Apparatus for harvesting okra or the like

An apparatus for harvesting okra or other fruit or vegetable comprises an elongated frame having a handle at one end thereof and a cutter member at the other end. In order to prevent any contact between the user and irritating pods of the okra, a trigger is provided at the handle for remotely operating the cutter. Also, a shroud partially surrounds the handle to protect the hand of the user during cutting. In one embodiment, the cutter comprises a razor blade located beneath a cylindrical guide member that retains the okra pod in position for cutting of the stem while a pair of stabilizing ears steadies the guide member on a branch of the okra plant. In a second embodiment, a rectangular guide member contains a stem holding bracket that maintains the stem of the okra pod in proper position for cutting by a blade. A set of prongs carried by the blade pierces the pod during a cutting stroke. The pod is automatically released during retraction for disposal into a collection receptacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for harvesting 
fruits or vegetables, and more particularly, to an apparatus that prevents 
any contact between the product and body of the user during cutting of 
irritating vegetables, such as okra. 
In harvesting okra or other irritating vegetable or fruit, physical contact 
between the pods and body of harvesting personnel must be avoided. With 
respect to the okra plant, for example, the pod (also known as gumbo) is 
used as the basis of soups and stews. The pods are difficult to harvest by 
hand because they tend to secrete mucilage which is very irritating to the 
skin. Although prior art apparatus using a manually controlled cutter at 
one end of an extended arm for harvesting fruits or vegetables beyond the 
reach of an individual have been provided, none to my knowledge has been 
well suited to the harvesting of okra, or the like, wherein the plant must 
be separated from the body of the user at all times during cutting of the 
stem and transferring of the pod to a collection receptacle. The prior art 
cutting apparatus have also been relatively heavy, bulky, and 
inconvenient. Also, the prior art apparatus has tended to use several 
interconnected moving parts that both increase costs and decrease 
reliability. 
Accordingly, one object of the invention is to provide a new and improved 
harvesting apparatus that is especially suited for harvesting the okra pod 
or other irritating vegetable or fruit. 
Another object is to provide a new and improved harvesting apparatus, 
wherein the fruit or vegetable being harvested is maintained out of 
contact with the body of the user at all times. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved harvesting 
device wherein the fruit or vegetable being harvested is retained within a 
guide member for cutting and transfer to a collection receptacle in a 
single operation while being at all times maintained out of contact with 
the body of the user. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A harvesting apparatus for cutting and transferring an okra pod, or other 
fruit or vegetable, comprises an elongated frame member having a handle 
formed at one end thereof and a guide member for receiving the pod at the 
other end. A cutter blade is positioned beneath the guide member and 
supported to the frame for transverse movement with respect to the guide 
under the control of a trigger at the handle. The length of the frame 
member is large enough to avoid any contact between the pods being 
harvested and the body of the user. A shroud is provided around the handle 
to protect the hand of the user from surrounding okra pods on nearby 
branches. 
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the guide member 
comprises a cylinder having a center axis perpendicular to the frame 
member with the cutter blade positioned beneath the cylinder mouth. The 
cutter blade is coupled to the handle by a rod that is supported to the 
frame member by a set of brackets. The cutter blade is preferrably a 
standard razor blade that is mounted on a support bracket attached to the 
coupler rod. The cutter blade is spring biased into a retracted position 
wherein the blade is positioned beyond the wall of the cylinder with the 
cutting edge closely adjacent a portion of the wall. In the extended, 
cutting position, the cutter blade is positioned adjacent the 
diametrically opposed portion of the cylinder wall. Thus, during a cutting 
stroke, the blade sweeps across the mouth of the cylindrical guide member 
to cut the stem of an okra pod positioned within the guide. A pair of 
stabilizing ears are attached to the outer wall of the cylindrical guide 
member to enable the guide to be positioned on a branch of an okra plant 
while cutting a pod. A hose may be provided between the cylindrical guide 
member and a collection receptacle for automatically transferring the pod 
to the receptacle after each cut. 
In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, the guide member 
has a generally rectangular wall defining an opening for receiving the pod 
to be harvested. A cutter blade (preferrably a razor blade) is positioned 
on a mounting bracket beneath the mouth of the guide. Beneath the blade, a 
stationary, stem holding bracket is provided for maintaining the stem in 
proper position for cutting while the pod is retained within the 
rectangular guide member. The stem holding bracket includes right and 
left, arcuate holding portions defining a central channel to receive the 
stem to be severed. A plate member is attached to one side of the guide 
member for maintaining a pod in a vertical orientation within the guide 
during cutting. A set of prongs attached to the blade mounting bracket 
moves together with the blade during the cutting strokes. The prongs 
extend beyond the cutting edge of the blade for piercing the okra pod 
within the guide member prior to cutting of the stem. The pod is thus 
retained within the guide by the prongs following stem cutting to enable 
the pod to be manually transferred to the collection receptacle prior to 
release. A pod release bracket is connected to the guide member and 
extends toward the stem holding bracket to automatically release the pod 
from the set of prongs during retraction of the cutter blade. 
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become 
readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed 
description, wherein I have shown and described only the preferred 
embodiments of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best 
modes contemplated by me of carrying out my invention. As will be 
realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and 
its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious 
respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the 
drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and 
not as restrictive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in accordance with a first embodiment of the 
invention a harvesting apparatus, designated generally by the numeral 20, 
comprises a frame member 22 having a first end 24 defining a handle and an 
opposite end 26 attached to a cutting member 28 and a cylindrical guide 
member 30. The frame 22 is preferrably formed to flat aluminum stock (see 
FIG. 2) having an upturned part 32 attached to the cylindrical guide 
member 30 with fasteners 34. At the opposite end of frame 22, a downturned 
part 36 is adapted to receive the fingers of the user and is operative as 
a trigger for controlling cutter 28; a U-shaped bracket 38 being secured 
to the downturned part 36 by fasteners 40 to form a region for receiving 
the fingers. A shroud 25, attached to the frame member 22 at fasteners 27, 
partially surrounds the bracket 38 and frame part 36 to protect the hand 
of the user from contact with the product being harvested or with 
surrounding shrubbery. The shroud contains an opening 29 formed therein 
into which frame member as well as rod 42 and spring 48 extends. 
One end of rod 42 is supported beneath the frame 22 by angle bracket 44 and 
the opposite end is supported by members 36 and 38, as shown in FIG. 1. 
The rod 42 wraps around the downturned portion 36 of the frame 22 forming 
a U-shape. The lower portion 43 of the rod 42 is supported within an 
aperture formed in members 36 and 38 just above lower fastener 40. The 
rear part 46 of the rod 42 is thus adapted to receive the palm of the 
user's hand as the fingers are located between members 36 and 38 to cause 
forward movement of the rear part 46, or trigger, in the direction of the 
arrow as shown in FIG. 1. During forward movement of trigger 46, rod 42 is 
also moved in the direction of the arrow causing the cutter 28 to shift 
from a retracted position (FIG. 1 and FIG. 3) to an extended position 
(FIG. 4), described below. The cutter 28 is normally retained in the 
retracted position by spring 48 connected between a first bracket 50' 
secured to rod 42 and a second bracket 52' secured to downturned portion 
36 of the frame 22. 
Still referring to FIG. 1, cutter member 28 comprises a standard razer 
blade 50 located on a razor blade mounting bracket 52 (angle bracket) by a 
screw 54 that extends through the bracket 52 and blade 50 and receives a 
twist nut 56 (see FIG. 2). Tightening of nut 56 on the screw 54 secures 
the blade and bracket together, the alignment of the blade being 
maintained by an alignment tab 56'. The mounting bracket 52 is mounted on 
the end of rod 42 by a pair of adjustment nuts 58 that permit the axial 
position of the blade 50 to be adjusted on the rod. 
A pair of stabilizing ears 60 are attached to opposite wall portions of 
cylindrical guide member 30 by fasteners 62, as shown in FIG. 2. Each of 
the ears 60 has a V-notch 64 formed therein to receive a branch of the 
okra plant during cutting of a pod stem for stability during cutting. 
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 5, the operation of the apparatus shown in 
FIGS. 1 and 2 in connection with the cutting of an okra pod shall be 
described. In FIG. 3, the apparatus 20 is positioned over an okra pod P 
with the mouth 66 of the cylindrical guide 30 being located adjacent the 
stem S of the pod to be cut. In the retracted position, the blade 50 of 
the cutter 28 is located beneath the mouth 66 of the guide 30 and just 
adjacent the guide wall. Of particular importance, the entire blade is 
located outside the guide 30 in the retracted blade position to enable the 
guide to be located around the pod P without obstruction by the cutter 28. 
The guide 30 is stabilized in place on the plant with notches 64 of ears 
60 located on or at the branch from which pod P is extending. The trigger 
46 of apparatus 20 is now operated by squeezing with the palm as explained 
in connection with FIG. 1 to initiate a cutting stroke. The cutter 28 is 
thrust forward to cause a diametrical sweep across the mouth 66 of 
cylindrical guide member 30 to sever the stem S, as shown in FIG. 4. The 
pod P, now released from the branch, is confined within the wall of 
cylindrical guide 30. 
The apparatus 20 is finally inverted, as shown in FIG. 5, to cause the pod 
P to drop under the force of gravity to a collection receptacle, such as 
70 in FIG. 8. An optional hose 68 may be attached to the end of guide 30 
opposite the mouth 66 to automatically direct the pod to the receptacle 
70. 
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the operating sequence of apparatus 20 may be 
modified to harvest hanging fruits or vegetables, such as cherries, as 
shown, wherein the apparatus is operated in an inverted orientation. 
Referring to FIG. 6, the mouth 66 of the guide 30 is positioned upwardly 
to receive a cherry C. End 72 of the guide 30 is oriented downwardly 
within collection hose 68. When the cutter 28 is operated in a cutting 
stroke by squeezing trigger 46 (FIG. 1), the stem of cherry C is severed 
causing the cherry to fall downwardly within hose 68 under the force of 
gravity to the collection receptacle 70 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). 
Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, in accordance with a second embodiment of 
the invention, a harvesting apparatus, identified generally by the numeral 
74, comprises a stationary frame member 76 having a downturned portion 78 
and angle bracket 80 connected together to form an opening for receiving 
the fingers of the operator's hand, in a manner similar to the embodiment 
of FIG. 1, together with a rod 82 supported above the frame by brackets 84 
and 86 as well as by the wall of a guide member 88. The rear portion 92 of 
rod 82 is wrapped around member 78 and 80 in a generally U-shape with the 
lower portion 93 of the rod being located within apertures 90 formed in 
members 78 and 80. The rear-most part 92 of rod 82 is thus a trigger which 
contacts the palm of the user's hand to enable squeezing of the portion 92 
together with members 78, 80 during a cutting stroke. Shroud 93 partially 
surrounds the hand of the operator for protection. The rod 82 is 
maintained in the normally retracted position, as shown in FIG. 9 (see 
also FIG. 11) by a spring 94 which is in abutment at one end with bracket 
84 and is secured at the other end to rod 82 by collar 96. 
Referring to FIG. 10, the forward or working end of rod 82, extending 
through the wall of guide member 88, is attached to a blade mounting 
bracket 98. The mounting bracket 98 is axially adjustable using adjustment 
nuts 100, and a conventional razor blade 102 (FIG. 11) is removably 
mounted to the bracket. 
Guide member 88 is defined by a generally rectangular wall and has 
dimensions large enough to receive the okra pod P, as shown in FIG. 11, or 
any other product to be harvested. The guide 88 is secured to angle 
bracket 122 by fasteners 123, the bracket in turn being secured to frame 
76 by fasteners 125. 
The blade mounting bracket 98 comprises an angle bracket having an 
upstanding wall portion 104. Attached to the wall portion 104 is a block 
106 to which is welded a set of prongs 108 that forwardly extend just 
beyond the cutting edge of blade 102 (see FIG. 11). The prongs 108 
reciprocate parallel to frame member 76 together with blade within guide 
member 88 during a cutting stroke. 
The forward end of the frame 76 has a downwardly extending portion 110 
(FIG. 9) that is attached to a stem holding bracket 112. Bracket 112 is 
stationarily positioned between the blade 102 in the retracted (FIG. 11) 
and extended, cutting (FIG. 12) positions. 
Referring to FIG. 10, the bracket 112 is formed with opposite, arcuate 
portions 114 and 116 defining a channel 118 therebetween. The channel is 
open to receive the stem S of an okra pod for positioning within the right 
or left arcuate portions 114, 116 thereof, as shown. The arcuate portions 
114, 116 maintain the stem S stationary in a substantially vertical 
direction during cutting, as shown in FIG. 10, by blade 102. The provision 
of adjacent portions 114, 116 enables the operator to secure the okra stem 
with either right hand or left hand movements of the guide following 
initial positioning of the okra pod within the guide wall 88. An 
upstanding plate 120 is secured to one end of rectangular guide member 88 
to support and help vertically orient the okra pod P during the cutting 
stroke, as shown in FIG. 12. 
During the positive cutting stroke, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the 
trigger portion 92 of rod 82 is squeezed by the palm of the user's hand to 
move the cutter blade 102 toward the okra stem for cutting. This action 
also compresses spring 94 tending to urge the blade 102 in the retraction 
direction. Just prior to cutting of the stem by blade 102, prongs 108 
pierce the okra pod, as shown in FIG. 12, and press the pod P against 
plate 120 as the stem is severed. 
The angle bracket 122 attached to the side of guide member 88 extends into 
the guide just beyond the extent of the prongs in the retracted position, 
as shown in FIG. 11. During the retraction assisted by spring 94, the 
bracket 122 slips the pod P off prongs 108 (FIG. 13) enabling the pod to 
be deposited in a collection receptacle (not shown). 
In this disclosure, there is shown and described only the preferred 
embodiments of the invention, but, as aforementioned, it is to be 
understood that the invention is capable of use in various other 
combinations and environments and is capable of changes or modifications 
within the scope of the invention concept as expressed herein.