Device for lifting and loading boxes and cartons, especially from an agricultural field

Apparatus for lifting filled parallelepiped cartons with vertical side walls from an agricultural field, or the like, including in combination:

• a wheel-supported main frame,
• a pickup device at the forward end of said frame comprising a pair of frame arms pivotally mounted to said main frame and supporting a pair of facing discs for rotation on two generally vertical planes that converge rearwardly and downwardly, said discs being spaced apart from each other a distance such that at their forward and upper portions they are further apart than the width of the carton to guide it into the space between them and, later, to enable release from them, and at their rear and lower portions they are slightly closer together than the width of the carton, to grip it, and resilient means between said frame arms and said main frame for yieldingly urging said discs towards each other,
• said discs having high friction faces for engaging said carton side walls,
• first driving means supported on said frame for rotating said discs,
• a gripping device supported by said frame to the rear of said pickup device and comprising a substantially coplanar pair of rotatable yieldable tired wheels filled with air at low pressure to provide said yielding, facing each other and inclined rearwardly upwardly and slightly closer together than the width of the carton, the tires providing high friction surfaces for engaging the carton side walls and yielding to prevent damage to the carton while gripping them firmly, the gripping device being located so that it positively takes away the carton from the pickup device and supports it while conveying it rearwardly and upwardly,
• second driving means supported on said frame for rotating said wheels so that their facing surfaces move upwardly and rearwardly, and
• conveyor means on said frame for receiving said carton from said gripping means and moving the carton upwardly and rearwardly therefrom.