Patents Examined by Joel F Mitchell
  • Patent number: 10645870
    Abstract: An apparatus for revitalizing artificial turf fields may comprise a support frame, a plurality of shearing machines installed on the support frame, and a plurality of wheels installed on the support frame. The support frame may be configured to position the shearing machines parallel to each other, to tilt the shearing machines with respect a surface of the artificial turf field, and to position the shearing machines above a surface of the field at a distance such that the shearing machines cut fibers to produce trimmed fibers that have a length that can extend above infill or topmost layer of the artificial turf field. Methods for revitalizing artificial turf fields involves the aforementioned apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TARKETT INC.
    Inventor: Alain Bissonnette
  • Patent number: 10638652
    Abstract: A wearing-part arrangement for a leading edge of a soil-working implement includes a point configured to be releasably attached to the soil-working implement. The point has a pointed front portion and a transverse elevation projecting from an upper face thereof. At least the front portion is mirror-symmetrical around a longitudinal axis of the point and has first and second oblique faces diverging in a direction of a socket on the point and merging with a first side edge surface and a second side edge surface. The first oblique face is bounded by a first cutting edge, and the second oblique face is bounded by a second cutting edge. When the point is attached to the soil-working implement, at least a rear portion of the second oblique face and the second side edge surface adjacent to the second oblique face project beyond a side edge of the soil-working implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: KVERNELAND GROUP OPERATIONS NORWAY AS
    Inventor: Magne Skjæveland
  • Patent number: 10638653
    Abstract: A caster wheel assembly includes a frame configured to pivotally couple to a tool bar, a sub-frame rotatably coupled to the frame, and a connecting linkage configured to control movement of the frame relative to the tool bar. The caster wheel assembly also includes a locking assembly, which includes a lock lever movably coupled to the frame, wherein the lock lever includes a locking element and a release element, a locking structure fixedly coupled to the sub-frame, and a driving element fixedly coupled to the connecting linkage. The locking element is configured to block rotation of the sub-frame relative to the frame while the locking element is engaged with the locking structure, and the driving element is configured to contact the release element as the connecting linkage moves the frame downwardly relative to the tool bar to drive the locking element to disengage the locking structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Brian John Anderson, Nicholas Ryan Pederson, William Schroeder, Marvin A. Prickel
  • Patent number: 10624256
    Abstract: A method of operating a planter where plot characteristics are input into a controller that is associated with a planter. A distance measuring device associated with the controller senses ground speed and distance traveled and transmits the sensed information to the controller. The controller then automatically adjusts the rotational speed of a seed plate of a row planter mounted to the planter based upon the sensed information to achieve the input plot characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Gary W. Clem, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian W. Carr, Andrew G. Jenkins, Curtis R. Hammer, Scott A. Sporrer, Nick Merfeld, Marcus D. Woster
  • Patent number: 10609854
    Abstract: During coordinated operation of multiple different modular traction power units (MPUs), a desired change in relative tractive effort contributed by each of the MPUs is identified. Relative distances between a connection point for each MPU and an implement hitch point is determined, in order to identify a hitch bar target position that will achieve the identified relative tractive effort contribution. The hitch bar is adjusted to make distance adjustments, based on the target position, to achieve the identified relative tractive effort for the MPUs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Bernard E. Romig, Noel W. Anderson, Terence D. Pickett
  • Patent number: 10602655
    Abstract: A sod harvester for cutting a sod slab from a sod field and directing an unspoiled sod slab into a first carrier and a spoiled sod slab into a scrap sod carrier where the spoiled sod slab may be either discharged away from a path of the sod harvester or carried on the scrap sod carrier for later discharge from the scrap sod carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: TRE BRO HODING, INC.
    Inventor: Daniel Sammut
  • Patent number: 10590617
    Abstract: Apparatus for hardening the surface of a snow and ice covered trail which includes apparatus for travel over the snow and/or ice covered terrain that includes means to remove entrained air from snow and/or ice particles proximate to the apparatus; means for redistribution of the dispersed snow and ice laterally and axially with respect to the apparatus incident to movement of the apparatus after dispersing has occurred; and means for compacting snow and ice redistributed in the means for redistributing to increase the hardness of the snow and ice that has been redistributed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Inventor: Bruce Vruwink
  • Patent number: 10590624
    Abstract: A motor grader includes a work implement supported by a frame, a controller, and a circle drawbar assembly for controlling the work implement. The circle drawbar assembly includes a drawbar frame, a circle member coupled to the drawbar frame, and a drive arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame and the circle member for rotation thereof about the circle axis. The drawbar arrangement a first hydraulic cylinder and a second hydraulic cylinder pivotally coupled to the drawbar frame at a first location and a second location, respectively, on their respective first portions, and pivotally coupled to the circle member at a common third location on their respective second portions. A control arrangement extends and retracts the hydraulic cylinders in timed relationship to rotate the circle member about the circle axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventor: John Vikram Gundupalli
  • Patent number: 10568252
    Abstract: The field cultivating sweep includes a body with wings extending from a center line in opposite directions, and a conditioning element extending downwardly from the wing body. The conditioning element may be a blade extending vertically downwardly along the center line of the body and having a leading edge sloped rearedly from front to back. In alternative embodiments, the conditioning element may have a triangular or rectangular shape or may be in the form of a fluted coulter. The conditioning element acts to till the ground vertically and break up compacted soil as the sweep is drawn along the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Inventor: Albert R. Hemerson
  • Patent number: 10548253
    Abstract: An agricultural implement includes a chassis; a linkage carried by the chassis; a turnbuckle connected to the linkage and having a frame which includes a threaded hole formed therein and a non-circular region; and a latch pivotable about a fulcrum carried above the frame. The latch has a notch formed therein which is shaped to prevent substantial rotation of the frame when engaged with the non-circular region of the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Matthew R. Sudbrink, Dean A. Knobloch
  • Patent number: 10542657
    Abstract: An agricultural implement has a main frame including fore-to-aft and cross frame members. Main lift and transport wheels are connected to rockshaft pedestal arms that are pivotally connected to the main frame by way of a rockshaft held by the main frame. The rockshaft is held spanning a distance between upper and lower fore-to-aft frame member components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Matthew R. Sudbrink, Dean A. Knobloch
  • Patent number: 10537053
    Abstract: An agricultural implement has a hitch frame, a center frame pivotally attached rearward of the hitch frame about a hitch pivot axis. Wing frames are pivotally attached to ends of the center frame and a center actuator is pivots the center and wing frames from a rearward extending operating position to an upward extending transport position. Caster wheels are pivotally mounted on front sides of the wing frames about caster and transport axes. In the operating position, the caster axes are oriented vertically and the transport axes are oriented horizontally, and in the initial transport position, the caster axes are oriented horizontally, perpendicular to the hitch pivot, the transport axes are oriented vertically, and caster wheel actuators pivot the caster wheels 90 degrees about the transport axes to align the caster axes with the hitch pivot axis. The caster wheels support the wing frames in both operating and transport positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SCHULTE INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Todd Hofmann, Vincent Colistro
  • Patent number: 10531604
    Abstract: An agricultural implement includes a toolbar system having a toolbar frame, an elevator assembly, and a first wing on one side of the toolbar frame. The first wing may be coupled to the elevator and pivotable about a first vertical axis of rotation between an extended and a folded position. Tools may be coupled to the first wing and rotatable relative to a longitudinal axis of the first wing from an operating position below the first wing to a transport/shipping position above the first wing. Further, the first wing may be adapted to be moveable to position the first wing higher than a wheel of the agricultural implement on the same side of the toolbar frame in the folded position. Subsequently, the tools may be circularly rotated and the middle wing and tools pushed down to reduce the overall width and height of the implement for transporting or shipping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Van Mill, Ryan J. Fleshner, Ronald J. Schlimgen
  • Patent number: 10524429
    Abstract: A sod harvester with an increased sod harvesting rate obtainable through a reduction in the time for completion of a sod handling cycle with the reduction in time obtained through changes in the interactions of transfer mechanisms within the sod harvester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TREBRO HOLDING, INC.
    Inventor: Gregg Tvetene
  • Patent number: 10517214
    Abstract: A plant sawing assembly for removing plants around a sprinkler head includes a hole saw that may be positioned around a sprinkler head to remove plants growing around the sprinkler head. A receiver extends upwardly from the hole saw and a shaft is removably positioned in the receiver. The shaft is coupled to a power tool thereby facilitating the power tool to spin the hole saw to cut the plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Inventors: Arthur M. Craig, Donna G. Craig
  • Patent number: 10512207
    Abstract: A closing wheel assembly is provided for a seed row planter unit behind the gauge wheel assembly and furrow disks of the planter unit. The closing wheel assembly includes a coupler with a pair of closing wheels mounted thereon. A single pin removably extends through the coupler and through the gauge wheel assembly to detachably mount the closing wheel assembly to the gauge wheel assembly. Different closing wheel assemblies can be quickly mounted on the row unit, depending upon the type of seed being planted. The closing wheels are laterally adjustable via a rotatable threaded bushing so as to be centered behind the furrow disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Harvest International , Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Alan Sivinski
  • Patent number: 10508411
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a grading tool structured for attachment to a work machine. The grading tool includes a frame, ground contacting wheels coupled with the frame, a comb coupled with the frame and extending from a first end of the frame, and a coupling member coupled with the frame and structured to be accessible from a second end of the frame. When the ground contacting wheels are in contact with the ground a depth of penetration of the comb into the ground surface is adjustable by changing the pitch of the grading tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: ABI ATTACHMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Kevin V. Keigley
  • Patent number: 10499554
    Abstract: A castor wheel support for a towed agricultural implement. The castor support has a spindle for supporting a castor mounting structure for pivoting movement. The castor mounting structure includes an annular friction element received over the spindle and a plurality of C-shaped shims removable laterally without disassembly of the mounting structure to allow the pressure on the friction element to be set to minimize wobbling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Matthew R. Sudbrink, Dean A. Knobloch
  • Patent number: 10470360
    Abstract: A disc opener unit for an agricultural implement has a down pressure adjustment device that automatically adjusts the amount of down pressure applied on a furrowing disc based on strain measurements taken by a strain gauge or load cell. The strain gauge, which may be mounted to an arm that is used to set the position of a depth setting gauge wheel, provides feedback to a processor that in turn controls the amount of hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic cylinder to adjust the down force applied on the disc. The amount of down pressure is therefore adjusted in substantially real-time in response to changes in field conditions, which improves furrow depth consistency and reduces wear on the gauge wheel and its components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.
    Inventors: Trevor Kowalchuk, Robin B. Schilling, Jack Turner
  • Patent number: 10470368
    Abstract: A multi-functional garden implement comprises an underframe connected with a supporting shaft. A pushing handle is fixedly connected to the underframe, and wheels are connected with the supporting shaft. The multi-functional garden implement further comprises a rotating bracket, which is connected to a power source. A working head is connected to the power source. The rotating bracket is rotatably connected to the underframe and capable of driving the working head to swing to both sides back and forth. Between the underframe and the rotating bracket, there is also a locating mechanism which can secure the rotating bracket onto the underframe. The multi-functional garden implement is capable of adjusting the position of the working head, so as to meet various requirements for the working conditions of gardening work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Wenling Jennfeng Industry Inc.
    Inventors: Weijun Li, Genfa Mao, Shijun Zhu