Universal vineyard tillage and spray carrier
OwnerKelly McFarland, Claude Browninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for tending to rows of vines is presented which may be pulled, or driven, between a pair of rows of a vineyard. The apparatus includes implements to tend to the vines on both rows at the same time. The apparatus include a left portion that tends to a left row of vines and right portion that tends to a right row of vines. The portions are attached to the apparatus using linkages that permit the portions to adjust to changes in row spacing or the position of the apparatus between the rows. The apparatus also includes weeder assemblies that weed the ground between the vines while preventing damage to the vines, and a spray device for spraying the vines.
Claims12
A device for the simultaneous tending of a left row of vines and an adjacent right row of vines, said device comprising:
- a frame having a front and a rear defining a longitudinal axis;
- a left linkage attached to said frame;
- a left portion supported by said left linkage, where said left portion has a longitudinal axis, where said left linkage constrains said left portion to move relative to the frame with an orientation perpendicular to the ground and with the longitudinal axis of said left portion parallel to the longitudinal axis of said frame, where said left portion includes a pair of left rails spaced apart to accept the left row of vines, where said left linkage constrains said left portion at said left linkage to move in a direction lateral to the longitudinal axis of said frame with said pair of left rails aligned with the longitudinal axis of said frame, and where said left portion includes a left-side device for tending to the left row of vines;
- a right linkage attached to said frame;
- and
- a right portion supported by said right linkage, where said right portion has a longitudinal axis, where said right linkage constrains said right portion to move relative to the frame with an orientation perpendicular to the ground and with the longitudinal axis of said right portion parallel to the longitudinal axis of said frame, where said right portion includes a pair of rails spaced apart to accept the right row of vines, where said right linkage constrains said right portion at said right linkage to move in a direction lateral to the longitudinal axis of said frame with said pair of right rails aligned with the longitudinal axis of said frame, and where said right portion includes a right-side device for tending to the right row of vines,
- such that when the device is moved along the longitudinal axis of said frame with said left row of vines disposed between said pair of left rails and with said right row of vines disposed between said pair of right rails, said left portion and said right portion move automatically and independently relative to said frame in an orientation perpendicular to the ground with a transverse spacing between said left portion and said right portion determined by the spacing of the left row of vines and said right row of vines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.