PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveyor which is devised to reduce variations in a degree of accuracy in quality classifications and to reduce damage to good tomatoes due to impact when the tomatoes fall, in a classification device of a tomato harvester which is designed for tomatoes for processing and consistently performs a set of harvesting work including reaping, a separation, a classification, or the like, or a quality classification device which classifies the tomatoes into hard and good tomatoes and soft and poor tomatoes by the process in which the tomatoes (fruit) separated from a tomato branch P fall on the conveyor of the quality classification device inclined downward to the front, the hard and good tomatoes roll down on the conveyor, and the soft and poor tomatoes adhere to the conveyor and are transported to the back.SOLUTION: A conveyor of a quality classification device in a tomato harvester is a chain conveyor comprising right and left chains and a plurality of lateral rods disposed between the chains. The lateral rods are the elongated and elastic rods so as to exert a cushioning action against the impact on hard and good tomatoes when they fall.COPYRIGHT: (C)2014,JPO&INPIT【課題】刈り取り、分離、仕分け等の一連の収穫作業を一貫して行う加工用トマトのトマト収穫機における仕分け装置、すなわち、トマト枝Pから分離されたトマト(実)が前下がりに傾斜した良否仕分け装置のコンベアに落下し、硬い良好トマトは上記コンベアを転がり落ち、軟らかい不良トマトはコンベアに付着して後方に搬送されことによって硬い良好トマトと軟らかい不良トマトが仕分けられる良否仕分け装置について、良否仕分け精度の変化が小さく、また、トマトの落下衝撃による良好トマトの損傷が低減されるように、そのコンベアを工夫したこと。【解決手段】上記トマト収穫機における良否分け装置の上記コンベアが左右のチェンと当該チェン間に配置された多数の横ロッドによるチェンコンベアであり、上記横ロッドが細長の弾性ロッドであって硬い良好トマトの落下衝撃に対して緩衝作用を奏するものであること。【選択図】図8
