An Improved Device for Gathering Fruit from Trees.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Gathering Fruit from Trees.
I, WILLIAM DAVID of St. Fagans Rectory, Cardiff, Wales, Clerk in Holy
Orders, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
--
The object of this invention is to provide a mechanical device by which fruit
may with facility and rapidity be virtually "hand-picked" and collected in a bag,
free from the injury done to it when shaken, as is usually done off lofty inaccessible
branches and allowed to fall to the ground.
The device comprises mainly an open wire frame having its outer end of an
approximately elliptic form round which the open mouth of a bag or pocket is
attached; and a crank frame or lever also formed of open wire work mounted
across the inner end of the open bag part of the first mentioned frame so as to
turn in eyes formed by twists in the wire of said frame and work up and down
immediately over the mouth of the bag and when in use detach fruit from a branch
by the plucking action created between its outer curved end and the outer
extremity of the bag mouth or wire. The two ends of the bag frame are fastened
to a long rod which is held fixed in one hand, and the working crank-frame to a
second rod by which the crank may be operated to detach the fruit which then
falls into the bag. The sliding rod may be guided in staples fixed in the stationary
rod to which the bag frame is attached.
Instead of operating the crank plucking frame by pushing it down with a sliding
rod, it may, by changing the position of the crank, be operated by pulling a wire
connection, and the bag may be lengthened into a pipe or shoot attached to the
stationary rod and reaching to its other end so that the fruit as gathered may slide
down inside it to the gatherer.
Dated this 27th day of April 1894.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
An Improved Device for Gathering Fruit from Trees.
I, WILLIAM DAVID of St. Fagans Rectory, Cardiff, Wales, Clerk in Holy
Orders, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide a mechanical device by which fruit
may, with facility and rapidity, be virtually "hand-picked" and collected in a bag
or net free from the injury done to it when shaken, as is usually done, off lofty
inaccessible branches and allowed to fall to the ground.
In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of the fruit gathering device of this
invention. Fig. 2 a side view thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 relate to details.
The device comprises mainly an open wire frame a having its outer end of an
approximately elliptic form round which the open mouth of a bag, pocket, or net b

page_text: is attached; and a crank frame or lever c also formed of open wire work mounted
across the inner end of the frame a so as to turn in eyes d formed by twists in the
wire of said frame, and work up and down immediately over the mouth of the bag,
and when in use detach fruit from the branches of trees by the plucking action
created between its outer curved end e and the outer extremity of the bag frame a.
The two ends of the frame a are fastened, by driving in the bent and pointed
extremities and by means of staples g or by other suitable means, to a long rod /
which is held fixed in one hand, and the working crank frame is connected by
means of an eyed wire connection i to a second rod k by which the crank of frame <
may be operated to detach the fruit, which then falls into the bag or net b. The
slide rod k is operated backwards and forwards upon rod from a handle land is
guided in staples m. In the drawing the said slide rod is shewn connected direct
to the crank so that a sufficient amount of play must be allowed between it and the
staples m for the rise and fall of the rod corresponding to the rise and fall of the
crank. The connection between the crank and the slide rod may be by means of
wire with an eye twisted in it as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, or more simply by means
of a wire bent round and fixed on the end of the slide rods as shewn in Fig. 3, a
space being left between the bent end of the wire and the end of the slide rod to
engage on the crank, and instead of the slide rod lifting with the crank it may be
mounted to slide in a straight line by interposing a connecting rod such as shewn
by way of example in Fig. 4, between it and the crank.
The fixed rod will generally be held in one hand at some distance from its lower
end. For the purpose however of reaching up to a great height a handlen is
provided at its lower end. The open portion of the cranked frame c may be
covered over with leather or other material to prevent bruising of the fruit.
The two rods may be made of any suitable material such as wood, or the fixed
rod might be of wood and the slide rod of light tubular metal.
The bag or pocket may be of any suitable material such as light canvas or net
work and the same may be lengthened in the form of a pipe or shoot attached to
the stationary rod and reaching to its bottom end so that the fruit as gathered may
slide down it inside to the gatherer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is
1. The frame a attached to the rod in combination with the cranked plucking
frame c mounted upon the frame a and in connection with the rod k mounted
to slide upon the rod, for the purpose specified substantially as described and
shewn.
2. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of parts constituting
the device for gathering fruit from trees, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 28th day of January 1895.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.