Tobacco Plant Harvester

A harvester for tobacco plants is provided for towing by a prime mover to which an articulated frame is attached, the frame mounting a movable turret having spears on which tobacco stalks are impaled. During removal of the stalks from the spears, they are loaded on sticks which are then manually removed from the harvester. A hydraulic system powered from the prime mover serves to actuate each of the turrets, an empty stick supplying mechanism, a loaded stick removing mechanism, and the mechanism for transferring stalks from the spears to the sticks; and a mechanical power takeoff shaft driven by the prime mover drives the conveyor which moves stalks after being cut from their root systems to the turret for impaling on the spears

Transplanter Mounting Attachment for a Harvester

A transplanter mounting attachment for attachment to a crop harvester including a pivot shaft operatively connected for rotation about an axis extending longitudinally with respect to a support frame of a crop harvester. A rotating sleeve substantially orthogonally disposed with respect to the pivot shaft and rotatably mounted relative thereto. A connecting shaft substantially orthogonally disposed with respect to the pivot shaft and rotatably mounted relative thereto. At least one transplanter attaching assembly operatively connected to the rotating sleeve and being raised or lowered upon rotary motion being imparted to the rotating sleeve. Wheels are provided which are operatively connected to the connecting shaft for engaging the ground surface to support the transplanter attaching assembly. The transplanter attaching assembly is free to rotate about substantially horizontal axes which extend substantially parallel and perpendicular to the support frame of a crop harvester

Curling Burley Tobacco from an Automated Harvesting System

If burley tobacco can be successfully cured at high density under waterproof covers in the field, a producer can expand production without the necessity of building new curing barns and can thereby more easily justify investment in the automated burley tobacco harvesting system (Wells et al., 1990a, b). Curing under waterproof covers in the field and curing on frames in the barn were evaluated over three curing seasons using two varieties (KY 14 and TN 86), two plant densities (32 and 43 plants/m2, 3 and 4 plants/ft2), position of tobacco on the frame (four levels ranging from edge to center) and stalk position (bottom, middle and top). Conventionally cured tobacco was used as the standard of comparison and grade index was used as the assessment of quality. Averaged over a three-year period, burley tobacco cured in the field over sod and under waterproof covers and conventionally cured tobacco were of equal quality (56.0 and 55.8 grade index, respectively) and were both superior to tobacco cured on frames in the barn (52.0). During the dry curing season, burley tobacco cured under the covers had a higher grade index (54.9) than that cured conventionally (43.5) or on frames in the barn (43.7) but during the moderately wet and wet curing seasons, conventionally cured burley tobacco had a higher grade index (62.3 and 61.5, respectively) than that cured under covers (58.9 and 54.2, respectively) or on frame in the barn (59.0 and 53.4, respectively). During the wet curing season, leaf tips near the sod in the field and near the concrete in the barn cured dark red resulting in a lowered grade index. Burley tobacco from the automated harvesting system is better cured outside under waterproof covers than cured in a barn

Storage of Burley Tobacco in Bales and Bundles

Bales and bundles of burley tobacco were stored for seven months from spring to fall. Leaves darkened during storage at all moisture levels and stalk positions with the exception of the bottom stalk position, which darkened only slightly. There was no difference in color change and dry weight loss between burley tobacco in bales and bundles. Normal and high moisture bales and bundles were often graded as unsound because of a deviant odor caused by bacterial activity. A bale weight loss of about 8% occurred at normal moisture with the loss being divided evenly between moisture and dry weight losse

Crop Harvester Including a Quickly Adjustable Semi-Floating, Self-Steering Cutter Head

The present invention is directed to an easily adjustable, semi-floating, self-steering cutter head for row crops. The present invention incorporates self-steering capabilities, a cut-off mechanism and a quick-adjustment into a single integral unit. Direction sensing is accomplished by utilizing a feeler arm or a set of feeler arms which follow the plant stock row or other protrusions or indentations. Forces detected by the guidance sensors are transmitted to a ring which is a part of the housing and/or shielding of the cut-off device. The steering forces may be transmitted to a steering system through a single connection. The present invention is particularly useful in harvesting tobacco

Wind Drag on Burley Tobacco Plants

Drag coefficient and center of resistance to wind forces were determined for four varieties of burley tobacco at three stages of growth and using wind velocities ranging from about 3 to 17 m/s. Drag coefficients determined ranged from about 0.024 at the highest velocity to about 0.081 at the lowest velocity. Stage of growth and wind velocity had significant effects on drag coefficient. Variety did not have a significant effect on drag coefficient. Mean center of resistance varied from 42.3 percent of the distance from bottom leaf to top leaf at the early stage of growth to 71.2 percent at harvest stage. Center of resistance was significantly affected by variety, stage of growth, and wind velocity

Cultivating Attachment for Crop Harvester Support Vehicle

A cultivator for attachment to a crop harvester including at least one tool frame member with soil tilling tools adjustably mounted relative thereto. A shaft is provided rotatably mounted relative to a support frame of the crop harvester. An actuating member is operatively connected to the shaft and the support frame for selectively imparting rotation to the shaft. A link is operatively, pivotally connected between the tool frame member and the support frame for guiding the frame member and the soil tilling tools between a raised position out of engagement with a ground surface and a lowered position into engagement with the ground surface. A connecting member is operatively connected to the shaft and the frame member for translating rotational motion of the shaft into rotatable, vertical motion of the tool frame member and the soil tilling tools about the link pivotally mounted to the support frame to selectively raise and lower the frame member and the soil tilling tools

Two Row Crop Harvester

A two row harvesting aid including an easily adjustable, semi-floating, self-steering primary cutter head and an auxiliary second row attachment for harvesting row crops. Self-steering capabilities, a cut-off mechanism and a quick-adjustment are combined into a single integral unit on the primary harvester. Direction sensing is accomplished by utilizing a feeler arm or a set of feeler arms which follow the plant stock row or other protrusions or indentations. Forces detected by the guidance sensors are transmitted to a ring which is a part of the housing and/or shielding of the cut-off device. The steering forces may be transmitted to a steering system through a single connection. The auxiliary second row attachment includes a motor operatively connected to an auxiliary cutter head for simultaneously harvesting an adjacent row of crops

Stick Holder and Deposition Device

The present invention is directed to a device for positioning a stick relative to a harvesting aid. The stick holder mounts a stick relative to an operator positioned on a harvesting aid. The stick holder is designed to adjust the height and angle of the stick relative to the operator. In addition, a plant holding trough is provided adjacent to the stick holder to retain the harvested crops prior to a loaded stick being discharged from the stick holder

Phosphine distribution during fumigation of wheat in steel bins: extended abstract: Poster

Phosphine is a widely used fumigant for controlling insects in stored grain, but fumigation effectiveness is often compromised by suboptimal distribution of the gas. Leaks in the grain bin wall and roof, foreign material in the grain, and phosphine placement contribute to regions of insufficient concentration of fumigant, resulting in insect survival and leading to phosphine-resistant insect populations. Phosphine distribution was studied during field tests in temporarily sealed bins to compare distribution from conventional probed tablets to the distribution using a closed-loop recirculation system. The results showed uneven distribution patterns and leakage over time with conventional probed tablets, which resulted in some areas in the lower half of the grain mass receiving no phosphine and some other locations remaining below the target phosphine concentration for the entire period of fumigation. The closed-loop fumigations with the same phosphine dosage yielded much more uniform phosphine concentrations, but suffered from equal or greater phosphine leakage losses.Phosphine is a widely used fumigant for controlling insects in stored grain, but fumigation effectiveness is often compromised by suboptimal distribution of the gas. Leaks in the grain bin wall and roof, foreign material in the grain, and phosphine placement contribute to regions of insufficient concentration of fumigant, resulting in insect survival and leading to phosphine-resistant insect populations. Phosphine distribution was studied during field tests in temporarily sealed bins to compare distribution from conventional probed tablets to the distribution using a closed-loop recirculation system. The results showed uneven distribution patterns and leakage over time with conventional probed tablets, which resulted in some areas in the lower half of the grain mass receiving no phosphine and some other locations remaining below the target phosphine concentration for the entire period of fumigation. The closed-loop fumigations with the same phosphine dosage yielded much more uniform phosphine concentrations, but suffered from equal or greater phosphine leakage losses