rear end, a gate cylinder operably attached to the gate and configured to close the gate to collect fruit and/or nuts within the apparatus, and open the gate to distribute the fruit and/or nuts outside of the apparatus, thus eliminating the need to hand rake the ends of the windrows inward or to blow the ends of the windrow inward with a hand blower.

A nut windrow gatherer for use in organizing and shaping the end of a nut windrow. The present system has a housing with two sidewalls, a rear spoiler plate, and two splayed arms affixed to a front side of the housing. There is a support arm configured to mount the housing to a vehicle and adapted to adjust the pitch and roll of the housing to ensure that the bottom surfaces of the splayed arms are in constant contact with the orchard floor. When the housing is controlled by a vehicle, the sidewalls and rear spoiler plate are configured to gather nuts that are spread out on an orchard floor and transport them in order to reduce the length of a nut windrow, leaving sufficient room for harvesting equipment to maneuver into an orchard throughway.

A nut picking system suitable for picking chestnuts having a gathering assembly, and a conveyor assembly. The gathering assembly has an intake and a mesh belt associated with the intake. The gathering assembly gathers chestnuts and burrs through the intake to from the mesh belt at the dispensing axle. The conveyor assembly includes a frame, bed rollers and a conveyor drive. The frame has a conveyor sides, a feed and discharge end. Each bed roller has a first end and a second end and outer surface. The bed rollers are rotatably coupled to the frame, and are spaced apart from each. The bed rollers include a plurality of spaced apart fingers extending outwardly from the outer surface and terminating in a tip. The fingers have a length that is greater than the bed roller spacing. The conveyor drive rotates the bed rollers. Methods are likewise disclosed.

A modular gathering platform for grain harvesters is provided for coupling to the front of a grain harvester or processor which can gather plants previously prepared in one or more rows by at least one central belt conveyor with functional side by side coupling to other equal harvesting conveyor belts. The platform includes a transversal mounting structure having an internal opening, at least one central harvesting conveyor belt having front and rear extremities and two side couplings, additional harvesting conveyor belts coupled to the sides of the central belt, an anti-jamming roll and a rotating guiding roll. The central harvesting conveyor belt and additional side harvesting conveyor belts, the anti-jamming rolls, and the guiding roll are synchronized by an actuation assembly, and the guiding roll moves the harvested plants towards the exit. The platform advantageously allows for the gathering of a crop that has been prepared in rows.

Rolling collectors configured to locate and pick up small objects such as nuts, bullet casings, or other objects are described herein. In some implementations, a rolling collector includes a collector frame, a roller assembly, a remover mechanism, and a trailer tongue. In other implementations, a rolling collector includes a collector frame, a roller assembly having a skeleton structure, and a remover mechanism. In yet other implementations, a rolling collector includes a collector frame, a roller assembly, a remover mechanism, and a lifting mechanism. The rolling collectors described herein are configured to be towable behind a vehicle, which includes center pull, side drag, side-by-side, and multiple unit towing configurations.