Mobile system for improving the picking and preliminary processing of apples, citrus, stone fruit and like objects

Abstract

A mobile system for improving the picking and preliminary processing of apples, citrus, stone fruit and the like is disclosed and claimed. The system comprises a mobile chassis upon which can be mounted picking stations, pneumatic tube transport subsystems, receiving and conveying subsystems, object scanning subsystems, cull diverter subsystems, labeling subsystems, and subsystems for relatively gently placing the objects in a predetermined location in a receiving bin. The system can also include a subsystem for gently placing diverted objects in a receiving bin.

1 . A system comprising, in combination,
 a platform,   a pneumatic tube transport subsystem mounted to the platform and having at least one tube for transporting objects,   an object decelerator subsystem mounted to the platform and having an object deceleration interface with the tube transport subsystem for receiving and decelerating objects from the pneumatic tube transport subsystem,   a first conveyor subsystem mounted to the mobile platform in communication with the decelerator subsystem and having an interface with the decelerator subsystem for transporting objects from the decelerator subsystem along a predetermined path of travel and   a downloader conveyor subsystem in communication with the first conveyor subsystem for receiving objects from the first conveyor subsystem and for transporting the received objects to a predetermined delivery point.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1  further including a bin management subsystem for locating a receiving bin at a predetermined point for receiving objects from the downloader conveyor subsystem. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1  further including an electronic scanning and assessing subsystem in communication with the first conveyor subsystem for scanning substantially all the surface of each object being conveyed by the first conveyor subsystem and for assessing the objects in comparison to one or more predetermined parameters, at least one parameter being selected from a parameter group including color, defect, size, and number. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 3  further including a diverting subsystem for diverting selected objects away from the said predetermined path of travel in response to assessments by the scanning and assessing subsystem. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 4  further including a hopper for receiving diverted objects at a predetermined diversion point. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 4  further including a bin handling subsystem for engaging and positioning a bin with respect to said hopper. 
     
     
         7 . A mobile system adapted to handle a bin of predetermined height, width, and length, the system comprising a vehicle having a plurality of vertically oriented side rails horizontally spaced apart from one another by a distance greater than the bin width and a platform mounted to the side rails at a position above the bin height to permit the bin to pass under the platform and through the vehicle;
 bin hoist structure for hoisting a first bin into a position in communication with a diverter means to receive diverted objects, the first bin position permitting other bins traveling under the mobile picking chassis platform to pass under the first bin and through the vehicle;   said side rails being horizontally located to permit the mobile platform to horizontally straddle said bin of predetermined height, width, and length, and to vertically straddle at least two bins of predetermined height which are disposed one above the other; and   the system further including means for selecting predetermined objects and diverter means for diverting the selected objects to the hoisted bin.   
     
     
         8 . A mobile system according to  claim 7  wherein said side rails are horizontally located to permit the mobile platform to horizontally straddle said bin of predetermined height, width, and length, and said side rails having a height to vertically straddle at least two bins of predetermined height which are disposed one above the other. 
     
     
         9 . A mobile system according to  claim 7  further including means for engaging and adjusting the position of said bin relative to said platform. 
     
     
         10 . A mobile picking system according to  claim 7  further including bin transport means for engaging and locating said bin at a predetermined position between said side rails and below said platform. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile system according to  claim 7  further including means for releasing said bin from said mobile system and permitting said bin to rest upon the underlying ground. 
     
     
         12 . A bin handling system for a mobile vehicle, comprising, in combination, bin engagement and pickup means, bin transport means for moving the bin through a space in the vehicle defined between vehicle sides and below a vehicle platform, and bin disengagement and drop-off means, the system further including first bin hoist and locating means for hoisting a bin from the bin transport means into a predetermined position to receive objects to be deposited in the bin and to permit other bins to pass between the vehicle sides and below the hoisted bin without engaging the hoisted bin. 
     
     
         13 . A bin handling system according to  claim 12  wherein the bin engagement and pickup means comprises fork elements disposed on the vehicle for engaging and supporting the bin, and bin engagement and transport conveyor means disposed at least partly on the forks for engaging and transporting the bin. 
     
     
         14 . A bin handling system according to  claim 12  wherein the bin engagement and transport conveyor means comprises chain conveyor means for moving the bin through the space defined by the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . A bin handling system according to  claim 12  wherein the bin transport means comprises drop off fork elements for engaging and supporting the bin, and chain conveyor means disposed at least partly on the forks for transporting the bin to a bin disengagement point. 
     
     
         16 . A bin handling system according to  claim 12  further including first bin hoist means for moving the bin from the bin transport means into a predetermined position to received objects to be deposited in the bin. 
     
     
         17 . A bin handling system according to  claim 12  further including downloader conveyor means and second bin hoist means for moving the bin upwardly from the bin transport means into a predetermined position to receive objects to be gently deposited in the bin by said downloader conveyor. 
     
     
         18 . A method of handling bins in and on a mobile vehicle, comprising the steps of:
 engaging the bin;   drawing the bin into and through a tunnel-like space defined within and on the vehicle; and
 thereafter disengaging the bin at a drop-off point behind the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18  further including the step of hoisting the bin into a first predetermined location to receive objects to be deposited in the bin. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 18  further including the step of locating the bin in a second predetermined location to receive objects to be deposited in the bin. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to claim  30  further including the step of moving the bin vertically into a position closely adjacent a downloader conveyor so as to facilitate the gentle deposit of objects from the downloader conveyor into the bin. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to claim  30  further including the step of moving the bin horizontally so as to facilitate the gentle deposit of objects from the downloader conveyor in a generally horizontal array throughout the bin.