Method and apparatus for handling boxes of fruit in an orchard following picking

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY HANDLING A TIER OF BOXES STACKED ONE UPON ANOTHER, COMPRISING: A SUSPENSION HEAD HAVING MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT THEREOF TO A HOIST; A FULCRUM FRAME DISPOSED BENEATH SAID SUSPENSION HEAD; LAZY-TONG LINKAGE BETWEEN SAID FULCRUM FRAME AND SAID SUSPENSION HEAD SO AS TO BE SUSPENDED THEREFROM; AND A PAIR OF GRAPPLE ARMS HINGED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO SAID FULCRUM FRAME ON PARALLEL HORIZONTAL AXES, EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, AND HAVING AT THEIR LOWER ENDS RESPECTIVE JAWS FOR GRAPPLING ENGAGEMENT WITH RESPECTIVE ENDS OF THE LOWERMOST BOX OF SAID TIER, UNOBSTRUCTED SPACED BEING PROVIDED BETWEEN SAID ARMS AND BENEATH SAID FULCRUM FRAME, TO RECEIVE THE REMAINING BOXES OF SAID TIER, SAID ARMS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID LINKAGE AT THEIR UPPER ENDS SO AS TO BE SWUNG TOWARD ONE ANOTHER BY SAID LINKAGE IN RESPONSE TO VERTICAL SEPARATION BETWEEN SAID FULCRUM FRAME AND SAID SUSPENSION HEAD RESULTING FROM APPLICATION OF HOISTING MOVEMENT TO SAID SUSPENSION HEAD, EACH OF SAID JAWS COMPRISING A TOOTH OF BAR FORM SECURED TO A RESPECTIVE GRAPPLE ARM, EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE AND HAVING AN INWARDLY PROJECTING PORTION RECEIVABLE IN A HANDHOLD RECESS IN A RESPECTIVE END OF A BOX, AND AN APRON PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE RESPECTIVE TOOTH IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE BEHIND SAID INWARDLY PROJECTING PORTION IN A POSITION FOR FACE-TO-FACE ENGAGEMENT WITH A RESPECTIVE END OF A BOX WHEN SAID PROJECTING PORTION IS ENGAGED IN A RESPECTIVE HAND-HOLD RECESS; AND HOLDING MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID JAWS IN SPREAD POSITIONS WITHOUT SUBJECTING SAID LINKAGE TO A LOAD WHILE THE FULCRUM FRAME IS SUSPENDED FROM SAID SUSPENSION HEAD, WHEREBY SAID APPARATUS MAY BE MANUEVERED TOWARD AND AWAY FROM POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT OF SAID LOWERMOST BOX WITHOUT INTERFERENCE BETWEEN SAID JAWS AND SAID TIER, SAID HOLDING MEANS BEING RELEASABLE SO AS TO BE PERMIT SAID JAWS TO SWING INTO BOX-ENGAGING POSITION.