US433179A - Cranberry-picker - Google Patents

Description

(Nro Model.)

D. LUMBERT.

GRANBERRY PICKER.

No. 433,179. Patented July 29, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL LUMBERT, OF CENTREVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CRANBERRY-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,179, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed November 21, 1889. Serial No. 331,124. (No model.)

T0,aZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, DANIEL LUMBERT, of Centreville, in the county of Barnstable and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cranberry- Pickers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this speciication.

My invention has for its object to improve and perfect the movable stripping-frame for holding the vines upon the fork in a cranberry-gathering machine; and it consists in the novel construction of the frame, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis an elevationV in perspective of my improved cranberry-picker, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section thereof in line .r .r of Fig. l.

The machine is constructed, as usual, of a gatheringreceptacle constructed of a rear plate A, two side plates l5 I3, proj ecting therefrom, and a series of parallel rods C C, likewise projecting to the front from the lower portion of the rear plate and in the plane of the lower edges of the side plates. These parallel rods are made of about the same length as the side plates and constitute not only an open bottom for the receptacle, but also a gathering-fork to be pushed in between the cranberryvines under the berries to facilitate stripping them therefrom.

The stripping-frame, by which the vines caught by the fork are prevented from slipping oit of it at the front, is constructed of two comparatively short side pieces D D, pivoted upon pivot-pins E E at their inner ends, cach to and against the inner face of one of the side plates B of the receptacle forward of the middle of its length and near to the upper edge of the plate, as shown in Fig. l, and which are connected at each end by transverse top bars F and G. The front ends of these connected side pieces D D of the strip` ping-1. rame are made of a width equal to that of the side plates l5 B of the receptacle, and the pieces are so proportioned in lengt-h as that when swung down upon their pivots, so as to bring their upper edges in a horizontal position coincident with the upper edges of said side plates, their front ends shall likewise coincide with the front ends of the side plates.

The lower edge of each side piece D is cut away from a point at g near its front end (see Fig. 2) to the upper rear end thereof in a d1- agonal line imparting a triangular form to the piece, which will prevent any obstruction thereby to the movement ot the gatherer as it is forced into the vines.

The stripping-frame is completed and the front of the gathering-receptacle is closed when the frame is depressed by means of a series of wide rectangular wire loops H H, de-

pending from the front cross-bar G near to i its inner edge, of a length to reach the level of the rods of the gathering-fork when the stripping-frame is depressed and in position to nearly touch their free outer ends, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. These loops are placed closely one to another in the same right line, and are each iitted with a number (preferably three) ot`- wire guards K K, which are made to project out from the lower member of each to the plane of the front ends of the side plates B B of the gathering-frame, and are then bent up parallel with the loops to the top thereof and there bent back toward the crossbar G, to whose front edge their upper ends are secured.

.Preferably the two end loops Il Il in the series are guarded by sheet-metal plates L L, (see Fig. l,) bent and secured in the same manner as the wire guards K K. These guarded wire loops, which thus form the front end of the stripping-frame and close the front end of the gathcling-receptacle when the stripper is depressed, facilitate the detachment of the berries from the vines caught in the gatherer.

Themachineisprovided,as usual,withahan dle M, extending forward from the' rear plate A (to which it is preferably made fast by means of a wire bracket M) centrally over the gathering-receptacle to about the middle thereof, where it is supported by a wire stay or bracerod N, extending from its front and back to the lower portion of the rear plate, as shown in Fig.

rlhe stri pping-frame is automatically lifted to open the gathering-receptacle and clear its fork by means of a spiral spring O, extended from the front end of the handle M to the middle of the front cross-bar G of the frame.

IOO

It is depressed to close the reeeptaole by means of a depressing-lever P, pivoted at its rear end to the upper edge of the rear plate A, and extending thence diagonally to and through a staple R at the middle of the length of the crossbar G.

The movement of the depressing-lever is readily produced by the thumb of the hand grasping the handle M, and a button S is placed upon the bar to facilitate the pressure ot the thumb thereon.

The top of the receptacle at the rear of the stripper may he Closed by a cover T, of suitable material, extended from the upper edge of the rear plate A to a transverse rod W, fitted in the top part of the receptacle in front of the stay-rod N of the handle.

The front ends of the side plates B B may be fitted with circular disks U Uto facilitate the movement of the machine underthe vines to be stripped.

I claim as my invention- The combination, in a cranberry-picker, substantially as described, and with the front bar of its movable stripper, of a Series of wire loops dependent from said bar, each guarded by parallel wires secured to the bar and to the lower member of the loop to project therefrom to the front, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

DANIEL LUMBERT. Witnesses:

GEO. H. I-IINCKLEY, HARRIE F. LUMBERT.

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