Harvesters – Fruit gatherer – Pole supported
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-06
2001-02-06
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Fruit gatherer
Pole supported
C056S339000, C056S337000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182431
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for picking fruit from a tree or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, harvesting fruit such as oranges or apples and many other types of fruits requires a person either to climb a ladder to remove the fruit or to use an apparatus to remove the fruit. Conventionally an apparatus of this type has an elongate handle which allows the operator to raise an end to the fruit and pick the fruit from the tree. Some examples of this type include U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,418 (Reece), U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,409 (Kuska), U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,604 (Soffer), U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,698 (Rushing), U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,949 (Weir) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,412 (Morgan). The above U.S. patents utilise an elongate handle generally in the form of a pole and to catch the fruit after the fruit has been picked. A problem with the above U.S. patents is that there is a potential to damage the fruit through the lateral movement of the entire apparatus and there is no support of the branch in which the fruit is located which makes pulling the fruit from the tree sometimes difficult.
Some other examples of fruit harvesters include U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,798 (Gerber) that has a vacuum at an end of an elongate tube which utilises the suction from the vacuum to remove the fruit from the tree. There is a potential for damage to the fruit through the suction, the apparatus has a large and awkward vacuum which has to be moved around the field, different sizes of fruit cannot be pulled through the tube and different degrees of ripeness of the fruit make a stronger vacuum a necessity for ensured removal of the fruit.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,273 (Rosenberg) and U.S. Pat. 5,280,697 (Miller) utilise a cutter bar for removing the fruit from the tree which potentially can damage the fruit since the cutter bar may puncture the fruit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a fruit picker which supports the fruit on the tree as well as supporting the branch in which the fruit is located and gently pulls the fruit from the tree. Such an apparatus could lower the amount of damaged fruit at harvest and make the picking quicker and with less effort.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for picking fruit comprising;
an elongate tube in which fruit is collected;
a handle attached to the tube for enabling fruit to be picked from trees;
a first plate at a top end of the tube for engaging a branch, the plate having a slot arranged to receive a stem of the fruit;
a slidable member arranged to slide within the tube;
a rudder arranged to guide the slidable member within the tube;
and a second plate on the slidable member having a slot which is aligned with the slot on the first plate to receive the stem of the fruit,
the slidable member having a first position in which the second plate is adjacent the first plate and a second position in which the second plate is pulled rearwardly from the first plate,
whereby in first position the first plate engages the branch and the second plate engages the fruit so that the plates are located between the branch and the fruit and whereby in the second position the second plate pulls the fruit away from the branch as the first plate is positioned against the branch causing the stem to break releasing the fruit into the tube.
Preferably a spring biasing arrangement pulls the slidable member to the first position, the spring biasing arrangement includes a spring which is attached to the rudder and is arranged to stretch when the slidable member is pulled rearward into the second position and compress when the slidable member is in the first position.
Preferably a string is attached to the rudder and extends through the handle for pulling the slidable member into the second position, the string has a pulling device at the end of the handle for pulling the string.
Preferably the handle is a tube having a hollow interior in which the string extends therethrough.
Preferably the tube has a containment portion wherein the fruit is contained and has an open portion so that an operator can see how much fruit has been picked.
Preferably the rudder is attached to the slidable member and is located within a guide slot on the tube.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1480825 (1924-01-01), Le Nove
patent: 3638409 (1972-02-01), Kuska
patent: 4928461 (1990-05-01), King
patent: 5463859 (1995-11-01), Perry
patent: 5787698 (1998-08-01), Rushing
patent: 5857316 (1999-01-01), Murdock
Battison Adrian D.
Pezzuto Robert E.
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