Fruit depositing mechanisms

Claim 1

FRUIT BIN FILLING MECHANISM COMPRISING A FRUIT BIN, FRUIT-SUPPLYING MEANS AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME HEIGHT AS THE RIM OF SAID BIN, FRUIT-DEPOSITING MEANS INCLUDING A FRAME OF GENERALLY RIGHT ANGLE SHAPE HAVING A SUPPORTING LEG ONE PORTION OF WHICH IS ADJACENT TO SAID FRUIT-SUPPLYING MEANS AND A SUPPORTED LEG EXTENDING DOWNWARD FROM SAID SUPPORTING LEG TO A LOWER FRUIT-DISCHARGING PORTION IN SAID BIN, CONVEYOR GUIDE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME, AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR EXTENDING AROUND SAID FRAME AND GUIDED BY SAID CONVEYOR GUIDE MEANS, POCKET DIVIDERS CARRIED BY SAID ENDLESS CONVEYOR IN POSITIONS PROJECTING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY FROM THE PATH OF SAID CONVEYOR AND MOVABLE THEREBY FROM SAID FRUIT-SUPPLYING MEANS ALONG THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID SUPPORTING LEG, DOWNWARD ALONG THE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG REMOTE FROM SAID SUPPORTING LEG, AROUND THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG, UPWARD ALONG THE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG ADJACENT TO SAID SUPPORTING LEG AND BENEATH SAID SUPPORTING LEG BACK TO SAID FRUIT-SUPPLYING MEANS, FLEXIBLE SHEET MEANS DRAPED BETWEEN SAID POCKET DIVIDERS AND FORMING CONVEYOR POCKETS BETWEEN THE POCKET DIVIDERS MOVING DOWNWARDLY AT THE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG REMOTE FROM SAID SUPPORTING LEG FOR CONVEYING FRUIT THEREIN, A PLATE MOUNTED ON AND CURVING DOWNWARD AROUND THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG CONCENTRICALLY WITH THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID POCKET DIVIDERS MOVING AROUND THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG AND ADJACENT TO SAID POCKET DIVIDERS TO A LOCATION BENEATH THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG AND COOPERATING WITH SAID POCKET DIVIDERS TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF FRUIT BETWEEN SAID PLATE AND SAID POCKET DIVIDERS, FOR TRANSFER OF FRUIT FROM SAID CONVEYOR POCKETS TO SAID PLATE GENTLY WITHOUT IMPACT, A FLEXIBLE APRON EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID PLATE IN A POSITION OVERLYING AND SUPPORTED BY FRUIT IN SAID BIN, MOVING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FRUIT-DEPOSITING CONVEYOR AND OPERABLE TO MOVE SAID CONVEYOR FOR SHIFTING THE LOWER FRUIT-DISCHARGING PORTION OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG ELEVATIONALLY WHICH VARIES THE ELEVATION AT WHICH FRUIT IS DEPOSITED BY SAID FRUIT-DEPOSITING CONVEYOR, A PIVOTED CONTROL MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID FRUIT-DISCHARGING PORTION OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG BELOW THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID PLATE, CURVED GENERALLY CORRESPONDING TO THE CURVATURE OF SAID PLATE AND SWINGABLE DOWNWARD RELATIVE TO SAID PLATE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH FRUIT IN SAID BIN ON WHICH ADDITIONAL FRUIT IS TO BE DEPOSITED BY SAID CONVEYOR, COUNTERBALANCING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND BALANCING MOST OF THE WEIGHT THEREOF, AND CONTROL MEANS OPERATED BY PREDETERMINED SWINGING OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORTED LEG AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOVING MEANS TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF SAID CONVEYOR TO ALTER THE ELEVATION OF SAID LOWER FRUIT-DISCHARGING PORTION OF SAID SUPPORTED LEG.