Apparatus for reducing plant material
AssigneeBandit Industries, Inc.
InventorThomas Edward Casper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of an apparatus for reducing plant material are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a frame, a boom coupled to and extending from the frame, a drive assembly at least partially coupled to the boom and having a drive shaft rotatable relative to the boom, a hub interconnected to and rotatable with the drive shaft, a cutting wheel interconnected to and rotatable with the hub, and a shearing device coupled to the boom and having a working surface adjacent the hub. The working surface at least partially defines a shearing feature for shearing material wrapped around the hub as the hub rotates.
Claims30
An apparatus for reducing plant material, said apparatus comprising:
- a frame defining a longitudinal axis;
- a boom having first and second boom ends with said first boom end coupled to said frame and said boom extending from said frame;
- a drive assembly at least partially coupled to said second boom end with said drive assembly having a drive shaft supported by said second boom end and rotatable relative to said boom about a rotational axis transverse to said longitudinal axis;
- a hub interconnected to and rotatable with said drive shaft;
- a cutting wheel interconnected to and rotatable with said hub about said rotational axis for reducing the plant material as said cutting wheel contacts the plant material;
- and
- a shearing device coupled to said second boom end with said shearing device having a working surface adjacent said hub with said working surface at least partially defining a shearing feature for shearing material wrapped around said hub as said hub rotates about said rotational axis.
An apparatus for reducing plant material, said apparatus comprising:
- a frame defining a longitudinal axis;
- a boom having first and second boom ends with said first boom end coupled to said frame and said boom extending from said frame;
- a drive assembly at least partially coupled to said second boom end with said drive assembly including a drive shaft rotatable relative to said boom about a rotational axis transverse to said longitudinal axis;
- a cutting wheel coupled to said drive shaft about said rotational axis for reducing the plant material as said cutting wheel contacts the plant material;
- and
- a hub interconnected between said cutting wheel and said drive shaft with said hub rotatable with said drive shaft, said hub having a flange abutting said cutting wheel to mount said cutting wheel to said hub and a body portion having a first body end adjacent said flange and a second body end opposite said first body end with said body portion tapered inwardly toward said first body end adjacent said flange relative to said rotational axis, with a diameter of said flange being larger than a diameter of said body portion at said first body end to direct the material toward said cutting wheel;
- and with said diameter of said body portion at said first body end being smaller than a diameter of said body portion at said second body end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.