How to make a cranberry harvester with your own hands. About cranberry bins and a special cranberry harvester

A berry harvester, a device that will be discussed in this article. Is this a scoop or comb? special design which are very well adapted for manual picking of berries in the forest.

Even in the old days, forest harvests were not harvested by hand. For this purpose, there was a scoop for collecting berries, which, of course, we made ourselves. This special equipment was made entirely of wood. A little later it could have been metal or combined.

Almost nothing has changed since then, only the tray for collecting berries (lingonberries, blueberries, cranberries) has become more convenient. Moreover, you can order a harvester for picking berries, rather than going anywhere to get it, especially since there is no need to make it yourself. This saves time and is again convenient.

Container for collecting berries - operating principle and description

The berry picker is designed for manually removing wild berries from bushes. The principle of its operation is to detach the berries from the branches of the bush. These berries are usually:

• blueberry,
• cowberry,
• cranberry.

The tearing process itself is carried out using teeth, which need to be used to pick up the berries, and pull the harvester forward or upward to collect blueberries and lingonberries. In principle, any other convenient hand movement in the current situation will do. The task is not so difficult that even children can cope with it. That's why there are children's devices on sale.

It is appropriate to highlight several characteristics, when considering which, you can decide how to choose a combine harvester for picking berries. Thus, the main parts of the design of combines for collecting lingonberries will be highlighted and their description will be made.

A device for collecting blueberries and lingonberries consists of teeth and a ladle into which the torn fruits are rolled. In addition, a manual blueberry harvester must be equipped with a handle.

There can be two types of elements for holding berry pickers in your hand:

• the first option, when the handle is located on the top and a box with this type of device is used to collect berries from bushes that grow taller. Although this description of the bushes is less than correct. Since none of the above berries grow high. It would be more correct to say that it is located very low;
• Therefore, the harvester for picking blueberries can be not only manual, but also extended. And attached like a flat cutter. That is, such a tool is used in cases where the picker does not have the desire or ability to bow deeply to every berry. By firmly attaching a handle made of wood rather than another material, the comb will already be called a rake for collecting lingonberries and blueberries. Another such device, with a handle like a rake, is simply called a rake.

The teeth also have some variety. Looking at the products in the berry picking containers section, you will notice that they do not have the same appearance. What is this connected with? The fastest way is with the nature of the growth of the berries themselves. Some of them ripen above the ground and are clearly visible. And others are level with the ground, and even hide under leaves and moss. Cranberries behave this way most quickly. That's why:

• located in the middle of the scoop. Its principle of operation will certainly prevent the berries from waking up after they have entered the container;
• Such a box is not a device, but a convenient and efficient berry harvester with a shutter. Which, with its internally located shutter, will prevent crop losses more than once. After all, it is not possible to collect small, albeit bright berries that have rolled under the leaves and natural crevices on the ground;
• fastened in such a way that it opens freely in the middle. That is, at the slightest tilt it simply sagged. And the berries rolled into the machine. But when tilted in reverse side, that is, forward, the fruit picker with a shutter for collecting blueberries and lingonberries will not be able to lose a single berry. That is, the flap will freely block their path to falling out.

And about the largest and no less important part in the design. The equipment of which is also designed with meaning. It also has a comb for cranberries and a tray for collecting blueberries. This is a spatula or rectangular-shaped part into which intermediate portions of berries are collected. The scoop itself for collecting lingonberries and blueberries into which the fruits are rolled may have a bottom:

• whole,
• with holes.

A fruit picker with a damper and holes at the bottom of the bucket is considered a universal, effective device for harvesting forest crops. Why are such holes needed? As it turns out, they perform a very important function. The thing is that during the described activity, along with the berries, a lot of unnecessary particles in the form of leaves end up in the berry collector. As well as branches and other debris. Which in any case will have to be taken away. And what is typical, whether this is done by a berry picking machine or this operation is done only with the help of hands, there will still be garbage. But the less it is accumulated by the blueberry scoop, the less time it will take to sift it out later.

What else should you pay attention to if it’s time to buy a manual berry harvester? Of course, on the material of its manufacture. Most quickly you will find berry pickers from any online store website:

• plastic. It's lightweight and durable material,
• metal. It could be food grade steel with paint coating. Naturally, it is not inferior in strength to plastic. But it's heavier in weight.

All designs of berry pickers present on Russian market, do not damage plants when used. That is, after picking berries with their help, next spring wild berry bushes will bloom profusely again. And so that you and I can enjoy the prepared vitamins in winter, of which there are many in lingonberries and other berry representatives, we will consider the rules for picking berries in the forest.

What are the benefits of lingonberries, blueberries and cranberries?

There is frankly a lot of information about how useful these fruits are. But since the type of product being presented is directly related to its collection, let us remember some interesting details about forest gifts in the form of berries.

Storehouse useful properties that blueberries have:

• a large amount of vitamin C - our body will be able to resist many diseases. One of them is colds in winter period;
• useful nutrients will help improve your vision. And constant use in food will serve as a prophylactic against weakened vision;
• beneficial fibers regulate metabolism in the human body. People who eat blueberries will never have problems with digestion;
• Antioxidants present in the pulp help you stay healthy and young longer.

Cranberry and its benefits:

• flavonoids, which strengthen the walls of blood vessels, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis;
• the genitourinary tract will be more protected from infections, doctors say. At the same time, you need to drink a glass of natural cranberry juice every day without sugar;
• to maintain oral hygiene - a glass of cranberry juice. Proanthocyanidin will prevent the growth of bacteria in the mouth. No bacteria - no caries.

The beneficial properties of lingonberries are necessary for expectant mothers:

• the iron content allows you to save the pregnant child;
• will help you relax nervous system, strengthen the immune system and prevent the development of infectious processes;
• An infusion of leaves relieves swelling, reduces blood pressure and strengthens blood vessels.

It is always convenient to have a fruit picker with a shutter when picking lingonberries in the forest. As can be seen from the described properties that forest gifts have, it is necessary to stock up on them to maintain health. It is also necessary to devote enough time to picking strawberries. If you have the opportunity and desire, why not take advantage of the gifts of nature.

Everything will be done very simply and you won’t need any great skills for this. You need to pick berries now and there is no time to make a berry harvester for a long time.

I needed to make two berry harvesters in one day, but they had to be durable, convenient and of high quality. We will do it in the simplest way. For production, scraps will be used, which are usually thrown away, but I always fold them and they will always be useful to me at the right time.

Part Dimensions

1. bottom - 220 x 100 x 13 mm

2. top - 155 x 114 x 7 mm

3. sidewall - 210 x 90 x 7 mm - 2 pcs.

4. back - 100 x 90 x 7 mm

Selecting from scraps required sizes in length, width and thickness. You can do a little less or more, sticking to mine. My second one turned out a little wider.

Working Bottom part, made of birch. The rest of the parts are made of pine. We select areas without knots and cracks. If there are no scraps, then we prepare them on machines. First of all, on jointer we drive the board away. Read my article on working on a woodworking jointing machine.

In the article I described what you need to pay attention to. Next we skip the thickness we need on the thickness gauge and on circular saw we cut the required dimensions. I recommend reading another article, working on a woodworking machine with a circular saw. All the subtleties of working on a saw.

The cuts on the lower part were made on a saw; the length of the cut is 60 mm if measured from the bottom, and 75 mm from the top. I set the saw to 3 mm. The gap between cuts is 5 mm. Then on your homemade grinding machine made a slight bend. It can be done with a grinding machine, but it will be fine without it if there is no possibility or tool for this.

You also need to shape the sides. We make an oblique cut, leave 155 mm at the top, and 25 mm at the bottom and saw off at the oblique. On the lower part we sharpen the ends a little, that's it sandpaper sanded and prepared for assembly. I wet and coated the berry harvester with waterproof varnish before assembling it. I drilled holes in the sides and top with a thin drill for nails and, before knocking them down, coated the joints with glue, epoxy resin. The handle and berry clamp were made from thin 1 mm iron.

Iron parts

1. handle - 220 x 30 mm

2. clamp - 115 x 100 mm

I used metal scissors to cut out the required dimensions. You can screw on any handle, not necessarily the one I made. I bent the ears on the clamp and drilled holes. Covered with bronze waterproof coating.

For the clamp, I drilled holes in the combine and screwed it on. It should open and close freely. I bent the handle in a vice and bent the edges before painting. I drilled holes in the handle and in the berry harvester. All you have to do is screw on the handle and the berry harvester is ready.

This is one of simple ways, and in winter you can try and make it carved. Look and read the article: blueberry harvester. Anyone can make a combine harvester if they have the desire. Now is the time to pick blueberries. A blueberry harvester is useful for harvesting lingonberries and is suitable for harvesting cranberries.

IN summer time Picking berries is one of the favorite pastimes of summer residents and gardeners. There are many devices that help greatly facilitate and speed up this process. To understand how to make a harvester for picking blueberries, lingonberries and strawberries yourself, let’s look at the features of picking berries.

Peculiarities of picking blueberries and strawberries

Picking blueberries and wild strawberries is a labor-intensive and painstaking process. The berries are small, the bushes are low and grow densely. Harvesting by hand is incredibly difficult - you literally have to pick one berry at a time from the vast greenery. In this case, you need to stand bending towards the ground.

Blueberry picking

Most often, blueberries are found in pine and small-leaved forests. Finding a berry patch is quite simple: a clear sign of the presence of bushes is wild plant- wild rosemary. It has a distinct smell, which will become your guide.

There are also cultivated varieties of blueberries that gardeners grow in summer cottages. The bushes of such plants are taller, but less common, and the berries are larger, and therefore it is much more convenient to collect them than forest ones.

Bushes can reach an age of 40 years. The oldest ones occupy a large area and have a spreading shape. They bear a lot of berries, but they are smaller than those on young plants.

The most delicious and useful fruits They grow precisely on young animals, whose age does not exceed 10 years. They have thin green twigs, and thick side branches are practically absent.

It is recommended to collect blueberries in small plastic buckets or baskets. Sprinkle harvested from one container to another is not worth it, since the berries, although strong, are easily damaged. You should not pick blueberries after rain; it is better to choose dry morning weather.

Collection of forest and garden strawberries

Picking strawberries also has its own characteristics. Both a wild forest and a garden berry, it loves well-lit, open areas. Ripe and ready-to-eat fruits have a bright red color and are easily separated from the stalk.

The fruit cups can be removed immediately, or the berries can be sorted later. Best time for picking strawberries - in the morning, when the dew has dried. The fruits must be collected in small containers of 2-3 kg. It is not recommended to overspray; the berries are soft and easily damaged.

Factory-made blueberry harvester

A scoop for picking blueberries is the simplest and most popular device among lovers of this berry. Despite its simplicity, it performs its functions perfectly and speeds up berry picking by 3-4 times.

A ready-made combine is not expensive at all, and therefore is very popular. You can buy it at both hardware and gardening stores. The device has several names: a scoop or berry harvester, a fruit picker, and a berry picker.

The device for collecting blueberries is a parallelepiped-shaped container, on the bottom wall of which there are long curved teeth, reminiscent of a comb. With their help, the bushes are literally “combed out”.

The distance between the teeth is approximately 5-6 mm. Thus, the branches and leaves of the bush pass freely between them and remain undamaged, and the berries are carefully removed and fall into the rear compartment of the scoop.

There are various factory-produced models and those made by yourself. The material used for the body is plastic, metal or wood. Wire is almost always used for the teeth.

Harvesting blueberries with a combine video

Manual blueberry harvester video

How to make a blueberry harvester with your own hands

A simple device can be easily made from available materials. Leftovers and trimmings of boards a few mm thick are suitable for this:

• prepare paper patterns of all parts: 2 side and 1 back wall, top, bottom, handle, part with teeth;
• place the patterns on scraps of wood, trace the outline and cut out;
• connect the parts with nails.

A homemade blueberry harvester may have teeth made of thick wire. It is necessary to make several long loops and secure them to the bottom of the device. To learn how to do this, watch the video.

Wooden blueberry harvester video

Convenient combine harvester with a handle for picking blueberries video

Most affordable way quickly make a device - use it as a basis plastic bottle. Before making a scoop for collecting blueberries, the bottom of the container must be cut off.

If you cut the teeth out of plastic, they will be soft and you will not be able to comb out the bush. To do this, use wire. You can easily bend 8-10 cloves out of it and attach them to a plastic base. This homemade scoop is light and convenient, and it only takes a few minutes to make.

Device for picking strawberries: truth or myth

Today the forest and garden strawberries have to be collected manually. The wide, three-lobed leaves do not fit between the teeth of the combine and are often torn off. Using the previously described scoop to collect strawberries, there is a high probability of damaging the tendrils with young bushes extending to the sides, and the berry itself is soft and easily damaged.

Growing strawberries in industrial scale, manufacturers use modern high-tech machines. A strawberry harvester is an expensive and fairly large piece of equipment. To use it, you must respect the shape and height of the ridges. The use of such equipment in a small private household does not pay off.

Industrial harvester for collecting strawberries video

A device for picking strawberries is the dream of many gardeners and foresters. Therefore, to increase sales and for advertising purposes, the blueberry and lingonberry harvester is credited with the ability to harvest strawberries. The problem is that many people believe this, and in the process spoil the berries and harm the plant.

Trial device for picking strawberries video

In an attempt to make the process of picking strawberries easier, craftsmen use all their ingenuity. This video shows a simple do-it-yourself device, with the help of which craftsmen will try to speed up the berry harvesting procedure, but the quality of the harvest will most likely be spoiled.

Bottom line

Today there is a lot of information on how to make a device for picking blueberries, but such combines and scoops are not suitable for strawberries. Engineers and craftsmen are constantly inventing something new, and perhaps a device capable of picking delicate berries will soon appear.

A do-it-yourself cranberry harvester is often made from tin or plywood. The device resembles a bucket with a handle and teeth. Factory-made products can be mechanized or automatic, the operation of which is controlled by an operator. Regardless of the design, the task of any model is to ensure high-quality harvesting of cranberries without damaging the berries.

Classification of berry harvesters

Cranberry harvesters differ in design and the presence of mechanization:

Model manual type without the function of mechanized collection of ripe cranberries. In a homemade design, the design is similar to a small rake with a short handle attached. A box or cloth bag is attached under the teeth to collect falling cranberries. Shop fixtures are made more accurately. The design is a bucket with a handle. The branches with cranberries are grabbed with metal or wooden teeth.

Manual harvester with mechanized cranberry harvesting function. The body of the device is equipped with a motor. Cranberries are collected using vibrating teeth or vacuum suction.

Automatic harvesters. A full-fledged mechanism on its own, controlled by the operator. Externally, the machine is similar to a grain harvester, but instead of a mower, a cranberry harvesting attachment is installed.

Based on productivity, combines are divided into 3 classes:

• industrial;
• farm;
• household.

For home use household models are used.

Video of cranberry harvesting using a combine harvester:

A homemade structure for picking berries is assembled similar to a factory-made manual harvester. The body is made in the shape of a bucket. A wooden handle is fitted on top. The end of the device, which is used to collect berries from branches, is equipped with teeth made of metal wire or wooden skewers. The working mechanism resembles a comb. The gap between the teeth is 1-2 mm less than the diameter of the average sized berry.

Advice! It is better to construct the bottom of the bucket from a mesh or make a lattice from a similar wire.

Debris will fall through the cracks. There will be clean cranberries left in the berry picker.

Harvesting berries using a combine is easy. Holding the device by the handle, run the comb over the plant. Thin fruit-bearing branches slip between the teeth, and the torn cranberries roll into the berry collector.

Factory fittings are often made of plastic. A lightweight bucket makes your hand less tired when picking cranberries. It is difficult to make a plastic berry picker at home. Optimal material– plywood or sheet metal.

Important! There are countries and farms, where harvesting cranberries on an industrial scale using a hand harvester is prohibited.

Young branches that slip between the teeth are injured and the foliage breaks off. The following year, yields drop as the plant begins to regain its strength.

Drawing of a cranberry harvester

It's easier to put together a manual harvester when you have the drawings at hand. Fragments only need to be designed on sheet material, cut and assemble the structure.

Necessary tool

To assemble a combine harvester, you will need the simplest metalworking and carpentry tools:

• a hacksaw for metal and wood (the work will be simplified if you have a jigsaw with a set of files);
• electric drill with a set of drills for wood and metal;
• chisel;
• screwdriver;
• pliers;
• metal scissors;
• clamps.

It is more convenient to cut metal fragments with a grinder with a small cutting disc.

Important! The list of tools depends on the type of combine being manufactured. Perhaps something in the list is missing or will be superfluous.

Metal bucket design

A metal combine is more convenient in terms of strength and ease of manufacture. A dirty berry picker can be easily washed after picking cranberries. However, not just any metal will do. The best option Sheet aluminum is considered. The metal is soft, easy to process, and resistant to corrosion. The only thing that is dangerous to aluminum is the acid present in cranberry juice. After picking the berries, it is advisable to wash the ladle immediately.

A durable ladle will be made of stainless steel or galvanized. The disadvantage of metal is the difficulty of processing. The weight of the product will be inferior to its lighter aluminum counterpart.

The step-by-step process of manufacturing a manual harvester involves the following steps:

1. The bucket drawing is designed on sheet metal. It is important to comply with all sizes.
2. Use metal scissors or a small grinder to cut out fragments. According to the fold lines indicated in the diagram, the sides of the bucket for collecting cranberries are bent.
3. The comb is made of elastic steel wire 3 mm thick. Pieces cut into lengths of 200 mm are folded in half.
4. The comb fasteners are made from a block. Non-through holes are drilled at the end of the workpiece.
5. The handle of the bucket is bent out of the piece metal-plastic pipe used in the manufacture of water pipes. One edge of the tube is inserted into a hole drilled in another block.

All hand harvester preparations are ready. All that remains is to assemble the bucket:

1. Wire teeth are threaded through the through holes of an additionally manufactured strip - stiffener. The ends of the wire are inserted into the blind holes of the bar - the fastening strip. To prevent the teeth from falling out, the ends of the wire are lubricated with epoxy resin or other reliable glue.
2. The comb-shaped structure is screwed with self-tapping screws onto the handle’s fastening strip.
3. A curved metal body is placed on top of the comb and fixed to mounting strip and stiffening rib.
4. For reliability, the side edges of the body are bent with pliers around the outer teeth of the comb.

The metal manual berry picker is ready. You can go into the forest to pick ripe cranberries.

Wooden ladle

A wooden manual harvester is much easier to make. Most often there are two types of homemade products: with wooden and metal teeth. The easiest is the first option. All elements of the bucket are cut out from plywood with a jigsaw. Using self-tapping screws and glue, assemble a rectangular box without one end flange. On the plywood bottom of the bucket from the side of the missing side, teeth are cut with a jigsaw. The handle is attached to the side opposite the teeth.

The second version of the bucket is assembled from boards. First, a U-shaped blank without a bottom is knocked down. The side sides are thin and rear element made from thick boards. Blind holes for the teeth are drilled at the bottom. The bottom of the bucket will be a grid of rods. The wire of the required length is cut into pieces and bent at a slight angle in the place where the stiffener will stand. Each element is inserted into the hole in the end board made of a thick board. Front to teeth through holes string a stiffener and fix it to the side sides. The ladle is ready. All that remains is to screw the handle on with a self-tapping screw and go pick ripe cranberries.

Manufacturing technique

The processes for assembling manual harvesters made of wood or metal are almost the same. If we briefly consider the frequency of actions, they consist of the following steps:

• the pattern from the drawing is transferred to metal or wood, fragments are cut out;
• the elements of the wooden scoop are fastened with glue or self-tapping screws, the metal berry receptacle is bent from the cut out fragment;
• the stiffener is made from a strip with through holes;
• the teeth are cut from wire, the ends are bent so that the cranberries do not roll out of the bucket;
• the finished elements of the bucket are combined into a single structure, and the handle is attached.

Each master can modify the parameters, adjusting the design of the cranberry harvester to suit his wishes. The ladle is made more elongated in length or less spacious. The handle is wrapped with anti-slip material.

Advice! It is reasonable to select the dimensions of a manual harvester according to your physical capabilities and taking into account the upcoming volume of work to collect cranberries.

Wooden skewers combine

A folk food processor is made from a set of wooden skewers on which shish kebab is skewered. The base of the bucket is two blanks 10 mm thick, sawn from a log with a diameter of 120 mm. One nickel is left whole. The middle is cut out in another blank. You should get a ring with a side width of 15 mm. In both parts, holes are drilled with a diameter 1 mm larger than the thickness of the skewers. It is important to maintain symmetry. It’s more convenient to put the ring on a dime and drill two parts at once. Through holes are made in the ring, and non-through holes are made on the coin.

Assembling the combine begins by inserting skewers into the holes of the coin. All elements are placed on glue. Place a ring on top of the protruding skewers, move it closer to the middle of the glass to form teeth, and fix it with glue.

Cranberry harvester from a plastic bottle

Small volumes of cranberries are collected using a simple device made from a PET bottle. It is advisable to find a container with a wide neck so that the berries can spill out better. A square window is cut on the side near the bottom, leaving a side for the teeth. The bottle is tied to a stick from the side of the hole so that one end is level with the bottom. The second end of the stick protrudes beyond the neck, forming the handle of the combine. Using scissors, cut teeth on the side of the bottom. The device is ready, you can go picking cranberries.

Rules for using the tool

Any manual harvester carries out a barbaric harvest of cranberries. It is important to try to peel the berries from the branches more carefully, otherwise next season good harvest you can't wait. Harvesting begins when the crop is fully ripe. Unripe cranberries are difficult to detach from the stem. Extra effort branches will be damaged. A comb clogged with leaves is promptly cleaned. Reducing the gap between the teeth similarly injures the plant, the peeled cranberry is crushed, and the berry becomes unsuitable for consumption.

Advice! Leaves stuck in the gaps of the comb should not be thrown away in a hurry. They make delicious, healthy tea.

Conclusion

It is advisable to make a harvester for collecting cranberries with your own hands in advance. You need to test the design, try to hold it in your hands. If the bucket is not comfortable, productivity will be reduced. The extra time before the cranberries ripen will allow you to correct design errors.

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