Fire escape – ladder – or scaffold – With extensible vertical and nonvertical sections
Reexamination Certificate
1995-06-06
2003-04-15
Chin-Shue, Alvin (Department: 3634)
Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold
With extensible vertical and nonvertical sections
C182S063100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06547034
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The following invention relates to vehicles, platforms and other systems for use in orchards to prune trees. More specifically, this invention relates to vehicles having vertically and horizontally adjustable platforms for locating workers close to the trees to be pruned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Throughout the history of agriculture, the financial success of the farmer has depended considerably on how efficiently and cost effectively the farmer could produce his crop. Whenever devices improve the efficiency with which the farmer can perform a required task, the size of crop the farmer can produce is increased. Also, with more efficient machines the farmer requires fewer laborers to produce the crop. Even small improvements in efficiency allow the farmer to increase his productivity, perhaps making a failing farmer into a successful one.
One task required of orchard farmers is that of pruning the trees. The more efficiently the orchard can be pruned, the more time the farmer will have for other tasks and the fewer laborers the farmer will need to hire in order to prune the orchard. Pruning is best accomplished while the trees are dormant or after harvest. Frequently, the terrain in the orchard is inhospitable to machinery at this time because of muddy, bog-like conditions associated with the rainy season.
Many devices exist in the prior art designed to improve the efficiency with which an orchard can be pruned or other tree maintenance tasks may be performed. Some devices require mounting on other vehicles or require that they be towed behind vehicles. Those that are self contained as a vehicle inadequately address the problem of maneuvering through unstable surfaces, such as mud, often prevalent in the orchard environment. These pruning vehicles also require greater numbers of operators for their use.
The invention of this application provides a self contained pruning vehicle designed to easily maneuver through the orchard environment, provide easily controllable access to the trees for pruning, and be operable by a small group of men or even one man alone.
The following prior art reflect the state of the art of which applicant is aware and are included herewith to discharge applicant's acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
INVENTOR
PATENT NO.
ISSUE DATE
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
Protzeller
1,718,979
July 2, 1929
Ray
2,450,812
Oct. 5, 1948
Cardiff
2,601,092
June 17, 1952
Stemm
2,616,768
Nov. 4, 1952
Mitchell
2,778,694
Jan. 22, 1957
Gregory
Re. 25,746
March 23, 1965
Kazuo Hiyama
3,191,717
June 29, 1965
Kazuo Hiyama
3,311,191
March 28, 1967
Fridley
3,537,236
Nov. 3, 1970
Johnson
3,641,738
Feb. 15, 1972
Harrison
3,791,484
Feb. 12, 1974
Carpenter, et al.
3,866,713
Feb. 18, 1975
Stokoe
4,643,273
Feb. 17, 1987
Kishi
5,107,955
April 28, 1992
Claxton
5,159,989
Nov. 3, 1992
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
Soyuzgiprostrom
SU 1,416,638
Aug. 15, 1988
Other Prior Art (Including Author, Title, Date, Pertinent Pages, Etc.)
Woods Manufacturing, Inc.; “The Tree Squirrel” brochure; no date; entire brochure.
Dakota “AG” Welding, Inc.; “Prune-Rite Pruning Towers” brochure; no date; entire brochure.
Weldcraft Industries, Inc.; no title; no date; entire brochure.
The Johnson patent teaches the use of a self contained pruning and picking vehicle. This vehicle requires a separate driver and uses standard rubber tires. Platforms on the Johnson device have restricted vertical motion. Some of the platforms do not move vertically at all, while others must move up and down together and cannot work independently. The vehicle of the instant application is operable without a designated driver and has wheels providing greater stability and movement. Furthermore, each platform is able to move independently vertically.
The patent to Stemm teaches a vehicle having two fully independent moveable platforms. The device of the present application is distinguishable from Stemm in that the vehicle may be driven from one of the platforms, has specially modified wheels, and positions the two lifting platforms in a side by side orientation making it more easily utilizable in an orchard environment where trees of adjacent rows are often directly opposite each other.
The patents to Gregory and Cardiff teach various lifting platforms which must be mounted to a separate vehicle to be utilized within the orchard environment. The platforms of the instant application are included in the pruning vehicle and do not necessitate the use of a separate vehicle for motivation.
The patent to Fridley requires the use of stairs for elevational change, while the vehicle of the present application has hydraulically operable platforms for adjustment in elevation.
The remainder of the prior art listed above but not specifically distinguished diverge more starkly from the invention of this application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The pruning system is broken down into three major subparts: a chassis, wheels and a scaffold.
The chassis is composed primarily of a rigid frame. The frame has a forward structure, a rearward structure and a central structure. The forward structure has an axle mounted thereto which supports two forward wheels, one on each side of the frame at extremities of the axle. The forward structure also has various fillers for fluids such as oil and gas which are required by an engine located on the rearward structure. The forward structure of the frame is rigidly and fixedly attached to the central structure. The central structure is of a thinner profile, when viewed from the side, than the forward structure or the rearward structure. The central structure is lower in elevation than the forward structure and the rearward structure.
The scaffold is mounted on an upper surface of the central structure. The central structure is rigidly attached to the forward structure by a forward transition structure. The forward transition structure is a substantially vertically oriented rigid member to which the forward structure and the central structure are fixedly attached. By having the scaffold attached to the central structure, and having the central structure lower than the forward structure and the rearward structure, the stability of the pruning vehicle is improved. This allows the pruning vehicle to be narrower and lighter without risking tipping when platforms on the scaffold are extended horizontally and loaded.
The central structure is fixedly attached to the rearward structure by a rearward transitional structure there between. The rearward transitional structure is substantially identical to the forward transitional structure and is fixedly attached to both the central structure and the rearward structure. The engine is mounted above the rearward structure. An engine housing encloses the engine. Below the rearward structure is located an axle to which two wheels are attached.
Both the forward structure and the rearward structure have hydraulic motors integrated therein. These hydraulic motors receive their power from the engine and transmit power to the wheels through differentials interposed on each of the axles.
Also, on both the forward structure and the rearward structure are attached steering rams. Each steering ram is in turn connected on an opposite end to a steering ram tie rod which is attached to the wheel axle interface to turn the wheels. In this way, both forward and rearward wheels of the pruning vehicle are steerable.
Each of the four wheels has a substantially identical structure. These wheels allow navigation in an orchard having unstable ground conditions. The wheels are substantially disc shaped having a circular central hub which is fastenable to the axle. Circumscribing the hub at a perimeter of the wheel is a circular rim. The rim is narrower in width than the width of the hub. A circular di
Chin-Shue Alvin
Kreten Bernhard
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