Rectilinearly Reciprocating Tool Patents (Class 172/53)
  • Patent number: 7669667
    Abstract: A walk aerator comprises a frame supported by a plurality of ground engaging wheels, the frame carrying a coring head having a plurality of side-by-side tine assemblies. The wheels define a wheelbase which is substantially equal to or less than the width of a coring swath and the wheels are located in advance of the coring head to keep the wheels from passing over the holes or soil cores left in any preceding coring swathes formed by the aerator. The vertical position of the coring head is adjustable up and down as the ground contour changes to keep hole depth substantially constant. The tine assemblies are reciprocated by a single crankshaft driven by a single pulley, the crankshaft being assembled from multiple crank arms that are splined and bolted together. Sealed bearings connect drive arms that drive the tine assemblies to the crankshaft. The crankshaft can be disassembled to allow the sealed drive arm bearings to be replaced. Integral core deflectors are used on the drive arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Walter J. Petersen, Michael J. Gilberg, Gerald J. Pomerening
  • Patent number: 5370190
    Abstract: A machine for levelling a surface has ground engaging levelling members pivotally mounted on a main frame for back and forth vibratory or oscillatory motion relative to the main frame in a normal direction of travel of the machine. Each levelling member has a longitudinal axis which extends laterally with respect to the normal direction of travel of the machine and there is an eccentric drive for providing the back and forth motion which may be connected to a power takeoff shaft of a tractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Inventor: Kenneth J. Bigham
  • Patent number: 4265186
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for planting seed are disclosed. The apparatus comprises frame carried by a plurality of ground engaging wheels. Carried on the frame is a means for raising and lowering the frame with respect to the ground. A planter bar having a plurality of seed dispensing boots for penetrating the ground and insertion seeds therein when the frame is lowered is carried by the frame. Means on the frame oscillates the planter bar laterally as the ground engaging wheels move across the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1981
    Inventor: William K. Nichols
  • Patent number: 4187914
    Abstract: An implement has a forward row of soil working members that have flat blades and the blades are periodically raised and lowered to initially coarsely break the soil with pivotal motions induced by respective eccentrics mounted on a horizontal shaft. The members have respective polygonal linkage connections to the frame. Further soil working members that include elongated bars with tines are moved to and fro to work the upper layer of coarsely broken soil. The bars are pivoted about upwardly extending pivots and an eccentric reciprocates the bars in relative opposite directions. A trailing roller is linked to the bars and to the frame supporting the bladed members. The bars and roller are interconnected to the frame sides by parallelogram linkages that can be fixed to regulate the working depths of the blades and the tines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1980
    Inventor: Cornelis van der Lely
  • Patent number: 4051903
    Abstract: A cultivating machine has one or more working members that are driven to rotate about upwardly extending axes. Each working member is connected to a drive transmission to turn and, spaced apart soil working members mounted for free rotation about respective axes, are moved through the soil. At least two of the soil working members are different from one another and capable of workingthe soil in different ways. One member can be a group of tines that are freely rotatable about an upwardly extending axis and an adjacent member can be a disc that rotates about a horizontal axis. Each member includes a stub shaft that is journalled in a universal mount so that the members can be released and exchanged to meet varying soil conditions. The mount has a pivot connection and a setting device to retain the soil working member at various working angles. Also, the stud shaft is adjustable within a sleeve of the mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1977
    Inventor: Cornelis van der Lely
  • Patent number: 4050519
    Abstract: A soil cultivating machine has soil working members that are driven about upwardly extending axes. Each working member has radial arms and a tined cultivating rotor is pivotably connected to the outer end of each arm. Each cultivating rotor is freely rotatable about an upwardly extending axis and an adjustment device can be set to vary the position of the cultivating rotor about the pivot connection to its corresponding arm to change the working positions of the tines. The cultivating rotor can use different tines depending on the condition of the ground being worked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1977
    Inventor: Cornelis van der Lely
  • Patent number: 4029152
    Abstract: A sod cutting machine having an undercutting blade to sever beneath a strip of sod, and a pair of separate side cutting blades, to cut the edges of the sod strip. The undercutting blade is supported by a pair of arms which are reciprocated back and forth in the direction of travel of the machine. The side cutting blades are supported by further arms which are connected by links to the undercutting blade support arms, so that the side cutting blades reciprocate oppositely to the reciprocation of the undercutting blade, thus reducing vibration. The side cutting blades are located one on each side of the roller which supports the front of the machine, and the undercutting blade is immediately behind the roller, to ensure alignment of the cuts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1977
    Assignee: Brouwer Turf Equipment Limited
    Inventor: Theodorus Petrus Hubertus Gerrits
  • Patent number: 3985184
    Abstract: A cultivator for attachment to the rear of a prime mover has a frame with a plurality of side-by-side soil-working members rotatably mounted on vertical shafts journalled in said frame. A power take off connection drives a crank mechanism and connecting rods interconnect the crank mechanism with arms on the shafts to oscillate the soil-working members in operation. Each connecting rod is connected to alternate soil-working members so that neighboring soil-working members oscillate in different directions. Each soil-working member preferably has four tines in cruciform configuration and a roller is adjustably mounted to the rear of the soil-working members to regulate the latter's working depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1972
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1976
    Inventor: Cornelis van der Lely