Rectilinearly Reciprocating Blade Patents (Class 172/93)
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Patent number: 7669667Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 3, 2009Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: The Toro CompanyInventors: Walter J. Petersen, Michael J. Gilberg, Gerald J. Pomerening
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Patent number: 7472759Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 18, 2007Date of Patent: January 6, 2009Assignee: The Toro CompanyInventor: Walter J. Petersen
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Patent number: 7293612Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 26, 2006Date of Patent: November 13, 2007Assignee: The Toro CompanyInventors: Walter J. Petersen, Gerald J. Pomerening
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Patent number: 7096969Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 12, 2003Date of Patent: August 29, 2006Assignee: The Toro CompanyInventors: Walter J. Petersen, Jackie R. Gust, Michael J. Gilberg, Gerald J. Pomerening
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Patent number: 6561282Abstract: An aeration machine 10 comprising a drive mechanism 16 connected to sets of tines 18 by a vibration absorbing linkage arrangement 34. The arrangement 34 enables the tines 18 to remain vertical when extending into the ground thereby avoiding elongation of the holes formed thereby. The aeration machine includes a linkage arrangement including a vibration absorbing member. The vibration absorbing member comprises a first part located at least partially within a hollow housing and is held within the hollow housing by a plurality of resilient members.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2001Date of Patent: May 13, 2003Assignee: The Toro CompanyInventor: Duncan Andrew Smith
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Patent number: 6041869Abstract: Turf aerator having a crank and crank arms which present a parallelogram for supporting the aerator assembly, including the aerating tines.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 1998Date of Patent: March 28, 2000Assignee: Textron Inc.Inventors: D. Michael Lewis, Craig M. Schmeiser, Stanton L. Sweet
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Patent number: 5868206Abstract: A turf aerating device and machine including a turf aerating device comprising a base platform having a plurality of star-shaped spikes removably mounted therein in perpendicular orientation with respect to the base platform surface so that the spikes vertically penetrate a desired turf surface. The spikes produce X-shaped holes and loosen the soil beneath the turf. A plurality of turf aerating devices are mounted to a corresponding number of vertically actuating rods and vertically actuated for penetrating the turf with the spikes without causing damage to the turf.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 1997Date of Patent: February 9, 1999Inventor: Edward A. Miller
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Patent number: 5794708Abstract: A sod cutting machine in combination with turf cutting mechanism for cutting a longitudinally elongated trench in turf that has a trench bottom transversely inclined relative to the slope of the soil transverse to the direction of the trench elongation. The sod cutting machine has mounting arms mounted to the machine frame to extend vertically downwardly in a turf cutting position the same distance. The turf cutting mechanism includes first and second vertical knives that each has a rear shank portion joined to the lower end of the respective arm, a generally horizontal bottom edge portion and a front inclined sharpened edge that intersects with the bottom edge portion. A transverse bottom cutting knife extends between and is joined to the first and second vertical knives with one end portion vertically more remote from one of the arms than the other cutting knife end portion from the other one of the arms.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 1996Date of Patent: August 18, 1998Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing, IncorporatedInventor: Robert C. Brophy
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Patent number: 5730225Abstract: A power cultivator including a power source, a shaft and a cultivating head having a pair of cultivating blades is described. The cultivating head includes an assembly that opens and closes the blades using a mirrored arcuate motion. The cultivating head itself is also part of the invention in that it can be attached to a standard string trimmer in place of the standard string trimming assembly. The power cultivator is effective at cultivating small areas of soil, in which a gardener usually uses a common goose-neck garden hoe.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 1996Date of Patent: March 24, 1998Inventor: Bobby J. Fults
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Patent number: 5709272Abstract: A turf aeration device is provided, comprising a wheeled frame having a journalled drive shaft, wherein the frame is attachable to a pulling vehicle having a power take-off capability. Balanced chain and sprocket assemblies are used to transfer power from the power take-off to the drive shaft, and a plurality of aerator mechanisms are attached to the drive shaft and the frame. Each aerator mechanism comprises a link member which supports a pivotable tine holder having at least one tine, a stop member attached to the link member for contacting the tine holder and maintaining a minimum predetermined angle between the tine holder and the link member; a means for adjusting the predetermined angle between the tine holder and the link member; an elastomeric band pivotally connected between the frame and the tine holder for urging the tine holder against the stop member; a drive link attached to the drive shaft; and a connecting rod pivotally attached between the drive link and the link member.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 1996Date of Patent: January 20, 1998Assignee: Southern Green, Inc.Inventors: Jerry Jones, Harry Knight, Kinsey Estess, Ernest Randall New
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Patent number: 5697453Abstract: A subsurface weed tool which makes use of a variety of different detachable blade attachments to cut the roots of and other plants. The tool can be provided with a variety of different attachments, permitting it to be used for other purposes such as aeration of the soil, removal of sod strips and lawn and garden edging. The tool comprises an elongate hollow supporting member having an upper end on which is mounted a motor. An elongate drive shaft or rod is operatively connected to the motor and extends through the supporting member to the latter's lower end. A reciprocating drive unit is mounted on this lower end and includes a drive conversion mechanism connected to the bottom end of the drive shaft and capable of converting rotary motion to a reciprocating linear motion in a certain direction. A blade attachment is connectible to the conversion mechanism and can include a planar blade member with a forward cutting edge.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 1995Date of Patent: December 16, 1997Inventor: Lenard Van Den Bosch
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Patent number: 5441116Abstract: A multiple purpose agricultural power tool is provided which consists of a removable cover to fit over an open top of a housing, a wheel assembly which is rotatable and mounted to the housing, so that it can travel along the ground and a pair of legs affixed to a rearward bottom edge of the housing for stabilizing the housing when not traveling along the ground. A power source is carried within the housing for producing rotary motion and a mechanism is carried within the housing for converting the rotary motion to a reciprocating motion. A shank coupled to the converting mechanism extends downwardly at an angle from a front wall of the housing. A detachable implement is coupled to the shank for performing a garden task on the ground. The power tool is also provision to supply power to alternative connectable auxiliary power implement.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 1993Date of Patent: August 15, 1995Inventor: Hermando H. Rodriguez
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Patent number: 4626032Abstract: Apparatus for excavating hard soils comprising support means, an endless chain capable of movement relative to said support means, drive means for moving said endless chain, means integral with said endless chain operable to contact said hard soils, and means for concentrating the force exerted by said soil contacting means against said hard soils at a specific point along said endless chain while said endless chain is being moved relative to said support means.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 1984Date of Patent: December 2, 1986Inventors: Jesse W. Harris, Louis L. Lutich
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Patent number: 4614239Abstract: This driller for use in a rice field comprises attaching a vertically moving supporting frame to a guide frame which is connected with a tractor and is raised and lower by a first vertically movable mechanism; connecting a first transfer mechanism mounted on the guide frame with a second transfer mechanism mounted on the supporting frame by means of an expansion and contraction rod; providing a crank driven by the second transfer mechanism as well as a vertically movable vertical rod, on the supporting frame; connecting the crank with the vertical rod by means of a connecting rod; mounting a movable frame, which is biased forwards continuously by a biasing spring and has vertical drilling rods, on horizontal guide rails disposed at the lower end of the vertical rod; and connecting both ends of a swing lever whose middle part is pivotally supported on the front part of the guide frame to the tractor and the supporting frame respectively.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 1984Date of Patent: September 30, 1986Inventors: Isao Minagawa, Toshio Minagawa