Design and Test of Fruit Power Ladder

Abstract

A 196 cm. wide by 530 cm. long three-wheel power ladder for fruit havesting was designed and constructed. The platform and the wheel were direct driven by hydrostatic transmission system and the platform could be lifted up to 420 cm. high. The three-wheel ladder moved forward at the speed of 5 kilometers per hour and could be turned by fixing one of the two front wheels. The turning radius was 3.87 m. and the weight was 770 kg. The platform speed of upward and downward was 0.148 and 0.404 m. per sec respectively. Fuel consumption was 0.9251 per hr and the noises intensity was 83 decibels. The vehicle can be handled by one operator. Performance of this power ladder was comparatively tested between 2 methods of mango harvesting, i.e. 3-wheel power ladder with 2 m. long rattan picker and 4-wheel power ladder with 2 m. long rattan picker. Mango havesting by the 3-wheel power ladder with 2 m. long rattan picker showed higher capacity (147 kg/hr) than havesting by the 4-wheel power ladder with 2 m. long rattan picker (114 kg/hr). Fruits dropped down and remained in the mango tree were small and insignificantly different (at 95% confidence level). On the average, the fallen and the remained fruits were 1.15% and 5.15% respectively.