TODAY’S PATENT – HOP PICKING MACHINES

The HOP PICKING MACHINES was invented by Charlie J Soules on the 7th of September 1965, bearing patent number US3204748A.

This present invention generally relates to hop picking machines and, more specifically, to hop picking machines in which the hop vines are automatically transferred from a Pomona conveyor to graspers carried by an endless conveyor which pulls the vines into the hop picking machine. Hops are raised on trellises which are generally sixteen to eighteen feet in height and the hop vines attain substantially this height. When ripe, the hops have heretofore been picked by hand.

However, because of conditions appurtenant to the growing of hops, the brevity of the picking season, the scarcity of labor, and other factors, hand picking of hops is unduly expensive. In addition, the most careful hand-picking results in the ac cumulation of large quantities of leaves and other foreign material in the hops and the handling and delay involved in sacking or boxing the hops and transporting them to the drying house often results in discoloration, flattening, and bruising of the hops.