The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-03-25
APPLE PICKER
LATE INVENTION
Cecil Wood of West Vir.
Deyises Successful Or
chard Machine

| OF interest to orchardists in the
valley is the news that an apple pick
er. believed to be entirely satisfactory
has been invented by Cecil w. Wood
of Berkeley county, West Virginia.
Mr.. Wood is nephew of J. w. An
derson of Teton.
In speaking of the invention, the
Martinsburg Journal said: "For two
generations apple men have dreamed
/ of machine that will pick their ap-
piles for them. Ever since the country
outgrew the little old orchard back
of the house, and apple men began
to have to collect crews Of men from
hither. yon and wherever they could
| get them, in competition with their
! Ineighbors, the men in the fruit grow
ing business have been longing Tor
some machine that could do the work
swiftly, so they would not have to
begin picking their winter apples IN
Il the summer time and keep at 1t until
Thanksgiving and snow.
II ct has apparently remained for
II young Berkeley county orchardist to
bring to pass the impossible and
1 construct a mechanical apple picker
II that will really work, and work fast
H as well. Cecil w. Wood of Hedges
II vile. goaded on by the need he felt
II for it in handling the hundreds OF
II acres of bearing plantations he either
Il owns or manages has been quietly al
work in his spare time for several
wears on mechanical picker that
III would be both fast and inexpensive.
"The first machine was ready foi
II operation last fall. It picked them a.
Il the rate of $50 barrels per day for a:
II long as the temporary machinery NJ
II had been able to assemble for the try
II out lasted under the strain, which wa
lIIless than two days. The length o
II time was sufficient to prove to MI
II Wood and his helpers that the ma
II chine was correct in its basic primer
II pies and to point out to him whef
Il Law its main weaknesses and need TO
II improvements.
"During the past year he has use
II his spare moments and energy
Il remedying these defects. He has re
yamped and remodeled the air sy:
fem until it is a marvel of flexiblllt
over the old one. Unfortunately, tf
present apple picking season overtoc
him before he had brot it into ope
ating completion in its new form. +
was compelled to abandon it for tt
more pressing work of his apple ma
vest. and demonstration of the spec
and lasting qualities will have to
. over until next year.
- sThe basis upon which he has wor
/. ed is thru compressed air, arrang
thru nozzles into powerful whirlil
currents and vacuums that yank Il
apple sideways, taking advantage
the first law of apple picking, Will
II is to twist the apple instead OF pu
/ ling on it directly. Every apple pick
knows that an apple that will alwa
llIresist a hard straight-away pull "
Weld easily to a sidewise twist, a
six miniature clclones, released frt
an airhose, clean the limb In sne
II and efficient order.
"The machine is remarkably he
in construction. 1t is mounted on
II truck or wagon, preferably On trr
as the power for the air compress:
and for shifting the mast can be 7,
en- from the truck motor. The pic
operates from mast which rolls
any desired direction at the pull
a lever, and shoots up and down
the desired height with another le,
Extending at right angles II
the mast. and likewise controlled
levers, are two long, easily varia
arms. between which is stretched
big canvas pocket, six by eight I
This pocket is shot under full II
collapsed if desired, then opened
tho levers on the truck to the des
ed position.
"From the bottom of this big
ket a canvas conducting channel
the picked apples run down into
truck where the barrel is carried
the truck moves along. This cal
conducting pipe is encircled
!! light springs, all the way dowi
tn regulate the dropping of the
pies and keep them from brul
against each other. The mast
pocket and the compressed air p
tank and nozzle comprise the
chine.
"On the basis of the perform
of his old machine, Mr.. Wood
diets an ultimate picking capa
when the machine is finally VIII
Ilinto shape, Of from 800 to 500 ba
per day at an average cost OF
Two IN three cents a barrel. -!