The most unusual machines for harvesting berries, fruits and vegetables

To mechanize fruit harvesting is very difficult, it is easy to damage them. Therefore, while used and manual and machine cleaning methods. The fruits of valuable crops are harvested by hand. The crop of stone fruits (plums, apricots, etc.) is removed with hydro-mechanical shakers, and berry crops (currants, gooseberries) and grapes - with mechanical shakers. An innovative solution is to use an inverted "umbrella" that unfolds under a tree before shaking. To achieve the maximum effect, you need to prepare a garden. The recommended distance between the rows is at least 4 meters, the distance between the trees in the row is 2.2 to 2.5 m. The diameter of the crown should not exceed 3.5 m. The height of the trees can be much higher than in a garden designed for manual cleaning. To service the device, you need only 3 people: a tractor driver, a shaker operator and the main operator of the device. Under optimal conditions, fruit can be harvested from 50 to 60 trees per hour. Fruit shaker During operation, the grip clamps the stem or the skeletal branch of the tree with a diameter of 55–120 mm and transmits them to vibrations with the help of a vibrator. The grip has a base and a horn, covered with rubberized covers protecting the bark of the tree from damage. Falling fruits fall into the catcher. It consists of two shields covered with a tarp, and two trays. Trays butt down close to the stem of the tree. Fruits come off, fall on shields and roll into trays, from where they are poured into boxes. To harvest from one tree takes 2-3 minutes. Combine for collecting raspberries and blackberries uses a unique system of automatic leveling, allowing you to harvest on the slope. The machine is serviced by at least three workers: the driver and two workers who clean the container and control the fruits. For optimal operation of the combine, the minimum row spacing between trees should be 1.8 m, and the maximum height should not exceed 2 m. Within 8 hours of operation, the combine can process up to 5 hectares of plantings. To do the same thing by hand would have to attract 100 employees. Berry harvesting machines completely eliminate manual labor in picking berries from the bushes. This machine forms a bush and shakes off the berries from it with a vibrating working body, together with which the leaves and parts of the branches are separated. This pile enters the conveyor. At the descent from the conveyor, the pile is cleared of lightweight impurities by the air flow and conveyor system is sent to the loading device. Machine harvesting of berries is widely used abroad.