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US 6,182,431 B2Granted
Fruit picking apparatus
OwnerBruce A. Balcheninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for picking fruit comprises an elongate tube in which fruit is collected, a handle attached to the tube for enabling fruit to be picked from trees, a first plate at a top end of the tube for engaging a branch, the plate having a slot arranged to receive a stem of the fruit, a slidable member with an aligned slotted plate arranged to slide within the tube so that the plates move in opposite directions to break the fruit from its stem. The tube collects the fruit which can be seen through an opening. The slide is operated against a spring by a string extending along the handle.
Claims9
An apparatus for picking fruit comprising;
- an elongate tube in which fruit is collected;
- a handle attached to the tube for enabling fruit to be picked from trees;
- a first plate at a top end of the tube for engaging a branch, the plate having a slot arranged to receive a stem of the fruit;
- a slidable member arranged to slide within the tube;
- a rudder arranged to guide the slidable member within the tube;
- and a second plate on the slidable member having a slot which is aligned with the slot on the first plate to receive the stem of the fruit,
- the slidable member having a first position in which the second plate is adjacent the first plate and a second position in which the second plate is pulled rearwardly from the first plate,
- whereby in first position the first plate engages the branch and the second plate engages the fruit so that the plates are located between the branch and the fruit and whereby in the second position the second plate pulls the fruit away from the branch as the first plate is positioned against the branch causing the stem to break releasing the fruit into the tube.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.