The most important issue when developing the machine technology of cabbage harvesting is to protect the heads from mechanical damage. In this regard, the article describes a new technology for harvesting cabbage based on a prototype developed by the authors of a multivariate cabbage harvester. This technology of cabbage machine harvesting differs from the known gentle mode of stacking heads in containers on a low-frame trailer accompanying the harvesting unit. The authors first simulated the workflow of this technology using the queuing theory. As a result, a quantitative relationship between the performance indicators of the cabbage harvesting process and the structural and technological parameters of the machine in the studied variant was established. On its basis, rational values of parameters of the machine were defined: the number of jobs at the completion table, the longitudinal conveyor and on the site of the low-frame trailer, respectively, n1 = 2, n2 = 4, and n3 = 4; the length of the conveyor-cutter and the longitudinal conveyor, respectively, was 2.8 and 4 m.

Currently used potato harvesters with bar and screening screening devices, based on intense impact on the soil layer, significantly injure the potato tubers in the process of separation from the soil. In addition, structural elements operating in an abrasive environment without lubrication wear out intensively, prone to sticking to plant residues. In this regard, proposed and justified theoretically constructive-technological scheme of the new potato harvester, containing a frame with support wheels, a sieve consisting of longitudinal bars, kinematically connected by a rear part by a drive shaft by means of eccentric pins, located in antiphase with respect to each other, mounted by the front part with the guide on the axis with rollers and fixed rigidly through one to the shares, as well as from the beaters located in the slots between the rods. The paper analyzes the kinematic mode of the machine. As a result, it was established that the layer of soil on the separating rods is cyclically subjected to bending, compression and stretching. This contributes to its intensive crumbling and screening between the rods. For more efficient operation of the machine, it is recommended to adopt the angular velocity of rotation of the eccentric shaft of the separating device ω1 = 10...15 s-1.

When harvesting cabbage by machine, the heads of cabbage are severely injured. Mechanically damaged heads of cabbage are poorly stored. Therefore, the machine technology of cabbage harvesting should provide protection of heads of cabbage from mechanical damage. The purpose of the research is to study the qualitative indicators of the operation of a multivariate cabbage harvester with various harvesting technological schemes. The considered technological schemes for harvesting cabbage include: careful shipment of heads in bulk of a universal vehicle (Scheme 1); careful point shipment of heads of cabbage into containers installed in the back of a vehicle (diagram 2); shipment of heads of cabbage on a flexible flooring installed in the vehicle, with their subsequent careful transfer to containers manually (Scheme 3); stowing heads of cabbage into containers on an accompanying trailer manually (Scheme 4). During the production check, under conditions typical for the main regions of mass marketable production of cabbage, the multivariate cabbage harvester steadily performed the technological process. At the same time, its quality indicators met the established agrotechnical requirements. Combine operation according to schemes 3 and 4 ensured the preservation of product quality to the maximum extent: damage to heads of cabbage did not exceed 5 ... 6%, the completeness of cabbage leaves removal was 95 ... 100%. Therefore, its use according to schemes 1 and 2 is recommended mainly when harvesting cabbage for short-term and medium-term storage, according to schemes 3 and 4 - when harvesting heads of cabbage intended for long-term storage

During the traditional mechanized harvesting of cabbage the heads are severely injured. In this regard, the purpose of research is to provide scientific justification for the new technology and devices for machine harvesting cabbage in a sparing mode. Using mathematical modeling, new methods of cabbage harvesting are justified, which provide for a gentle mode of shipment of heads by a combine harvester using a special device, first on a flexible flooring, and then carefully transferring them manually into containers. Thus, the methods of reducing the damage to cabbage heads during machine cleaning are formulated, and the nature of the influence of the main parameters of the proposed devices on the quality of the working process is analytically revealed. As a result, the rational parameters of the devices were determined: the departure of the loading zone of the tray Δ=0.100-0.150 m with its Flexural stiffness EI=16-20 H.m2 , the height difference of the edges of the flexible flooring h=0.25 m. The production test established the consistency of the proposed new technology of machine harvesting of cabbage and the possibility of reducing the damage to the heads to a level not exceeding 5-7% of the total mass of products.

White cabbage is a traditional vegetable crop in Russia, easily damaged by mechanical influences. In addition, cleaning is accompanied by significant labor and material costs. Taking into account the above-mentioned features, a new method for mechanized harvesting of cabbage was proposed, where cabbage heads are firstly aligned in the row by lifters, then they are forwarded under the clamping belt, where afterwards they are fixed and cut. Cut-off heads are forwarded by outside-mounted and clamping transporters on to a sorting transporter-cutter. On the sorting transporter-cutter, the heads are inspected. Workers pick out cabbage with long cabbage stumps and rosette leaves and insert them into the holes of the plate-shaped army duck transporter-cutter, where they are re-cut when passing through the passive knife. As a result, the rosette leaves are separated from the heads, and the cut-out cabbage stumps slide down the tray to the ground. Further, the heads and loose leaves, separated from the heads after repeated cutting enter the rod elevator, where leaves are again cut off, and the heads are sent for shipment. Unlike the traditional method of harvesting cabbage, head of cabbage are shipped by a cabbage harvesting machine first to a flexible trough floor, mounted on a special rack on the vehicle platform above the removable containers. Then, the heads from the flooring are gently transferred to containers for subsequent storage in them. After filling the containers, the vehicle is sent to a storage facility where, with a forklift truck, the loaded containers are replaced by empty ones, leaving the flexible deck with the platform rack for the next cycle of work. In the harvest season of 2017, the proposed technology for mechanized harvesting of cabbage was tested in the production conditions of LLC «Chapaevskoye» in the Mari El Republic. The conducted production tests confirmed the conformity of the products to the agrotechnical requirements and the possibility of organizing the harvesting process continuously in a sparing mode.