Fruit picking technique
OwnerHerman C. Morganeierinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fruit picker is disclosed which grasps the fruit by vacuum and then rotates the fruit to sever it from the tree. The vacuum is then broken and the fruit falls by gravity toward the ground from a location inside the periphery of the tree. Because the fruit impacts tree limbs during its descent toward the ground, its rate of descent is surprisingly slow. A net may be placed around the tree near ground level for receiving and collecting the fruit.
Claims5
A device for picking a stem supported fruit of a generally uniform predetermined mixture size transverse to the stem axis, the device comprising:
- an elongate frame having a fruit receiving end including an open ended cup smaller in size than the predetermined maximum size;
- a vacuum pneumatic motor for rotating the cup for severing the fruit from its source;
- means for selectively applying a vacuum to the cup for grasping fruit therein prior to applying a vacuum to the motor;
- and
- means for releasing the vacuum and allowing the fruit to fall by gravity from the cup.
A device for picking a stem supported fruit, comprising:
- an elongate frame having a fruit receiving end including an open ended cup;
- means for applying a vacuum to the cup for grasping fruit therein;
- means for rotating the cup for severing the fruit from its source including a pneumatic motor having an internally threaded piston and means mounting the piston for reciprocating non-rotative movement, and an exteriorally threaded shaft received in the piston, means connecting the shaft and the cup for rotating the cup upon reciprocation of the shaft, and means for applying a differential air pressure across the piston;
- and
- means for releasing the vacuum and allowing the fruit to fall by gravity from the cup.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.