Harvesting device with disengagable shaker members for a fruit harvesting machine

A harvesting device, in particular for fruit harvesting machines, includes a straddling chassis, two shaker assemblies (5) mounted face-to-face on the chassis to shake the fruit trees or bushes and detach the fruits, berries or the like from them, each shaker assembly including drive means (19, 21, 24) including a vertical shaft (24) oscillating about a vertical axis (20), a plurality of flexible rods (22), vertically spaced and extending horizontally, each rod having a first end (22a) detachably coupled to the drive means, a median part (22c) and a second end (22b) connected to the chassis (9); the first end (22a) of each rod (22) is mounted on the vertical shaft (24) so that it can rotate relative to said vertical shaft and is coupled to the drive means so that, in the coupled state, the corresponding rod assumes a working position in which the median part of the rod is relatively close to said median vertical plane of symmetry and is able to operate on the fruit trees of symmetry and is able to operate on the fruit trees or bushes whereas, in the uncoupled state, said rod is able, because of said rotation relative to said vertical shaft, to assume an inactive rest position in which the median part of the rod is substantially farther away from the vertical median plane of symmetry than in the working position and is unable to operate on the fruits trees or bushes.