US460903A - Fruit-picker - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. H. WOODWARD. FRUIT PIGKBR.

No. 460,903. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

INVENTOH l@ -4 www..

@wy/sql? www@ A TTU/SWE Ys UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN H. WOODVARD, OE ROCHESTER, NEYV YORK.

FRUIT-PICKER.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,903, dated October 6, 1891. Application filed November 29, 1890. Serial No. 373,004. (No model.)

To all 'L1/771.071@ it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. '\\f'ooDwARD, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Fruit-Picker, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in fruit-pickers, and more especially to that class of fruit-pickers which are adapted to be used in picking grapes. It is well known that it is quite a difficult job to pluck grapes from the vines, as the, clusters are likely to be bruised orthe grapes loosened; and the object of my invention is to produce a simple and convenient picker, by means of which the clusters may be readily severed from the vine, and which at the same time will prevent the clusters from dropping and will hold them so that they may be easily deposited in a suitable receptacle.

To this end my invention consists in a fruitpicker constructed substantially as herein.

after described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the ligu res.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the fruit-picker in position for severing a cluster of grapes from the vine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fruit-picker, showing the grapes severed and held by the picker. Fig. 31s a plan of the picker, and Fig. e is a detail plan view of the springpressed plate which is held beneath the main bar.

The fruit-picker has a main dat bar A, which is secured at one end to one member B of a handle, and which, near its forward end, is provided on opposite sides with converging notches a, and which terminates in a blunt point a', on the under side of which near the front ends of the notches is a shoulder a2, which aligns with a plate on the under side of the bar. The bar A is also provided near its central portion with a longitudinal slot a3 and at its rear end with a slot a4, the slots being intended to guide the knife O, which lies iiatwise on the top of the bar A and is adapted to slide thereon. The knife C terminates at its front end in an edge c, which is arranged to slide over the slots a, and the knifeis held to the bar A by the screws D and D', the screws D being made to extend through the slot a3 of the bar A and being screwed into the knife, and the screwD extending through the slot a4 of the bar and into the rear end of the knife. Screwed to the rear end of the knife is the member E of the fruit-picker handle, said member being shaped to tit thc hand and having at its upper end a horn E', which is shaped to fit one side of the hand and prevents the h and from sliding off the handle. A spring F is arranged between the members B and E of the handle, the said spring having a central coil at f and having terminal bends, as shown at f', one end being made to enter a recess in the member B and the opposite end being made to enter a corresponding recess in the member E, the spring being held in position by means of a keeper e on the member E, through which the spring passes, and the pressure of the spring will normally press the members of the handle apart, so that the knife C will be pushed rearward on the bar A, as shown in Fig. l.

On the under side of the barA is a plate G, which is held to the bar by means of the screws D, by which the bai-and knife are connected, and which is provided with two slots g and g', the slot g extending from the rear screw D to a point near the forward screw D, and the slot g embracing the forward screw D and limiting the movement of the plate upon the bar, as described below. A spring H is mounted in the slot g, the rear end of the spring pressing' against the rear screw D, and the spring thus serves to adj ust the plate G to fruit-stems of various thicknesses. The stems of the grapes are held between the front end of the plate G and the shoulder a2 of the bar A, and when an unusually thick stem is cut the plate G will be forced rearward to compensate for the increased thickness of the stem. On the under side of the plate G is a supplemental plate or washer G', which covers the slots y and g and prevents water from entering the same and rusting the spring.

The device is operated as follows: The

operator grasps the members B and E of the handle and hooks one of the notches c upon IOC the stern of a cluster of grapes, the point a enabling the fruit-picker to be easily inserted through the foliage of the vi nes, and the inembers of the handle are then pressed together, thus causing the knife C to slide forward and sever the stem, which will be caught between the front end of the plate Gand the shoulder a2 of the bar A, thus preventing the cluster from dropping, and it may be carried to a suitable receptacle, when the pressure on the handle is removed and the' cluster permitted to drop.

Having thus described lny invention, I claim as 'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A fruit-picker comprising a handled bar having a pointed end, with side notches adjacent to the pointed end and a shoulder on the under side of it, a spring-pressed knife held to slide on the upper side of the bar, and a spring-pressed plate on the under side of the bar adapted to abut With the shoulder,

VYof the bar and abut With the shoulder, and

connections between the plate and the knife, substantially as described.

3. A fruit-picker comprising a notched bar having one end pointed and the opposite end provided with ahandle, a spring-pressed knife held to slide on the bar, and a stem-clamp adapted to operate in unison with the knife, substantially as described.

JOHN H. WOODWARD.

Witnesses:

ROY C. WEBSTER, EDWARD WEBSTER

Images