RU2378819C1 - Fruit picker (versions) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agriculture.

SUBSTANCE: fruit picker comprises pole and grips, which are connected to manual drive via flexible joints. Upper parts of grips are folded back relative to vertical axis, are arranged as hemispherical and are lined with soft substrate inside. Pole is equipped with holder, where grips are fixed with introduced torsion spring. Ends of spring rest against lower ends of grips. Flexible joints are arranged in the form of leashes, and manual drive represents a cord. In the second version fruit picker comprises pole, grips and flexible joint with manual drive. Upper parts of grips are folded back relative to vertical axis, are arranged as hemispherical and are lined with soft substrate inside. Grips are equipped with torsion spring and are installed together with it on the same axis. Lower end of one of grips is fixed directly on pole. Lower end of other grip by means of flexible joint is connected to manual drive. Flexible joint is arranged in the form of leash, and manual drive represents cord.

EFFECT: increased reliability of fruit retention and lower chances of their damaging in process of picking.

2 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The invention relates to a device for collecting fruit from trees.

Known puller for collecting fruit from fruit trees, which contains located on the rod working body in the form of a cylindrical body with exciting longitudinal slots located on the body evenly around the circumference with an angular pitch of 120 °. On the housing additional horizontal slots are made, coupled with longitudinal slots tilted toward the base of the housing [RF patent No. 2031566, priority 23.09.1991, publ. 03/27/1995].

The disadvantage of such a puller is the complexity of the design and inconvenience of its operation, since when picking the fruit, the puller is brought with a longitudinal slot to the fruit stem. Then, the peduncle, passing along it, enters the adjacent horizontal slot and by turning the handle clockwise it appears in the fixed slot, after which it breaks off.

Another well-known fruit grower [RF patent No. 2075281, priority 12.11.1991, publ. 03/20/1997] contains a container for collecting fruit, made in the form of a frame with a ring of wire at the top, a pole and a working element for separating the fruit from the branches. The ring is made wavy around the entire perimeter, forming an internal element of the working element. The working element can be performed on the inner vertices of the wave-like contour in the form of a sharpened cutting edge.

The drawback is the complexity of the design and the possibility of damage to the fruit of the tree by cutting edges.

Known fruit picker, on the pole of which there is a collection with a fruit grower and an exciting working body in the form of a V-shaped cut with a fixing recess, made on the receiving ring, glued inside with sponge rubber. The receiving ring is mounted on a pole at an angle of 75-85 °, and the fruit pipe is made elastic [RF patent No. 2080767, priority 05/18/1992, publ. 06/10/1997].

When using this design, free access to closely spaced fruits is difficult.

In the device for manual harvesting of fruits [RF patent No. 2277320, priority 11.01.2005, publ. 06/10/2006] by detaching them from the branch, the hopper is made of a plastic bottle, in which the neck is attached to the pole. The capture was made in the bottom in the form of a two-way trap with a slot, and the receiving window, mating with the trap, is made on the side wall of the bottle. Moving the device, create tension between the fruit and the branch on which the fruit hangs until it breaks down.

The disadvantage of this device is that when the tension is created, the branch tilts and after the fruit is broken, it returns to its original position, while shaking of other fruits from the tree may occur.

The closest in technical essence to the claimed invention is, selected as a prototype, “Device for collecting fruit from trees” [a.s. USSR No. 1646514, priority 04.02.1988, publ. 05/07/1991]. The device comprises a rod (pole) with two grippers, a lever with flexible connections and a drive with a handle mounted on the rod. The grips are made in the form of spiral springs parallel to each other and to the axis of the rod. The drive handle is connected to the drive through a hinge located perpendicular to the axis of the rod. A lever is mounted on the hinge, which is connected via flexible connections to the last turns of the grippers. Spiral springs can be made of wire coated with an elastic material, such as a rubber tube, or sprayed with polyurethane.

The disadvantage of this stand is the complexity of the design and the inconvenience of its use. It is technologically difficult to make grips of a given shape and certain sizes. Each grip made in the form of a spiral spring is an elastic element. When trying to remove the fruit from the tree, it is very difficult to pick up the position of the grabs so that the peduncle falls between the last turns and breaks from the impact of these turns of the spring (“scissor effect”). In addition, the drive mechanism has two flexible connections, which significantly increases the likelihood of tangling of the fruit in the tree crown. In the design of the fruit picker, it is proposed to use a long stem with a drive located at the end of the stem, which creates additional inconvenience when picking fruits growing at medium and short distances.

The task to which the variants of the claimed invention are directed is the creation of a fruit puller of a simplified design, convenient to use and allowing you to selectively remove fruits hanging close to each other and growing both high in inaccessible places and at an average distance.

The technical result obtained by the implementation of the variants of the claimed invention consists in the reliability of the retention of the fruit and the elimination of the possibility of injury during removal.

The problem is solved in that in a fruit picker containing a pole and two grippers, which are connected via a flexible connection to a manual drive, according to the invention, the upper contacting parts of the grippers are hemispherical, bent relative to the vertical axis and lined with a soft substrate from the inside. In the first embodiment, the pole is equipped with a holder on which movable grips are fixed on one axis and a torsion spring is introduced with an elongated eye fixed on the other axis. The ends of the torsion spring abut against the lower ends of the grippers, while the flexible connections are made in the form of leads, and the manual drive is a cord.

In the second embodiment, one of the grips remains stationary due to the fact that its lower end is mounted directly on the pole, and the lower end of the movable gripper is connected via a flexible connection to a manual drive, the flexible connection being made in the form of a leash and the manual drive is a cord.

Holes can be made in the upper hemispherical parts of the grippers, which helps to reduce the weight of the structure.

The invention is illustrated by the following drawings.

Figure 1 presents a front view of the first variant of the fruit lifter.

Figure 2 presents a side view of the first variant of the fruit lifter.

Figure 3 presents a front view of the second variant of the fruit lifter.

Figure 4 presents a side view of the second variant of the fruit lifter.

The fruit lifter contains two grips 1, 2 and pole 3 or a telescopic rod. The upper contacting parts 4 of the grips are hemispherical and bent relative to the vertical axis. A soft substrate 5 is glued inside the upper parts 4, that is, from the inside they are lined with a soft cloth or foam rubber, or a sponge, etc. Holes can be made in the upper parts of the grippers to reduce the weight of the fruit picker.

In the first embodiment, the grippers 1, 2 are fixed with an axis 6 on a holder 7 mounted on a pole 3 (or a telescopic rod). Leads 9 in the form of laces of synthetic material are attached to the lower ends 8 of the grippers 1, 2, extending along the shoulders 10, made inside the upper part of the holder 7, and leaving the hole 11 located on the front wall of the holder. These flexible connections in the form of leads 9 are connected to a manual drive, which is a cord 12. On axes 6 and 13, a torsion spring 14 is installed with an elongated eyelet, which prevents spontaneous rotation of the grippers 1, 2 around axis 6, ensuring retention of the fetus. The ends of the spring 14 abut against the lower ends 8 of the grippers 1, 2.

In the second embodiment of the design of the fruit picker, one grip 1 remains stationary due to the fact that it is mounted directly on the pole 3 (or telescopic rod). The lower part of the grip 1 is bent to form a vertical trough, the lower end 8 of which is worn on the pole 3. The movable grip 2 and the fixed grip 1 together with the torsion spring 14 are mounted on the same axis 6. The lower ends of the spring 14 abut against the lower ends 8 grippers 1, 2. To the lower end 8 of the movable gripper 2 is attached a leash 9, which is a flexible connection and made, for example, of synthetic lace. This leash 9, passing inside the gutter through the guide roller 15 mounted on the axis 16, leaves the bottom of the gutter outward to the pole 3 and is connected to the cord 12, which is a manual drive.

The hemispherical contacting ends of the grips are bent from the vertical axis, which improves the functionality of the fruit picker. Bearing parts can be obtained by stamping or pressing from plastic.

The device operates as follows.

The fruit picker is brought to a fruit removed from a tree, for example, an apple or a pear. The hemispherical shape of the upper parts of 4 grips 1, 2, their deviation from the vertical axis and small thickness make it possible to reach fruits hanging close to each other and growing in hard to reach places without damage. Then, holding the pole 3 (or telescopic rod) with one hand, with the other pull the cord 12 towards itself. Through the cord 12 and the leads 9, the force is transmitted to the lower ends 8 of the grippers 1, 2. Moving along the shoulders 10 inside the holder 7 and overcoming the force of the torsion spring 14, the leads 9 are shifted, bringing together the lower ends 8 of the grippers 1, 2, and the upper parts 4 of the grippers with soft substrate diverge. The grips 1, 2 cover the fetus, and the cord 12 is simultaneously released. Under the action of the spring 14, the lower ends 8 of the grippers 1, 2 diverge, and the upper parts 4 securely hold the fruit without injuring it, due to the presence of a soft substrate 5 and the hemispherical shape of the grippers 1, 2. Then the fruit is separated from the branch, lifting the fruit puller and releasing it into side (the stalk at the same time comes off), and lower the stalk. After that, squeezing the lower ends of the 8 grippers 1, 2 by hand, remove the removed fruit from the open upper parts 4 without damage. Next, the grips 1, 2 occupy their original position.

When using the second design variant of the fruit picker, pole 3 (or telescopic bar) is held with one hand and is brought to the fruit removed from the tree. With the other hand, the cord 12 is pulled over. Through it, by means of a leash 9, the force is transmitted to the lower end 8 of the movable gripper 2, which approaches the lower end 8 of the fixed gripper 1. In this case, the upper part 4 with a soft substrate of the movable gripper 2 opens and the grippers 1, 2 cover the fetus. Then the cord 12 is released and the leash 9 moves through the guide roller 15 under the action of the torsion spring 14, while the fetus is tightly held by hemispherical grippers 1, 2 and then is separated from the branch when the pole moves up. Fruits hanging nearby do not come off, since the branch does not bend or move when the fruits are picked. Having separated the fruit, the pole is lowered and the upper parts 4 of the grippers 1, 2 are opened, pulling together the lower end 8 of the movable gripper 2 with the lower end 8 of the fixed gripper 1. With the other hand, the removed intact fruit is taken out, and the gripper 2 takes its initial position.

The fruit lifter is lightweight, easy to use, and its design allows you to accurately orient the grips relative to the removed fruit, without damaging it, nor other fruits hanging nearby. In addition, when removing one fruit, there is no shaking of other fruits from the tree.

Claims (2)

1. A fruit puller containing a pole and grips, which are connected via a flexible connection to a manual drive, characterized in that the upper parts of the grippers are bent relative to the vertical axis, are hemispherical and lined with a soft backing on the inside, and the pole is equipped with a holder on which the grippers are fixed with an inserted spring torsion, the ends of which abut against the lower ends of the grippers, while flexible connections are made in the form of leads, and the manual drive is a cord. 2. A fruit puller containing a pole, grips and flexible connection with a manual drive, characterized in that the upper parts of the grippers are bent relative to the vertical axis, made hemispherical and lined with a soft backing on the inside, the grippers are equipped with a torsion spring and are installed on the same axis with it, the lower end of one of the grips is mounted directly on the pole, and the lower end of the other gripper is connected via a flexible connection to a manual drive, the flexible connection being made in the form of a leash, and the manual drive is nur.

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