A new shaker for fruit and nut trees

✍ Scribed by H.A. Affeldt Jr; G.K. Brown; J.B. Gerrish

• Book ID: 104140253
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 852 KB
• Volume: 44
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8634
• DOI: 10.1016/s0021-8634(89)80070-8

✦ Synopsis

Bark damage at the point of shaker attachment has become a major concern with the widespread use of mechanical harvesters for fruits and nuts. The dynamic displacements of a commercial trunk shaker when clamped to three sizes of Montmorency cherry trees were monitored for damaging effects. Maximum displacements were found to be 2-5 times greater during start-up and shut-down than at steady-state. Relative displacements between the shaker and the trunk were also excessive and can exceed tolerable bark strength limits. Subsequently, attempts were made to eliminate potentially damaging displacements through shaker redesign. A controllable variable-eccentric mass (VEM) was designed and retrofitted into the commercial shaker in place of the original fixed-mass. The design successfully eliminated excessive vibration resulting from low natural frequencies and shaker inertia while retaining the desired motion necessary for fruit removal.