IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND GATHERING FRUIT AND FLOWERS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Moreton Jones, of Cambridge Villas,
Fulham, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND GATHERING FRUIT AND
FLOWERS."
Sealed the 8th December 1857, and dated the 13th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Moreton Jones at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th June 1857.
I, THOMAS MORETON JONES, of Cambridge Villas, Fulham, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND GATHERING FRUIT AND
FLOWERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in apparatus for gathering fruit and
flowers relates, first, to an apparatus for removing apples, peas, and other fruit
from trees, which I effect by simply grasping the fruit by means of an appa-
ratus and pulling it off, but in such manner that the fruit is not injured, or in
any way blemished. For this purpose I employ two jointed levers, which
open and close in the manner of a pair of tongs, and have a constant tendency
to remain open by the action of a spring. The gripping part of these levers
consist each of a ring or annular frame on which I stretch a disc of vulcanized

page_text: india-rubber, which discs of india-rubber clasp and hold the fruit in pulling
it off; the elasticity of the india-rubber permits sufficient hold to be taken of
the fruit to pull it off without injury. This pair of levers have a socket, and
are mounted on a suitable long rod or handle, and have a chain or cord affixed
to the moveable jaw which passes over a pulley in the fixed jaw, and is con-
ducted thence down the long rod to a pull-piece at the lower end, by which it
is acted on.
In using a chain at the upper part to act on the moveable jaw,
I form the continuation of a wire which is suitably formed to hook and
unhook at the necessary points for disconnecting if required. The pull-piece
is furnished with a ratchet and spring pall, which when it is pulled down to
cause the jaws to collapse is held by the pall until it is released, for the purpose
of letting go the fruit.
The second part of my Invention relates to apparatus for cutting and
collecting fruit and flowers. It consists of a pair of cutting shears of a
suitable shape, in combination with a moveable network basket or receptacle
to receive the fruit or flowers when cut. The moveable jaw of the shears
lias a constant tendency to open by reason of the force of a spring, and it is
closed and the cutting produced by wire or cord in connection with the
moveable jaw, which is attached to the pull-piece herein-before described.
The rigid hoop which forms the opening and top of the network is placed on
an axis parallel with and a little below the shears. It is moveable on this
axis, so that it falls down against the rod of the instrument, or rises up and
extends the basket or receptacle to receive the flower or fruit cut. On the
axis of the basket hoop a lever is fixed, connected by a rod, with a sliding bar
placed at the upper part of the apparatus, which communicates the motion to
the shears transmitted by the pull-piece and wire. Thus the basket is caused
to rise simultaneously with the act of cutting of the shears, and so receives
the detached fruit or flower into the net. When the pull-piece is released
the shear jaw opens, and the hoop of the net falls close against the rod. By
this means the basket or receptacle is not an incumbrance in the insertion of
or moving the instrument amongst the branches or foliage of trees. The
shears and receptacle are so disposed that the cut fruit falls directly into the
receptacle, to more effectually insure which I bend or incline the stem of the
shears. In addition to the shear jaws I apply two springs, one to the fixed'
jaw and another to the moveable jaw. The moveable spring approaches the
fixed one with the closing of the jaw, so as to take hold of the stem being
cut, and if desired, the fruit or flower so severed may be brought down in the
hold of the springs, and not suffered to drop into the basket or receptacle at
When the rod of the apparatus is made in pieces for lengthening or
all.

page_text: shortening, I furnish it with suitable sockets for that purpose, and the wire of
communication which runs in a groove cut in the rod is furnished with hook-
and-eye pieces for connecting and disconnecting readily.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed>
by the said Thomas Moreton Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS-
MORETON JONES, of Cambridge Villas, Fulham, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto.
me, the said Thomas Moreton Jones, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Moreton Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Thomas Moreton Jones, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great.
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND GATHERING FRUIT AND
FLOWERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas.
Moreton Jones, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under ny, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Moreton Jones, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to.
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements' in apparatus for gathering fruit and
flowers relates, first, to an apparatus for removing apples, pears, and other
fruit from trees, which I effect by simply grasping the fruit by means of an

page_text: apparatus and pulling it off, but in such manner that the fruit is not injured
or in any way blemished. For this purpose I èmploy two jointed levers which
open and close in the manner of a pair of tongs, and have a constant tendency
to remain open by the action of a spring. The gripping part of these levers
consist each of a ring or annular frame on which I stretch a disc of vulcanized
india-rubber, which discs of india-rubber clasp and hold the fruit in pulling it
off. The elasticity of the india-rubber permits sufficient hold to be taken of
the fruit to pull it off without injury. The pair of levers have a socket, and
are mounted on a suitable long rod or handle, and have a chain or cord
affixed to the moveable jaw which passes over a pulley in the fixed jaw, and
is conducted thence down the long rod to a pull-piece at the lower end by
which it is acted on. In using a chain at the upper part to act on the move-
able jaw, I form the continuation of a wire which is suitably formed to hook
and unhook at the necessary points for disconnecting if required. The pull-
piece is furnished with a ratchet and spring pall, which when it is pulled down
to cause the jaws to collapse is held by the pall until it is released, for the.
purpose of letting go the fruit.
The second part of my Invention relates to apparatus for cutting and
collecting fruit and flowers. It consists of a pair of cutting shears of a
suitable shape, in combination with a moveable network basket or receptacle
to receive the fruit or flowers when cut. The moveable jaw of the shears has
a constant tendency to open by reason of the force of a spring, and it is
closed and the cutting produced by a wire or cord in connection with the
moveable jaw which is attached to the pull-piece herein-before described.
The rigid hoop which forms the opening and top of the network is placed on
an axis parallel with and a little below the shears. It is moveable on this
axis so that it falls down against the rod of the instrument, or rises up and
extends the basket or receptacle to receive the fruit or flower cut. On the
axis of the basket hoop a lever is fixed connected by a rod with a sliding bar
placed at the upper part of the apparatus, which communicates the motion to
the shears transmitted by the pull-piece and wire. Thus the basket is caused
to rise simultaneously with the act of cutting of the shears, and so receives
the detached fruit or flower in the net. When the pull-piece is released the
shear jaw opens, and the hoop of the net falls close against the rod. By this
means the basket or receptacle is not an incumbrance in the insertion of or
moving the instrument amongst the branches or foliage of trees. The shears
and receptacle are so disposed that the cut fruit falls directly into the recep-
tacle, to more effectually insure which I bend or incline the stem of the
shears. In addition to the shear jaws I apply two springs, one to the fixed

page_text: jaw and another to the moveable jaw. The moveable spring approaches the
fixed one with the closing of the jaw, so as to take hold of the stem being
cut, and if desired, the fruit or flower so severed may be brought down in the
hold of the springs; in this case the basket or receptacle is omitted. When
the rod of the apparatus is made in pieces for lengthening or shortening,
I furnish it with suitable sockets for that purpose, and the wire of com-
munication which runs in a groove cut in the rod is furnished with hook-
and-eye pieces for connecting and disconnecting readily.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents in side view, partly in section, an apparatus constructed
according to the first part of my Invention, for gathering fruit by pulling it
from the stem, and Fig. 2 is an edge or transverse view of the same.
The free end of spring f bears
and d' apart, and conse
A small chain h passes
a, a, are two metal rings on which the discs of thin sheet india-rubber
b, b, are stretched and bound round with a wire c, or other fastening surround-
ing a, a, behind a small raised edge of the ring extending all round. The
metal rings a, a, are each mounted on a hollow metal arm, the one d, and the
other d'. The one arm & is jointed to the other 'd', on a pine; f is a spring
fixed to a bracket g, supported in arm d¹.
on arm d, and constantly tends to force the arms d
quently to extend the jaws a, a, as seen in Fig. 1.
over pullies i, i, mounted in arm d¹, and terminates in a rod k, the lower end
of which passes down a groove in the staff or handle l. From the rod k a
wire is continued down to the lower end of the staff, whereby it is pulled to
produce the closing of jaws a, a, as seen dotted in Fig. 1. In order that the
staff and gripping apparatus may separate I form a hook m on k, on which a
loop n is attached to the upper end of wire o, which loop is placed on the
hook, and may be removed at pleasure for disjointing. On the lower end of
the staff I place a small ratchet rod p, with a finger hook for drawing it
downwards; this ratchet p slides through a suitable socket q, fixed to the staff;
this socket is furnished with a spring pall 2, which takes into the teeth of the
ratchet, and retains it in the position to which it may be pulled down. Thus
supposing it is desired to pull apples, pears, or other similar large fruit, the
dises are applied on each side, and the jaws a, a, caused to collapse, by
pulling down the ratchet p on the fruit, as seen dotted in Fig. 1. A sufficient
grip is thus taken of the fruit to remove it from its stem. The india-rubber
is distended through and beyond the rings a, a, by the fruit as seen dotted; it
exerts an equal pressure on the fruit, and therefore does not injure it in any
degree. The instrument is then lowered, and the fruit removed by releasing

page_text: l
the spring pall r, when the operation is repeated. For the sake of portability
the staff may be made in pieces jointed like a fishing rod, having a separate
wire with loop and hook for connecting as before described.
The next part of my Invention which relates to apparatus or instrument
for cutting fruit and flowers from the stem is represented in Figs. 3 and 4,
Fig. 3 being a front, and Fig. 4 a side view. It consists of a pair of shear
jaws s, t, the lower one t being fixed to the hollow metal socket or frame u,
which like the stationary arm of the foregoing apparatus described is fixed to
the staff or handle. The shear joint is at v, and the upper blade or jaws has
a tail piece s', which constantly tends to separate from the fixed tail piece t¹ of
the other jaw t, by the action of a spring w, and therefore to open the jaws.
A chain his attached to the tail piece s¹, which is conducted over a pulley i,
and descends to the rod k, and is similarly connected with the pull handle and
ratchet, all as before described. The rod k in this case has a pin x which
projects through a long slot in the socket of u, this pin is connected by a
rod y to a crank arm z, fixed on the axis 1, on which the net hoop 2 is fixed
and moves. This hoop can be expanded or contracted to suit the size of the
fruit to be cut; thus, while performing the act of cutting, the hoop 2 and
its net 3 are at the same time raised to the horizontal position indicated in
line, or it may be up to the highest position shown dotted in Fig. 4, where it
will completely enclose the fruit at the moment of severance. Thus it will
be seen that when the cutting instrument and net are inserted amongst the
branches, the distending hoop 2 is close down against the staff, as seen in
Fig. 3, and dotted in Fig. 4, in which position it is readily handled until the
shears are applied to the stem to be severed, when the act of cutting and
enclosing the severed fruit is performed simultaneously. The pull handle
with ratchet stop rod is the same as before described. If the net depends
some distance below the hoop 2 the fruit will fall to the bottom, when the
ratchet stop may be released which drops the hoop 2 to the lowest position,
when the cutting may be repeated on other fruit until the net is sufficiently
filled. Instead of dropping. the hoop 2 before lowering the instrument to
remove the fruit, it may be retained in the raised position to envelope the
fruit or flower until it is removed from the tree.
Fig. 5 represents in front view another arrangement of the shears especially
adapted for gathering flowers, for which purpose I place metal plates 4, 4, one
on each jaws, t. The upper one is sustained from the point of jaw s, and
pressed upon by a spring 5 fixed at one end to the fixed part of the joint, the
lower plate 4 is sustained by a spring 6. The plates 4, 4, approach and press
against each other as the jaws of the shears close for cutting the stem of a

page_text: flower, and before the severance takes place the stem of the flower is gripped
with sufficient pressure (by the force of the springs 5 and 6) to sustain the
flower after it is cut, and in this position is held by the instrument until it
is lowered and removed by hand. The other parts of the instrument and its
staff or handle are precisely the same as before described with reference to the
other instruments. In this case the basket or net and hoop is of course
omitted.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the use and application of the instrument or apparatus first herein-
before described for the purpose of pulling fruit and flowers, or any merc
modification thereof.
Secondly, I claim the application of a rising and distending net or
receptacle for the fruit or flowers, in combination with cutting shears, as
herein-before described.
Thirdly, I claim the application of the ratchet stop rod and pall, applied
to the pulling handle or wire, by which the cutting or holding part of the
instrument or instruments are held collapsed while withdrawing the fruit or
flowers cut from the tree, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Moreton Jones, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
25 Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
T. M. JONES. (L.S.)