Collection netting for fruits and nuts trees

A netting system for fruit and nut trees in an orchard where the trees are uniformly spaced, the system having an elongated pole for each tree with a top end having a plurality of suspension lines, and a net arranged under each tree with a center opening wrapped around the pole and the trunk of the tree the net having a perimeter arranged under the outer branches of the tree with the suspension lines connecting the perimeter of the net to the top of the pole the net having lines connecting one net in to the neighboring nets to spread open the nets in the orchard without interfering with cultivation equipment or access to the trunk of the trees.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a netting system for collection of fruits or nuts 
from orchard trees. The use of a net to collect or gather fruits or nuts 
is not new. Gathering fruit or nuts in a net above the ground facilitiates 
collection as well as prevents premature fruits from spoiling from contact 
with the ground. A variety of systems have been devised as is represented 
by the early patents of Roberts, Pat. No. 816,186, issued Mar. 27, 1906, 
Rauschert, Pat. No. 57,766, issued Sept. 4, 1866 and Saum, Jr., Pat. No. 
853,833 issued May 14, 1907. In Roberts, a net is fastened around the 
trunk of the tree with the perimeter elevated by a plurality of notched 
stakes to form an inverted canopy. The use of stakes around the tree, 
inhibits cultivation, particularly mechanical cultivation used in larger 
orchards. Rauschert discloses a square net arranged around a tree and 
supported by a plurality of struts that connect to the four corners of the 
square net and to the trunk of the tree below the net. This system is an 
improvement over Roberts in that access is permitted under the tree for 
cultivation. In Saum, Jr. a net encircles the trunk of a tree where it is 
fastened with the perimeter of the nets being suspended from a plurality 
of suspension lines extending from the perimeter of the net to branches in 
the tree. Tension lines under the net are connected stakes driven in the 
ground. The system of Saum, Jr. requires a degree of effort and dexterity 
to tie the periphery of the net to suitable branches. 
In devising a netting system for collection of fruits or nuts in an orchard 
setting, the cost of the system per tree becomes an important 
consideration. In determining the cost per tree such factors as the cost 
of the materials utilized in the system as well as the cost in labor to 
erect and maintain the system are to be considered. Furthermore, while a 
system as disclosed by one or more of the prior art references may be 
suitable for a limited number of trees of relatively small size, when the 
orchards are large and the tree sizes are great, both the problems and 
costs become magnified. 
It is an object of the netting system of the present invention to provide a 
system that is suitable for orchards with large trees with components that 
are largely prefabricated in the shop requiring minimal installation time 
in the field. The system utilizes a suspension and tension means that 
maintains the net well above the ground and allows for passage of 
mechanical cultivation equipment under the net system and around the 
trees. The system for suspending the net does not depend upon the 
fortuitous location of branches of sufficient strength to hold the net and 
its contents. The netting system of this invention utilizes tension lines 
to interconnect nets of adjacent trees such that the net can be widely 
spread under the tree to which it is associated. 
With each net unit under a tree being connected to its four adjacent 
neighboring trees, the net system provides an interconnected netting 
system for the entire orchard. The net units for trees on the perimeter of 
the orchard have the perimeter facing corners of the net staked to the 
ground. By using inexpensive spring connectors to connect the perimeter of 
the net to the center pole, and to interconnect the adjacent nets, the 
nets can be easily disconnected for cleaning of debris and repair. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a netting system for collection of fruit or nuts 
in orchards of uniformly spaced trees. In devising a netting system for 
collection of fruit or nuts, the primary consideration is the cost, 
particularly where the orchards include thousands of trees. While the 
system of this invention was devised for collection of macadamia nuts, the 
system may be used for collection of other nuts and fruit, particularly 
where the trees are large and it is desired to maintain the collection 
nets around the trees at all times while permitting free access under the 
trees. 
In the netting system of this invention, an elongated pole is positioned 
against the tree and is attached thereto by straps. A large square of 
netting formed of two panels is sewn to the center, and wrapped around the 
pole and tree, with the center of the net secured to the pole above the 
ground by a plastic strap. The open split, which enables the net to 
encompass the tree is subsequently closed by a plurality of plastic 
twists. The four corners of the net and the centers of the four sides of 
the net are equipped with plastic hinge clips to which suspension lines 
are attached, thus providing eight positions around the perimeter of the 
netting for supporting the net. The top of the pole has a cap with eight 
evenly eyelets on tabs projecting from the pole. Connected to every other 
eyelet is a suspension line which is connected to one of the clips at the 
center of each net edge. Threaded through the remaining eyelets are 
similar suspension lines that connect each of the four corners of the net 
to the top of the pole. The corner suspension lines thread through the 
eyelets of the cap tabs and have extensions that continue down the side of 
the pole. The extensions comprise draw lines that allow adjustment of the 
net and are knotted to four eyescrews on a band on the lower portion of 
the pole below the strap that secures the center of the net to the pole. 
Additional tension lines extend from each of the four corners of the net 
to the nearest corners of the nets on the next adjacent trees. When the 
draw line is pulled the corners of the net are raised preferably to a 
height that enables persons and vehicles to pass under the interconnecting 
lines between the trees. With both the net and the supporting lines being 
raised above the ground normal cultivation and fertilizing activities can 
be conducted without interference of the netting system. The ends of the 
corner lines on the trees that form the perimeter of the orchard connect 
to lines that are attached to anchoring stakes in the ground. 
By using inexpensive monofilament netting, nylon cord and inexpensive 
plastic and metal fittings the cost per tree can be maintained at a 
minimum. To gather the collected nuts or fruit, one or two of the adjacent 
lines can be detached from the perimeter net clip to lower the edge of the 
net and gather the fallen fruits or nuts that have collected in the net. 
Alternately, the seam between the net panels can be opened by untying the 
ties to open a section at the center of the net allowing the nuts to drop 
through the opening for collection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings, the netting system of this invention is 
shown in use for a macadamia orchard. The use of a netting system for 
macadamia nuts is desirable since the macadamia tree produces nuts 
throughout the year and there is therefore no single time of harvest. The 
trees in an orchard are planted in uniformly spaced rows of about 25 to 35 
feet between the rows and 18 to 20 feet between the trees in a row. The 
trees start producing after six or seven years and reach full production 
in approximately their fifteenth year. The trees can exceed fifty feet in 
height but are generally maintained at a lower height in orchard 
plantings. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the netting system includes a support pole 12 
from which a plurality of suspension lines 14a and 14b support a net 16 on 
the underside of a tree 18. The pole 12 is secured to the tree 18 by a 
plurality of plastic cable straps 20 and the pole 12 is selected to have a 
height approximately two-thirds the height of the tree. The net is sized 
such that the perimeter of the net spreads under the outer branches of the 
tree. 
The net 16 is preferably an inexpensive monofilament net that is square in 
configuration as shown and is fabricated from two panels 21 sewn together 
along the long edge of each panel up to the center point of the joined 
panels to allow the split net to encircle the trunk of the tree. During 
installation, the split is joined by a plurality of plastic ties 26 and 
the center portion is gathered and tied around the trunk using a cable 
strap 22. 
The net 16 is suspended by eight suspension lines 14a and 14b which connect 
the four corners and the middle of the four edges of the square shaped net 
to the distal end 28 of the pole 12. The top of the pole has a cap 29 with 
a series of eight tabs 30 with eye holes 31 uniformly spaced around the 
cap 29 for connection of the suspension lines. The cap protects the top of 
the pole and has prongs 33 to engage the end of the pole. The support pole 
12 is preferably hollow bamboo wood and the prongs 33 of the cap engage 
the inside of the pole. Because it is light in weight and secured to the 
tree by several cable straps 20, the pole need not be driven into the 
ground but may be set on the top of the ground without disturbing the 
sensitive roots of the trees. In order to properly spread the net under a 
tree, the four corners of the net each have a tension line 32 with a 
spring clip 34 at each end that interconnects the corner of the net on the 
next adjacent tree. The four suspension lines 14a that connect to the 
corners of the net also have a spring clip 34 and have a draw line 40 
which is an extension of the suspension line that is threaded down through 
one of the eye holes 31 in the upper cap 29 and through a corresponding 
eyelet 41 of an eye screw 42 on a lower metal band 44 arranged below the 
net 16 for easy access. Each draw line is knotted to one of the lower eye 
screws 42 and the ends of the lines are coiled to keep the lines above the 
ground. The metal band 44 through which the eyescrews 42 screw into the 
wood of the hollow pole prevent the wood from splitting. 
Referring to the schematic plan view of the net system in FIG. 7, depending 
on the tree size, the net 16 is sized in a twenty to twenty eight foot 
square and assembled from two panels of half the finished size that are 
sewn together as stated. A center star cut 50 allows the center of the net 
to encircle both the pole and the trunk of a tree for fastening by the 
strap 22 to the center of the spread net. The open segment 52 is stitched 
together in the field after the net is placed around the tree using the 
plastic ties 26, which are shown in the detail of one of the ties in FIG. 
8. 
To prevent the net from tearing where the lines are connected to the net, 
the net is equipped with plastic hinge clips 56 at each of the four 
corners and hinge clips 58, at the middle of three of the sides before 
field installation of the net. A fourth hinge clip 58a is installed over 
the field stitching after the net has been arranged around the tree. The 
hinge clips 58 have a prong and socket engagement means 55 shown in dotted 
line in FIG. 5 to lock the clip over a segment of the net, thereby 
reducing the stress on the net from the lines. The clips 56 have several 
holes 60 for attachment of the suspension lines, and where appropriate, 
the corner tension lines. 
The four suspension lines 14b which connect the hinge clips 58 at the 
middle of the sides of the net to the eye cap 29 at the distal end of the 
pole have a predetermined length and are secured by knotting the ends of 
the lines through the eye holes 31 on the cap tabs 30 and clipping a 
spring clip 34 at the end of the line to one of the edge hole 60 in the 
hinge clips. The four suspension lines 14b which connect the hinge clips 
56 at the corners of the net to cap 29 at the top of the pole 12 are 
connected by spring clips 34 at the ends of the lines to the hinge clips 
56 and are threaded through the eyeholes 31 of the cap tabs 30 and knotted 
to the eyelet of the eye screws 42 on the lower band 44. If desired, the 
top cap 29 can be replaced with a band with eight eye screws screwed 
around the top of the pole as an alternate to the specially fabricated 
cap. As mentioned the draw line is tied or knotted after the tension in 
the lines 14b and 32 have been adjusted. 
To properly spread each net wide under the tree the corners of each net are 
connected to the corner of the proximal neighboring net under the next 
adjacent tree. Preferably, the tension line 32 has a spring clip 34 at 
each end and is used to engage the corner hinge clip 56 on one net and an 
identical corner clip 56a at the corner of the neighboring net 16a. The 
tension lines are connected when the draw lines are relaxed allowing easy 
access to the corners of the net. The tension lines 32 are adjusted in 
length such that when the draw lines 40 are pulled, the nets will have an 
optimal configuration for capturing nuts that fall from the trees. The use 
of spring clips at the ends of the suspension and tension lines allows for 
easy disconnection of the net from the lines for cleaning the net of 
fallen debris or for pruning the tree. 
The netting system of this invention is designed to provide a collection 
net for each tree in an orchard by an arrangement that is both effective 
and inexpensive. Because costs can quickly mount when equipping thousands 
of trees with collection nets, the design of this invention preferably 
uses components that are inexpensive and readily obtainable. For example, 
depending on the height of the tree, the pole might be from twenty to 
forty feet in length and while preferably of natural bamboo, may be of 
plastic, aluminum or other fabricated material. The preferred hinge clips 
and spring clips are fabricated from plastic. Where costs permit the 
suspension lines may have spring clips at both of their ends for 
convenient connection to the hinge clips and the eye holes of the cap 
tabs. The eye screws have one-half inch eyelets and are conventional 
hardware items. The plastic net is preferably of a monofilament type with 
one quarter inch to one-half inch mesh openings. The net is supplied in 
large rolls of five or seven foot widths and cut and stitched to size. The 
straps for securing the pole to the tree and closing the net opening at 
the center of the net are conventional cable ties of nylon or other 
weather durable material. The suspension lines and tension lines are 
quarter inch nylon rope or woven cord also furnished in large reels. Each 
net module is prefabricated in the shop to near completion to minimize the 
time and expense of field installation. As described, the system was 
designed for large nut trees such as the macadamia. However, the system 
can be scaled down in size for use on smaller fruit or nut trees. 
Nuts can be collected by undoing the plastic ties that close the net split 
and shifting the nuts over to the opening by jostling or shaking the net 
to displace the nuts to the opening where they are collected by a 
collection boom with a belt or pneumatic suction conveyor. Alternately, a 
portion of the net can be lowered by disconnecting the tension lines and 
suspension lines from a segment of the perimeter of the net. The use of 
the spring clips at the ends of the lines simplifies this task. 
The net system is designed such that the tension cables are elevated well 
above the ground to allow vehicles and cultivation equipment to pass under 
the trees without interference of the net system. The trees on the 
perimeter of the orchard can have somewhat longer tension lines connected 
to poles 64 and stakes 66 that are driven into the ground. While the 
structure and arrangement of the net system shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 is 
preferred, there may be certain alternate arrangements that may be 
employed. For example, the tension lines 32 may be replaced by elongated 
corner suspension lines 68 that connect to the corner of the neighboring 
net instead of the immediate net as shown schematically in FIG. 9. In such 
a system the netting system is substantially identical to the preferred 
embodiment in all other respects. 
While in the foregoing, embodiments of the present invention have been set 
forth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a complete 
disclosure of the invention, it may be apparent to those of skill in the 
art that numerous changes may be made in such detail without departing 
from the spirit and principles of the invention.