The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 17, 1995
Filed:
Feb. 24, 1994
Everett LaVars, Pomona, CA (US);
Henry A Affeldt, Victorville, CA (US);
Sunkist Growers, Inc., Ontario, CA (US);
Abstract
An improved actuating system for a plurality of tucker plates used to compress and tuck arrays of fruit placed by an automated fruit handler into shipping cartons is described. The timing and motive force used for operation of the tucker plate is derived from motion of the fruit handler. Contact of the fruit and the fruit handler with an inclined tucker plate on each of four side is sufficient to cause tucker plates to rotate about a hinge assembly which couples the tucker plate to the packer table through which the fruit handler disposes the layers of fruit into the shipping cartons positioned on a conveyor underneath the packer table. Each tucker plate is provided with an upper finger which contacts the fruit handler as the fruit handler move upwardly thereby causing a torque to be applied to the tucker plate to reorient the tucker plate from the vertical packing position to an open tilted receiving position.