US2656968A - Orchard ladder with adjustable platform and fruit receiving means - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 27, 1953 H. TIDWELL 2,656,968

ORCHARD LADDER WITH ADJUSTABLE PLATFORM AND FRUIT RECEIVING MEANS Filed Nov. 26, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l Huber! 77dwel/ INVENTOR.

Oct. 27, 1953 TlDWELL 2,656,968

H. ORCHARD LADDER WITH ADJUSTABLE PLATFORM AND FRUIT RECEIVING MEANS Filed NOV. 26, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /42 w I6K/42 H6 Q B8 22 Fig. /6 30 y Huberf 77'0'wel/ INVENTOR.

Oct. 27, 1953 H. TIDWELL 2,656,968

ORCHARD LADDER WITH ADJUSTABLE PLATFORM AND FRUIT RECEIVING MEANS Filed Nov. 26,- 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 52 Hubert T idwel/ INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 27, 1953 ORCHARD LADDER WITH ADJUSTABLE PLATFORM AND FRUIT RECEIVING MEANS Hubert Tidwell, Wellington, Utali Application November 26, 1951, Serial No. 258,110

17 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a portable apparatus Which is constructed and especially designed to assist one in having practical and readily available access to the limbs of a fruit tree while pruning, thinning and picking and collecting fruit, the same being characterized by a safe and reliable self-standing orchard ladder and an arrangement of handy and reliable facilities mounted on the ladder in a manner to provide the user with all necessary equipment to cover an appreciable Working area without having to repeatedly dismount and shift the position of the ladder.

Those engaged in the work of picking fruit and attending to pruning and thinning activities are full well aware of the time element and laborious factors involved in connection therewith. Climbing up and down the ladder and changing the position of the same in relation to the branches of the tree is in itself conducive to fatigue and wasted time and effort. Seeking to cope with the currently neglected problem, one objective of the herein disclosed apparatus is to provide an orchard ladder and associated devices Which will overcome the likelihood of the ladder tipping over and will consequently relieve the user of the now attending fear of tumbling from the ladder.

It follows therefore that one aspect of the over-all apparatus is to provide an orchard ladder with appropriatelyconstructed and arranged prop means whereby the ladder may be erected on and satisfactorily supported from uneven terrain.

Another difiiculty with orchard ladders is that the standing room atop the ladder is undesirably restricted which results in time lost in con- :stantly shifting the ladder to enable the range of activity to meet ever var ing work requirements. It is, therefore, another objective of the instant invention to provide means which may be attached to the upper portion of the ladder and which has to do with a platform on which the picker stands, said platform being unique in that it may be raised or lowered and, what is more important, may be adjusted in a horizontal plan about a vertical pivot and retained at given positions in a circular path, making it possible for the picker to rove around and locate himself at varying positions of vantage for full range activities.

A further object of the invention has to do with upright means which is swivelly mounted atop the orchard ladder wherein said means constitutes a support for the pickers platform and platform is in its low position, the upper por-- tion of the tube projects to an elevation above the same and extends to Waist-high level, mak ing it possible for the user to straddle the tube while occupying the platform and to in this man"- ner stabilize himself and to conveniently drop the picked fruit for collection in said tube, the

latter having means at its upper end which, if desired, may support an extra bucket to increase the load before descending and emptying the same into transporting containers.

A still further object of the invention. pertains to supporting the platform means, the tube and the platform thereon, by way of a novel ladder attachment which is characterized by a bridlelike fram structure slidably harnessed on the ladder stiles and locked in position by existing means on the ladder stiles and having a platform below the first-named platform whereby the user may descend the ladder, detach the tube and empty its contents into a container.

With further reference to the preceding object it is to be pointed out that the frame structure is novel in that it embodies friction brake means characterized by a brake shoe which bridges the ladder stiles, said brake means being brought into braking position by the lower end of the aforementioned tube, the latter being operatively connected with the brake shoe and rockably mounted on the platform of the frame structure so that it becomes in effect an operating lever for applying and controlling the brake to regulate the descent of both platform and loaded tube.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on the use of brake means in the frame structure which is characterized by a yoke which includes the brake shoe and also provides lug-like detents, the latter being associable with projecting heads on the exterior surfaces of the ladder stiles whereby said heads may be employed as keepers for the detents so that when the detents are engaged with the keepers the frame structure is positively retained in an established position on the ladder, either at the median or top portion of the ladder as existing picking conditions require.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following 3 description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a fra mentary type and with portions appearing in section, showing the complete apparatus and the manner in which the over-all attachment means is used;

Figure 2 is an elevational View of the same observing the structure in a direction from right to left;

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing, in dot-dash lines the approximate manner in which the rotatable pickers platform is selectively moved to desired picking positions;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view taken on the horizontal line l of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional and elevational view taken on the vertical line '5-5 'of Figure 2,1ooking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-45 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional and elevational view on the line 5-1 of Figure 5; V Figure 8 is an elevational view of one of the details;

Figure 9 is a section on the horizontal line 9-9 of Figure 1;

Figure 10 is a section on the irregular line llllll of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is an exaggerated detail view on the horizontal line l [-4 l of Figure 10 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 12 is an enlarged detail section on the line l2-l2 of Figure 1;

Figure 13 is a view at right angles thereto on the line l3|3 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a section on the line I l-M of Figure 3;

Figure 15 is an elevational view of the pickers platform brace unit;

Figure 16 is a section on the line l6-l6 of Figure 15;

Figure 1'7 is an enlarged cross section on the line lll'l of Figure 4; and

Figure 18 is a fragmentary detail section showing the manner of attaching a portion of one of the members of the brace unit seen in Figure 15.

Referring now to the drawings by reference numerals and accompanying lead lines, the orchard ladder is denoted by the numeral 29 and comprises convergin stiles or rails 2222 with intervening steps 26. The steps, as best shown in Figure 5, are held in place by horizontal rods 26 passing through the steps and stiles and additional reinforcing rods 28 which underlie the steps and also pass through the stiles. The headed end portions of these are spaced apart in the manner shown in Figure 10 for a purpose tobe hereinafter described. Since, however, the heads on rods 28 serve as stops or keepers they are referred to by the numerals 39.

The props for the ladder are denoted by the numerals 32 and 34 and they have their upper ends 36 pivotally connected to the upper portions of the ladder stiles as shown best in Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure i, the intermediate portions of the ladder stiles are provided with rigid adapter members 36-35 which are provided with substantially L-shaped brackets 33' pivoted in place at it. These brackets serve to accommodate extensible and retractible stay devices which adjustably connect the props with the ladder. These devices are denoted generally by the numerals 42-42. Each device comprises a link 44 pivoted to the brackets 38 at 45. This link is apertured and slidable through a sleeve 48 on the complemental link 5t which is pivoted at 52 directly to the prop, all as best shown in Figure 4. Link 50 is provided with a spring 54 to which is attached a rectangular collar 56, said collar encircling the sleeve 43 in the manner shown in Figure 17 and said collar being provided with a latching pin 56 which fits selectively into the apertures 66 of the link 46. This arrange ment allows the devices 52 to be extended as shown at the right in Figure 4 or contracted as shown at the left in the same figure. It is to be stated here that these details have been described in particular to enable the reader to understand the construction. It is to be understood, however, that these stay devices are not claimed. In other words, insofar as the invention is concerned, it has to do with an orchard ladder with props which are properly connected thereto and which are regulable so as to rigidly support the ladder on uneven terrain.

Attention is now directed to the elevator-like attachment device which is slidably harnessed on the ladder stiles. This, broadly speaking, is in the form of an open frame structure which is characterized in particular by a pair of vertical spaced parallel substantially V-shaped end frames {iii-62 (see Fig. 2), said frames being hooked on said stiles and being connected together at 6 1 and at 66. There is another intermediate bar connection 68 which is a horizontal shelf. This shelf has a keyhole slot therein as shown in Figure 11 with the circular portion of the slot denoted at ill and the restricted end portion at E2, to be later described. A plate 14 is secured fixedly to the upper end portion of the end frames by attaching ears 76 as shown in Figure 6. This plate has a central circular aperture l8 and said plate serves as a first platform or as more conveniently described, a landing. The shelf 68 is a support for the friction brake means which takes the form of a yoke 89 as shown at 82 in Figure 9. The intermediate portion is a brake shoe 84 and this spans and has friction contact with the edges of the ladder stiles. The lateral arm portions of the yoke 86 are provided with lateral inturned lugs 83 which constitute latching detents. These detents normally engage with the keeper heads 36 in the manner shown in Figure 10 and thus the entire frame structure is held in a set or fixed position. The surfaces 90 are canted or beveled so that when the frame structure is shoved from the lower end of the ladder (not shown) and shifted to an up position these surfaces Gil ratchet over the keeper heads 30, that is, they by-pass the keeper heads. In Figure 10, one of the detents is shown engaged with the keeper heads thus locking the frame structure in a set position. When the brake shoe is moved from right to left in Figure 10 the detents are disengaged from the heads 30 and the detents assume the dotted line position whereupon they may ride down in the space between the respective pairs of heads as and 92. The brake shoe is provided with an opening of the shape shown in Figure 10, said opening denoted at and this opening registers with the keyhole slot 10 in the shelf. Before discussing the operating connection of the brake shoe it is desired now to take up what is called the rotatable and otherwise adjustable platform means which is supported from the landing platform 14. As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, this means is characterized by what is called an upright 94 which takes the form of a tube. The upper end is open and provided with a flared mouth 9'6 carrying a fixed hook 98 which may be used to accommodate the wire bail I of the bucket I02. In some instances it is desirable to use a bucket in the picking operation and the bail is engaged with the hook and thus the bucket is supported on the tube 90. The lower end portion of the tube is conical and closed as at I04 and at the juncture of the body portion and cone there is a flange I05 and since the conical portion extends through the opening I8 in the fixed platform I4 a swivel connection for the tube is had. It is to be noted that the body portion of the tube inclines in approximate parallelism with the ladder. The lower end of the conical portion I04 has a sector-shaped rigid extension I05 which is provided with a rib H3! which is projectible as shown in dotted lines into the re stricted portion I2 of the keyhole slot to serve as a release. The adjacent portion of the cone, that is, the portion I I0 is extended down through the opening means 95 in the brake shoe 84 where it affords an operating connection for the brake shoe using the tube as a sort of a push-pull lever. In doing this the user stands on the landing platform '14 and catches hold the upper end of the tube and manipulates it in a manner to release the detent means 88 from the keeper heads 30 and to simultaneously apply the friction brake shoe to the stiles of the ladder. Therefore, the frame structure may be either locked and held in locked position by the weight of the tube and other devices on the tube and may be released by the same means at which time the brake shoe is applied optionally to allow the frame structure to descend slowly and to carry the user down the ladder with the tube 94 and other structure. The tube obviously serves as a collector or receiver for the picked fruit and it is provided on its interior with flexible baffles or flaps II2 to prevent the fruit from dropping too speedily or heavily into the tube. The entire tube is detachable from the platform 14 and other parts in an obvious manner so as to permit the collected fruit to be emptied into another container (not shown).

The tube is rotatable on platform I4 and may also be rocked in a direction from left to right in Figure 1 at which time the flange I06 constitutes a fulcrum. is the lever operation of the tube for controlling the brake. The conical por tion as shown in Figure '7 is provided with aperture means to accommodate an insertable and removable locking pin H4 held in place chain IIS and has a keying lug II8 which fits through the aperture as shown in Figure 7. When the pin is in place the entire tube means is thus fastened to the platform I4. By employing slight play between the pin I4 and platform 14 the latter may be provided with recesses or keeper seats !Z2 and hence if the tube is turned about a vertical axis the pin II4 rests in one of these seats to hold the tube in an adjusted position, axially speaking.

A pickers platform of suitable size is provided and this is denoted by the numeral I24 in Figures 1 and 3, for example. The platform is detachable and adjustable and hinged. It has arm portions are which straddle the tube with upstanding terminals provided with hinging and retaining pins I 28 and thence pins fit into depressions I30 indented in the body of the rigid tube.

This provides a separable and hinging connec-' tion for the platform and allows the platform to extend laterally from the tube where the user straddles the tube and stands on the platform at the same time. This act of straddling the tube gives the user greater purchase while standing on the platform I24 and avoids a. sense of falling. The tube extends approximately waisthigh so that the picker may drop the apples or other fruit into the receptacle provided by said tube. A brace unit I32 is provided and this is shown in Figure 15 where it includes spaced parallel members I34-I34 interconnected by rounds I36-I36. The lower ends have outstanding connecting studs I38-I38 and these studs are engaged in recesses provided. therefor in the furcation portions I4IJ-I40 of the platform as shown in Figure 3 and detailed in Figure 14. The upper ends of the members I34 straddle the tube and are provided with inturned studs I42-I42 and these studs are releasably engageable in indentations provided therefor at diametrically opposite sides of the tube as shown at I46 in Figure 1. This arrangement also makes the platform I24 foldable which is shown in dotted lines in the same figure and the platform isfolded and held up on the hook means I48 so that it will be in an out-of-the-way position when the entire device descends the ladder.. By providing other indentations I Si] in the upper diametrically opposite side portions of the body of the tube $4 these may be used when the entire platform and suspension means I32 is detached and moved from the low position shown in full lines and inverted and used in the elevated position as shown in dotted lines in the same figure. This makes the platform means liftable and lowerable and increases the range of utility of the tube and platform means. The tube may be provided in one side with a step I52 to help the user to climb up the tube and take a position on the then elevated platform I24 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

The latch pin 1 I4 has the double purpose of securing the tube means swivelly to the landing platform 14 and also constitutes means when coacting with the recesses I22 to lock the tube means and roving platform means I24 in one of the several positions to which the tube means is capable of being turned, thus enabling the platform I24 to be swun in a horizontal plane on a vertical axis and to be placed in varying picking positions to increase the range of activity of the user. The preferred positions are directly over the ladder and props, as is obvious.

The instant invention appreciably increases the usefulness of an orchard ladder. First, the props make the ladder suitable for use on strangely contoured and uneven ground, but what is more important, when the harnessed framework is up the ladder, the user simply steps off of 74 andonto I24 and straddles the tube 94 as shown in phantom lines in Figure l. The fruit as picked is loaded into 94 and by stepping back on landing 14, the pickers platform can be moved to other positions on tube or folded to an out-of-the-way position, whereupon the detents 88 are released and the brake applied, permitting the picker and his load to ride down the ladder and dump the load as he sees fit to do.

In considering the manner of use and operation it will be evident that when the bridle-like frame structure is harnessed atop the ladder as shown in the drawings the same is held in'place acaaaca by the detents 88 which are then engaged with the uppermost keeper heads 30 and the brake 84 is'released (see Fig. 10). Also, the elements [05 and I01 are normally in the full line positions seen in Figs. 10 and 11. Therefore, the tubular upright 94 is free to turn. To accomplish the turning result the picker stands, of course, on the landing platform 14 and catching hold of upright 94 he rotates ituntil it may be conveniently locked through the medium of the pin H4 and recess means I22 as is clear from Fig. '7. The brake 84 is applied and the detents simultaneously released only when the rib I01 is lined up with and projected into its recess 12, which arrangement 'makes for requisite safeguarding control. As previously set forth, so long as the rib I01 is out of alignment with the slot restriction 12, the elements I05 and I! may rotate in the portion ll] of the keyhole-slot. When, however, the user decides to descend the ladder it becomes necessary to line the rib ID! with the restriction I2 whereupon the stated elements I and I0! are then permitted to shift from right to left (Fig. 11) and assume the dotted line positions. Now, the detents 88 may be released and the brake shoe 84 may be shifted on shelf 68 (right to left) and applied either lightly or strongly according to the requirements of the picker. A little practice will soon acquaint the picker with the steps which are to be pursued in handling the steps which are to be followed for fully advantageous use.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understandin of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. For use in enabling one to ascend to a given height above the ground and to then have changeable access to variously located fruit on a fruit tree; a portable apparatus comprising, in combination, a self-standing orchard ladder, platform means above said ladder, and complemental means adjustably connecting the platform means to the ladder in a manner permitting said platform means to be rotatably swung in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, whereby to permit said platform means to be sel ctively stationed i p dete m e positions of a c rc r p h f movemen an t iv th user a wide range of support without shifting the position of the'ladder relative to the ground, said complemental means embodying, as a component thereof, a receiver in which to gather fruit picked from the tree.

2, The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said lad er i p o ided wi h d stable props t steady the position of the ladder on uneven terram.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said complemental means embodies an upright which is adapted to be straddled by the user and which, under the circumstances, affords the user fii ld id facilitieS t0 Stabilize himself while stand ns on said, plat orm m n l r'ihe stru re defined in c aim 3. whe said upright is tubu ar and is o en at its top Therefore, a more lengthy 8 and has, the additional function of a fruit collecting receiver.

5. For use in enabling'one to ascend to a given height above the ground and to then have changeable access to variously located fruit on a fruit tree; a portable apparatus comprising, in combination, a self-standing orchard ladder, an upright swivelly mounted at its lower end atop said ladder and rising to a plane above the ladder, and a pickers platform suspended in a horizontal position from said upright, the latter extending above the platform in a position to be straddled by the picker while standing on the platform.

6. The structure defined in claim 5, wherein said platform is provided with spaced arms straddling said upright and detachably and hingedly joined to said upright, whereby said platform is foldable against and temporarily fastened to said upright whenever necessary or desired.

7. The structure defined in claim 6, wherein said platform is provided with pivotallly connected braces which also straddle the upright, said braces being hingedly and detachably joined to said upright, said platform and braces, as a unit, being detachable and shiftable from a low to a high position on the upright, thereby enabling the picker to ascend to a higher level where required, and means on said upright joining saidplatform and braces thereto when the latter are disposed in said high positions.

8. The structure defined in claim 5, wherein said upright is a tube closed at the bottom and open at the top, whereby said tube constitutes a fruit collecting receiver. 7

9. For use in enabling one to ascend to a given height above the ground and to then have changeable access to variously located fruit on a fruit tree; a portable apparatus comprising, in combination, a self-standing orchard ladder, a rigid tube closed at its bottom and open at its top, means swivelly and detachably mounting the lower portion of said tube atop said ladder, said means being slidably mounted on the vertical stiles of said latter, a horizontal pickers platform hingedly and detachably connected to the lower portion of said tube, the upper open end of said tube projecting to a waist-high elevation above said platform being in a position central to the latter and thus adapted to be straddled by the picker when standing on said platform and providing a convenient fruit collecting receptacle and also a satisfactory support for the picker.

10. For use in enabling one to ascend to a given height above the ground and to then have change able access to variously located fruit on a fruit tree; a portable apparatus comprising, in com bination, a self-standing orchard ladder, a first platform embodying means slidably and adjust; ably mounted on the stiles of said ladder, said platform being thus adapted to descend the ladder in a step-by-step manner with the picker standing thereon, a second fruit pickers platform disposed in a plane above said first platform, a rigid tube open at the top and closed at thebottom, said tube being swivelly and detachably mounted on said first platform and rising to a plane above the latter, and attaching and hinging means operatively connecting said second platform to said tube.

11. For use in enabling one to ascend to a given height above the ground and to then have changeable access to variously located fruit on a fru t tree; a portable apparatus comprising, in combination, a self-standing orchard ladder, a

frame structure slidably mounted on said ladder and adapted to either ascend or descend the ladder, a first platform fixed on said frame structure, upright means swivelly mounted on and rising vertically from said first platform, said upright means being rigid and hollow, and a second platform foldably mounted on said upright means.

12. The structure defined in claim 11, and a friction brake operatively mounted on said frame structure and having releasable detent means cooperable with stops on the stiles of said ladder, and means whereby said upright means serves to apply and release said brake.

13. For use in enabling one to ascend to a given height above the ground and to then have changeable access to variously located fruit on a fruit tree; a portable apparatus comprising, in combination, a self-standing orchard ladder having vertical spaced parallel stiles, a frame structure having vertical spaced parallel end frames slidable up and down on the stiles of said ladder, said end frames having hooked arms slidably harnessed on said stiles, a friction brake shoe operatively mounted on said frame structure and engageable with said stiles, keepers fixed on said stiles, said brake shoe having detents selectively and releasably engageable with said keepers, and a platform carried by said frame structure.

14. The structure defined in claim 13, and means carried by said platform for applying and releasing said brake, said means embodying an upright.

15. The structure defined in claim 13, and means carried by said platform for applying and releasing said brake, said means embodying an upright, said upright being a rigid tube open at its top and closed at its bottom, said tube being rockably and detachably mounted on said platform.

16. The structure defined in claim 15, and a folding platform pivotally and detachably mounted on said tube.

17. An attachment for an orchard ladder comprising a frame structure having means whereby the same may be slidably harnessed on the stiles of said ladder, and friction brake means operatively mounted on said frame structure and including a projectible and retractible brake shoe adapted to span and engage said stiles, and a platform fixed atop said frame structure, a rigid tube closed at its lower end and open. at its upper end, the lower end portion of said. tube being swivelly, detachably and pivotally mounted on said platform, the extreme lower end portion of said tube having operating connection with said brake shoe, and a folding platform carried by said tube and situated in a plane above said firstmentioned platform.

HUBERT TIDWELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 152,013 Seeburger June 16, 1874 1,526,654 Yordy Feb. 17, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 26.527 Austria Nov. 26, 1906

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