Earth working – Diverse tools – Including colter
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-14
2001-12-18
Novosad, Christopher J. (Department: 3671)
Earth working
Diverse tools
Including colter
C172S184000, C172S195000, C172S201000, C172S265000, C172S574000, C172S657000, C172S686000, C172S696000, C172S701000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330922
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bedding plow and, more particularly, to a forestry bedding plow featuring a center cut disk assembly. The disk assembly includes hydraulic or other resilient means of relief.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In forestry bedding operations it is usually desirable to precut a furrow as it is being plowed or tilled. This process eliminates, or at least reduces re-growth of weeds, competitive trees, grasses, etc. in the center of bed and thereby significantly improves the likelihood that planted seedlings will survive and thrive. Traditionally, precutting has been performed by fixed rippers and similar implements. Plows employing such devices normally must be pulled by relatively expensive tractors having sufficient horsepower to overcome stumps, rocks and other obstacles encountered by the plow. Moreover, when a fixed ripper engages an obstruction, the entire plow tends to be disrupted and there is usually a significant delay before the plow stabilizes. As a result, part of the bed proximate the obstruction may be poorly cultivated or missed by the plow entirely.
As an alternative to fixed rippers, offset harrow type plows have been used to precut or center-cut the bed. Also, standard bedding plows have been drawn in multiple passes over the bed. These techniques are typically time consuming, machinery intensive and quite costly. Virtually all of the known techniques for precutting forestry beds have been inefficient. Significantly improved efficiency is required, particularly for bedding operations in the forestry industry. At the same time, an effective center-cut and successful, high yield cultivation must be achieved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a bedding plow that effectively precuts a planting bed so that re-growth of competitive trees, weeds, grasses, etc. is minimized and successful, high yield planting results are achieved.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a bedding plow which center-cuts or precuts a forestry bed in a highly efficient manner and which eliminates the need for expensive, complex and high horsepower equipment.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a bedding plow that effectively and efficiently performs center-cutting of a forestry bed in a single pass, and which eliminates the time and expense required by machines that are employed in multiple passes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a bedding plow that employs a center-cutting disk assembly with hydraulic or other means of spring relief that permits the plow to transcend obstructions in the bed without causing significant disruption to the plow.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a bedding plow that avoids significant disruption when encountering obstructions in the bed being plowed so that the bed is successfully cultivated without significant gaps or missed regions.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a bedding plow that may be used particularly efficiently and effectively in forestry applications.
This invention features a bedding plow apparatus including a frame that is selectively attached to and pulled by a tractor or other tow vehicle. At least three sets of disk assemblies are mounted to the frame and engaged with the bed to be plowed. In particular, the apparatus includes a pair of trailing disk assemblies that are attached to and pulled behind the frame and disposed along respective longitudinal sides of the bed. Each trailing disk assembly includes a trailing arm that is attached at its forward end to the frame. Each trailing disk assembly also includes at least one trailing disk that is mounted to the trailing arm proximate a distal end of the arm. A center-cut disk assembly is attached to the frame between the trailing disk assemblies. The center-cut disk assembly includes a center-cut arm that is pivotably attached proximate a forward end to the frame. At least one center-cut disk is attached proximate an opposite distal end of the center-cut arm. A resilient relief mechanism interconnects an intermediate portion of the center-cut arm with the frame. The resilient relief mechanism urges the center-cut disk assembly to engage the bed so that each disk in the center-cut disk assembly precuts the bed as the plow is pulled through the bed by the tow vehicle.
In a preferred embodiment, each center-cut disk is rotatably mounted to the center-cut arm. Each center-cut disk may be disposed at a positive angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the bed and the plow. The center-cut disk or disks are preferably disposed axially forwardly of the trailing disks.
The resilient relief mechanism may include a hydraulic relief device such as an accumulator. Hydraulic relief means or other forms of resilient relief may interconnect each of the trailing disk assemblies and the frame. More particularly, a hydraulic relief mechanism may interconnect each trailing arm and the frame.
An additional implement such as a wheel/packer assembly may be interconnected to the frame and pulled behind the plow generally rearwardly of the trailing disk assemblies. The frame of the plow may include a drawbar and a support portion attached to the drawbar. The disk assemblies are connected to the support portion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4484636 (1984-11-01), Hodgson
patent: 4828041 (1989-05-01), Cosson
patent: 4867247 (1989-09-01), Heckendorf
patent: 5477931 (1995-12-01), Grant
Noonan William E.
Novosad Christopher J.
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