Stem Cutting Device

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to cutting and harvesting apparatus and more particularly, to a stem cutting device for harvesting flowers such as roses, which device eliminates the need for hand contact with the stem and thorns during and after the cutting operation. The stem cutting device can also be used to harvest okra and other skin-irritating vegetables and fruits where physical contact between the fruit and/or the plant stem must be avoided. In a preferred embodiment the stem cutting device is characterized by a barrel fitted with a handle at one end and a cutting head at the opposite end, with a handle lever pivotally attached to the handle and to a plunger slidably disposed in the barrel and fitted with a blade and block combination at the cutting end of the device. The blade and block are spring-loaded inside the barrel to insure complete severing of the plant stem and the handle lever is spring-loaded in the handle to facilitate return of the handle and plunger to a non-cutting configuration when pressure is released from the handle lever. The cutting head is fitted with a stem slot for receiving the stem of a plant or flower such as a rose and the stem is severed by the blade and retained in the stem slot by operation of the block, responsive to pressure applied to the handle lever and movement of the plunger inside the barrel.

One of the problems realized in collecting certain flowers such as roses, the stems of which have thorns and the harvesting of skin-irritating vegetables such as okra, is the danger of pricking the fingers and thumb by the thorns and irritation of the skin which is characteristic of the okra plant. Furthermore, it is difficult and cumbersome to wear gloves in collecting flowers such as roses and vegetables such as okra, since the rose stems must normally be severed from the stem with a knife or other sharp instrument, thus making the collecting operation difficult. Furthermore, after severing the stem of the rose or okra plant, the severed stem and flower, as well as the okra pods, must be collected in some manner by the user.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Harvesting and collection of vegetables such as okra pods is normally accomplished by severing each pod individually with a blade and placing the pods in a basket, sack or other container which is either carried by, or strapped to the user. A typical apparatus for harvesting okra or the like is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,008, dated Mar. 4, 1980, to Archie O. Smith. The apparatus includes an elongated frame having a handle at one end and a cutter member at the other end. A trigger is provided at the handle for remotely operating the cutter and a shroud partially surrounds the handle to protect the hand of the user during cutting. In one embodiment the cutter includes a razor blade located beneath a cylindrical guide member that retains the okra pod in position for cutting of the stem, while a pair of stabilizing ears steadies the guide member on a branch of the okra plant. In a second embodiment a rectangular guide member contains a stem-holding bracket and maintains the stem of the okra pod in proper position for cutting by a blade. A set of prongs carried by the blade pierces the pod during a cutting stroke and the pod is automatically released during retraction for disposal into a collection receptacle. Another vegetable harvesting apparatus is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,174, dated Jul. 26, 1988, to Oswell F. Merritt. The vegetable harvesting apparatus includes a generally triangular-shaped hopper having a cutting opening, a blade slidably mounted in the hopper and a handle attached to the opposite end of the hopper from the cutting opening. A pivoting lever is mounted in the handle and a blade rod connects the upper end of the pivoting lever to the blade. The device is used by extending a vegetable such as a pod of okra through the opening in the front portion of the hopper and forcing the blade against the pod stem by manipulating the rod lever with the hand, to sever the stem and collect the okra pod in the hopper.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved stem cutting device for both cutting and retaining a stem supporting a vegetable or flower.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stem cutting device which is designed to sever the stems of flowers in angular relationship to better maintain the cut flowers in a fresh condition.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a stem cutting device which is characterized by a barrel having a handle at one end and a cutting head at the opposite end, with a handle lever pivotally attached to the handle and to a plunger slidably mounted in the barrel for receiving a blade and block cutting assembly and both cutting and retaining the stem of a vegetable or flower in the cutting head of the device.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a lever-operated stem cutting device having a cutting head fitted with V-pocket or seat for receiving the stem of a vegetable, rose or other flower and a spring-loaded cutting assembly attached to one end of a plunger operated by the lever for initially cutting the stem and subsequently retaining the cut stem and vegetable or flower in the cutting head for further disposition.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved stem cutting device which includes a barrel fitted with a lever-operated handle at one end and a cutting head at the opposite end, which lever is connected to a plunger slidably mounted in the barrel and fitted with a spring-loaded blade and block cutting assembly for severing the stem of a plant or flower on an angle, with increasing pressure exerted on the blade as the lever advances the plunger in the barrel.

These and other objects of this invention are to provide a new and improved stem cutting device which is characterized by a barrel fitted with a lever-operated handle on one end and a cutting head fitted with a stem slot on the other end, a plunger slidably mounted in the barrel and having one end pivotally attached to the lever and the other end fitted with a spring-loaded blade and block cutting and holding assembly, such that the plunger is slidably displaced in the barrel responsive to pressure applied to the lever to advance the cutting and holding assembly against the stem of a flower or vegetable placed in the cutting head and further advancement of the lever causes the blade to sever the stem and extend through a slot in the cutting head as the block engages the stem and presses the stem against the cutting head to retain the stem and flower or vegetable in the stem cutting device.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a preferred embodiment of the stem cutting device of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of the stem cutting device illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional, enlarged view of the cutting head and cutting and holding elements of the stem cutting device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, a preferred embodiment of the stem cutting device of this invention is generally illustrated by reference numeral 1. The stem cutting device 1 is characterized by a handle 2, fitted with a longitudinal handle recess 3 for receiving one end of a handle lever 5, which is pivotally attached to the top portion of the handle 2 in the handle recess 3, by means of a lever pivot pin 6. One end of a link 7 is pivotally attached to the handle lever 5 in spaced relationship with respect to the lever pivot pin 6 by a first link pin 8 and the opposite end of the link 7 is pivotally secured to one end of a plunger 10 at the upper end of a plunger slot 13, by means of a second link pin 8. A lever spring 9 has one leg engaging the handle 2 and the other leg seated against the handle lever 5, to bias the extending end of the handle lever 5 outwardly of the handle recess 3, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Spaced handle grips 4 are also provided on the handle 2 for gripping purposes. One end of a barrel 14 is secured to the bottom end of the handle 2 by means of a barrel mount pin 16, which extends through the handle 2, barrel 14 and the plunger slot 13 of the plunger 10, to facilitate sliding movement of the plunger 10 within the barrel 14. A plunger pin 11 projects longitudinally from the opposite end of the plunger 10 and receives a plunger spring 12 which is seated in the barrel bore 15 of the barrel 14, adjacent to the opposite end of the plunger 10, as further illustrated in FIG. 2. The extending end of the plunger pin 11 is fitted with a laterally-projecting pin flange 11a, and a rectangular block 23, having a block slot 24 which defines a slot shoulder 24a, seated on the pin flange 11a of the plunger pin 11, is further illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The opposite end of the block 23 is shaped to define a double block bevel 25 which matches the corresponding dual finger bevel 22 provided in a J-shaped retaining finger 20 of the cutting head 18. The finger 20 projects from a head collar 19, mounted on the opposite end of the barrel 14 by means of a barrel mount pin 16, which extends through the block slot 24 of the block 23. A finger slot 20a is also provided in the retaining finger 20 and a stem slot 21 separates the retaining finger 20 from the collar portion of the cutting head 18.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawing, an L-shaped blade 27 is provided with a blade bevel 28 at the extending end and a blade flange 29, which is mounted on the plunger pin 11 of the plunger 10 at the top of the plunger spring 12 and is seated against the opposite end of the plunger 10 by the bias in the plunger spring 12. Accordingly, the flat portion of the blade 27 which extends downwardly from the blade flange 29 traverses the length of the plunger spring 12 and the block 23 and terminates at the block bevel 25 of the block 23, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the blade bevel 28 of the blade 27 substantially matches the block bevel 25 inclination of the block 23 and is longitudinally aligned with the finger slot 20a of the retaining finger 20.

In operation, and referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawing, when the handle lever 5 is in the outwardly-extended position illustrated in FIG. 2 by operation of the lever spring 9, the slotted end of the plunger 10 is projected into the handle recess 3 of the handle 2 to retract the blade 27 and block 23 in concert from the stem slot 21, into the head collar 19 of the cutting head 18. Accordingly, both the blade 27 and the block 23 are then clear of the stem slot 21 defined by the retaining finger 20 and the head collar 19 of the cutting head 18. The stem 31 of a flower 32 is then inserted in the stem slot 21, with the flower 32 projecting from the stem slot 21 on the block 23 side of the cutting head 18, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Pressure exerted on the handle lever 5 in the direction of the arrow illustrated in FIG. 2 moves the handle lever 5 into the position illustrated in phantom and causes the plunger 10 to slide inside the barrel 14 responsive to the operation of the link 7, as the link 7 also pivots into the phantom position. This action forces the blade 27 and block 23 downwardly in concert from the head collar 19 into the stem slot 21, until the block 23 and blade 27 contact the stem 31. Further advancement of the handle lever 5 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2 causes the blade 27 to sever the stem 31 as the block 23 forces that portion of the stem 31 which is attached to the flower 32 tightly against the finger bevel 22 of the retaining finger 20. Movement of the blade 27 completely through the stem 31 occurs as the plunger 10 continues its downward travel against the bias of the plunger spring 12, since the plunger spring 12 is compressed between the upper end of the block 23 and the lower end of the plunger 10 at the base of the plunger pin 11. Accordingly, incremental compression of the plunger spring 12 responsive to additional pressure on the handle lever 5 increases the pressure on the blade 27, which cleanly severs the stem 31 at an angle as the cutting end or blade bevel 28 of the blade 27 registers with the correspondingly shaped finger slot 20a, provided in the retaining finger 20. That portion of the stem 31 which is connected to the plant is then freed from engagement with the cutting head 18, while that portion of the stem 31 which supports the flower 32 is retained in the stem slot 21 due to the bias of the plunger spring 12, which forces the block 23 against the stem 31. The stem cutting device 1 can then be manipulated to locate the stem 31 and flower 32 to any desired location without the necessity of touching the stem 31, thereby avoiding the thorns 33.

Referring again to FIG. 3 of the drawing, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that slidable movement of the block 23 inside the head collar 19 of the cutting head 18 is facilitated in the cutting mode by compression of the plunger spring 12 and in the retraction mode by engagement of the pin flange 11a on the plunger pin 11 with the slot shoulder 24a of the block slot 24 in the block 23. This travel of the block 23 in the barrel bore 15 is also facilitated by extending the bottom barrel mount pin 16 through matching holes drilled in the head collar 19 and the barrel 14 and through the block slot 24, provided in the block 23. Accordingly, the block 23 is constrained to move upwardly and downwardly inside the head collar 19 within the allowable "throw" or movement of the handle lever 5, as the stem slot 21 accommodates the bottom barrel mount pin 16.

It will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art that the stem cutting device 1 of this invention can be utilized to cut the stem of substantially any plant, including decorative flowering plants such as roses, as well as vegetable-producing plants such as okra and the like, in non-exclusive particular. The stem cutting device 1 may be utilized under any circumstances where it is undesirable to touch the stem of the plant being cut and where harvesting can be accomplished using only the stem cutting device 1 without the necessity of handling either the stem or the plant harvested. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention the stem cutting device 1 is constructed of aluminum, although alternative materials of construction such as plastics like polyvinylchloride and other plastics known to those skilled in the art, may also be utilized.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, in a most preferred embodiment of the invention the dual direction finger bevel 22 is provided in the J-shaped retaining finger 20 to facilitate seating and severing of the stem 31 at an angle, an expedient which produces a bevelled cut in the stem and supplies a larger "wicking" area for migration of water through the stem 31 to the flower 32 to maintain the flower 32 in a fresh condition for a longer period of time. Furthermore, the acute angle in the retaining finger 20 produces a V-shaped receptacle that forces the stem 31 into a secure position for severing by the blade 27 when operating the handle lever 5.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.