University of Tehran Press Iranian Journal of Biosystem Engineering 2008-4803 49 1 2018 03 21 Design, fabrication and evaluation of a short-legged chickpea harvest machine Design, fabrication and evaluation of a short-legged chickpea harvest machine 83 94 65626 10.22059/ijbse.2017.236196.664962 FA Asad Modares Motlagh Mechanics of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia,Iran Vahid Rostampour Mechanics of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University,Urmia,Iran Kamran Mardani Mechanics of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia.Iran Journal Article 2017 06 21 Currently, chickpea harvest is carried out manually. Therefore, in this study a chickpea harvest machine was designed, fabricated and evaluated. The header of this machine has bush stripping fingers and pods separate from the bushes by standing in between the fingers. Fingers’ angle, Fingers’ length, distance of the fingers from each other, forces applied to the fingers, cleaning cogs and the suction system were from the most important design parameters. Farm evaluations were carried out in four different speeds: 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 Km/hr and the amount of loss related to remained pods on the bushes (Pd) and losses related to spilled pods on the ground (Pr) were measured. Results showed that, with increasing forward speed, the amount of both types of losses, at first decreased and then increased. The minimum amount of Pd losses and Pr losses were 1.58% and 2.71% respectively which were obtained in the forward speed of 4.5 km/hr. Also, field evaluations have proven that this machine can perform harvest operations with a minimum forward speed of 1.5 times and a maximum of 2.04 times compared to previous gleaning mechanisms and with a permissible loss of less than 5%. Currently, chickpea harvest is carried out manually. Therefore, in this study a chickpea harvest machine was designed, fabricated and evaluated. The header of this machine has bush stripping fingers and pods separate from the bushes by standing in between the fingers. Fingers’ angle, Fingers’ length, distance of the fingers from each other, forces applied to the fingers, cleaning cogs and the suction system were from the most important design parameters. Farm evaluations were carried out in four different speeds: 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 Km/hr and the amount of loss related to remained pods on the bushes (Pd) and losses related to spilled pods on the ground (Pr) were measured. Results showed that, with increasing forward speed, the amount of both types of losses, at first decreased and then increased. The minimum amount of Pd losses and Pr losses were 1.58% and 2.71% respectively which were obtained in the forward speed of 4.5 km/hr. Also, field evaluations have proven that this machine can perform harvest operations with a minimum forward speed of 1.5 times and a maximum of 2.04 times compared to previous gleaning mechanisms and with a permissible loss of less than 5%. https://ijbse.ut.ac.ir/article_65626_3297fd8a4efdaa793ff52e80cf908588.pdf