WO2004082364A1

WO2004082364A1 - Plant uprooting implement

Info

Publication number: WO2004082364A1
Application number: PCT/ZA2004/000029
Authority: WO
Inventors: Charles Richard Venables
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-17
Filing date: 2004-03-16
Publication date: 2004-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 2005-09-17

Abstract

A plant uprooting implement (1) is provided comprising a stem engaging formation (4, 16, 25), an operating lever (5, 17, 26), and a ground engaging fulcrum (7, 23, 27) about which the stem engaging formation can be operatively raised by manipulating the operating lever in order to uproot a plant engaged by the stem engaging formation. The plant engaging formation may be a generally horizontal Vee-shaped member that has convergent stem engaging edges (3) adapted to engage the stem of a plant effectively. The fulcrum is preferably in the form of a rocker configured to rotate in response to movement of the operating lever such that, in use, the distance between a lowermost ground engaging part of the rocker and a plant stem increases as the stem engaging formation rises. The plant uprooting implement may be configured for operation by a vehicle, such as a tractor (13), in which case the upper end of the operating lever is pivotally attached to a tie beam (10,11) generally fitted with mounting means, typically a three point hitch, for attachment to a tractor.

Description

PLANT UPROOTING IMPLEMENT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a plant uprooting implement that is particularly suitable for use in uprooting young, or even moderately well-developed trees such as may constitute alien vegetation but that may also be used for uprooting any other unwanted plants that have a root structure conducive to removal by such a technique.

The invention relates to both manually operable implements and implements that may be operated by a vehicle to which they are attached, typically, a tractor.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

A number of different uprooting implements have been proposed and used in the past, most of these being manually operable. Typically, such as in the case of my earlier US patent 4,462,918; US patent 4,856,759; and US patent 5,743, 340, a manually operable lever is provided with a pair of jaws at one end that are arranged to grip the stem of a tree or other plant with progressively increasing force as the lever is rotated about a fulcrum offset from the jaws. As the jaws are lifted about the fulcrum the plant is uprooted. Using such a device can result in the stem being crushed or somewhat excessive force being required to operate implement to initiate uprooting.

US patent 6,213,527, on the other hand, employs a Vee-shaped aw as a primary stem engaging element with the fulcrum being defined by an opposite edge of an elongate head attached at right angles to a lever. A secondary gripping extension is apparently found to be necessary for holding the plant stem in the claw. Engaging such an implement with the stem of a plant in the manner suggested in the patent could be difficult and tedious and would only be appropriate to rather then flexible stems and not a somewhat more developed plant such as a young tree.

It has now been found that a particular configuration of fulcrum can contribute significantly to improving the operation of such an uprooting implement and that using a vehicle to operate such an implement can be highly advantageous.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a plant uprooting implement that may have a fulcrum particularly appropriate to the function of uprooting plants utilizing same and that also can be configured for operation by a vehicle, typically, but not necessarily, a tractor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of this invention there is provided a plant uprooting implement comprising a stem engaging formation, an operating lever, and a ground engaging fulcrum about which the stem engaging formation can be operatively raised by manipulating the operating lever, the plant uprooting implement being characterized in that the fulcrum is in the form of a rocker configured to rotate in unison with the operating lever such that, in use, the distance between a lowermost ground engaging part of the rocker and a plant stem increases as the stem engaging formation rises.

Further features of this aspect of the invention provide for the plant engaging formation to be a generally horizontal Vee-shaped member that preferably has convergent stem engaging edges adapted to engage the stem of a plant effectively; for the convergent stem engaging edges to decrease in thickness towards the edges so as to promote operative biting thereof into the stem of a plant; and for the rocker to be made of a suitable metal plate optionally bent to an arcuate configuration or composed of a series of flat plate sections following the general shape of an arc, in each case, with an operatively generally horizontal axis.

In the context of this aspect of the invention the plant uprooting implement may be manually operable in which case the operating lever is configured as a handle at its operatively upper end and preferably has, at its upper end, a hook shape with the hook being located on the operatively trailing side of the operating lever to facilitate manipulating thereof when the operating lever has been moved to a near horizontal position.

In sccordsπc© wύh a second aspect of the invention there is provided a plant uprooting implement comprising a stem engaging formation, an operating lever, and a ground engaging fulcrum about which the stem engaging formation can be operatively raised by manipulating the operating lever, the plant uprooting implement being characterized in that an end of the operating lever remote from the stem engaging formation is pivotally attached to a tie beam having a remote control end configured for attachment to a vehicle.

Further features of this aspect of the invention provide for the fulcrum to be in the form of a rocker as defined above; for the control end of the tie beam to be configured for attachment to a three point hitch of a tractor; for the operating lever to be spring biased relative to the tie beam to return the operating lever to a starting position relative to the tie beam; for the operating lever to be inclined to the horizontal in said starting position; and for the tie beam to carry a deflector for deflecting the stem of an uprooted plant laterally relative to the tie beam. In order that the above and other features of the invention may be more fully understood different embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings;-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 3A is a side elevation of the implement showing an operating tractor in ghosted lines and the implement in a starting position preparatory to uprooting a tree;

Figure 3B is the same view as Figure 3A but showing the implement in its final position after uprooting a tree;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention also adapted for tractor operation; and,

Figure s illustrates, in perspective view, a manually operable embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, a plant uprooting implement, generally indicated by numeral (1), comprises a generally horizontal forwardly directed Vee-shaped stem engaging formation (2), typically made of a suitable metal plate and having bevelled diverging edges (3) to render them somewhat sharp to bite into the stem of a plant, in use.

The stem engaging formation is attached, at the free end of one of the limbs (4) of the Vee shape, to an operatively lower end of an upwardly inclined operating lever (5) so that the opening to the Vee is directed forwards and is laterally offset from the operating lever. This arrangement facilitates locating the stem engaging formation relative to the stem of a plant the uprooted. A gusset plate (6) ensures that the connection between the stem engaging formation and operating lever is suitably strong and rigid.

Also extending forwards from the leading end of the same limb (4) of the stem engaging formation is an arcuate fulcrum rocker (7) that in this case is made up of a series of transverse metal plates secured together to conform to a generally arcuate configuration commencing with a lowermost generally horizontal plate (8a) and terminating in a generally vertical plate (8b). The operating lever can therefore be moved downwards to rock the assembly around the fulcrum rocker with simultaneous lifting of the stem engaging formation. During such a movement the lowermost point of the fulcrum rocker moves away from the stem engaging formation to some extent to thereby promote upward movement of the stem engaging formation and simultaneously decreasing the mechanical advantage. This arrangement ensures the maximum mechanical advantage during initial dislodgement of the plant roots and enhanced upward movement during subsequent stages of the uprooting process

In this embodiment of the invention the upper enά of the operating lever is pivotally attached to a trailing end (9) of a generally horizontal tie beam (10) that has at its leading end, the control end (11), a three point hitch (12) for attachment to the rear of a tractor indicated by numeral (13) in Figures 3A and 3B. The tie beam has a transverse and downwardly inclined deflector rod (14) secured to it so as to operatively deflector the trunks of trees that fall towards the tie beam, in use. The deflector rod is inclined towards side of the operating lever corresponding to the opening of the Vee-shaped stem engaging formation. The tie beam and operating lever are also connected by means of a tension spring (15) that serves to bias the operating lever towards its starting position, namely its upwardly inclined position in which the stem engaging formation is generally horizontal.

In use, the three point hitch is attached to the traGtor in the normal manner and the tractor is driven forwards so that the stem of a tree (16) to be uprooted is engaged rrr the Vae-shaped formation. The tractor is urged forwards to ensure good engagement of the formation with the stem or trunk of the tree and the three point hitch is then operated to rotate the end of the tie beam remote from the tractor in a downwards direction thereby moving the upper <&rtά of the operating lever downwards with it. This causes the fulcrum rocker to rotate and raise the stem or trunk of the tree upwards thereby uprooting it. During this process, it will be understood that the rocker configuration of the fulcrum moves as described above thereby significantly facilitating the procedure whilst ensuring adequate lifting of the stem or trunk of the tree. The tree may tumble forwards and, if it does, the deflector will deflector the stem or trunk laterally towards the side of the implement corresponding to the opening to the Vee shaped formation. Raising of the tie beam will result in the operating lever returning to the starting position under the influence of the tension spring (15).

In the case of a second embodiment of the invention that is illustrated in Figure 4, the Vee-shaped stem engaging formation (16) is similarly configured to that described above but is secured to the operating lever (17) at its narrow end (18) rather than at the forward end of one of the limbs thereof. The reason for this is that the implement of this embodiment of the invention is particularly adapted to be mounted to the front of a tractor or other vehicle with the opening of the Vee being directed forwards. In this case the operating lever is inclined rearwards and has its upper end pivotally attached to a tie beam (18) that in turn is pivotally attached to a mounting plate (20) configured for mounting to a front mounting of a tractor, for example.

In this embodiment of the invention the tie beam is attached, intermediate its ends, to one end of a piston and cylinder assembly (21) that is pivotally attached at its other end to the mounting plate. The arrangement such that it was and cylinder assembly can be attached to the hydraulic system of a tractor and can be used to raise and lower the tie beam about its pivotal attachment to the mounting plate. Once more, the operating lever and tie beam are biased to their starting positions by means of a spring (22).

In this embodiment of the invention the fulcrum is defined by upwardly arcuate free ends (23) to the limbs defining the Vee-shaped stem engaging formation so that they serve as a rocker type of fulcrum, at least to some eilent.

In use, this embodiment of the invention operates similarly to that described above except that the stem engaging formation is raised from the rear rather than from the front thereof and the fulcrum is formed by the front end of the stem engaging formation.

Finally, as shown in Figure 5, a manually operable embodiment of the invention may comprise a Vee-shaped stem engaging formation (25) to which is pivotally attached the lower end of a generally vertical operating lever (26). The operating lever has fixed to its lower end a rocker fulcrum (27) configured very much along the lines that are described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. A gusset plate (28) holds the rocker fulcrum at a fixed angle relative to the operating lever whilst a pivot (29) attaches the one limb of the stem engaging formation to the lever. Rotation of the operating lever m the direction indicated by arrow "A" will raise the open end of the stem engaging formation to cause uprooting of smaller plants to take place. In order to enable the operating lever to be easily rotated to a substantially horizontal position and thereby enhance its operation, a hook shaped extension (30) is formed at the upper end that, in a horizontal position of the operating lever, will provide an elevated handle (31) at the free end of the hook thereby facilitating operation.

Numerous variations may be made to the embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the scope hereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A plant uprooting implement (1) comprising a stem engaging formation (4, 16, 25), an operating lever (5, 17, 26), and a ground engaging fulcrum (7, 23, 27) about which the stem engaging formation can be operatively raised by manipulating the operating lever, the plant uprooting implement being characterized in that the fulcrum is in the form of a rocker configured to rotate in response to movement of the operating lever such that, in use, the distance between a lowermost ground engaging part of the rocker and a plant stem increases as the stem engaging formation rises.

2. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in claim 1 in which the plant engaging formation is a generally horizontal Vee-shaped member that has convergent stern engaging edges (3) adapted to engage the stem of a plant effectively.

3. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in claim 2 in which the convergent stem engaging edges decrease in thickness towards the edges so as to promote operative biting thereof into the stem of a plant.

4. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the rocker is made of a suitable metal plate either bent to an arcuate configuration or composed of a series of flat plate sections following the general shape of an arc, in each case, with an operatively generally horizontal axis to such arcuate shape.

5. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the plant uprooting implement is manually operable in which case the operating lever is configured as a handle at its operatively upper end.

6. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the handle as at its upper end, a hook shape (30) with the hook being located on the operatively trailing side of the operating lever to facilitate manipulatiion thereof when the operating lever has been moved to a near horizontal position.

7, A plant uprooting implement (1) comprising a stem engaging formation (4, 16), an operating lever (5, 17), and a ground engaging fulcrum (7, 23) about which the stem engaging formation can be operatively raised by manipulating the operating lever, the plant uprooting implement being characterized in that an end of the operating lever remote from the stem engaging formation is pivotally attached to a tie beam (10, 19) having a remote, control end (11) configured for attachment to a vehicle.

8. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in claim 7 in which the rocker is configured as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 4.

9. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in either one of claims 7 or 8 in which the stern engaging formation is configured as claimed in either one of claims 2 or 3.

10. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9 in which the control end of the tie beam is configured for attachment to a three point hitch of a tractor.

11. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10 in which the operating lever is spring biased (15, 22) relative to the tie beam to return the operating lever to a starting position relative to the tie beam.

12. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11 in which the operating lever is inclined to the horizontal in said starting position.

13. A plant uprooting implement as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 12 in which the tie beam carries a deflector (14) for deflecting the stem of an uprooted plant laterally relative to the tie beam.