Abstract: A method and apparatus (1) for processing soil infested with plant root material. The method comprises depositing the soil on a vibrating conveyor support (105) at a substantially constant depth, wherein the vibrating conveyor support (105) is arranged to enable the plant root material to be hand-picked. In this way, soil throughput may be maximised without compromising removal of the plant root material. Further, fragmentation of the plant root material may be minimised. The soil may be screened using a vibrating screening mesh (107) to remove smaller particles prior to it being deposited on the conveyor. The soil may be heated, and the processed soil passed under an infrared detector (119) for detecting the presence of plant root material, to thereby objectively control quality.

Abstract: A beach cleaner for recovering relatively heavy garbage or stones while minimizing the amount of sand entering a garbage recovery unit. The beach cleaner includes a frame formed by a longitudinal member and a lateral member. A towed portion is provided at the front portion of the frame for towing by a tow vehicle. A separator is provided at the lower front portion of the frame to separate and scrape garbage from sandy ground. A recovery unit is provided behind the separator to collect garbage scraped onto the mesh member. At least one separation rod unit is provided having a plurality of longitudinal members and a lateral member for joining the rear ends of the respective longitudinal members. The front end of at least one separation rod unit is secured to the separator so as to be turnable in the up-and-down direction.

Abstract: A harvester for potatoes, beets and other root crops has digging shares arranged in a leading position in the travel direction of the harvester. A screen conveyor receiving a harvested mix and conveying the harvested mix in a conveying direction opposite to the travel direction is provided. The screen conveyor has a screen conveyor belt and guide elements supporting laterally the screen conveyor belt. The screen conveyor belt has a upwardly facing conveying stretch and a leading return pulley proximal to the digging shares. The conveying stretch forms a screening zone that, at least in the area of the leading return pulley, is oriented so as to ascend in the conveying direction. The screen conveyor belt is adjustable to different conveying slants in the area of the conveying stretch.

Abstract: A box-shaped beach-cleaning trailer is configured to be loaded with, and collectively carry beach-cleaning equipment and a litter collection station. The beach-cleaning equipment are towed by a vehicle to collect litter on the sands. The litter collected by the beach-cleaning equipment is collected in the litter collection station. The trailer includes a pair of rail members disposed on upper edges of the respective opposite side wall portions such that the rail members face each other with an opening therebetween. A sieve unit is detachably mounted on the rail members, and is configured to move a back-and-forth direction along the rail members. The sieve unit is moved in a back-and-forth direction manually; or by using a driving mechanism including a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a connecting rod arranged between the sieve unit and the driven wheel, for separating colleted litter of various sizes from sand.

Abstract: A machine for preparation of soil comprises a soil lifting device for lifting a layer of soil, a soil breaking device for breaking up the layer of soil, and a frame, the soil lifting device and soil breaking device being attached to the frame.

Abstract: A padding machine (10, 100) is disclosed which is capable of separating materials in a spoils bank beside a trench into coarser materials, which are redeposited in the spoils bank behind the machine, and finer materials which are conveyed to the trench for padding the pipeline. The machine includes a conveyor with a conveyor chain which moves around the perimeter of the machine. Material caught by the scraper blade (28) is conveyed by the conveyor chain along a belly pan (70) and thereafter over a plurality of grizzly bars (72). Coarser material which will not pass through the grizzly bars is conveyed by the conveyor chain (56) to the rearward end of the machine and dumped off the rearward end of the machine back to the ground. The finer materials passing through the grizzly bars are again separated by a vibrator unit (76, 104).

Abstract: A ground-cleaning apparatus for separating debris from soil according to the invention includes a paddle assembly, a separation bin, and a hydraulic assembly, each mounted on a chassis having a front frame and a rear frame. The paddle assembly is rotatably supported on the front frame and includes paddles for agitating the ground surface and carrying soil and debris to the separation bin. The separation bin is supported on the rear frame and includes a sifting screen partially surrounded by sidewalls and a rear wall. The hydraulic assembly includes a selectively actuated piston and cylinder assembly for reciprocating the separation bin. Paddles agitate the ground surface and deposits the soil and debris on the separation bin, where the debris is trapped by the sifting screen and the soil passes through the sifting screen as the separation bin is reciprocated by the piston and cylinder assembly.

Abstract: A nursery plant digger apparatus designed to be pulled behind a typical tractor and used to harvest bare root plants grown in long, parallel rows in a field. The digger apparatus includes a horizontally aligned tool bar attached to the rear of the tractor. Extended laterally from one side of the tool bar is an adjustable, U-shaped scoop which is dragged in the soil as the tractor is driven in a forward direction on the field. The angle and position of the scoop relative to the tool bar may be adjusted to control the digging depth of the scoop. During normal use, the scoop is adjusted to travel under the plant's deepest root. A shaking grate is pivotally attached to the rear edge of the scoop. During use, a hydraulic motor is connected to an eccentric which causes the grate to shake downward to dislodge soil delivered to the grate as the tractor moves in a forward direction.

Abstract: A rock picker and material loader attachment is pivotally mounted to a loader scoop or bucket and extends longitudinally forward therefrom. A plurality of teeth form the leading surface of the attachment during digging and loading operations. Also adjacent the bucket and support bar is a laterally extending debris catcher. During picking and scraping operations, the debris catcher is perpendicular to the bottom of the bucket, extending up from the bottom and thereby acting as a block or retaining plate which assists in retaining debris in the bucket. Two longitudinal knees form a quarter-circle are at or near the longitudinal position of the mounting between the attachment and the bucket. During loading from the inventive attachment to the bucket, the knees are used to pivot the attachment and allow material or debris to roll into the bucket. While the attachment is pivoting, the debris catcher assists by moving any debris near the edge of the bucket back and away therefrom.

Abstract: A farm tractor field stone collection implement is provided with a forward dragbox section having open forward and aft ends, a perforated bottom, multiple spaced-apart teeth projected forwardly and downwardly from the section leading edge, and hitch points for coupling to a farm tractor implement hitch accessory, with an aft dragbox section having a forward open end aligned with the forward dragbox section open aft end, a perforated bottom, and an aft end from which collected field stone may be dumped, with a vibrator mounted on the forward dragbox section, and with fasteners joining the forward and aft dragbox sections in an articulated manner relative to each other.

Abstract: A shovel for earthmoving equipment such as excavators, wheel loaders, etc., has two side walls, which are interconnected by a shovel bottom positioned between the side walls. The shovel bottom is at least zonally formed by a lattice-like grating, which is movably mounted on the shovel and which can be vibrated. The lattice-like grating is preferably mounted in vibration-damped manner and is driven by a hydraulic motor, which is connected to the hydraulic circuit of the excavator or wheel loader.

Abstract: A potato lifter, but also being a lifter capable of lifting other especially subterranean vegetation products, such as celery roots, carrots, bulbs, edible onions, etc., the lifter being of the kind comprising an in the ground, under the products, led cutting member and a conveyor positioned behind the cutting member for the upwards guiding of the products is described. A number, and at least one, mainly with plain, smooth or comparatively featureless surface shaped delivery roll or rolls (5, 6, 7, 8) is (are) positioned between the rear edge of the cutting member(1, 2, 3, 4) and the conveyor (9). The delivery rolls, having preferably equal diameters and being driven with a circumference velocity of about the same size as the forward drive velocity of the potato lifter, are positioned rotatable around mainly horizontal axes and, when more than one, positioned rather close together and mutually parallel. The damage introduced at the mechanical lifting to the potatoes is exquisitely low.

Abstract: This inventions's method separates from excavated materials (2) fine constituents (3), preferably topsoil, and coarse constituents (4), preferably stones, roots or root crops. The materials to be excavated (2) are excavated by an excavating and separating bucket (11), of grid structure, which is subjected to separating movements causing the fine constituents (3) to escape from the excavating and separating bucket (11) through apertures provided for that purpose. To produce shock-free separating movements the excavating and separating bucket (11) is rotated continuously through one or preferably a plurality of revolutions in the same direction of rotation (R).A simple apparatus for carrying the method of the invention into effect is described. The excavating and separating bucket (11) is a unit (5) connected to an excavating and elevating assembly (8) on a vehicle (9).

Abstract: This invention relates to a machine for harvesting market-size worms from their bedding that lays in the bottom of a flat-bottomed trough-like bed. The machine is self-propelled and travels lengthwise of the beds riding atop their side walls. A novel digger is provided on the front end of the unit made up of a rotating reel with rake-forming tined shafts, the tines of which remain in parallel relation at all times due to a pair of independently rotating eccentrically positioned hubs that rotate in unison therewith and are operatively connected thereto by a series of parallel links. The digger rakes the bedding along with the worms contained therein back onto a conveyor belt that carries the mixture upwardly and rearwardly and deposits it onto a shaker screen inclined downwardly and rearwardly above the open trough.

Abstract: A machine for treating soil which includes a holding structure supported on two wheels mounted centrally of the rear of said structure and two other wheels mounted on arms connected to independent hydraulic means on the sides of the front end of said structure, gang plows mounted between said wheels on said front end of said structure having weirs leading to a vibratable screen, windlasses with transversal vanes mounted above said screen to smash, crush and send backwards the soil received from the plows, breaker discs mounted in front of said plows and a side duct mounted between the rear end of said screen and the rear wheels for discarding material to the side of the machine.