Methods, apparatus or hand tools for

Separation of useful parts of plants (e.g. seeds, fruits, roots, stalks or leaves) from the remainder of the plants in the place where the plants are grown;

Mowing of plants (e.g. grass or cereals), regardless of whether the intention is to make use of the mown plants or not;

Gathering of whole plants (e.g. root crops or onions) or their useful parts (e.g. fallen fruit) from where the plants grow or from the ground;

Haymaking, i.e. working on mown forage crop lying on the ground with the intention to make hay.

Hand rakes.

Forks

Non-abrasive sharpening devices for scythes, sickles or the like.

Containers for whetstones for use during harvesting.

Machines specially adapted for binding of harvested hay, straw or similar crops in the field.

Arrangements for making or setting of stacks, used in connection with harvesting.

Vehicles specially adapted for carrying harvested crops with means for self-loading or unloading.

Combined or convertible apparatus

This subclass covers mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations (e.g. threshing) while mowing, mowers convertible to apparatus for purposes other than mowing (e.g. for sweeping snow), and mowers capable of performing operations other than mowing (e.g. soil-working). The non-mowing parts of such mowers are only covered by this subclass if they are immediately associated with the mowing parts or the mowing process. Otherwise they are covered by the places for the non-mowing operations.

This subclass covers digging harvesters (e.g. for root crops) combined with apparatus performing additional operations (e.g. topping, separating or planting) while harvesting. The non-harvesting parts of such combinations are only covered by this subclass if they are immediately associated with the harvesting parts or the harvesting process. Otherwise they are covered by the places for the non-harvesting operations.

Hand tools for soil working

This subclass covers hand tools for soil working when specially adapted for harvesting, for example of root crops. This subclass also covers rakes and forks. A01B 1/00 covers hand tools for soil working in general, e.g. spades, shovels or hoes, with the exception of rakes and forks.

Binding

This subclass covers apparatus specially adapted for binding of harvested hay, straw or similar crops, with the exception of stationary apparatus or hand tools, which are covered by A01F 1/00, and binding apparatus specially adapted for baling presses, which is covered by A01F 15/14. Binding in general is covered by B65B, for example B65B 13/00 and B65B 27/12.

Shredding or pulverising

This subclass covers the shredding or pulverising of stubble or other vegetation in situ, e.g. for the purpose of producing mulch, but does not cover other mechanical destruction of unwanted vegetation, which is covered by group A01M 21/02.

Human-held tools for harvesting.

the plough or blade itself which penetrates into the ground for loosening the root crops.

Example of a potato plough (from US2519761 by John R. Hobbs)

Example of digging machine with sieve graters but without conveying mechanisms from US2932354 by Bucher Guyer AG.Masch.

The sieving mechanism acts as conveying mechanism as well.

Example of conveyor above a sieving device from US1876137 by Carls Engelen.

Example of a lath band from EP0212146 by Franz Grimme Landmaschf.

Special aspects of the documents classified in this group are further classified using an Indexing Code of A01D 2017/103 (construction), A01D 2017/105 (driving means), A01D 2017/106 (fingers on belt), and A01D 2017/108 (paddles on belt).

Digging machines comprising centrifugal wheels, drums or spinners in order to clean and convey the root crop after having been lifted from the ground.

Example of centrifugal wheels from EP0418985 by Hack

Digging machines in which the root crop is picked up by a conveying element immediately after having been loosened by a very short plough.

Example from EP0719495 by Amac BV.

Removing the top part of root crops (e.g. sugar beet).

Example from US2587258 by Wilkinson Read A.

Special aspects of the documents classified in this group are further classified using an Indexing Code of A01D 2023/022 (rotatable non cutting devices), A01D 2023/024 (fix blades), A01D 2023/026 (movable knives), and A01D 2023/028 (cutters on a shaft)

Removing the top part of root crops after the root crop has been lifted (i.e. extracted from the soil).

Devices which lift the root crop from ground level upwards.

Example from US1331957 by Utah Idaho Sugar Co.

Machines comprising means for both lifting the root crop from ground level upwards and removing the top part of said crop (simultaneously or not).

Machines explicitly intended for harvesting peanuts

Accessories for digging harvesters, i.e. devices which do not form part of the digging and topping arrangements covered by the previous groups (A01D 13/00 - A01D 31/00), but which also form part of a root crop harvester (e.g. special cleaning devices, drives, etc). See subgroups for some particular accessories which should be classified in one of those and not in this head group.

Special aspects of the documents classified in this group and subgroups, which relate to yield crop determination are further classified using an Indexing Code of A01D 2033/005.

Sorting and cleaning in general (e.g. for removing attached earth).

Collecting devices for root crops which have been lifted from the ground and left on the field.

Tanks and containers for root crop harvesters.

Carrying and storage means

Robotic devices (working independently or autonomous)

Flail type cutting-blade

Means for following ground contours

Electric drive for the wheels.

Mounting means for accessories

Driving means for accessories

Reference A01G 3/00 is non-limiting in the subgroup A01D 34/84. CPC will be updated/corrected once this inconsistency is resolved in IPC.

Apparatus carried by an operator, i.e. not supported by wheels

Emptying, filling tanks

Unloading

Determined filling degree (the height of what is in the containers)

Harvesting of ears or corn ears

Harvesting of soya beans

Harvesting of celery, cauliflower

Harvesting of strawberries

Removing leaves

Couplings between tractor and harvesting machine

Folding and adjusting arrangements

Creating a stack of loose products or of bales.

Example from FR1366404 by Berghoff Werner.

Subdivision of the previous group which covers devices where loose product is actively accumulated in order to create a stack.

Example from US3402829 by Leedahl Alvin N.

Arrangements for making or setting stacks comprising binding equipment for tying the whole stack.

Special aspects of the documents classified in this group Are further classified using Indexing Codes of A01D 2085/007 (devices directly attached to a baler) and A01D 2085/008 (groups of bales just at horizontal level)

Devices for displacing on the fields hay or like field crops in loose form or as bales

Loaders comprising means for producing a strand of product, e.g. by means of rollers.

Example from GB1150050 by Claas.

Loaders directly connected to a 3-point hitch of a tractor which lack their own means of displacement which would allow handling of bales in a broader range of movements.

Example from EP0638229 by Lowe Maurice Samuel.

If the documents classified in this group comprise a manual trolley, then they must be also indexed in the group A01D 2087/123

Example from WO2009141692 by CAEB Internat. SRL

Example from US3052366 by Duncan Wilber O.

Apparatus requiring a certain degree of flexibility in displacing the bale in vertical and horizontal direction without depending on the movement of the vehicle alone, and/or the capacity of unrolling the round bale.

Example 1 from FR2628088 by Mailleux.

Example 2 from WO9911113 by Adolfsson Lars Gunnar.

If the documents classified in this group are capable of unrolling or breaking round bales, then they must be also indexed in the group A01D 2087/128

Attachments for picking-up hay or the like field crops.

Example from EP1929854 by Class Salgau GmbH.

Mounting means for the pick-up in order to connect it to the machine where it is installed (e.g. harverster, loading wagon, etc).

Accessories for the pick-up, i.e. devices which do not form part of the pick-up arrangements covered by the previous groups (A01D 89/00 - A01D 89/005), but which also form part of a pick-up device. See subgroups for some particular accessories which should be classified in one of those and not in this head group.

Pick up 6 with feeler wheel 7 and cutting device 11 comprising the conveying rotor 12 and the knife assembly 13 in the cutting frame.

If the documents classified in this group (and subgroups) are for transport of bunches of bananas, they must be also indexed in the group A01D 2090/005

Example from US5813814 by Justice Enterprises Inc.

If the documents classified in this group pick up loose product instead of bales, then they must be also indexed in the group A01D 2090/086

Additional devices or implements for the vehicles for carrying harvested crops with means for self-loading or unloading, i.e. devices which do not form part of the aspects covered by the previous groups (A01D 90/00 - A01D 90/105, A01D 90/14 and A01D 90/16), but which also form part of such vehicles (e.g. a drying mechanism for treating the product loaded onto the vehicle).

Methods for harvesting, but not particular machines or devices. Said methods must be characterised by a number of steps or procedures to be followed during harvesting (e.g. a method for harvesting sugar cane consisting of cutting the plant at 20%, 50% and 70% of its height, letting the different pieces dry on the ground for two days on different windrows, and collecting them separately).