Tow-behind roller tool apparatuses, systems and methods
AssigneeABI Attachments, Inc.
InventorKevin V. Keigley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a roller assembly including a roller frame and ground-contacting roller rotatably coupled with the roller frame. A suspension assembly includes a compressible suspension member operatively coupled with the roller assembly. A flexible rigging assembly includes an upper flexible rigging member and a lower flexible rigging member operatively coupled with the suspension assembly. The flexible rigging assembly is adjustable between a first state in which the upper flexible rigging member is taut and the lower flexible rigging member has a non-zero amount of upper flexible rigging member slack and a second state in which the lower flexible rigging member is taut and the upper flexible rigging member has a non-zero amount of lower flexible rigging member slack.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a roller assembly including a first beam extending laterally along a length, first and second posts extending upward from the first beam at respective first and second post locations laterally spaced apart along the length of the first beam, first and second brackets extending downward from the first beam at respective first and second bracket locations laterally spaced apart along the length of the first beam, and a ground-contacting roller rotatably coupled with the first and second brackets and extending axially from a first end to a second end;
- a suspension assembly including first and second receivers coupled with the first and second posts, a second beam coupled with and extending laterally intermediate the first and second receivers, first and second compressible suspension members coupled with and extending vertically upward from the second beam, a crossbar positioned vertically upward from the second beam and coupled with and extending between the first and second compressible suspension members, and first and second pull arms extending longitudinally forward of the first and second receivers;
- and
- a flexible rigging assembly including a connector bar, first and second upper flexible rigging members coupled with the connector bar and coupled with the crossbar, first and second lower flexible rigging members coupled with the connector bar and coupled with the second beam.
An apparatus comprising:
- a roller assembly including a roller frame and ground-contacting roller rotatably coupled with the roller frame,
- a suspension assembly including at least one compressible suspension member operatively coupled with the roller assembly,
- a flexible rigging assembly comprising at least an upper flexible rigging member operatively coupled with the suspension assembly at a first location relative to the at least one compressible suspension member and a lower flexible rigging member operatively coupled with the suspension assembly at a second location relative to the at least one compressible suspension member,
- wherein the first location and the second location are spaced apart from one another by a distance, the distance being variable in response to compression of the at least one compressible member, and
- the flexible rigging assembly is adjustable between a first state in which the upper flexible rigging member is taut and the lower flexible rigging member has a non-zero amount of slack and a second state in which the lower flexible rigging member is taut and the upper flexible rigging member has a non-zero-amount of slack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.