Harvester and method for harvesting green tomatoes

摘要

A harvester for green tomatoes growing on vines in a row having a frame mounted for travel along such a row, a knife borne by the frame to sever such vines in the row, a conveyor for elevating the severed vines in the frame, an aqueous bath, a vibrating conveyor above the tank adapted to receive vines with tomatoes adherent thereto from the elevating conveyor and to shake tomatoes from the vines for descent into the tank, a straining conveyor in the bath adapted to strain tomatoes from the bath and to elevate them therefrom, and a source of air under pressure directed at tomatoes removed from the bath to dry surface moisture therefrom as well as a method for harvesting such tomatoes including severing the vines from the ground, shaking the vines to dislodge tomatoes therefrom for gravitational descent therefrom, catching the tomatoes in an aqueous bath, circulating water in the bath to wash the tomatoes, removing the washed tomatoes from the bath, and subjecting the tomatoes to an air blast to dry surface moisture therefrom all while traveling along the row.