Rectilinearly Reciprocating Blade Patents (Class 172/93)
  • 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: 7472759
    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: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventor: Walter J. Petersen
  • Patent number: 7293612
    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: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Walter J. Petersen, Gerald J. Pomerening
  • Patent number: 7096969
    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: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Walter J. Petersen, Jackie R. Gust, Michael J. Gilberg, Gerald J. Pomerening
  • Patent number: 6561282
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventor: Duncan Andrew Smith
  • Patent number: 6041869
    Abstract: Turf aerator having a crank and crank arms which present a parallelogram for supporting the aerator assembly, including the aerating tines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Textron Inc.
    Inventors: D. Michael Lewis, Craig M. Schmeiser, Stanton L. Sweet
  • Patent number: 5868206
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Inventor: Edward A. Miller
  • Patent number: 5794708
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing, Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert C. Brophy
  • Patent number: 5730225
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Inventor: Bobby J. Fults
  • Patent number: 5709272
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Southern Green, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry Jones, Harry Knight, Kinsey Estess, Ernest Randall New
  • Patent number: 5697453
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Inventor: Lenard Van Den Bosch
  • Patent number: 5441116
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Inventor: Hermando H. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 4626032
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1986
    Inventors: Jesse W. Harris, Louis L. Lutich
  • Patent number: 4614239
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1986
    Inventors: Isao Minagawa, Toshio Minagawa