Patents by Inventor Carroll J. Whitfield

Carroll J. Whitfield has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7677324
    Abstract: A turf slicer includes a gang of six slicer wheels that “walk” through the turf in response to the forward motion of the turf slicer. In the meantime, the power takeoff from the tractor vertically oscillates the slicer wheels out of phase with one another, so that every sixth wheel is being thrust downwardly to bear most of the weight of the turf slicer as the other five wheels in the gang of six are either being withdrawn upwardly or moved downwardly and do not bear much weight, so that the weight of the turf slicer is concentrated on the downwardly moving slicer wheel that is approaching bottom dead center of its movement, thereby amplifying the effective weight of the turf slicer against the turf below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: First Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald C. Jones, Carroll J. Whitfield, Robert Funk
  • Publication number: 20080035355
    Abstract: A turf slicer includes a gang of six slicer wheels that “walk” through the turf in response to the forward motion of the turf slicer. In the meantime, the power takeoff from the tractor vertically oscillates the slicer wheels out of phase with one another, so that every sixth wheel is being thrust downwardly to bear most of the weight of the turf slicer as the other five wheels in the gang of six are either being withdrawn upwardly or moved downwardly and do not bear much weight, so that the weight of the turf slicer is concentrated on the downwardly moving slicer wheel that is approaching bottom dead center of its movement, thereby amplifying the effective weight of the turf slicer against the turf below.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Donald C. Jones, Carroll J. Whitfield, Robert Funk
  • Patent number: 5209306
    Abstract: An apparatus for aerating turf including a mounting frame (11) for mounting the apparatus to the hydraulic lift system (12) of a utility tractor. A trailer support frame (13) is pivotably mounted to the mounting frame (11) so as to enable the trailer support frame (13) to tilt toward and away from engagement with the turf. A plurality of rotary hoes (39) are supported within the trailer support frame (13) along a drive shaft (41). Each rotary hoe (39) has a double row tapered roller bearing assembly (53) mounted on the drive shaft (41) at an angle tilted from the longitudinal axis (70) of the drive shaft, causing the rotary hoe to wobble from side-to-side (B, B') in response to the rotation of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Inventor: Carroll J. Whitfield
  • Patent number: 5029652
    Abstract: An apparatus for aerating turf including a mounting frame (11) for mounting the apparatus to the hydraulic lift system (12) of a utility tractor. A trailer support frame (13) is pivotably mounted to the mounting frame (11) so as to enable the trailer support frame (13) to tilt toward and away from engagement with the turf. A plurality of rotary hoes (39) are supported within the trailer support frame (13) along a drive shaft (41). The drive shaft (41) is rotated by the power take-off (44) of the tractor, and causes the rotary hoes (39) to vibrate as the tines (58) of the rotary hoes (39) penetrate the soil so as to aerate the turf without causing compaction of the soil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Inventor: Carroll J. Whitfield
  • Patent number: 4316508
    Abstract: The improved automatic ripper reset mechanism of the present invention includes a punch fixedly disposed on the distal free end of a ripper blade head for downward arcuate motion in response to the ripper blade striking an obstruction, a die having a matching contour surface, an incrementally fed shear bar disposed opposite the punch for fixed engagement between the punch and the die when the reset apparatus is in ripping functional position, and to be sheared off when the reset mechanism is sprung, a reset mechanism frame supporting a spring loaded push block means for incrementally advancing the shear bar, brake means for preventing expulsion of the shear bar from the frame by the push block means when the reset mechanism is in sprung position, and torque storage means for receiving torque during the springing of the reset mechanism by means of striking an obstruction and for retransmitting the stored torque to reset the mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1982
    Assignee: Beatrice Foods Co.
    Inventor: Carroll J. Whitfield
  • Patent number: 4298071
    Abstract: Closely spaced cultivating tools are mounted along a tool bar and each tool may be locked in a raised position relative to the ground or may be lowered into floating engagement with the ground during use of the implement. A small tool bar is mounted parallel to a larger tool bar and the cultivating tools are slidably clamped on the small tool bar. Improved mounting structure allows each cultivating tool to be mounted on the small tool bar without having to slide each cultivating tool onto or off of the tool bar from the ends of the tool bar and without having to disassemble the mounting structure. The tool bar assembly includes row indicia for indicating where the tools are to be located along the tool bar and which tools should engage the ground and which tools should be raised away from the ground for various cultivating operations on row crops. A tool angling mechanism allows selective adjustment of the angle to the line of draft of each tool without the use of wrenches or other hand tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1981
    Assignee: Kelley Manufacturing Co.
    Inventors: Carroll J. Whitfield, Anthony W. Lastinger
  • Patent number: 4231433
    Abstract: Closely spaced cultivating tools are mounted along a tool bar and each tool may be locked in a raised position relative to the ground or may be lowered into floating engagement with the ground during use of the implement. A small tool bar is mounted parallel to a larger tool bar and the cultivating tools are slidably clamped on the small tool bar. Improved mounting structure allows each cultivating tool to be mounted on the small tool bar without having to slide each cultivating tool onto or off of the tool bar from the ends of the tool bar and without having to disassemble the mounting structure. The tool bar assembly includes row indicia for indicating where the tools are to be located along the tool bar and which tools should engage the ground and which tools should be raised away from the ground for various cultivating operations on row crops. A tool angling mechanism allows selective adjustment of the angle to the line of draft of each tool without the use of wrenches or other hand tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1980
    Assignee: Kelley Manufacturing Co.
    Inventors: Carroll J. Whitfield, Anthony W. Lastinger