US638832A - Fruit-conveyer. - Google Patents

Description

No. 638,832. Patented Dec, l2, I899.

J. CARLTON. FRUIT CONVEYER.

. (Application flledwune 2931.899.) (No Model.)

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STATES JAMES CARLTON, OF NOOATEE, FLORIDA.

FRUlT-CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,832, dated December 12, 1899. Application filed June 29, 1899 Serial No. 722,241. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES CARLTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nocatee, in the county of De Soto and State of Florida, have invented new andwnseful Improvements in Fruit-Gathering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to fruit-gathering apparatus; and it consists in the peculiar and advantageous construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of my improved apparatus on line 1 1 of Fig. 2, the same being shown in its operative position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the upper end of the receiving-conduit.

In the said drawings similar letters designate-corresponding parts in all of the views, referring to which A is a ladder such as generally used for fruit-picking purposes.

B is the receiving-conduit, and G the discharging-chute, of my improved apparatus, the latter being disposed at an angle to the former, so as to receive therefrom and, being arranged as shown in Fig. 1, to discharge into a shipping-box D or other receptacle.

The receiving-conduit B in the preferred embodiment of the invention is made up of a Wood body a, which has a concave inner side I) and is provided with hooks o, to engage a rung of the ladder, and a plurality of pockets (1. These latter each comprise a transverse curvilinear strip e of leather or other material, Which, while soft, is calculated to retain its shape, and a skirt f, of cloth or other soft material, adapted to normally rest in a collapsed condition and offer a slight resistance to the descent of fruit. The strips e are connected at their ends by tacks or other suitable means to the edges of the body a, and the skirts f are connected to both the strips e and the said edges of the body a. The skirt f of each pocket is also extended down to a point within the strip 6 of the next lower pocket. From this it follows that while the several pockets, in conjunction with the body a, form a continuous conduit the picker of the fruit is enabled to place fruit in the conduit at various points in the length thereof. This is advantageous, since it renders it unnecessary for the fruit-picker, who stands upon the ladder while at work, to move up or down in order to place a piece of fruit in the conduit.

The body g of the discharge-chute O is preferably of wood and comprises a bottom wall g and side walls 9 the latter being extended beyond the former both at the lower and upper ends of the chute and having their lower corners rounded, as shown. The space formed by the extension of the side walls beyond the bottom wall at the upper end of the chute is occupied by a strip 7t of soft cloth or other material calculated to give,which is connected to the lower edges of the extended portions of the side walls and is continued up and connected to the upper ends of said side walls, so as to close the upper end of the chute G.

The space formed by the extension of the side walls beyond the bottom wall at the lower end of the chute O is occupied by a strip Zof soft cloth or other material calculated to give, which is connected to the lower edges of the extended portions of the side walls and is carried partly up and connected to the lower ends of the side walls, so as to partly close the lower or discharge end of the chute.

In practice the receiving-conduit B and discharge-chute O are arranged as shown with respect to each other and the ladder A and are connected together by hooks m and eyes 71.. Consequently it willbe seen that the fruit as it leaves the conduit B will fall upon the strip 7c of soft cloth, which will prevent bruising or other injury to the fruit. From the strip 70 the fruit will pass down the chute (3 into the pocket m, formed by the strip 1, and will drop therefrom into the box or receptacle D. The pocket m, of soft material, cushions the fall of the fruit down the chute O and causes the fruit to gently drop into the box D.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that while simple and inexpensive in construction my improved apparatus is calculated to materially expedite the gathering of fruit, and this without bruising or otherwise injuring the same. It will also be observed that the apparatus is light and easy to handle and may therefore be readily moved from one tree to another.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Inafruit-gatheringapparatus,aconduit, and a chute connected to and disposed below and at an angle to the conduit, and comprising a body having a bottom, and sides extended beyond the bottom at its upper end, and a strip of soft material occupying the space formed by the extension of the sides of the body beyond the bottom and connected to the lower edges of the sides and continued up and connected to the upper ends of the sides; the said strip being arranged to receive fruit as it is discharged from the conduit, substantially as specified.

2. Inafruit-gatheringapparatus,aconduit, and a chute connected to and disposed below and at an angle to the conduit and comprising a body having a bottom and sides extended beyond the bottom at its lower end, and a strip of soft material connected to the lower edges of the extended portions of the sides of the body and carried up and connected to the lower portion of the ends of said sides so as to partly close the lower end of the chute and form a pocket, substantially as specified.

In afruit-gat-hering apparatus,a conduit, and a chute connected to and disposed below and at an angle to the conduit, and comprising a body having a bottom, and sides extended beyond the bottom at its upper and lower ends, a strip of soft material connected to the lower edges of the upper extensions of the sides andcontinued up and connected to the upper ends of the sides; said strip being arranged to receive fruit as it is discharged from the conduit, and a strip of soft material connected to the lower edges of the lower extensions of the sides of the body and carried up and connected to the lower portion of the ends of said sides so as to partly close the lower end of the chute and form a pocket, substantially as specified.

JAMES CARLTON.

Witnesses:

M. S. STEVENS, ORLENA A. CARLTON.

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