Unearthing plants or buried objects – Extractor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-08
2001-09-11
Novosad, Christopher J. (Department: 3671)
Unearthing plants or buried objects
Extractor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286605
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to potato harvesting devices and more specifically it relates to a vine cutter for cutting entangled vines of potato plants in front of a potato harvester so that the vines do not become entangled and accumulated upon a front portion of the potato harvester.
A potato harvester typically harvests two rows of potatoes at a time. However, the vines from neighboring rows typically grow across the pair of rows being harvested causing them to become entangled about the side portions of the potato harvester. The entangled vines then uproot the attached tubers where after the tubers are damaged by sunlight. Further, the entangled vines accumulate on the side portions of the potato harvester requiring the operator to stop the potato harvester for cleaning the accumulated vines away. The sun damaged tubers have to be separated from the undamaged tubers and are unrecoverable into a viable product. It is therefore necessary that the vines surrounding the harvested pair of rows be cut from the vines of adjacent rows before the tubers can be properly dug by the potato harvester.
Conventional vine cutters comprise a single disc attached to the potato harvester which rotates with the movement of the potato harvester. The penetration of the disc in combination with the rotating cuts the vines. However, when the vines are wet or green, the vines are simply pressed deep into the ground and not cut. The vines then become entangled within the potato harvester. Also, the conventional vine cutters used today create a narrow channel in front of the potato harvester defining a side wall of dirt. When the digger portion of the potato harvester penetrates the ground to remove the potatoes, the side wall of dirt allows chunks of dirt to remain instead of being broken up. These chunks of dirt engage the tubers thereby causing damage to them. Also the chunks of dirt with the harvested tubers store moisture which causes rotting of the tubers during storage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous potato harvesting devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,033 to Landeis; U.S. Pat. No. 2,562,387 to Perry; U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,062 to Schmidt; U.S. Pat. No. 2,537,198 to Wetzel et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,092 to Wehde; U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,322 to Kopasz; U.S. Pat. No. 2,608,815 to Graaff; U.S. Pat. No. 1,321,782 to Barrett; U.S. Pat. No. 1,576,364 to Russell et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 1,848,265 to Moreau; U.S. Pat. No. 1,872,639 to Licht; U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,806 to Zielesch; U.S. Pat. No. 2,539,881 to Wilkins; U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,117 to Wadsworth; U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,317 to Vautinall are illustrative of such prior art.
Landeis (U.S Pat. No. 5,904,033) discloses a vine cutter system. Landeis particularly teaches a lower cutting disc in engagement with an upper cutting disc for severing vines of potato plants. The cutting discs counter-rotate with respect to one another with the lower cutting disc drawing the vines in between the cutting discs. A problem with this cutting system is that wet and green vines are susceptible to slipping between the upper cutting disc and the lower cutting disc.
Perry (U.S Pat. No. 2,562,387) discloses a power driven vine cutter having a pair of rotary vine cutters distally spaced so as to be positioned between the rows, a corresponding pair of rods to assure against entanglement of heavy vines in the rotary parts, and an engine 19.
Schmidt (U.S Pat. No. 3,126,062) discloses a foliage deflecting unit utilized in combination with a pair of coulters for severing the foliage which upstands between the paths of the coulters impairing the effectiveness of the harvesting mechanism.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for cutting entangled vines of potato plants in front of a potato harvester so that the vines do not become entangled and accumulated upon a front portion of the potato harvester. None of the prior art discloses an invention which adequately severs the entanglement of the vines of adjacent rows of a crop. The invention disclosed by Perry does not penetrate the ground to sever vines entangled within the ground. Further, the structure of Perry is prone to becoming entangled within the vines because of the nonmoving parts in the frontal portion. The present invention penetrates the ground to sever vines within the ground. Further, the present invention is not prone to clogging or entanglement with the vines because of its dual cutting discs.
In these respects, the vine cutter according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of cutting entangled vines of potato plants in front of a potato harvester so that the vines do not become entangled and accumulated upon a front portion of the potato harvester.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of vine cutters now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new vine cutter construction wherein the same can be utilized for severing wet and green vines of a potato plant without obstructing the potato harvester.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new vine cutter that has many of the advantages of the vine cutters mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new vine cutter which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art vine cutters, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a frame having a pair of upper members and a pair of opposing lower members, a first disc and a second disc journaled to the frame, a third disc journaled to the frame below the first disc and second disc, a ground engaging rim attached coaxially to the third disc, and a motor mechanically connected to the first, second and third discs. The first disc, the second disc and the third disc are vertically orientated, and a portion of the discs overlap and are juxtaposed to one another. A portion of the third disc is between the first disc and the second disc for severing the vines. The discs preferably include a plurality of notches projecting into their respective outer perimeters. The discs may have different sizes with respect to one another. The ground engaging ring attached to the third disc determines the depth of penetration by the third disc into the ground. The discs preferably rotate opposite of one another with a lower portion of the third disc rotating with the movement of the frame with respect to the ground surface. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the first disc and the second disc are attached to the frame below the third disc thereby engaging the ground surface.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a vine cutter that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
Another object
Neustel Michael S.
Novosad Christopher J.
LandOfFree
Cutting system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cutting system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cutting system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2523421