US2458858A

US2458858A - Apparatus for packing asparagus

Info

Publication number: US2458858A
Application number: US596140A
Authority: US
Inventors: Howard E Kelly; Harry A Howard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-05-28
Filing date: 1945-05-28
Publication date: 1949-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1966-01-11

Description

Jan. 11, 1949. I H. E. KELLY ETAL 2,458,858

APPARATUS FOR PACKING ASPARAGUS Filed May 28, 1945. 2 sheets-"sheet 1 .IOWARD (E -L HAPPY Ahowmo INVENTORS BWM ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1949. H. E. KELLY ET AL 8,

APPARATUS FOR PACKING ASPARAGUS Filed May 2a, 1945 I Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N N How/ma E/(ELLY HARRY Aho WARD m i INVENTORS ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1949 OFFICE.

. '2';458,85&

APPARATUSv FOB. PACKING ASPARAGUS Howard E. Kelly, Los Angeles Calif and Harry Howard, Seattle, Wash.

Application May 28, 1945, Serial No. 596,140:

Claims. 1

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon in accordance with the provisions of the act of April 30, 1928 (Ch. 460 4.5 Stat. L. 467). y

This invention relates to an apparatus for packing asparagus in cans for canning and has for its object a novel construction and arrangement of parts, whereby whole asparagus stalks may be uniformly packed in cans, while at the same time protecting the product from bruisingv and breakage which is so. likely to result from the usual hand packing.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus for packing asparagus and illustrating the aspar agus receiving openings. in horizontal position and expanded to receive the whole asparagus stalks.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the asparagus packing apparatus illustrating the asparagus receiving openings in horizontal position and contracted to engage the asparagus stalks preparatory to their discharge into packing cans.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in front elevation. of the asparagus receiving element illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view illustrating the asparagus receiving element in position above the packing cans for delivery of the whole asparagus stalks into the packing cans.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figures, in which:

I indicates the asparagus packing apparatus which includes the stationary base 2 forming a horizontal support 3 for the packing-can tray 4' as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The tray 4 is provided with annular recesses 52 to receive the asparagus packing cans 5 as shown in Fig. 5.

Pivoted to the stationary base 2 at the rear thereof as at l is the asparagus receiving element 8. This element 8 includes two main rods 9- upon which are mounted the members ill, II and H! which form the horizontal packing openings is as shown in Fig. 1.

The central one iii of these members is stationary on the main rods 9', while the upper and lower members H and i2 are slidable thereon. Mounted on the central member l0 between. each semicircular recess 14 therein are a series of up- 2. wardly and downwardly extending pins l5 I 6, as best shown in Figs. 1 and. 2, whilein each of the slidable members H and i2 and between each semicircular recess l1: therein are elongated recesses [8 into which said pins Hiand' It slidabl-y enter as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4-,. the purpose of thesepins I 5 and Hi being to form partitions between the various. asparagus receiving openings L3 to: confine the asparagus stalks in the openings 13 in which they are placed, as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. l.

Pivoted on each side. of the central member id at is is a lever 20 (Fig. 2) to. which is pivoted an upper link 21 and a lower link 22', on each side. of the lever pivot l9. The. upper link 2! is pivoted to the upper member II at 23 and the lower link 22 is pivoted to the lower member l2 at 24, while the lever 20 is provided withan upstanding arm 25 on which is mounted a horizontal operating bar 26 which connects together the lever and linkage mechanism which is arranged as just de scribed on each side of. the apparatus. so. movement of the operatingbar 26 will actuate the lever and linkage. mechanism on both sides of the apparatus. as will be apparent from an. inspection of Figs. 1 and 2.

Each of the semicircular recesses it in the central member H], as well as each of the semicircular recesses. IT in the upper and. lower members II and 1211s preferably provided with a stainless steel liner 21, so that when. the asparagus receiv ing openings are contracted as in Fig. 3 and are brought into vertical position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,. the liners 2''!- of the openings is are of substantially the same. diameters as the in teriors of the packingcans 6, asshown in Fig. 5.

It will be noted from Figs. 1' and 2 of the drawing that when the asparagus receiving element 8 is in position to havev the asparagus stalks therein discharged into the packing cans 6 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the main rods 9 of the said element rest on the front frame 28- of the base 2 to. properly position the said element with respect to the packing cans. 6 While the asparagus stalks are being discharged into. said packing cans.

Having thus described the several parts of the invention, its operation is as follows:

The asparagus receiving element ilis raised on its .pivots 1 into vertical. position shown in 1 and 2 so that the asparagus receiving openings [3 lie in horizontal positions. The operating bar 26 is raised which rocks the lever 2.9 upwardly into. position. shown in Fig.2. and causes the links 2! and. ZZtosli-dethe upper member ll upwardly from the central member l0 and thelower mem 3 ber i2 downwardly from the central member It), thus expanding the asparagus receiving openings [3 into position shown in Fig. 1.

While in this position the whole asparagus stalks are placed in the receiving openings l3 as for instance as shown in Fig. 1, and the stalks may be thus inserted butt first as shown in the drawing, or tip first as may be found to be most desirable.

When all of the receiving openings l3 have been sufiiciently filled with the asparagus stalks to be packed, the operating bar 26 is depressed, which movement rocks the lever downwardly and causes the upper and lower members I l and I2 to be drawn into engagement with the central member H) to contract the asparagus receiving openings is around and into engagement with the asparagus stalks therein. The packing can tray 4 with packing cans 6 therein having been positioned on the support 3 of the base 2, the asparagus receiving element 8 is swung down into position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 5. When in this position the asparagus stalks are pushed, as by hand, from the receiving openings I3 down in the packing cans B, which operation is accomplished without breaking or bruising the stalks and in such manner that a uniformity of packing is assured.

While we have shown and described what we consider to be a preferred form of our apparatus, it is apparent that changes and additions may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts, and we consider ourselves clearly entitled to all such changes and modifications as fall within the limit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for packing asparagus stalks in cans, including a base adapted to support a plurality of packing cans, an asparagus receiving element pivoted to said base, said asparagus receiving element including two guide rods and a central transverse member and two end transverse members mounted on the guide rods, the two end transverse members being sli-dable thereon toward and away from the central member, each of the said transverse members being provided with a pluralit of semicircular recesses, the recesses in each member being complemental to those of its adjacent transverse member, a plurality of partitioning rods in said transverse members disposed between the semicircular recesses therein to form partitions therebetween,

a lever and link mechanism connecting the transverse members together whereby the two end transverse members are caused to slide on the guide rods to separate them from the central transverse member and to separate the semicircular recesses of the end members from the complemental semicircular recesses of the central transverse member to dispose said recesses in position to receive asparagus stalks upon movement of the lever and link mechanism in one direction, said lever and link mechanism acting to slide the two end transverse members toward the center transverse member and bring the complemental semicircular recesses of the end semicircular recesses of theend members toward the complemental semicircular recesses in the central transverse member to form substantially circular openings and engage and retain the asparagus stalks therein upon movement of the lever and link mechanism in the other direction, the said asparagus receiving element being adapted to be swung on its pivot down on the said base to dispose the asparagus stalks therein over the acking cans on the base, whereby the asparagus stalks may be delivered into the packing cans.

2. An apparatus for packing asparagus stalks in cans which includes a base adapted to support a plurality of packing cans, an asparagus receiving element pivoted to said base to swing from a horizontal position over said base and packing cans thereon to a vertical position, said asparagus receiving element including a central transverse member and two end transverse members, each transverse member being provided with a plurality of semicircular recesses which are comiplemental to the semicircular recesses in its adjacent transverse member so as to provide a plurality of circular recesses in the asparagus receiving element, a pair of guide rods for mounting the transverse members and to provide sliding movement of the two end transverse members from and toward the central transverse member, a plurality of partitioning rods disposed in said transverse members to form partitions between the semicircular recesses therein, a lever and link mechanism for sliding the two end transverse members on the said guide rods to separate them from the central transverse member and to separate the semicircular recesses therein from the semicircular recesses in the central transverse member to provide a plurality of expanded recesses in the asparagus receiving element when it is swung into a vertical position, said expanded recesses being adapted to receive asparagus stalks, the said lever and link mechanism being adapted to slide the two end transverse members on the guide rods toward the central transverse member to contract the expanded recesses around the asparagus stalks and to retain the same therein so that when the asparagus receiving element is swung on its pivot into its horizontal position over the packing cans on the said base, the asparagus stalks in said recesses are disposed over the said packing cans and in position to be discharged into said packing cans.

3. An apparatus for packing asparagus stalks in cans, which includes a base adapted to support a plurality of packing cans, an asparagus receiving element pivoted to said base to swing from a horizontal position over said base and packing cans thereon to a vertical position, said asparagus receiving element including a central transverse member and two end transverse members, each transverse member being provided with a plurality of semicircular recesses which are complemental to the semicircular recesses in its adjacent transverse member so as to provide a plurality of circular recesses in the asparagus receiving element, means for mounting the transverse members to permit movement of the two end transverse members from and toward the central transverse member, means providing partitions between the semicircular recesses of the transverse members, means acting on the two end transverse members for moving the same to separate them from the central transverse member to expand the recesses in the asparagus receiving element when it is in a vertical position, said expanded recesses being adapted to receive asparagus stalks, said means acting on the two end transverse members being adapted to move the same toward the central transverse member to contract the expanded recesses around the asparagus stalks and to retain the same therein so that when the asparagus receiving element is swung on its pivot into its horizontal position, the asparagus stalks in said recesses are disposed over the said packing cans on said base and in position to be discharged into said packing cans.

4. An apparatus for packing in containers asparagus stalks or articles of like elongated form, which includes a base adapted to support a plurality of packing containers, a pivoted article receiving element adapted to swing from a horizontal position over the packing containers to a vertical position, said article receiving element including a central transverse member and two end transverse members, each transverse memher being provided with a plurality of semicircular recesses which are complemental to the semicircular recesses in its adjacent transverse member so as to provide a plurality of circular recesses in the article receiving element, means for mounting the transverse members to permit movement of the two end transverse members from and toward the central transverse members, means acting on the two end transverse members for moving the same to separate them from the central transverse member to expand the recesses in the article receiving element, said expanded recesses being adapted to receive the articles to be packed, said means acting on the two end transverse members being adapted to move the same toward the central transverse member to contract the expanded recesses around the articles and to retain the same therein 30 that when the article receiving element is in position over the packing containers on the said base, the articles in said recesses are in position to be discharged into said packing containers.

5. An apparatus for packing in containers asparagus stalks or articles of like elongated form, which includes means for supporting a group of packing containers in fixed predetermined horizontal position, an article receiving member pivoted to swing from a vertical to a horizontal position above the packing containers, said article receivin member being provided with a group of circular recesses, each of which is adapted to register with a packing container of the said group of horizontal supported packing containers when the receiving member is in horizontal position above said group of packing containers,

and to contact the group of recesses around the means for expanding the said group of recesses when the article receiving member is in vertical position to receive articles therein to be packed articles received, and to retain the same therein so that when the article receiving member is swung from its vertical position into its horizontal position above said group of horizontally positioned containers, the articles in said group of recesses are in position to be discharged into said group of packing containers.

HOWARD E. KELLY. HARRY A. HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Gruwell, Jr Feb. 1, 1944 Number