Vineyard Harvester

Overview

The Vineyard Harvester is a self-propelled machine that drives along a row of grapevines with the row passing through a tunnel in the middle of the machine. As it moves, it shakes the canopy so that ripe berries detach and fall, then it catches, cleans, and stores the fruit. One machine replaces a large hand-picking crew and can clear roughly a hectare per hour at working speeds of 3 to 6 km/h. Because the body straddles the row, the design is tall and narrow, and the wheels run in the alleys on either side of the vines.

The machine is organized into eight subsystems: the Shaking Head that removes the fruit, the Catching & Conveying System that collects it, the Cleaning & Destemming System that strips out leaves and stems, the Grape Storage & Unloading that holds and discharges the crop, the Diesel Engine that supplies power, the Hydraulic System that drives every moving function, the tall Straddle Chassis, and the Operator Cab where the operator sits.

Shaking Mechanism

Fruit removal is the heart of the machine. Inside the tunnel, two banks of flexible Flexible Shaker Bow Rod reach in from both sides and press lightly against the trellis wire and the fruiting zone of the canopy. Each rod is a curved fiberglass bow chosen for its springy flex, so it bends around shoots and posts instead of breaking them. The rods are mounted on the Beater Frame and are driven by a Shaker Drive Eccentric at each side. The eccentric converts the rotation of a Shaker Hydraulic Motor into a rapid horizontal oscillation, typically 450 to 600 beats per minute. That motion travels down the rods and into the cordon, vibrating the berries until their pedicels snap and the fruit drops. The operator tunes both the frequency and the rod penetration from the cab, because under-shaking leaves fruit on the vine while over-shaking bruises berries and tears out green material.

Catching and Conveying

Falling berries must be caught before they hit the ground. Below the shaking zone, two overlapping rows of Catcher Scale Plate form a near-continuous floor that seals around each vine trunk as the machine advances, then springs back once the trunk passes. Fruit landing on these scales rolls inward onto a pair of Cleated Conveyor Belt assemblies running along each side. From there a Paddle Elevator lifts the load up to the cleaning deck. All of this transport is hydraulic: a Conveyor Hydraulic Motor powers each belt, elevator, and fan, so speeds can be matched to the crop flow.

Cleaning and Destemming

Raw harvest carries leaves, petioles, and bits of shoot that winemakers do not want. Two Leaf Suction Fan units draw air across the fruit stream and pull off light trash such as leaves. Heavier stem material is combed out by a set of Destemmer Roller units, each carrying soft Destemmer Finger elements that grip stems and reject them while letting berries pass. A final Vibrating Sorting Table vibrates the load across a perforated deck so that remaining debris falls through before the fruit reaches storage. The result is a clean berry stream suitable for direct delivery to the winery.

Storage and Unloading

Clean fruit is conveyed into the Grape Storage & Unloading, which holds two Storage Hopper bins of roughly 1000 litres each, lined with a food-grade Hopper Food-Grade Liner. When a hopper fills, the operator runs an Unloading Auger that discharges over the side into a trailer running alongside, so the machine never has to stop harvesting. A Hopper Tilt Cylinder tips the bin to clear the last fruit.

Power and Hydraulics

A turbo-diesel Diesel Engine of about 175 hp sits low in the frame for stability and drives the whole machine through hydraulics rather than mechanical shafts. The Hydrostatic Pump sends oil to four Wheel Drive Motor units, giving stepless ground speed and four-wheel traction on slopes. Separate Gear Pump units feed the implement circuits through a Control Valve Block that meters flow to the heads, conveyors, fans, and cylinders. Pressure is monitored by a Pressure Sensor in each major circuit, and a Hydraulic Oil Cooler keeps the fluid in range during long working days.

Chassis and Leveling

The Portal Frame is the arch that spans the row and carries every subsystem. It stands on four Wheel Leg assemblies that telescope to set ground clearance and, more importantly, to keep the body level on sloping vineyards. A Leveling Cylinder on each side adjusts leg height automatically so the picking head stays square to the canopy, and Steering Cylinder units steer the legs through tight headland turns.

Operation and Maintenance

The operator works from an elevated Operator Cab, steering with a Control Joystick and watching shake intensity, speed, and yield on the Harvest Display Terminal. The Machine Control ECU coordinates shake frequency with ground speed so the canopy receives an even beat. Harvesting is usually done at night when berries are cool and firm. Maintenance centers on the picking and cleaning hardware: bow rods and Destemmer Finger elements wear and are replaced as a routine, Ball Bearing and Oil Seal items on the eccentrics and rollers are inspected each season, and the Return Line Filter is changed to protect the hydraulics. Food-contact surfaces are washed down after each day to keep harvested fruit clean.