Unearthing plants or buried objects – Unearthing unit detachable from vehicle chassis
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-27
2002-06-11
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Unearthing plants or buried objects
Unearthing unit detachable from vehicle chassis
C171S045000, C111S101000, C037S302000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06401831
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to a tool for removing arborescent material from the earth and more particularly to a removable tine structure for the tool that provides support for the removed root and earth structure and partial severance of that structure from earth structure below the tine structure during removal.
2. Background and Description of Prior Art
As the extraction of larger nursery stock has developed and progressed, especially from manual to mechanical methods, two different processes for extraction and preservation of the viability of the stock from the time of extraction to reestablishment in the earth have developed, the first being the “balled root” process and second being the “bare root” process.
The bare root mechanical extraction process is the older probably because of its similarity to previously existing manual extraction methods, but the most recent mechanical process to establish economic viability in the modern nursery industry, and that still most commonly used, is the balled root process. In the balled root mechanical extraction process, the ball of roots and associated earth material in proximity to the trunk or stem of a plant is preserved and the peripheral root system outside that area is removed by the extraction process or thereafter. The remaining root and earth ball then generally is encased either in some type of a wrapping, such as burlap or degradable cellulosic material established thereabout and maintained by tying or other fastening, or by placement in configurationally sustaining containers such as open top cans or pots. This method of extracting, transporting and merchandising trees, shrubs and other larger plants normally removes substantial amounts of the peripheral and tap root systems of the plants and may cause disruption of the overall biological systems of removed plants with resultant shock-type reactions that may be sufficient to kill the plants over a period of time, if not immediately, or to substantially lessen their viability.
In the bare root mechanical extraction process the soil about the roots of a tree, shrub or plant is loosened and thereafter the root structure is lifted from the earth to maintain a greater proportion of the peripheral root structure, and tap root if present, outside the central ball that would be preserved in the balled root extraction process. Bare root extraction generally tends to be less damaging to the biological system of the extracted plant because of its less destructive nature and, with proper maintenance of environmental conditions from the time of extraction to reestablishment of the extracted plant in the earth, the system tends to provide higher survival rates for nursery stock and generally makes transportation and storage of the extracted material easier and more simple. Though bare root type extraction, especially of larger nursery stock, has increased in the recent past, it probably is not and has not been so extensively used as balled root extraction largely because of the difficulties involved in the bare root extraction process and the lack of specific mechanical apparatus to efficiently and effectively accomplish it.
Traditional digging tools of mechanical earth moving equipment such as buckets, shovels and the like are not particularly effective in plant extraction as these tools tend to shear the earth where they enter it and this action also tends to shear or otherwise damage root structure in the path of the digging device to damage or destroy substantial amounts of that root structure in and outwardly of the digging area.
Attempts have been made to accomplish bare root extraction by pulling the roots of larger plants from the earth by use of machines such as shovels or cranes. A flexible tension element is fastened about the plant trunk or stem above the earth sustaining it and extracting by pulling the tension element and interconnected plant upwardly. This process has not proven particularly effective because, at the time of pulling, the peripheral root structure commonly is widespread, relatively delicate and substantially embedded in the surrounding earth. By reason of the comparatively low tensile strength of the peripheral root systems of plants and the nature of their earth embedment, substantial portions of the peripheral roots are damaged or severed from a plant removed in this manor. Usually fewer roots remain after pulling type extraction than would remain were the plant extracted by traditional balled root extraction methods.
The extraction tool that is the subject of the parent patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,104, hereafter '104) provides a device particularly adapted for traditional bare root extraction of arboreous and other plant material. The instant invention provides a modified tine structure for the tool disclosed in the parent patent that just as simply and effectively provides for modified bare root extraction of arboreous or other plant material which maintains in place a substantial portion of earth imbedded about the plant root structure above the extractor tines. The instant invention retains the plural removable and interchangeable extracting tines of the parent tool with one or more vertically oriented fins depending from one or more of the extracting tines, while adding to one or more extracting tines, one or more horizontal fins, one or more somewhat horizontally orientated soil retaining plates, or combinations thereof. The horizontal fins and soil retaining plates are spaced relative to each other in a supportive areal array provides greater total horizontal surface area than do the tines of the parent extractor. Because of the greater total horizontal surface area of the extracting structure the earth above the structure is better separated from the earth therebelow during the extraction process and the material above the structure is better supported. This action tends to better preserve the extracted root and earth material above the extractor structure in its original state.
The forward facing edges of the horizontal fins and soil retaining plates slope laterally outward in a rearward direction to tend to move plant roots laterally along and away from the fin and plate edges as they move through the earth to lessen or prevent severance of and damage to contacted roots. The soil retaining plates also preferably have their laterally extending sides angulated downwardly in a vertical plane to further aid in moving contacted roots along the plate edges to further prevent root damage or severance.
The addition of horizontal fins tends to somewhat increase the vertical cross-sectional area of the extracting structure and this increases the force necessary to insert the extracting structure through the earth. The amount of required insertion force may be somewhat lessened by sharpening the forward earth contacting edges of the fins and plates. To accommodate the greater stresses and strains placed upon the instant extracting tool, the structure interconnecting the tool tines with the supporting tine beam has been modified to provide greater strength while yet maintaining the simple and easy releaseable interconnection of the tines with the tine beam.
The operation of the instant tool is substantially the same as the operation of the bare root extraction tool set forth in the parent patent '104 which is therefore made a part of this application by reference as if set forth herein. The only difference in operation of the instant tool from that of its parent is that when the instant extracting structure is inserted through and under root structure, the horizontal fins and soil retaining plates will tend to separate the earth thereabove from the earth therebelow. If that earth contains roots, the plates and fins will tend to move those roots that they contacted outwardly along the contracting edges and out of the course of penetration of the plates and fins to lessen severance of the roots and damage to them. By reason of this action the tap root structure, if present, and the finer root s
Bergman Keith S.
Mammen Nathan
Pezzuto Robert E.
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