Guide with energy-absorbing baffles

Claim 1

A system for guiding fruit or the like into a receptacle comprising: a. a support structure positioned over the receptacle; b. feeding means for feeding the fruit laterally into the support structure, said support structure being raisable and lowerable relative to the feeding means and receptacle; c. a plurality of spaced, vertically disposed baffles fixedly supported by the support structure and staggered thereon in such a manner as to receive thereon the fruit fed laterally into the support structure and allow the fruit to fall from one of said baffles to another and into the receptacle, meanwhile limiting the acceleration of the fruit as it falls, the position of each of said baffles on said support structure being related to the position of said support structure relative to both said receptacle and said feeding means whereby fruit guided into said support structure initially contacts one of said baffles at one level related to the position of said support structure relative to both said receptacle and said feeding means and another of said baffles at another level related to the position of said support structure relative to both said receptacle and said feeding means; d. means for raising and lowering the support structure to the feeding means and receptacle thus presenting different levels of said baffles to fruit being guided into said support structure; and e. said support structure comprising a pair of generally parallel spaced plates between which the fruit is fed, and wherein each baffle comprises a plurality of longitudinal elastic members each fixed to and running from one plate to the other, and an energy absorbing cloth disposed around each plurality of longitudinal elastic members.

Claim 2

A system for guiding fruit or the like into a receptacle comprising: a. a support structure positioned over the receptacle; b. feeding means for feeding the fruit laterally into the support structure, said support structure being raisable and lowerable relative to the feeding means and receptacle; c. a plurality of spaced, vertically disposed baffles fixedly supported by the support structure and staggered thereon in such a manner as to receive thereon the fruit fed laterally into the support structure and allow the fruit to fall from one of said baffles to another and into the receptacle, meanwhile limiting the acceleration of the fruit as it falls, the position of each of said baffles on said support structure being related to the position of said support structure relative to both said receptacle and said feeding means whereby fruit guided into said support structure initially contacts one of said baffles at one level related to the position of said support structure relative to both said receptacle and said feeding means and another of said baffles at another level related to the position of said support structure relative to both said receptacle and said feeding means; d. means for raising and lowering the support structure to the feeding means and receptacle thus presenting different levels of said baffles to fruit being guided into said support structure; and e. said support structure comprising a pair of generally parallel spaced plates between which the fruit is fed, and wherein each baffle comprises a plurality of longitudinal elastic members each fixed to and running from one plate to the other, and an energy absorbing cloth disposed around each plurality of longitudinal elastic members.

Claim 3

A system for guiding fruit or the like into a receptacle comprising: a. a support structure positioned over the receptacle and comprising a pair of spaced plates; b. first and second conveyors, each positioned to feed fruit laterally into the support structure from opposite sides thereof, said support structure being raisable and lowerable relative to the conveyors and receptacle; c. a first set of baffles extending between the plates of the support structure and supported thereby, the first set of baffles being disposed atop one another in spaced relationship adjacent the area of the support structure into which the first conveyor feeds, each of the first set of baffles sloping downwardly inwardly of the first conveyor; d. a second set of baffles extending between the plates of the support structure and supported thereby, the second set of baffles being disposed atop one another in spaced relationship adjacent the area of the support structure into which the second conveyor feeds, each of the second set of baffles sloping downwardly inwardly of the second conveyor; e. a third set of baffles disposed atop one another in spaced relationship between the first and second sets of baffles, each of the third set of baffles sloping from its midpoint outwardly downwardly toward the first and second sets of baffles, and between a pair of the first set of baffles and between a pair of the second set of baffles, such first, second and third sets of baffles allowing the fruit to fall into the receptacle, meanwhile limiting tHe acceleration of the fruit in its fall; and f. means for raising and lowering the support structure relative to the first and second conveyors and receptacle.

Claim 4

A system for guiding fruit or the like into a receptacle comprising: a. a support structure positioned over the receptacle and comprising a pair of spaced plates; b. first and second conveyors, each positioned to feed fruit laterally into the support structure from opposite sides thereof, said support structure being raisable and lowerable relative to the conveyors and receptacle; c. a first set of baffles extending between the plates of the support structure and supported thereby, the first set of baffles being disposed atop one another in spaced relationship adjacent the area of the support structure into which the first conveyor feeds, each of the first set of baffles sloping downwardly inwardly of the first conveyor; d. a second set of baffles extending between the plates of the support structure and supported thereby, the second set of baffles being disposed atop one another in spaced relationship adjacent the area of the support structure into which the second conveyor feeds, each of the second set of baffles sloping downwardly inwardly of the second conveyor; e. a third set of baffles disposed atop one another in spaced relationship between the first and second sets of baffles, each of the third set of baffles sloping from its midpoint outwardly downwardly toward the first and second sets of baffles, and between a pair of the first set of baffles and between a pair of the second set of baffles, such first, second and third sets of baffles allowing the fruit to fall into the receptacle, meanwhile limiting tHe acceleration of the fruit in its fall; and f. means for raising and lowering the support structure relative to the first and second conveyors and receptacle.