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US 4,034,542 AGranted
Fruit picking implements
OwnerLeslie K. Loehrinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fruit-picking implement having a mechanical hand with pivoted fingers, mounted on the end of a suitable pole such that the fingers can be manipulated by an operator, pulling a cord or rope, to grasp a fruit on a branch or limb of a tree. A latching mechanism for maintaining a gripping action of the fingers on the fruit such that twisting the pole effects removal of the fruit from the tree; then by releasing the latch the fruit is released from the fingers.
Claims7
An implement for picking fruit from a fruit-bearing tree comprising:
- a picking pole;
- a pair of fruit-grasping fingers mounted on one end of said picking pole such that relative movement toward and away from each other can occur between said fingers;
- first means associated with said one end of the picking pole and with said pair of fingers for causing one of said fingers to move into a fruit-grasping position with the other of said fingers;
- and second means for actuating the first means such that the pair of fruit-grasping fingers is effective for firmly gripping and holding fruit, said second means comprising;
- a spring connected to the first means, a latching mechanism connected to the spring, and a manually-operable force-applying element associated with the picking pole and connected to the latching mechanism for applying an actuating force through the latching mechanism and the spring to said first means such that manual operation of the force-applying element is effective for causing the fruit gripping action of the pair of fingers and for activating the latching mechanism for causing the fruit-holding action of said pair of fingers.
2 more elements
An implement for picking fruit from a fruit-bearing tree comprising:
- a picking pole;
- support means mounted on one end of said picking pole;
- a pair of fruit-grasping fingers each having a fruit-gripping first portion and an actuating second portion, said fingers including pivot arrangements mounting the fingers on said support means such that the fruit-gripping first portions face each other for arcuate movement in a common plane toward and away from each other, and such that the pivot arrangement of each finger is positioned intermediate the first and second portions;
- force-applying means associated with the pair of fruit-grasping fingers and arranged such that movement of said force-applying means in a first direction is effective for applying a force to the actuating second portions of said pair of fingers for moving said fingers around their respective pivot arrangements such that the fruit-grasping portions of said fingers move arculately in a common plane in directions toward each other;
- and manually operable means associated with the picking pole and the force-applying means for causing movement of said force-applying means in said first direction such that actuating forces are applied to the second portions of said fingers for causing the fruit-gripping first portions of the fingers to move toward each other in fruit-gripping relationship;
- said manually operable means comprising a spring connected to the force-applying means, a latching mechanism connected to the spring, and a pull cord connected to the latching mechanism;
- said latching mechanism being effective for holding the fruit-grasping fingers in fruit-gripping relationship.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.