US509007A - Fruit-gatherer - Google Patents

Description

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(No Model.)

VW. P. WADSWURTH.

FRUIT GATHERER.

PatentvedNov. 2 1, 1893.

is a specification.

fing horizontal openings UNITED STATES WILLIAM If. wADswoRTH, oF

FRUIT-GATHERER.

SPECI'FIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,00*?, dated November 21, 1893. I" Appnmanneasepamtai5,1892. sentano. 445.981. @roman To all whom 'it may concern.- u

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. WADS- WORTH, a lcitizen of the United States, residing at Zolfo, in the county of lDe Soto and State of vlFlorida, have invented a new and useful Fruit-Gatherer, of which the following This invention relates to certain new and usefulV improvements in fruit gatherers and has for its object, to provide such a construction and arrangement of parts that the fruit may be readily gathered and be uninjured during `its transportation or transfer from the point of gathering to a suitable receptacle below, and with this object in view the invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved device shown in position for gathering on the line 0o. Fig. view of the device. line fy. y. Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several gnres.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a base consisting of a series of inclined bottom trusses 2, upon which are secured angularly disposed arms 3, having the ends 4: thereof mortisedor cut away and hay# 5, extending there#` 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan Fig. 1t is a section on the s through. In' the mortised cutaway portions of the arms 3, are mounted adjustable legs 6, having slots 7, in the upper portions,V thereof through which are passed bolts with clamping nuts 8 thereon, and below said slot 7 ,are

formed shoulders 9. The adjustability of the legs 6 may be conveniently employed to compensate for the irregularity ofv the surfaces upon which the device may rest and thereby sustain the same in perpendicular stable position. At the central intersection of the arms 4, a steel plate 10, of circular form is mounted and provides a turn-table from the center of which rises a post 11, extending through the arms and into the central intersecting portion of thetrusses 2. 0n the said post 11, is mounted the .central standard 12,

the latter being adapted to freely rotate ifso `frame 15.

desired and having a toothed wheel 13, se-

-PATENT OFFICE.

of the wheel 13 and thereby properly fruit. Fig. 2 is a section `standard 12.

the under side of the platform 16, provided with a pair of the rollers 26,'and by Y ZoLFo, FLORIDA.

cured tov its lower *pend and bearing on the plate l10, `when inY 'proper position. To one portion of one of the arms 3 is secured a spring actuated pawl 14 adapted to engage the tleleg o the standard 12 in its adj ustedy position. the standard 12 is mounted a platform sists of alower platform 16, with'under crossstrips 17 and uprights or posts 18,the said posts 18 and the cross-strips 17, being bound to each other by steel bands 19, in addition towhat other fastenings may be employed to securely and On one side of the frame 15, and extending from the upper portion of one of the end posts 1S,`obliquely downwardly to the lateral extenion of one of the cross strips 17, is a trough 20, constructed of suitable fabric or cloth and having an opening 21, in the lowermost end thereof. On a portion of the posts 1S are mounted cross sills 22, which project at their opposite ends vbeyond the said posts and on which is mounted an upper platform'25, said platform and cross sills supporting under strips 24 and 25, disposed respectively transversely and longitudinally of of the platform 23and arranged in T-shaped form. The strip 25` supports a pair ofrrollers 26, fixed in said strips by means of suitable castings to have a free rotation and adapted toV engage a groove in the adjacentside ofthe The said standard is provided on its opposite sides with grooves 27, and a cross sill 22 nearest the said standard is in like manner provided with apair of rollers 26 similar to those mounted in the strip 25. In like mannerthe two cent-ral strips 17,1ixed to are each this means it will be s een that the movement of the ,frame 15 and thereby more readily adj usted either in elevating or lowering the same.v Each of the ` platforms 16 and 23,is formed with an opening through which the standard 12 extends, and on thelower portion of the said standard-are op^` positely disposed stops 27X, adapted to be contacted. by the inner strips 17 of the platform 16 and limit the downward movement ofthe 1n one set of the projecting ends of the frame v15, which is vertically adjustable and con- {irmly hold the parts together. y

the iider side entire is made more sensitive foo crosssills` 22, is mounted a cross-bar 28, and in the opposite set of the projecting ends of said sills is mounteda windlass'29, having an operating crank handle 30, and a ratchet 31, adapted to be engaged by a pawl 32, mounted on the platform 23 in relative position thereto and adapted to lock the ratchet wheel 3l against movement. A suspending rope 33 of suitable nature is connected to the io cross-bar 28, at one end and passes up over a pulley 34 in the upper portion of the standard .12, and thence downward to the windlass 29,around which it may be wound or unwound as found necessary and desirable. It will be r observed that the crank handle 30 of the windlass 29 is located in convenient operating positionl to the platform 16, and by this means the operator may stand on the said platform 16, and elevate or lower the frame 15. to any 2a desired height. By this means and through the revolving construction of the standard the which it desired to clip the fruit.

From the lower part of the standard 12, extends an at a right angle ioned spool 37, consisting of an outer clothcovering with a filling of hair or analogous material. To the upper part of the standard is securedl another arm 37X, which is parallel with the arm 36 and has secured thereto a guide cord or rope 38, which extends through the trough 2O and has its lower ends secured to the arms 35. A series of rings 39 are connected at opposite sides to ropes or cords 40, 4o secured to the underportion of one end of the frame 15 and also /to that portion of the arm 35 around thesp/ool 37, said rings being surrounded/byianet work tube 41, and by this .,Mmeansthe fruit as it passes through the open` ing 2l in the trough 20, is conveyed to` and through the spool 37, and said rings, are elevated or lowered toplace the tube in proper position as the frame 15 is elevated or lowof the rings 39 is provided with 5o a sleeve 42 which is mounted on the guide cord or rope 38 and acts to properly hold the rings in line and keep the tube supported by said rings from swaying, also to assist in the elevation and lowering of the said tn be'as the "'55 frame 15 is elevated or lowered. When the rmgs 39 are lowered theydrop down over the spool 37 and carry the tube therewith and are thereby always arranged in proper position to be raised directly over the spool.V

A suitable sizer may be placed under the arm 35,.to receive the fruit after it passes through the spool 37, or a suitable box or receptacle may be placed under said arm.

The parts of the entire device may be conving of aportable nature.

vsaid arms,

a supporting mounted upon lower radial arm, a platfor-m slidably mounted The gatherer-herein before set forth is especially adapted for gathering oran gesand is to be moved from one tree to another, it bestood however, that the gatherer maybe used in picking other fruits equally as Well as in picking oranges.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a fruit gatherer, the combination with a supporting base, of a standard rotatably mounted upon said base, a platform vertically adjustable upon said-standard, a conveyer supported by said platform, and elevating devices for raising and lowering the platform,substantially as specified.

2. In a fruit gatherer, the combination of a base provided with radial arms, supporting legs adjustably connected' to the terminals of a clamping 'device for securing said arms to the supporting legsv in the desired relative-positions, a rotatable standard mounted upon said base, a platform slidably mounted upon the standard and provided with suitable elevating devices, andv a conveyer supported by the platform and providedy at the plane of the latter with a suitable 1 receiving trough, substantially as specified.

3. In a fruit gatherer, the combination with base, of a standard rotatably said base and provided with'a upon said standard and provided withV suitable elevating devices adapted to be operated from the platform, a receiving trough carried by the platform, an extensible conveyer tube communicating at its upper end with said receiving trough and connected at its lower end to the said radial arm, and stop dovicesecured to the standard slightly above the plane of the radial arm to limitV the downward movement of the platform, substantially as specified.

4. 1n a fruit gatherer, the combination of a base, a standard rotatably mounted onfsaid base, a frame adj ustably mounted upon. said standard and having a trough'. in connection therewith, a padded spool supported atthe lower portion of said standard, and aA netted tube in line with said spool and adapted' to rise-and fall with the said frame, substantially as. described. 5

5. In a fruit gatherer, the combinationl of a standard, a frame vertically adjustableon said standard and having a trough in connection therewith with an opening'in one kend thereof, arms projecting from the upper and lower portions of said standard, a cord or rope connecting said arms, a padded spool mounted in the lower arm, cords extending from the under side of the trough downward to opposite sides of the spool, rings attached to said cord and provided with sleeves mov ably mounted on the cord orrope connecting 'the upper and lower arms ofthe standard,

and a net Work tube surrounding said rings, substantially as described.

6. In a fruit gatherer, the combination of a It will be under- IOO IIO

base having adjustable feet and a central plate to form a tu rrrtable with a post centrally rising therefrom, a' standard rotatably mounted on said post'and having a toothed wheel at itsA lower end adapted to be engaged by a pawl and the opposite sides thereof formed with grooves, a frame mounted on said standard and' adjustable vertically consisting of upper and lower platforms under which are' located rollers engaging the grooves of the standard, a windlass mounted on one side of the frame,

a pulleyin the upper end of the standard-and

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