US174760A - barton - Google Patents

Description

E. A. BARTON. FRUIT-GATHERER. No. 174,760. Patented Mmhm, 187e..

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EDWIN A. BARTON, oFIBooNvILLE, INDIANA.

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`Specification-formingpart of LettersP-atentNo. 1743-760, dated March-14, 1876 ;-'application filed January. 5,1876.

ville, in 'the county of `llVarri'ck ..andState`of Indiana, have invented .certainnew and; useful f Improvement in* Fruit-Gatherers 5 .and "Ldo, hereby'declar'e 'that'the followingis.-al'ull .and j s exactldescription .therof, reference" being'fhad" ying "drawings, l.making a to the accom pan vpart of this specification.

AMy `invention'trelatesfto thatv class o f implements known as fruit-gatherers. It `has-,for its object to vrender such implements 1sis'imple and economic in construction,and'eieieiit-"inmetallic head and the operating wire or rod attached to a portion of the movable jaw or griper, and Fig. is -a detailed top or end view,r with movable jaw or gri'per broken away, in order to expose its connection with the metallic head. f

Similar letters indicate like parts in the severall figures.

A represents the handle, usually made from twelve to fifteen feet in length', or such other length as may be deemed advisable. This handle A is cut away on one side longitudinally, to form an inclined grooveor channel, a, gradually' increasing in depth as it approaches the top end ot' the handle, in order to furnish room for the necessary vibration of the upper en'd ofthe operatingrod or wire B, as will be presently explained.. l This groove begins at about that pointat which the handle is graspedwhen being used, and the handle is providedat that point and on the opposite side to the grove a with a rocking lever, C, having a xed arm, D, passing through a mortise, and provided at its extremity with a hole through which the lower extremity of'- the O is pivoted at b to suitable ears or bearings upon a plate, E. The lever (l is designed to be grasped by the hand, and the pivot b is so located with reference to the length and de- 'Ihis lever sign ,of .the .lever that'itfshall' liejunderfthe middle or third `vfIngerf0r-"that l portion'f-oi' the hand which is., practicallyl at-rest,rin order'that 'the limplement' maybe `rmly grasped and hfeld, v-whilegtheffngers onleither side of n the pivotatpointbmlayibeused to ro'ckthelever'G, forthepurpose-of o'pera'tin` gthe moving vgriper.

ft. over-'the upper gend fof 'the handle, 1 and "to vvith- -two ears, HH, provided wth'holes, or bearings `for the ends ol' the frame Iof the lmoving jaw. The 'frames G and I are preferably made of wire of suitablesize, ,the ends of the'former beingfsecured by solder or otherwise within the holes. designed to re- 'ceive them, and the ends ofthe latter, after passing through the bearings inthe ears HH, vare vbent up at about right angles' vto form a crank or lever-arm, as clearly seen'in the drawing, and being` furnished with an eye or hole through which a pin or pivot, c, passes,- tosecure the ends to theA end of .the wire B, so that the raising. or lowering ofthe wirenB will open or close the movable jaw'frame I.

' k is a spiral spring, having an upwardly-pro? jecting tongue in the'center, and the two ends of the wire forming the spring returned and fastenedin the end of the handle A, as clearly shown in Fig-1, so thatv the tongue d, bearing against the inside` of the wire B,- will tend to .throw the frame Iinto the position shown,

and thus' automatically open the mouth of the implement rwhen pressure is removed from the lever U above the pivot b. L is a canvas or other fabric covering ofthe frames G I, formed l Ainto a tube or eonduitbelow the heady F,and extending down to about the pivot b, or any vother desirable point, and being provided, at

or near its extremity 'with a gathering-strap, f

M, for the purpose'of contracting the lo'wer end of tube to prevent the escape of the fruit dropping therein, until such time as it is 'v desirable to empty the contents ofthe tube into suitable receptacles. N is a- 'tongueieee of canvas arran ed as shown onthein- P a 7 s side of the frame I, and designed to cover the head F and its connections with the frame I, so that they are 'protected against any falling twigs which might otherwise enter and affect the operation of the griper-jaw. The wire B is held loosely ywithin its groove in the handle by suitable staples e, at proper distances apart. As the upper end of the wirev B vibrates through a greater distance than its.

lower end, the necessity of gradually increasing the depth of the groove a will beobvious. In the operation of the implement, the'handle is grasped, las before described, so that the lingers will lie over the lever C, the upper end oli which is drawn towardthe handle, which has the effect of closing the frame lIhagainst the frame G.l The upper end is then directed toxthe piece of fruit to be taken from the tree,

when, ,the upper end of the lever C being released, the frame I recedes from the frame G, and forms, as it were, an open mouth, into vijhich'the piece of fruit enters, when the frame Iis again closed, and the, piece of fruit being securely enveloped the implement is suitably manipulated to break the stem and allow the fruit vto drop into and d own the tube-chau- `nel. The` flight oi' thefruit down the channel may be retarded by tightening the cloth L, which. in consequence of the lposition .of the fraaie `er,brings it "close to the handle A, and

thus contracts the conduit. This is some-A times desirable, in order that one piece of nfruit may not be dropped upon another with such force as to injure o r bruise the same. 4

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fruitgatherer, the combination, with the movable jaw-frame of the handle A, prop vided, withlan inclined groove, the wire B, and rocking lever C, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The metallic head F, adapted to l[it upon the end of the handle, provided with suitable holes to receive the ends of the stationary" frame, and having ears or bearings to receive the ends of the moving frames, substantially 'as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The lever C, constructed substantially as described, and pivoted tothe handle, so that `the center of movement shallbe under that portion of the hand at rest during the movement of .the lever. i

Witness'my hand and seal this .5th day of "January, 1876.

EDWIN A.,'BARTON' [L. S51

Witnesses?- l f EDW. W; DoNN, y

F; B. G'RoFF.

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