MXPA98009857A - - Google Patents

Description

TENDERED VEGETABLE HARVEST DESCRIPTION TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to harvesters, and more particularly to self-propelled harvesters for cutting, transporting and loading tender vegetables in cargo boxes in the field.

ANTECEDENTS OF THE TECHNIQUE A wide variety of lettuce-type vegetables that include tango, pink lolla, red oak leaf, romanita, green oak leaf, tender red romanita, tender leaf spinach, tender red chard, red mustard, Totsoi, Mizuma, Frisee, arfruagula , radicchio and curly endive are currently developed, and are known in the environment under the term "tender vegetables". They are used for mixing or a class of salads and garnishes.

They usually grow in raised beds which vary in width from 91 to 122 centimeters (36 to 48 inches) between rows. They are harvested long before maturity for freshness and softness. The current harvesting technique is completely manual and involves the agricultural worker kneeling, leaning on the bed and cutting the stems adjacent to the ground with a knife and sickle. The worker then places the vegetables cut manually into transport boxes called "loading" which are stacked on pallets, typically 24 loads per pallet. This work is, to say the least, hard on the knees and the back, dirty, sweaty and unpleasant. Typical harvest rates are approximately 4 person-hours to produce 20 loads. The preferred cutting time is usually 6:00 or 7:00 to 10:00 in the morning, after which it becomes too hot because the cut vegetables wither too fast to be a useful product. Therefore, in a "cut day" of 3 hours or a "cut-off period" a worker produces only 15 loads, or approximately less than 75% of a pallet. Shelf life is critical for the market of vegetables. Considerable time is required from harvest for the vegetables to pass through processing and distribution to the market, and withered and bruised vegetables can not be sold. In turn, smooth handling is a key to long shelf life. Although great care is taken in the process, transportation and display of lettuce and other vegetables under refrigerated conditions, these stages do not solve the initial problem of bruising, tearing, scraping and drilling during harvesting. To minimize damage, vegetables should be cut without pulling, tearing or tearing them apart, and should be handled gently in the field. The vegetables are easily crushed and bruised, and later they wither and change color to coffee in a matter of hours. For example, on a cold day, the withered / change of color is within three hours, and on a day of 27 ° C (80 ° F), in the next two hours. If the vegetables are damaged during harvest, the subsequent gentle handling does not reverse the initial damage. The longer the delay in taking the vegetables from the field in processing, the problem is worse. There is a wide variety of self-propelled harvesters and harvesters, but none is specially designed to handle tender, extremely fragile and susceptible vegetables, which are a specialty product. For example, the "Dalgety" harvester shown in U.S. Patent No. 4,967,545 to Fischer et al., (1990), is a towed machine for harvesting spinach that has grown completely. Uses a sickle bar mounted on a frame with wheels and a single continuous air permeable band (typically 15% open area) from a point below and above the sickle bar to a point located backward in uppermost. The band is covered by a lodging. A fan is placed under the belt and operates as a vacuum plenum to suck vegetables cut on the belt where they stick while being transported up and back across the belt to be unloaded into receiving vessels or a side discharge conveyor. This machine has not proven to be especially popular, at least in part due to the fan requirement, the suction which results in the fragile vegetables being bruised when being pulled in or partially through the foraminal band. In addition, once the leaves of the vegetables cover the openings in the web, the suction is substantially reduced or completely lost, and the transport capacity of the web is correspondingly reduced or nullified. The downward fan discharge also produces large amounts of dust contaminating the cut product, and the adjacent rows of uncut vegetables. With the growing emphasis on healthy food choices, it would be beneficial to have a self-propelled automated vegetable harvester that can be more productive and result in a more efficient harvest of a fresher, less bruised and at the same time less soothing product. to workers in the nature of exhausting work.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Among the objects and advantages of the invention is to provide a self-propelled, automated harvester which is capable of smoothly cutting and handling the brittle product such as tender vegetables, and transporting them to a loading station where they can be loaded in standard field loads. . Other objectives and additional advantages include: Providing a self-propelled four-wheel harvester that has a special chassis which front wheels are driven and the rear wheels can be steered, and mounted above and forward of the front drive wheels where an assembly is located cutter / conveyor which is adjustable in height with respect to the bed; to provide a self-powered hydrostatic drive field harvester which can be operated by a seated driver and which has a variety of adjustment characteristics; provide a self-propelled harvester which includes a platform for a worker to launch cargo boxes under a loading chute and to stack the loads made on a loading platform behind the worker in the rear of the vehicle; provide a control system for a harvester of tender vegetables which includes control of the relative speed of movement of the two transport / collection bands, based on the type of vegetable product being harvested; provide a drive system in which the drive wheels are hydraulically driven and the drive of one or more conveyor / collection belts that are controlled by the drive wheels to allow the belts to be synchronized with the forward movement of the harvester; provide a tender vegetable harvester unit having a cutter assembly of a forward mounted conveyor which includes a ground follower mechanism to maintain a preset height above the top of the bed, and which can rotate accurately at along a longitudinal axis which is generally parallel to the conveyor / collection band assembly to allow the cutting bar and the conveyor belts to oscillate about the axis from one side to the other to follow the beds which may be inclined; and provide a tender vegetable harvester having a special chassis which is manageable at the rear and which has provision for a loading platform mounted on the rear steer wheels, loading platform which is incunable up and down side to side around a generally parallel horizontal axis to make contact with the axis forward and backward of the unit to allow the unit to make narrow turns. Other additional objectives will be evident in the figures, in the description of the best mode and the claims thereof. The tender vegetable harvester and harvester method of this invention comprises a self-driving, four-wheel driveable chassis of the fifth wheel type, in which the front wheels are driven and the rear wheels are the steering wheels. The base of the wheels is essentially the same at the front and rear, is separated to match the groove separation (from one or more beds wide) and can be laterally adjustable for groove separation widths with separators or lengths of appropriate axis. A suitable motor, for example an internal combustion or propane engine, typically in the order of 20 to 30 horsepower, is mounted on any convenient chassis as the vehicle is hydraulically driven. In the best current mode, the engine is mounted above the front axle to one side of the vehicle's center line. The vehicle can be adapted for electric power or other fuels (alcohol, gasoline, diesel, etc.). Mounted on the middle portion of the chassis and extending forward of the front wheels is a cutter / conveyor assembly. The chassis also includes providing a driver or cabin station on the right or left side. In the present minor mode, the driver station is generally placed forward of the two main drive wheels and is cantilevered to the left side. A workstation and load platform is mounted to the chassis between the front and rear wheels and extends over and back of the rear wheels. Included in this work station is a loading platform which allows loads to slide laterally into position underneath the loading chute, and from which a worker can move a full load to be stacked on a stowage platform or stacking just behind the worker. The cutter / conveyor assembly extends forwardly of the forward drive wheels and has its lower leading edge adjacent to a cutter bar assembly adjustable in height and angle, typically, a double action sickle bar. A clamping plate is mounted just behind the cutter to span the distance between the sickle bar and the endless wire mesh of the conveyor belt. This lower band is inclined upwards from the cutting bar assembly to a supply station having a loading chute behind the impeller. Separated above the mesh conveyor belt, and generally parallel, but preferably with increasing narrowing, there is a special flexible finger-handling and retaining band. Together, the two bands and the associated frame, the rollers, the impellers, the adjustment mechanisms, etc., comprise the transport / collection assembly of cut vegetables. The bands move in the same direction and are driven together to move at the same speed, adjustable within approximately + 5%. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, they are controlled by the driving wheels of the main vehicle so that the displacement of the belt is synchronized with the forward speed and the movement of the vehicle. The two bands are tilted upwards to deposit the cut vegetables at the supply loading station. The supply charging station includes a transparent protective wind protection and a tapered channel to allow the loading of the vegetables cut into load boxes placed by the worker underneath it. The frame for the conveyor belts is mounted in a yoke assembly which includes an inclined axis oriented generally parallel to the plane of the lower conveyor belt but separated below it and generally in a common vertical plane with the front-rear axle of the conveyor belt. vegetable bed or the chassis of the vehicle when it is not in the rotation mode. This allows the sides of the entire frame of the cutter / conveyor and assembly to be tilted up or down to follow any lateral transverse slope of the bed. In addition, an adjustable stand and caliper roller assembly are mounted on the cutter / conveyor assembly rearward of the front cutter bar but forward of the front drive wheels. This roller assembly is pivotally adjustable in height by articulations to a lever mechanism secured to the chassis to allow the entire cutter assembly to follow the vertical contour of the bed while moving in the longitudinal direction along the bed. This contour tracking support means is preferably a wide roll that covers substantially the entire width of the bed. By using this roller assembly, the cutter bar can be controlled to cut within about 6 mm (1/4 inch) above the top of the bed. The cutter / conveyor assembly is also damped and / or absorbs envelopes mounted from the vehicle chassis, preferably in the best mode by an axial cantilevered leaf spring behind the roller, and rear swing dampers in the yoke comprise the side springs and / or the dampers. The motor activates both the hydraulic drive system to drive the wheels forward, and the hydraulic system for driving the different hydraulic cylinders or actuators to steer the vehicle, which causes the drive sprockets of the conveyor belt to rotate, which The cutter bar oscillates and the various release or height adjustment mechanisms operate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic of the dual-belt handling system of the harvester showing lifting control of the tender vegetable harvester of the invention, - Figure 2 is an isometric view of the left front part of the harvester; Figure 3 is a view in right lateral elevation of the harvester; Figure 4 is a left front isometric view of the cutter / conveyor assembly; Figure 5 is a left front isometric view of the chassis; Figure 6 is an isometric view of the retaining band of young vegetables and finger assembly (the band Flee); Figure 7 is a rear elevation of a first embodiment of the rear steering joint and the rear platform support; Figure 8 is an isometric detailed view of the gauge roll of Figure 2 and related components; Figure 9 is an isometric detailed view of the leaf spring, according to the best mode known up to now of the invention, shown in relation to the cutter / conveyor assembly frame of Figure 1; Figure 10 is an isometric detailed view of the yoke and rod, and their associated components; Figure 11 is a detail in lateral elevation of a portion of the hydraulic main impeller and of the controlled conveyor and the conveyor belts of the harvester of tender vegetables; Figure 12 is a schematic of the hydraulic system of the tender vegetable harvester of the invention; and Figure 13 is an isometric view of the preferred best mode mode of the front end of the cutter / conveyor assembly showing the handle-type adjusting assembly of the forward nip and the roller adjustment mechanisms.

BEST MODE FOR T.T. EVE THE INVENTION The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example, and not in a limiting manner, of the principles of the invention. This description will clearly allow a person skilled in the art to make use of the invention, and describes various embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, which include what I currently consider to be the best mode of carrying out the invention. . The invention is illustrated in the various figures, and the best mode known at present for carrying out the invention is a tender vegetable harvester optimized for harvesting small and delicate vegetables that are used for salads and the like. It will be appreciated that the invention is of sufficient complexity so that the many parts, interrelations and subcombinations thereof simply can not be clearly or meaningfully illustrated in a single redaction of a patent type. Accordingly, several of the drawings schematically show, or omit parts that are not essential in the writing of a description of a particular feature, aspect or principle of the invention that is described. Therefore, the modality of the best mode of a characteristic can be shown in one drawing, and the best mode of another characteristic will be shown in another drawing. For example, the best mode of the rear steer mechanism will be displayed separately from the best mode of the cutter / conveyor assembly. Figure 1 is a side elevational outline of the cutter / conveyor assembly showing the elevation control for adjusting and controlling the cutting height, H, above the surface 54 of a bed 58 of uncut fresh vegetables, and transport / collection bands for handling and retaining the tender 55C vegetables cut as they are transported upwards from the bar 32 cutter to the hopper channel 63 and from this place they are deposited in a product or load box 64. This scheme is introduced here to help focus the key structural elements, pivots, joints and web offset trajectories in the more detailed figures that follow. The tender vegetable harvester 10 includes a chassis 12, shown without wheels or without the motive power in Figure 1, on which the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 comprising a cutter bar 32, a transport conveyor belt 34, is mounted. lower wire mesh (bottom) and a superior vegetable holding band 36 (above) . The two bands move in parallel, as shown by the arrows Al and A2 around their respective rollers R1-R7. The narrowing (spacing) between the forward ends of the upper band 36 and the lower band 34 on the front rollers R2 and R4 is smaller than the upper part of the rollers R3-R5 in the best mode mode, - that is, the two bands diverge. The upper band 36 is informally referred to as the "Flee band" because the multiple fingers 130 in each series or row 128 of the finger strip (see Figure 6), which serves to smoothly glue the vegetables as they are transported upwards by the lower mesh band 34. Because the two bands are synchronized to travel at the same speed, ± 5% or so (see control 153 of web speed adjustment in Figure 12), and the fingers are very flexible and narrow, strips 128 of fingers do not get stuck, do not bend or get stuck on the vegetables. In addition, the relatively narrow spacing of the adjacent finger strips (the distance between the series) is in the order of 7.6-30 centimeters (3-12 inches), and preferably approximately 7.16-13 centimeters (3-5 inches) which prevents cut tender vegetables from rolling back down the lower band, rolling action which can result in bruising.

There is no fan involved to retain the vegetables in the band by suction or to transport them by blown air. The successive series of fingers gently blind the vegetables as they move upward, and the enlarged narrowing at the top causes the diverging angles of the bands to result in the fingers 128 gently releasing the cut 55U vegetables just where the lower band rotates (breaks) horizontal on roller R6. In addition, the upper band 36 Flee is projected forward and above the cutter bar, and descends towards it. The sharp inclined angle (with respect to the horizontal) of the band segment between rollers Rl and R2 allows the downward fingers of the Fleece band to be smoothly interspersed between, and engage with the growing uncut vegetables in synchronization with the forward movement of the harvester (arrow F), and gently sweep back on the cutter bar 32 through the narrow fastening plate and on the lower conveyor belt 34 (see also figure 13). The calibrator roller 56 is mounted on the cutter / conveyor frame 66 (120) by means of the calibrator roll carrier 68 (see also FIGS. 8 and 9). The arrows Ll and L2 show that by actuating the adjustment lever 80 'mounted on the chassis 12, the adjustment arm mechanism 78 allows close control (6 mm (1/4 inch)) of the height H above of the bed. The harvester 10 in this way can cut within 6 mm (1/4 inch) above the bed 58. The rod 96 smoothly lifts and lowers the entire cutter / conveyor assembly 30, for example, for loading onto a trailer. transport. The entire assembly 30 5 cutter conveyor is rotated on the yoke in the adjacent rear part R7, as will be discussed in more detail in the following, in Figure 10. Figure 2 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the combine 10 of tender vegetables of the invention that shows the chassis 12, the conductor station 16, the packing bed 18 comprising the loading and stacking platforms, the front drive wheels 20, and the rear directional wheels 26 thereof, with the cutter / conveyor assembly 30. of figure 1 attached thereto. Figure 3 is a view in right side elevation of the green vegetable harvester 10 of the invention showing, from that perspective, one of the two. front drive wheels, the directional wheels 26 and the directional wheel assembly 46 associated with a steering mechanism of type "fifth wheel" which has a hydraulic steering stem 48 for controlling the direction of travel of the green vegetable harvester 10, as will be discussed in more detail below, in Figure 7. Figure 4 is a left front isometric view of the front end of a exemplary mode of the combine of green vegetables showing the modality of the best mode of the cutter / conveyor assembly with particular emphasis on the handlebar-like front narrowing mechanism 110, 116 (see also figure 13) and the arched upward rotation / down the entire cutter / conveyor assembly with respect to the yoke 100 on the pivot R7 (M4 in Figure 10). Figure 4 also shows the placement of the conductor station 16 (in dashed lines) in relation to the cutter / conveyor assembly 30. Figure 5 is a more detailed left front isometric view of the rear portion of the harvester 10 of Figure 4 showing the loading platform 18a and the stacking platform 18b and the related portion of the chassis 12, which includes the assembly 100 of yoke (on which the cutter / conveyor assembly is mounted) and one mode of the rear steering assembly 28. Figure 6 is an isometric view of the upper band (Flee band) 36, which will be discussed in more detail in the following. Figure 7 is a rear elevation view of the tender vegetable harvester 10 showing the directional wheels 26 and the related steering components. Referring again to the view of Figure 2, it can be seen that the two forward drive wheels 20 (of which one is visible in the view of Figure 2) are located near the front end 22 of the vegetable harvester 10. Tender Near the rear end 24 of the tender vegetable harvester 10, the two steerable wheels 26 are rotatable as a unit around the "fifth wheel" type steering mechanism 28 for driving the tender vegetable harvester 10 (see also Figure 7). ). The best currently known embodiment 10 of the present invention, the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 has a cutter bar 32, a lower band 34 and a band 36 that holds the upper cut vegetables ("Flee"). A drive motor 14 provides motive power and other energy for the harvester 10 of tender vegetables, as will be discussed in more detail in the following (Figures 11 and 12). The driver station 16 has a seat 38 and controls 40 that include a steering wheel 42. Except as specifically indicated herein, the engine, steering and hydraulic controls 40 are conventional. With the exception of important aspects which will be discussed in more detail in the following, the construction of the chassis 12 is also of the conventional type of welded construction. Although the chassis 12 can be fabricated from metal tubes, or the like, or can be essentially any general chassis type, in the best currently known embodiment 10 of the present invention, the chassis is constructed primarily of square tubes, an angle, a flat stack in U as shown in the view of figure 2. In the views of figures 3, 5 and 7, it can be seen that the directional wheels 26 near the rear end 24 of the harvester 10 of young vegetables are rotatably joined to the assembly 46 of directional wheel. The steering wheel assembly 46 is rotatable as a unit around the steering mechanism 28 of the "fifth wheel" type by the steering rod 48. The steering stem 48 is controlled by the steering wheel 42 (Figure 2) by conventional hydraulic steering mechanisms which are completely conventional and which are omitted from the view of Figure 3 for the purpose of clarity. The drive motor 14 (FIG. 11) drives the primary hydraulic pump 50 to supply motive power to the front drive wheels 20 and the belts controlled by them, and a secondary hydraulic pump 51 for supplying hydraulic pressure to the fittings via a flow divider 151, such as a sickle bar, the steering rod 48 (controlled by the steering control 150 connected to the steering wheel 42) and the riser 96 (which is best seen in Figure 10). In the view of figure 7 it can be seen that the mode of the current best mode of the steering wheel assembly 46 revolves around the steering mechanism 28 of the "fifth wheel" type and in addition, the steering mechanism 28 of the "fifth" type The wheel "is free to rotate around the leveling or tilt axle or shaft bolts 52 so that both the steerable wheels 26 constantly remain in general contact with the field surface 54 even when the field surface 54 can to be inclined or uneven. Figure 7 also shows an indefinite plurality of tender vegetables 55U in the form of uncut young vegetables (the harvest of which will be harvested by the harvester 10 5 of tender vegetables) growing up from the surface 54 of the bed 58 With reference again to the perspective side view of Figure 3, it can be seen that near the front end 22 of the harvester 10 of tender vegetables, the assembly 30 of cutter / conveyor is slid on a roller 56 calibrator. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the rollers slide on the surface 54 of the bed 58 and the uncut vegetables 55U are smoothly guided to the cutter 32 and through the holding plate 33 on the web 34 (see figures 8 and 13). The height of the cutter 32 above the surface 54 of the bed is exaggerated due to the scale of the pattern. Figure 8 is a more detailed view of one embodiment of the calibrator roll 56 and related components. As shown in it as the best currently known modality of the present invention, the calibrator roll 56 is approximately 25.4 cm (10 inches) in diameter with its axis of rotation located approximately 51 cm (20 inches) behind the cutter bar 32 (Figure 3). This last dimension will vary a little as the relative angle of the assembly 30 of cutter / conveyor. These two dimensions are related to the calibrator roller 56 and are a balance between the following two factors: On the one hand, it is desirable to have a calibrator roller 56 as close as possible to the cutter bar 32 so that the position of the bar 32 The cutter follows with greater precision the contour of that portion of the surface 54 of the field on which the calibrator roll 56 is placed. On the other hand, it is desirable to have a caliper roll 46 as large as possible to prevent the caliper roller 56 from sinking into the field surface 54 when the field surface 54 is smooth, and also to avoid extremely fine responses according to the invention. roller 56 calibrator rotates on each small lump of soil or rock. However, a person familiar with the art will recognize that the larger the roller 56- gauge, the further back it must be placed on the cutter bar 32 so that the cutter bar 32 can be close to the field surface 54 while the lower band 34 still leaves a gap for the calibrator roller 56. The inventor has found that the dimensions mentioned above represent the best relationship of these two opposing considerations. In the currently best known embodiment 10 of the present invention, the gauge roll is approximately one bed width; therefore, for a bed of 76-91 cm (30-36 inches) wide, the roller can vary from approximately 61-91 cm (24-36 inches) in width. This is simply a function of the bed that the gauge roller is designed to travel on the field surface 54 of the bed 58 on which the young vegetables grow. As can be seen in the view of Figure 7, the beds 58 alternate with grooves 60. In the part of the United States where the best known embodiment 10 of the present invention has been proposed to operate, the tender vegetables they are planted in centers of 102 cm (40 inches). Therefore, the forward drive wheels 20 and the directional wheels 26 are spaced approximately 102 cm (40 inches) from center to center, from their corresponding members for a single bed width machine. For a machine that spans two beds, the length of the axis is doubled for an extension of 203 cm (80 inches). In other parts of the world, it is customary to plant the vegetables 55 and the like in centers of 107 cm (42 inches), or similar variation, the dimensions of the harvester 10 of tender vegetables, for such applications, can be adjusted accordingly. Referring again to the view of Figure 3, the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 rotates about a cutter / conveyor mounting pivot axis 62 (in R7, see Figures 1, 2, 4 and 10) so that, as the front part of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 moves up and down (as the calibrator roller 56 moves on an irregular field surface 54 or by other means that will be discussed later), there is very little movement up and down the hopper channel 63 located in the rear discharge portion of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 which is above the loading slide 17 at the front end of the bed 18 packed. This is as much for convenience as for the safety of the operating personnel. An excessive vertical movement of the rear part of the cutter / conveyor assembly in relation to the product box 64 placed on the slide 17 can be, at least inconvenient and, at most very dangerous, as a worker can put a hand and be captured between the product box 64 and the channel 63. The channel 63 guides the tender vegetables 55C cut into the product box 64, and has side flaps or covers 65 against the wind to prevent the tender vegetables 55C from being thrown on the field or similar, as they fall from the lower transport band 34 into the product box 64. The cutter / conveyor assembly 30 is constructed around a cutter / conveyor assembly frame 66, with the frame pivot axis 62 passing through a yoke support arm 100, as shown in the views of the Figures 2, 3, 5 and 10. As can be seen in the detailed view of Figure 8, the caliper roll 56 is attached to the cutter / conveyor assembly frame 66 through a caliper roll carrier 68. The caliper roller carrying assembly 68 comprises caliper roller supporting arms 70 (one of which is visible in the view of FIG. 8) pivoted at its forward ends by bearings 71. The roller 56 is mounted on the roller shaft 73 articulated in the bearing 75, mounted medially along the arm 70 and kept clean by a scraper 69. The rotatable caliper height adjusting support shaft 72 runs the width of the harvester frame 66 and it is articulated in the bearing 77. A caliper height adjustment arm 74 (one of the two of which is visible in the view of FIGS. 3, 8 and 9) is attached to each end of the support shaft, which in turn, it is pivotally articulated to a caliper height adjustment joint 76 (one of which is visible in the view of Figure 3) rotatably attached thereto. Each of the caliper height adjustment joints 76 is attached, at an end opposite to its respective caliper height adjustment arm 74, to the corresponding rear end of the caliper roll support arm 70. In light of the above, a person skilled in the art can now appreciate that the rotation of the caliper height adjustment support shaft (by means of the adjustment mechanism 78 on the other side of the harvester near the impeller, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4) can vary the height of the roller 56 (arrow M5 in Figure 8) and can in turn adjust the height of the front part of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 when the calibrator roller 56 supports on the surface 54 of the field. In the best currently known embodiment 10 of the present invention, the caliper height adjustment joints 76 are turnstiles, such as the fine height adjustments of the front part of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 that can be manufactured by adjusting the joints 76 Calibrator height adjustment. This can add 5-10 cm (2-4 inches) to the height adjustment capacity of the cutter. With reference again to the view of Figures 1, 2, 4 and 8, the height adjustments in the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 are made by the adjustment arm mechanism 78 which is close and easily accessible from the driving station 16 (in Figure 8, the roller is shown in the folded down position, while the cutter 32 is shown as if the roller was raised in the harvested position). The adjustment arm mechanism 78 has an adjustment arm (lever) 80 which is rigidly fixed to the caliper height adjustment support shaft. A conventional retractable pin mechanism 82 retains the adjustment arm in one of a plurality of notches 84 in the adjustment arm mechanism 78, as established by the operator of the harvester 10 of tender vegetables. The notches are spaced apart to provide 6 mm (1/4 inch) increments in the roller height adjustment 56-, so that the cutter can be separated from 6 mm (1/4 inch) above the surface 54 of the bed, up to about 10 cm (4 inches). Together with the tourniquet adjustment indicated above, the height of the cutter can be adjusted to cut up to approximately 20 cm (8 inches) above the bed. The inventor has found that it is undesirable to allow a large amount of weight to rest on the calibrator roll 56, since this causes the calibrator roll 56 to sink into the surface 54 of the field, thereby causing the cutter bar 32 to be displacement inoperably low, for example, so low that the cutting bar 32 is buried in the surface 54 of the field damaging the cutting bar 32. However, since the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 is, in use, supported mainly on the rear pivot shaft 62 of the cutter / conveyor assembly and the calibrator roller 56, since these two support points are close to the end sides of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30, then much of the weight of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 normally rests on the calibrator roller 56. Therefore, part of the weight needs to be removed from the front of the cutter / conveyor assembly. Any of different device numbers can be used to eliminate part of the weight of the calibrator roll 56. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, a helical spring 85 is shown which is used for this purpose. However, the inventor has found that a leaf spring 86 as shown in the detailed view of Figure 9, is the best currently known support mode. The leaf spring 86 is rigidly fixed at one end to the rear device 90. The leaf spring 86 is a conventional leaf spring such as that found in an automobile suspension and in this embodiment is a semi-spring. The rear leaf device 90, in turn, is rigidly fixed to the chassis 12 of the tender vegetable harvester 10. A leaf spring front roller bracket assembly 92 is rigidly fixed to the cutter / conveyor mounting frame 66. The roller bracket comprises brackets 91 side joined to opposite sides 66L and 66R of the frame 66, which carries a cross bar 94 and separate roller brackets 97 on which the roller 93 is articulated. When the caliper roll 56 (figure 2) rests on the ground , then the spring roller 93, which is rotatably fixed on the brackets 97, will rest on the leaf spring 86, and in this way releases much of the weight of the assembly 33 of the cutter / conveyor of the calibrator roller 56. Therefore, any tension of the leaf spring 86 tends to slightly raise and rotate the front part of the 0 cutter / conveyor mounting frame 66 around the rear pivot axis 62 of the cutter / conveyor assembly (R7) which is shows as an arrow M4 in figure 10, in this way releases the amount of load on the calibrator roller 56. In order to transport the combine 10 from tender vegetables and for making turns, and the like, it is desirable to be able to easily lift the front part of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 leaving a space of the surface 54 of the field. This is carried out by the cutter / conveyor assembly lifting rod 96 as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11. As best seen in Fig. 10, the lifting rod 96 The cutter / conveyor assembly is attached in any suitable and conventional manner to the lower part of the chassis 12. In the upper part of the cutter / conveyor assembly lifting rod 96, an isolation joint 98 is rotatably fixed to the upper part of the Spreading rod 96 of cutter / conveyor assembly at one end and to frame 66 of cutter / conveyor assembly by means of brackets 101 at the other end of isolation joint 98. The purpose of the isolation link 98 is to separate the normal up and down movement of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 during the field operations of the lifting rod 96, when the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 is lowered and rests on the roller 56 calibrator. When it is not for the isolation joint 98, in such condition, the small vertical movements of the front part of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 must be counteracted by the lifting rod 96. That is, the lifting rod 96 of the cutter / conveyor assembly must act in a manner very similar to a shock absorber in such conditions. Since it is desired that the front part of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 closely follow the terrain of the field surface 54, this would be an undesirable condition. Although hydraulic rods are available which are designed to move freely when retracted to consider just this kind of problem, the available examples still tend to provide some unwanted stopping action. Therefore, the inventor has found the solution provided by the isolation joint 98, as described herein, which constitutes the mode of the current best mode. As discussed previously in this document, the pivot axis 62 of the cutter / conveyor assembly is located near the rear of the harvester frame 66, as best seen in FIG. 10, the mounting frame 66 The cutter / conveyor is free to rotate through a limited arc in relation to the side arms 100 of the yoke 99. The pivoting shaft 62 of the cutter / conveyor assembly passes through both arms 100 of the yoke 99. The assembly 99 of yoke includes transverse arms 103 mounted on a longitudinal pivoting shaft 102 to allow limited oscillating movement (shown by the arrows M17 M2 and M3) of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 relative to the longitudinal pivotal axis 102. This allows the entire cutter / conveyor assembly 30 to be tilted to some degree from side to side as the calibrator roll 56 rotates on the inclined field surface 54. In the best currently known embodiment 10 of the present invention, both the pivoting cutter / conveyor mounting shaft 62 and the longitudinal pivoting shaft 102 are implemented as conventional trunnion pin assemblies. The shaft 102 is generally parallel to the lower band 34 and is in a vertical plane which, in a single-bed mode, includes the central longitudinal axis of the harvester. As you can see in the view of figure 10, in each On the side of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 is included an oscillating spring 144 and an oscillation damper 146 (only the oscillation spring 144 and an oscillation damper 146 are visible in the view of FIG. 10). Swing springs 144 tend to center the swing movement of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 and the oscillation dampers 146 tend to stabilize (damp) such movement to prevent oscillating movement of the cutter / conveyor assembly 30 as the gauge roll (Figure 2) rotates through the surface 54 of the countryside. 20 Referring again to the view of Figures 2-4, 8 and 13, the passage or space between the lower band 34 and the upper band 36 defines a product channel 104 through which the tender vegetables 55C cut from the cutting bar 32 pass to the channel 63 in the upper rear part of the bar. mounting 30 cutter / conveyor. As the cut tender vegetables 55C exit the product channel 104, they are discharged through the chute 63 into the product casing 64 in the slide 17. The height of the product channel 104 (i.e., the distance between the web 34 lower and upper band 36) at the front of the product channel 104 is adjustable using a product channel height adjustment mechanism 108. In Figures 2 and 3, the adjustment is by means of a bolt and groove in the member 110. Figures 4, 8 and 13 show a handle assembly. Alternatively, a hydraulic cylinder can be used. Figure 13 is a more detailed view of a portion of the product channel height adjustment mechanism 108. As best illustrated in the views of FIGS. 3 and 13, the product channel height adjustment mechanism 108 has a pair of riser tubes 110, one of which is rigidly fixed to each side of the mounting frame 66L and 66R. cutter / conveyor, respectively. A transverse bar 112 is provided between the upper portions of the vertical bars 110 and serves to retain the vertical bars 110 in their positions relative to one another. The upper portion of each of the vertical bars 110 receives one of a pair of threaded adjustment rods 114 so that the adjustment rod 114 is free to rotate within its vertical bar 110, although it is restricted to move upward or downwardly. down through vertical bar 110. A handle handle 116 is provided on the top of each of the adjustment rods 114 and two threaded adjusting nuts 118 are attached, one on each side, to the upper part of the band frame member 120 (part of the frame 66). The upper band frame 120 provides the frame on which the upper band 34 moves during its descent to Rl. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the product channel height adjustment mechanism 108, as described herein as shown in the view of Figure 4, will cause the upper band frame 120 to rise or fall, respectively. , as the handles 116 of the handle are turned in the direction or counterclockwise. In addition, the differentiable adjustments of the handlebars 116 will result in fixed adjustments of the lateral inclinations of the upper band 36 relative to the lower band 34. It should also be noted that the adjustment of the product channel height adjustment mechanism will raise or lower a forward projection 122 of the upper band 36. As can be seen in the views of Figures 1, 2, 3 and 13, the upper band 36 and the lower band are provided with band rollers 122 about which the bands 34 and 36 rotate in the configuration shown in the figures. 3 and 13. The lower band 34 is a conventional wire mesh band such as that commonly used in product harvesters, and the like., to transport the harvest that is being harvested. The upper band 36 of the best currently known embodiment 10 of the present invention is a specially manufactured band, as described herein. As best seen in Figures 4 and 6, the upper band 36 Fleece comprises a portion 126 of elongated band base (which is a continuous type conveyor belt) with a large number of finger strips or sections 128 attached to it. the same. The finger strips 128 are constructed of portions of a rubber or plastic material which has no tendency to regain its primitive shape. A thinner material than the band portion 126 is preferable. A suitable material is the 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick, food-grade, highly flexible, conventional white film of durometer 50-70. (e.g., "Boston" sheet # 362 of durometer sheet rubber 55-65 from Motion Industries, Inc., Salinas, CA). The surface can be regular or satin. A plurality, (the exact amount is determined by the dimensions - as will be discussed later) of rectangular fingers 130 intersecting each other from strips 128 (sections) of fingers that leave a portion 132 of uncut base of strip 128 of the series for attachment to the base 126 of the band. In the best currently known embodiment 10 of the present invention, the finger strips 128 are approximately 12.7 cm (5 inches) long by 2.5 cm (1 inch) to 3.8 cm (1-1 / 2 inches) wide. Each of the uncut portions 132 of each of the finger section strips 128 is adhered to the web base 126 of the top of the web so that the fingers 130 form rows 128 across the width of the web. upper band 36, as shown and the view of figure 6. Uncut portions 132 base are alternated on opposite sides of section 128 so that the fingers are supported on both sides and are equally flexible in both ways. This makes the band Universal Flee; that is, it is not left or right, and it can be mounted on rollers in any way. The base web 126 is a standard food-grade white nitrile rubber (such as the 41 kg (90 lb.) "Chemprene" two-layer 1.2 mm (3/64 inch) friction surface belt from Motion Industries , Inc., Salinas, CA). The series of fingers can be the same as the material of the band if it does not show a tendency to recover its primitive form. When vegetables are larger, for example spinach that has grown publicly, the material of the fingers may be stiffer and / or wider. As can be seen in the view of FIGS. 1, 8 and 13, the forward projection 122 of the upper strips 35 are shaped and placed so as to hang above and at the front of the cutting bar 32 so that fingers 130 will gently pick up or fold the tender vegetables 55c on the lower web 34 as the tender vegetables 55 are cut by the cutting bar 32. As discussed previously herein, the cutting bar 32 is of the two-blade type in motion which neatly cuts the tender vegetables without tearing the tender vegetables or pulling the tender vegetables from the surface 54 of the field. In Figures 1, 8 and 13, as the fingers 130 of the series 128 descend from the forward projection 122, they make contact with the vegetables 55U, guide them to the cutter 32 where they are cut and are recovered by the fingers through the holding plate 33 (figure 8) and from here on the band 34. Note that the cutter bar and the assembly 32 of clamping plate are attached to the adjustment mechanism 154 of the front roller R6 of lower band by means of the bracket 156 so that the front roller is adjusted forward or backward, and space is kept constant, between the clamping plate and the roller. As best seen in Figure 11, the upper band 36 and the lower band 34 are meshed together so that both move at the same relative velocity one with respect to the other (± 5%) and are coordinated to move at ± 15% of the forward land speed of the combine (arrow F in figure 11). The coordination of the speed of the two bands with each other and with ground speed is an important aspect of the successful operation of the tender vegetable harvester of this invention. If the speed of the belts 34 and 36 is too fast, in relation to the speed of movement of the harvester 10 of tender vegetables on the surface 54 of the In the field, the tender vegetables will be bruised and damaged as the fingers 130 push the tender vegetables towards the cutting bar 32 before the cutting bar 32 reaches the tender vegetables. Alternatively, if the speed of the webs 34 and 36 is too slow, the tender vegetables will be allowed to fall just below the cutting bar 32 as the tender vegetables are cut by the cutting bar 32, and in this way they are crushed. tender vegetables. The appropriate speed of bands 34 and 36 is generally 5% faster than the speed of travel of the combine 10 of vegetables on the surface 54 of field for the harvest of tender vegetables. The cutter bar 32 is commercially available as a Little ííonder ™ edge trimming cutter bar. As previously mentioned in the present, the The best currently known embodiment 10 of the harvester of the present invention is hydraulically driven. The drive motor 14 (FIG. 11) activates the primary hydraulic pump 50 and the auxiliary hydraulic pump 51, which provide hydraulic power to the harvester 10 of tender vegetables, as shown in FIG. discussed later, through hydraulic hoses (some of which have been omitted from the drawings to avoid unnecessary complexity which could obscure the pertinent details of the invention), which impel the wheels 20 by means of a suitable hub that drives the meters or transaxles.

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the major portions of the hydraulic drive portions of the tender vegetable harvester 10. With reference to Figures 11 and 12, the auxiliary hydraulic pump 51 selectively operates the lifting rod 96 of the cutter / conveyor assembly as controlled by the rod control lever 134 which is physically located in the conductor station 16 ( figure 2). In the forward mode, the externally compensated primary hydraulic pump 50 provides hydraulic motive power to a pair of primary hydraulic drive motors 136L and 136R, each of which drives one of the front drive wheels 20. A forward / reverse and flow control (fluid movement plate on the motor 14) is joined and controlled by the switch 138 at the driver station 16 to allow an operator to regulate the direction (forward / reverse) ) and the speed of the 10 harvester of vegetables. In order to avoid differential rotation of the two forward drive wheels 20 when it is desired to move the tender vegetable harvester 10 in a straight line, a normally open 12-volt open-position valve 137 is placed between the primary hydraulic pump 50 and the hydraulic drive engines 137. The position-tension valve is a device known to provide similar amounts of hydraulic fluid flowing to each of the primary hydraulic drive motors 136. The operator can turn off the traction-position valve 137 when it is desired to turn the harvester 10 of tender vegetables, and it is automatically interrupted for reversal so that it acts as a T for the output of reversed fluid flow in the engines towards the pump. As discussed previously herein, it is desirable to have webs 34 and 36 generally traveling 5% faster than the speed of harvester 10 of tender vegetables, i.e., more than 85% of tender vegetables can be cut to this proportion. In the best currently known embodiment 10 of the present invention, this is carried out as follows: a secondary hydraulic pump 140 (by a chain 141) is driven from the right front drive wheel 20. The secondary hydraulic pump 140 provides hydraulic motive power to the hydraulic drive motor 142 which drives the belts 34 and 36. The lower part of the belt 34 drives the upper part of the belt 36 through a chain 145 through half of sprockets on R6, R3 and R5. As discussed hereinabove, the two bands 34 and 36 are mechanically jointed together so that only one hydraulic drive motor 142 is required for the two bands 34 and 36. The hydraulic power to a bar motor 148 sickle (for driving the cutting bar 32 shown in Figures 1 and 2 through a chain unit 149) and for a conventional power steering control 150 and for providing a lifting rod control 152, as shown in the schematic view of Figure 12, from the auxiliary hydraulic pump 51. In order to reverse the harvester, the switch 138, by means of the link 139, drives the reversal of fluid flow directly on the motors of the two wheels, and the return is carried out by means of a normally open, now inactive valve. , as shown by the legends and arrows in the upper part of figure 12.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The combine can be used in commercial operations, and experimental field tests of prototypes result in increases in production of 3 to 10 times without bruises and crushed, the shelf life of tender vegetables extends in several days to a week or more in the current tests. As a result, the harvester has obvious industrial applicability. When using the harvester 10 of the invention for tender vegetables, the tender vegetables 55 may be cut within about 6 mm (1/4 inch) above the bed 58. Although prior art conventional harvesters are acceptable for harvesting, example, of spinach that has grown completely (which are cut to heights of 2.5 cm (1 inch) or greater above bed 58) can be appreciated for tender vegetables (which can grow a total height of only 7.6 or 10 cm (3 or 4 inches)) which would not be an effective combine harvester before the current inventive harvester, without unduly damaging the product. In operation, the driver starts the engine, accumulates hydraulic pressure in both the main hydraulic pump 50 and the auxiliary pump 51 and lifts the entire cutter / conveyor assembly by actuating the lifting rod 96. Then the combine is driven to a field that is to be harvested, with the drive and rear steering wheels aligned with the furrow. The steering is actuated by the steering wheel 42 which in turn sends the appropriate hydraulic fluid to the steering rod 48 via control 150 in a manner proportional to the desired steering angle. The lifting rod is then retracted until a clearance appears in the rod hinge 98 and the cutter / conveyor is "floating" on the roller 56 and leaf spring 86. Once the roller is in contact with the surface 54 of the bed, the operator disengages the fastener on the height adjustment level mechanism 78 of the cutter bar and drops the cutter within about 6 mm (1/4 inch) of the top of the bed 54. The flow divider 151 has sent part of the hydraulic fluid from the auxiliary pump 51 to the cutter bar so that the cutter bar is driven before the harvester moves on. a forward direction. The operator then engages the drive forward and the cutter moves forward below the bed. Since the conveyors are controlled by the drive wheels by means of the chain unit 141 and the belt pump 140, as the tender vegetables are cut, they are continuously taken by the lower transfer conveyor 34 and are cut by the web 36. They fled higher, and transported to the discharge chute and then sent to the loading place below it. The worker stands on the aisle 19 and places several empty loads on the loading slide 17, with a load under the gutter. When this load is complete, the worker slides an empty load into place under the chute, pushing the full load aside at the same time. Then, as the second empty charge is filled, the first full charge is stacked on the stacking portion of the stacking platform 18b. The driver can adjust the belt speed + 5% by using a control valve 153 (vernier). This operation continues until the operator reaches the end of the row. Then the lifting rod is used to lift the entire assembly as a U-turn is made. Then the operator repeats the process described above, advancing the subsequent rows until the harvest is complete.

It should be understood that various modifications may be made within the scope of this invention by a person usually familiar with the art without departing from the spirit thereof. I hereby desire that my invention be defined by the scope of the appended claims as broadly as the prior art allows, and in view of the specification if so required.

Claims (29)

1. A harvester for harvesting vegetables, characterized in that it comprises: (a) a cutting bar for cutting vegetables; (b) a lower band for transporting the vegetables from the cutting bar to a packing station; (c) an upper band generally opposite the lower band for retaining the vegetables loosely against the lower band.

2. The harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: (a) the upper band includes a plurality of flexible fingers for loosely retaining the vegetables against the lower band.

3. The harvester according to claim 2, characterized in that: (a) the flexible fingers are generally rectangular strips of plastic or rubber material.

4. The harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: (a) the upper band and the lower band move at ± 5% of the same speed so that the vegetables are not damaged by any relative movement between the upper band and the lower band.

5. The harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: (a) the upper band and the lower band move at a speed of about ± 15% of the speed at which the harvester moves on the ground.

6. The harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: (a) the cutting bar has two movable cutting blades.

7. The harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: (a) the cutter bar, the lower band and the upper band are rotatably mounted in a cutter / conveyor assembly; and (b) the cutter / conveyor assembly is supported near the front by a calibrating roll so that the cutter bar can be maintained at a preselected distance above the ground.

8. The harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: (a) the cutter / conveyor assembly is rotatably attached to a harvester chassis near the packing station so that the movement of the cutter / conveyor assembly relative to the Chassis produces a minimum differential movement between the cutter / conveyor assembly and the packaging station.

9. A vegetable harvester, characterized in that it comprises, in operative combination: (a) a chassis that includes front drive wheels and rear addressable wheels; (b) an engine mounted on the chassis to activate the drive wheels; (c) a cutter / conveyor assembly mounted on the engine and extending forward and towards the rear of the drive wheels, towards the rear thereof, the cutter / conveyor assembly includes: (i) a cutter bar mounted on the front end of the assembly; and (ii) a first conveyor belt mounted generally at the rear of the cutting bar to receive the vegetables cut by the cutting bar; (iii) a retention band having a means thereof for retaining the cut vegetables while being transported up and back along the conveyor belt without substantial movement of the vegetables with respect to the conveyor belt; wherein (iv) the conveyor belt unloads the cut vegetables at the end upwards and backwards of the same; (d) a means for adjusting the height of the cutting bar with respect to the bed on which the vegetables grow; and (e) a platform means mounted on the chassis to retain containers of cut vegetables discharged from the conveyor belt.

10. The cutter / conveyor assembly for a vegetable harvester, characterized in that it comprises, in operative combination: (a) a frame having side rails placed in a generally vertical plane, the side rails are spaced a sufficient width to cover the width of the rails. vegetable beds; (b) a plurality of rollers that are hinged on the side rails, the rollers are adapted to gently retain a first conveyor belt of lower cut vegetables, and a second, top retainer band; (c) the assembly has a front end and a rear end; (d) a cutter bar mounted at the front end of the assembly in association with the lower conveyor belt; (e) a first lower cut vegetables conveyor belt, mounted on and propelled about the rollers from the lower forward position to a raised rear position, the rear position comprising a discharge end of the web; (f) a vegetable holding band mounted on and propelled about a second plurality of rollers from a forward position of the cutting bar and the lower conveyor belt, to a forward position of the trailing end of the conveyor belt; (g) the conveyor belt and the retaining band are generally mounted in parallel along a transport path of the cut vegetables upwardly from the cutting bar to a midpoint of a discharge end of the transport bed; (h) a drive energy means for driving at least one roller for each of the bands.

1. The assembly of cutter / conveyor according to indication 10, characterized in that: (a) the lower conveyor belt is mounted on four rollers and includes an inclined section and a horizontal discharge section rearward, when in use; and (b) the upper retaining band is mounted on at least three rollers, the three rollers are placed at the vertices of a triangle with two pieces forward of the cutting bar, and the third placed elevated above the first two vertices and adjacent to the break in the lower transport bed at the transition between the inclined section and the horizontal section.

2. The assembly of cutter / conveyer according to indication 11, characterized in that: (a) the upper retaining band includes a plurality of series, closely spaced together, and each series comprises a row of flexible fingers.

3. The assembly of cutter / conveyor according to indication 12, characterized in that: (a) the spacing between the bands and the front end of the assembly does not substantially exceed the length of the fingers of the upper band.

4. The cutter / conveyor assembly according to indication 12, characterized in that: (a) the length of. The fingers of the upper retaining band are larger than the distance between the two bands at the front end of the assembly.

5. The assembly of cutter / conveyor according to indication 12, characterized in that: (a) the upper retaining strip is mounted on the rollers so that the fingers descend on the uncut, vertical vegetables in a bed before they are cut, the The lower web contact forms retention spaces between the adjacent series to keep the cut vegetables in a position on the lower web, and wherein the upper and lower webs diverge towards the rear end of the cutter / conveyor assembly so that the fingers of the upper band are gradually uncoupled from the vegetables in the lower band.

16. A harvester band, characterized in that it comprises, in operative combination: (a) a generally rectangular sheet of web material having a length, a lateral width, a first top surface and a second bottom surface; (b) a plurality of series extending away from the upper surface oriented substantially transverse across the width of the web and spaced at substantially regular intervals along the length of the web; and (c) each of the series comprises a plurality of fingers, the fingers having sufficient flexibility to retain the harvested product in position in a moving web, without causing substantial bruising thereof.

17. The harvester belt, according to claim 16, characterized in that: (a) the fingers are generally rectangular strips of flexible plastic material.

18. The harvester band, according to claim 16, characterized in that: (a) the harvester band has a width sufficient to substantially encompass the width of at least one product bed.

19. The harvester band, according to claim 16, characterized in that: (a) the series have a height in the order of about 7.6 cm to 30 cm (3-12 inches); (b) the fingers have a width in the order of about 2.5 cm to 15.2 cm (1-6 inches).

20. The harvester band, according to claim 16, characterized in that: (a) the fingers have a length less than the height of the series, and a thickness in a range from 1.5 mm to 13 mm (1/16-1 / 2) inches).

21. The harvester belt, according to claim 16, characterized in that: (a) the series are separate pieces of material fixed to the belt.

22. The harvester band, according to claim 16, characterized in that: (a) the series are separate pieces of a material similar to the material from which the band is made.

23. A method for harvesting vegetables, characterized in that it comprises the steps, in any operative combination, of: (a) providing a cutting bar for cutting the vegetables at a preselected, controllable height, above the bed of the vegetables; (b) advancing the cutting bar along the bed while cutting the vegetables; (c) providing a means for coupling the upper leaves of the uncut vegetables before being cut; (d) advancing the coupling means in a direction opposite to the advancing direction of the cutting bar so that the vegetables are gently bent backwards in their base while being cut; (e) gently sweeping the cut vegetables on a conveyor belt by the vegetable coupling means; (f) transporting the cut vegetables via the conveyor belt to a receiving station placed rearward of the cutting bar; (g) maintaining the vegetable engaging means in contact with the cut vegetables in the web to loosely hold the vegetables against the conveyor belt without substantial relative movement of the coupling means and the conveyor belt.

4. The method for harvesting vegetables according to indication 23, characterized in that: (a) the vegetable coupling means comprises a band with fingers having a plurality of series of flexible fingers; and which includes the steps of: (b) controlling the movement of the docking fingers with the vegetables so that the fingers descend from the top inside the growing vegetables; and (c) controlling the separation of the fingers above the conveyor belt so that the fingers form nets to retain the cut vegetables as they are transported to the receiving station.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that it includes: (a) a step of controlling the relative speed of the two bands so that substantially the same speed is moved so that the band with fingers does not cause substantial bruising of the Vegetables that are dredged on the vegetables cut on the conveyor belt.

26. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that it includes: (a) a step to control the forward speed of the cutter bar in relation to the speed of the conveyor belt, so that the vegetables are not grouped on the conveyor belt as they are cut.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that it includes the steps of: (a) providing motive power to advance the cutter bar at a selected ground speed rate by control; and (b) deriving energy from the drive of the conveyor belt as a measured portion of the driving energy.

28. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that it includes the step of: (a) providing a means for controlling the height of the cutting bar above the bed.

29. The method of harvesting, according to claim 23, characterized in that it includes: (a) the added step of providing a means to lift the cutting bar and the conveyor belt above the ground to load a trailer or road transport. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A harvester (10) of tender vegetables, for harvesting small vegetables for salad known as tender vegetables, which has a chassis (12) with a bed (18) for packing therein. A cutter / conveyor assembly (30) is attached to the chassis (12) so that the assembly (30) can rotate relative to the chassis (12) along a longitudinal pivoting shaft (102) and a pivoting shaft (62) of assembly of cutter / conveyor generally horizontal. The cutter / conveyor assembly (30) has a lower band (34) and an opposite upper band (36), separate and generally parallel. The special upper band (36) referred to as a Flyband, has a plurality of highly flexible fingers (130) designed to allow the fingers to descend into the growing vegetables from the top. This allows the vegetables to be placed gently to cut and retain the cut vegetables in the lower conveyor belt without bruising them, and then uncoupled just prior to delivery via the chute (63) which is directed to the packing bed (18) .