# US 12,108,716 B2 · Agricultural tool > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,108,716 B2 - Document ID: US12108716B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/961,676 - Filed: 2022-10-07 - Published: 2024-04-11 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-07 - Assignees: Kubota Corporation - Applicants: Kubota Corporation - Inventors: Roatchanatam Anattasakul; Pius Ng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12108716B2 ## CPC - A01G 9/128: {Fixing of plants to supports, e.g. by means of clips (tying devices in trellis-work A01G17/08)} - A01G 17/08: Tools {e.g. clips} for attaching hops, vines, or boughs to trellis-work; Tying devices - B21F 7/00: Twisting wire; Twisting wire together (for connections of limited size B21F15/04) - A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12) - B21F: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE (rolling of metal wire B21B1/16; by drawing, auxiliary operations used in connection with metal-working without essentially removing material B21C) ## Abstract An agricultural tool includes a motor, a magazine to house one or more clips, and a sliding arm to be moved by the motor between a retracted position and a deployed position. The sliding arm moves between the retracted position and the deployed position to attach a clip, from among the one or more clips, to the agricultural item of interest and the support structure to fasten or attach the agricultural item of interest to the support structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An agricultural tool for fastening or attaching an agricultural item of interest to a support structure, the agricultural tool comprising: a motor; a magazine to house one or more clips; a sliding arm to be moved by the motor between a retracted position and a deployed position; a frame that supports the magazine and includes a base portion; and a mounting assembly to which the base portion of the frame and the motor are attached; wherein the sliding arm moves between the retracted position and the deployed position to attach a clip, from among the one or more clips, to the agricultural item of interest and the support structure to fasten or attach the agricultural item of interest to the support structure; and the mounting assembly includes a base plate mountable to a robotic arm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The agricultural tool according to claim 1, wherein the motor includes a motor shaft; and the base portion of the frame includes a motor shaft hole through which the motor shaft extends. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The agricultural tool according to claim 2, wherein the motor drives a plurality of gears used to move the sliding arm between the retracted position and the deployed position; the base portion of the frame includes a gear shaft hole that holds a gear shaft; the gear shaft extends through one or more of the plurality of gears. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The agricultural tool according to claim 1, wherein: the sliding arm includes a holder to hold the clip; the frame includes a sliding arm support portion that supports the sliding arm; and the holder is located above the sliding arm support portion when the sliding arm is in the retracted position, and the holder is located forward of the sliding arm support portion when the sliding arm is in the deployed position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The agricultural tool according to claim 4, wherein the magazine includes a sliding groove; the frame includes a magazine slide track attached to an outer surface of the sliding arm support portion; and the sliding groove accommodates the magazine slide track. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The agricultural tool according to claim 1, wherein the magazine includes a main body and a push plate that slides within the main body; and the push plate applies a downward force to the one or more clips housed by the magazine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The agricultural tool according to claim 6, wherein the sliding arm includes a holder to hold the clip; and the downward force applied to the one or more clips attaches a bottommost clip included in the one or more clips to the holder of the sliding arm when the sliding arm is moved to the retracted position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The agricultural tool according to claim 1, further comprising: a controller configured or programed to control an amount and a direction in which the motor is driven. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The agricultural tool according to claim 1, further comprising: a controller configured or programed to control the robotic arm; wherein the sliding arm includes a holder to hold the clip; and the controller is configured or programed to control the robotic arm to move the agricultural tool laterally by a first predetermined distance to release the clip from the holder after the clip has been attached to the agricultural item of interest and the support structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The agricultural tool according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured or programed to control an amount and a direction in which the motor is driven; and the controller is configured or programed to control the motor to move the sliding arm from the deployed position to the retracted position after the agricultural tool has been moved to release the clip from the holder. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The agricultural tool according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured or programed to control the robotic arm to move the agricultural tool laterally by a second predetermined distance after the sliding arm has been moved from the deployed position to the retracted position. ### Claim 12 An agricultural tool for fastening or attaching an agricultural item of interest to a support structure, the agricultural tool comprising: a motor; a magazine to house one or more clips; a sliding arm to be moved by the motor between a retracted position and a deployed position; wherein the sliding arm moves between the retracted position and the deployed position to attach a clip, from among the one or more clips, to the agricultural item of interest and the support structure to fasten or attach the agricultural item of interest to the support structure; and the motor drives a plurality of gears used to move the sliding arm between the retracted position and the deployed position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The agricultural tool according to claim 12, wherein a number of teeth of each of the plurality of gears is set such that the sliding arm starts to move from the retracted position to the deployed position after the motor has been driven by a predetermined amount. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The agricultural tool according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of gears include a sliding arm gear that is attached to the sliding arm; and the sliding arm gear and the sliding arm are included in a Scotch Yoke mechanism that converts a rotational motion of the sliding arm gear into a linear motion of the sliding arm when the sliding arm is moved between the retracted position and the deployed position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The agricultural tool according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of gears include: a taping gear attached to a motor shaft of the motor such that the taping gear rotates when the motor is driven; a base gear to be driven by the taping gear; a timing gear connected to the base gear, the timing gear includes a teeth portion that is only attached to a portion of a periphery of the timing gear; a linking gear to be driven by the teeth portion of the timing gear; and a sliding arm gear to be driven by the linking gear; and the sliding arm is attached to, and to be driven by, the sliding arm gear. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The agricultural tool according to claim 15, wherein a number of teeth of each of the taping gear, the base gear, the timing gear, the linking gear, and the sliding arm gear are set such that the teeth portion of the timing gear starts to drive the linking gear after the motor has been driven by a predetermined amount. ### Claim 17 An agricultural tool for fastening or attaching an agricultural item of interest to a support structure, the agricultural tool comprising: a motor; a magazine to house one or more clips; a sliding arm to be moved by the motor between a retracted position and a deployed position; wherein the sliding arm moves between the retracted position and the deployed position to attach a clip, from among the one or more clips, to the agricultural item of interest and the support structure to fasten or attach the agricultural item of interest to the support structure; the sliding arm includes a holder to hold the clip; the holder includes a base recess to hold a base portion of the clip; and the holder includes a clip arm portion to hold an arm portion of the clip. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The agricultural tool according to claim 17, wherein the clip arm portion is curved to hold the arm portion of the clip.