The apparatus for picking olives and the like comprises a support rod (2) suitable to be grasped a shaker unit (4) suitable to be mounted at the top of the support rod (2) a first and a second comb sector (27, 28, 270, 280), each provided with a plurality of teeth (30, 300) a drive shaft (3) axially inserted inside the support rod (2) and suitable to be actuated in rotation, a handling device (6) connected to the drive shaft (3) to actuate in motion the comb sectors (27, 28, 270, 280). The apparatus also comprises gear means (10) provided with a driving wheel (11) constrained in axis to the drive shaft (3) and with a driven wheel (12) carried revolving according to the axis of a bearing pin (13, 130) transverse to the drive shaft (3), a connecting rod transmission member (16, 160) articulated in position eccentric to the driven wheel (12) and articulated to at least one of the comb sectors (27, 28, 270, 280), in a way as to perform the actuation in a substantially tilting motion of the comb sectors between a divaricated or opening configuration and an approached or closing configuration.
