US4000601A — Fruit harvesting machine

Claim 1

Independent Claim 160 words

A fruit harvesting machine comprising: a frame; a round body mounted within the frame and having a generally soft outer surface; a picking plate having a first portion thereof secured to the frame and having a second portion mounted adjacent to said round body and spaced therefrom a distance corresponding approximately to the diameter of fruit to be harvested; said round body being mounted within the frame for rotation about an axis relative to the picking plate, means for rotating said body relative to the frame and the picking plate to engage said fruit between said outer surface and the picking plate to remove said fruit from its stem; and combing means extending outwardly from the outer surface for combing through fruit laden branches upon rotation of said body for moving said fruit into the space between said round body and the picking plate, the combing means extending outwardly a distance at least equal to the diameter of the fruit.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 160 words

A fruit harvesting machine comprising: a frame; a round body mounted within the frame and having a generally soft outer surface; a picking plate having a first portion thereof secured to the frame and having a second portion mounted adjacent to said round body and spaced therefrom a distance corresponding approximately to the diameter of fruit to be harvested; said round body being mounted within the frame for rotation about an axis relative to the picking plate, means for rotating said body relative to the frame and the picking plate to engage said fruit between said outer surface and the picking plate to remove said fruit from its stem; and combing means extending outwardly from the outer surface for combing through fruit laden branches upon rotation of said body for moving said fruit into the space between said round body and the picking plate, the combing means extending outwardly a distance at least equal to the diameter of the fruit.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 63 words

A fruit harvesting machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said combing means includes a plurality of elongated yieldable fingers projecting outwardly from said round body and rotatable therewith for engaging the fruit laden branches and the fruit to be harvested and means to limit the number of fingers simultaneously engaged upon said branches, said means to limit being positioned in non-linear arrangement.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 26 words

A fruit harvesting machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said round body is formed as a pneumatic cylinder and wherein fingers project radially outwardly therefrom.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 49 words

A fruit harvesting machine as recited in claim 1 and adjustment means carried by the frame to vary the spacing between the second portion and said round body in accordance with the size of the fruit to be harvested, so as to effectively engage the fruit for removal thereof.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 25 words

A fruit harvesting machine as recited in claim 2 wherein at least some of said fingers contact the picking plate as the body is rotated.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 51 words

A fruit harvesting machine as recited in claim 5 wherein at least some of said fingers project from said round body a distance greater than said space between said round body and the picking plate second portion, said fingers being bent relative to the round body when passing between said space.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 34 words

The fruit harvesting machine of claim 2 wherein said fingers project radially and wherein said means to limit comprises a plurality of said fingers being positioned about the round body in circumferentially offset arrangement.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 51 words

The fruit harvesting machine of claim 2 wherein said means to limit comprise at least some of said fingers being rotatively successively offset to project at different rotary positions around said body so that only a small number thereof are engaged upon the branches of a tree in any rotary position.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 210 words

A device for picking generally spherical fruit from plants comprised of: a frame; a picking plate carried by the frame and defining a first surface; a cylindrical tube rotatable within the frame and defining a second surface, said second surface being spaced from said first surface to define an arcuate channel of width approximately less than the diameter of the smallest of said fruit, said second surface extended beyond said first surface, for engaging outer portions of said fruit plant; combing means attached to the tube and projecting outwardly from said second surface to engage branches of the plant, said combing means extending outwardly a distance greater than the width of the channel, said combing means being rotatable through said channel; drive means connected to the frame to adjustably position the tube, combing means and picking plate to press a portion of said second surface against the fruit plant to be harvested so that the combing means comb through the branches and extend said branches in the direction of surface translation to cause fruit on said branches to be frictionally engaged between said first and second surfaces, whereby frictional engagement of fruit and translation of one surface induce rotation of said fruit in the direction of translation, for removal thereof.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 210 words

A device for picking generally spherical fruit from plants comprised of: a frame; a picking plate carried by the frame and defining a first surface; a cylindrical tube rotatable within the frame and defining a second surface, said second surface being spaced from said first surface to define an arcuate channel of width approximately less than the diameter of the smallest of said fruit, said second surface extended beyond said first surface, for engaging outer portions of said fruit plant; combing means attached to the tube and projecting outwardly from said second surface to engage branches of the plant, said combing means extending outwardly a distance greater than the width of the channel, said combing means being rotatable through said channel; drive means connected to the frame to adjustably position the tube, combing means and picking plate to press a portion of said second surface against the fruit plant to be harvested so that the combing means comb through the branches and extend said branches in the direction of surface translation to cause fruit on said branches to be frictionally engaged between said first and second surfaces, whereby frictional engagement of fruit and translation of one surface induce rotation of said fruit in the direction of translation, for removal thereof.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 55 words

The device of claim 9 wherein the combing means comprise a plurality of flexible fingers, at least some of said fingers projecting outwardly from the second surface a distance greater than the spacing between the first and second surfaces said fingers being bent within the channel and having portions in contact with the picking plate.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 57 words

The device of claim 9 wherein said combing means comprise a plurality of fingers, said fingers being longitudinally spaced along the length of the tube, at least a majority of said fingers being angularly rotatively offset from an adjacent finger, said majority of said fingers being positioned in non-linear arrangement about the periphery of the round body.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-01-04	1980-07-05	1981-01-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-01-04	1984-07-05	1985-01-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-01-04	1988-07-05	1989-01-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Fruit harvesting machine

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