AU598368B2

AU598368B2 - Fruit harvesting implement

Info

Publication number: AU598368B2
Application number: AU15850/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: William Edward Seawright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-08-24
Filing date: 1988-05-09
Publication date: 1990-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2008-05-09
Also published as: AU1585088A

Description

il~~i S(7 1 598368 This document contains the amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act .1952-1969 Lt r t t I *t It *C I, re II lt C It 6 1 o f #6 0 I

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Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: WILLIAM EDWARD SEAWRIGHT P.O. Box 200, Innisfail, in the State of Queensland, 4860, Commonwealth of Australia WILLIAM EDWARD SEAWRIGHT G.R. CULLEN COMPANY, Dalgety House, 79 Eagle Street, BRISBANE. Qld. 4000.

COMPLETE PATENT SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED:- FRUIT HARVESTING IMPLEMENT The following statement invention including the best me: is a full description of the method of performing it known to 1 :i l., 2 THIS INVENTION relates to a fruit harvesting implement and, in particular, to a manually operable implement for harvesting fruit grown on trees.

Fruit grown on trees is currently either picked by hand, with the aid of a hand tool such as shears, or by machine.

To hand pick fruit from trees, a ladder or work platform is required where the fruit bearing limbs or C C branches of the trees are at a height not readily accessible tc ,C0 to the picker. It is time consuming and labour intensive to C constantly move the ladder or platform from one location to k another and then to have to climb up and down the ladder constantly.

The use of a hand tool, such as shears, has the t c 5 disadvantage that it is only suitable for low volume picking S, :and is generally a two handed operation. Furthermore, shears or the like can only be used to sever fruit readily accessible to the picker from the ground otherwise either a ladder or platform is necessary and the same problems as mentioned above, arise. In an attempt to overcome this problem, shears with extra long handles or shanks have been developed, however these tend to be unwieldy in use and/or of complicated and/or expensive design.

-e Mechanical pickers are usually either self 1 25 propelled vehicular machines or devices which are towed behind a suitable towing vehicle such as a tractor. The Aj 4I:-

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~i -3initial capital outlay for such a machine is considerable and maintenance costs are not insubstantial. Because of this mechanical pickers are only viable for large concerns.

Furthermore, not all fruit can be mechanically picked because of either the pos~ibility of damaging the fruit or due to the nature of the terrain.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an implement for harvesting fruit frow trees which obviates or at least minimises some of the disadvantages referred to above.

Accordina to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a fruit harvesting implement comprising a *guide member of substantially V-shaped configuration, the internal apex of which forms a cutting station, said cutting station comprising a bl~de'4. to the guide member.

The blade may extend a small way along one arm of the guide member to the apex thereof. Most preferably, there are two blades, one on each arm of the guide member, said blades converging towards one another at the apex of the guide member.

The blade or blades may be integral with the guide member. Alternatively, the blade or blades are removably secured so that they may be removed for sharpening or replacement when required. In one embodiment, the blade is substantially V-shaped, however rectangular blades are generally preferred.

-4 IIz The guide member may comprise guide rails. The rails may be made from one continuous piece of material, one section of which is configured into a V-shaped profile. The open part of the V-shaped profile forms a mouth through which fuit may pass to enable the rails to guide the stem or stalk to the converging locations where the cutting station is located.

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*Go 4 1- The implement of the invention may include a frame which, when oriented for use, is located below the rails.

The frame, when viewed in plan, is preferably substantially oval in shape although other shapes may be employed, and it may include a handle or grip secured thereto or formed integrally therewith. The handle may be permanently or releasably secured to the frame to extend downwardly therefrom. Preferably, the handle is adjustable with respect to the frame so that the angle between the handle and frame may be altered to give the most desirable working orientation.

A gathering net or bag may be secured to the frame so as to, in use, depend downwardly from the underside of the frame whereby, when fruit is harvested, the fruit will drop into the net or bag after the stem has been cut in the cutting station. In this manner the fruit does not drop to the ground and is not prone to damage. Alternatively, a chute or channel may be secured to the underside of the frame and extend downwardly therefrom. In use, the chute may t.*

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transport the fruit to a convenient location for gathering and/or packing. The chute will preferably be of pliable fabric construction so as to ensure that the fruit is not damaged as it passes through it.

The guide rails may be mounted or coupled to the frame by spacing members. Alternatively, the rails may have downwardly (when oriented for use) extending portions which are coupled to the frame. In one embodiment the rails at the Sapex of the V-shaped configuration are downwardly extending 0 and coupled to the frame whilst a spacing rod extends between the converging portion of the V-shaped configuration and a rr E trailing part of the frame.

The fruit harvesting implement may be made from any S C suitable material or combination of materials commonly used in the manufacture of hand implements. In one embodiment, ,the implement is made from metal and/or plastics material.

The cutting station is preferably made from tempered steel.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be rar| described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is an isometric view of a fruit harvesting implement according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the implement of Figure 1 l;and Figure 3 is an isometric view of the implement depicted in Figure 1 showing an attached net and handle t -4m j777 11 i i i i i i-(~ll arrangement as well as the usual orientation of the implement with respect to a piece of fruit to be harvested.

Referring to the drawings, fruit harvesting implement 10 has two converging guide rails 11, 12 defining a mouth 13 towards a leading end 14 thereof and converging at a trailing end 15 thereof. The rails have forward downwardly directed portions 16, 17.

Separate blades 18, 19 with sharpened inner edges are secured to the converging end portions of the rails 11, ^i 12 by screw fasteners I c The implement has a frame 21 with a trailing part t i 22 and a downwardly inclined leading part 23. The leading part 23 has a skirt 24 from which extends a slotted mounting «C bracket 25. A handle 32 (see Figure 3) having a pinched free end is clamped in the bracket 25 by wing nut 34 and in use this handle extends downwardly at an inclined angle relative to the implement. The wing nut 34 also enables the orientation of the handle with respect to the frame 21 to be altered to the most desirable working position.

In another preferred embodiment, the mounting bracket is substituted by a clyindrical housing in which a cylindrically ended handle is press-fitted. The housing may be fixed at a set angle or may be adjustable in inclination by suitable adjustable clamping means.

A suitable hand grip 33 is formed on the free end of the handle. This comprises a conventional type moulded ^i^ ti~

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C E~ r r( r i: r i plastic or rubber sleeve. A support brace or spacing frame member 26 extends between the trailing end 15 of the rails 11, 12 and the trailing part 22 of the frame 21.

A net 31 (see Figure 3) is secured relative to the frame by dome stud fasteners 39. The net has an opening defined by the perimeter of the trailing part 22 and leading part 23 of the frame, and has a fabric base 31a at its lowermost section. Preferably, however, the lowermost section is also a net which is continuous with the remainder 10 of the net (not illustrated).

In use the implement is moved relative to a piece of fruit hanging from a tree (see Figure 3) and the stem or stalk 37 of the fruit 36 is guided towards the blades 18, 19 by progressive movement of the implement in the direction 15 indicated by the solid arrow. The stem becomes wedged between the blades 18, 19 and is severed. The fruit then falls into the net 31 secured to the frame. When a sufficient quantity of fruit has been harvested in this way it is then retrieved. In another embodiment, a chute or tube (not illustrated) rather than a net, may depend from the frame and fruit, once severed from the tree may be guided and transported by the chute to the ground or otherwise for collection and storage.

The fruit harvesting implement of the invention may be easily used with one hand although the fruit picker may find it more desirable to employ both hands. As the ~-n-l :r;

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i i r i i:9 .1 implement may readily be secured to one end of a handle it can be used to harvest fruit high in a tree without the need for a ladder or work platform. The implement is particularly useful in orchards where mechanical pickers cannot be successfully used.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variations may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art r without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the 1 t t invention as herein set forth in the following claims.

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Claims

2. A fruit harvesting implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blade extends along a portion of the guide member to the apex thereof.
3. A fruit harvesting implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting station comprises two blades which tt converge together at the apex of a guide member.
4. A fruit harvesting implement as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the blade or blades are removable from the guide member. t r A fruit harvesting implement as claimed in any one of claims 2-4, wherein the guide member comprises guide rails sags formed from one continuous piece of material. t 1
6. A fruit harvesting implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and including a support frame.
7. A fruit harvesting implement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the support frame includes a handle secured thereto. 4 8. A fruit harvesting implement as claimed in claim 7, t wherein the handle is adjustable in relation to the frame.
9. A fruit harvesting implement as claimed in claims 6, 7 or 8 and including a net, bag or shute secured to the frame. _o i .r 1i i s O f ~i i f-A \^oy A fruit harvesting implement substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings. DATED this twelfth day of March 1990. WILLIAM EDWARD SEAWRIGHT By His Patent Attorneys G R CULLEN CO Ri.. we. 0 tee C ii t C 0 *9 we I C 104 S I steeR. e tie. t S tic. ''Re t e CS C S. CC C S ii C. IS S C