Robert W Sousa

53736885, Dec 20, 1994

Feb 24, 1994

8/201415

Glenn A. Stanley - Durham CA
Robert J. Sousa - Chico CA

Weiss-McNair, Inc. - Chico CA

A01D 5100

563281

A first and a second debris outlet on a fan housing having a single fan and single intake or suction opening on a nut harvester. The nut harvester being of the type having structure for picking nuts up from the ground and depositing the nuts onto a moving open conveyor chain to carry the nuts for deposit into a storage container. The harvester includes a debris removal system including the fan within the fan housing connected to intake ducting positioned to draw air through the open conveyor chain to draw debris from the nuts into the fan housing to be exhausted out onto the ground. The first and second debris outlets are positioned on opposite sides of the fan housing from one another, approximately 180 degrees apart, and positioned so that debris is discharged to the two oppositely disposed sides of the harvester. The present invention provides an arrangement for exhausting debris quickly after it enters the fan housing by way of greatly reducing the distance the debris must travel prior to being exhausted through the nearest debris outlet, and this provides less clogging and more consistent air drawing, and thus improved debris removal from the nuts. Additionally, the debris exhaust air stream is divided by two, resulting in less dust being created.

50018930, Mar 26, 1991

Jul 2, 1990

7/546716

Glenn A. Stanley - Durham CA
Robert J. Sousa - Chico CA

Weiss/McNair Inc. - Chico CA

A01D 5100

563281

A wheel mounted harvester having a tow hitch at each end thereof for towing by a tractor, and to allow the harvester to simultaneously tow a harvest trailer. The harvester is used in orchards to pick-up nuts for deposit into the trailer towed by the nut harvester. Crop pick-up and cleaning mechanics on the harvester are powered by the power-take-off unit of the towing tractor. The harvester structure uses a pulley and vertically oriented drive belt arrangement at the front end of the harvester to transfer power from the power-take-off shaft to a support shaft of a suction fan and hydraulic fluid pump mounted thereto. The suction fan and housing therefor is mounted at the center front end of the harvester. Affixed to the fan housing and extending rearward therefrom is an elongated vacuum chamber leading centrally into a debris separation chamber. One short drive chain and sprocket arrangement, and three hydraulic motors with fluid lines are used for transferring power to components of the harvester located away from the front end of the harvester.