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US 12,672,618 B2Granted
System for rotating horticulture towers
Assignee11778757 Canada Inc.
InventorsBrady Deslippe, Tristan Zeman, Jonathan Lawson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a system for rotating at least one horticulture tower. The system comprises at least one horticulture tower and an apparatus for rotating the at least one horticulture tower. The at least one horticulture tower is decoupled from the apparatus for rotating the at least one horticulture tower, such that the at least horticulture tower may be independently conveyed about a facility.
Claims18
A system for rotating at least one horticulture tower, the system comprising:
- at least one horticulture tower movable along a track;
- and
- an apparatus for individually rotating each horticulture tower of the at least one horticulture tower;
- wherein the apparatus is stationary along the track and each horticulture tower is moveable along the track to an apparatus engagement position in which the apparatus is engageable with an individual horticulture tower of the at least one horticulture tower;
- the apparatus comprises a drivable tower engagement wheel mounted on a first hinge portion of a pneumatic actuated hinge, wherein the first hinge portion of the pneumatic actuated hinge is moveable from a first position in which the drivable tower engagement wheel is disengaged from the horticultural tower in the apparatus engagement position to allow movement of the that horticulture tower along the track to a second position in which the drivable tower engagement wheel is engaged with the horticultural tower in the apparatus engagement position for rotation of that horticultural tower.
2 more elements
An apparatus for rotating at least one horticulture tower that is moveable along a track, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one drive motor, the at least one drive motor operatively connected to
- at least one power supply;
- at least one drive assembly for imparting drive from the at least one drive motor to at least one wheel assembly, the at least one drive assembly being operatively connected to an output shaft of the at least one drive motor and an axle of the at least one wheel assembly, the at least one wheel assembly having at least one tower engagement wheel coupled to the axle for rotation therewith, the at least one tower engagement wheel having an outer surface for frictional engagement with the at least one horticulture tower;
- and
- an attachment assembly for coupling the at least one drive motor, the at least one drive assembly and the at least one wheel assembly to a support structure;
- wherein the support structure comprises
- a first arm having a first end and a second end;
- a second arm having a first end and a second end, the second arm being rotatably connected to the second end of the first arm;
- and
- a biasing mechanism moveably connecting the second arm to a fixed point, the biasing mechanism configured to bias the second end of the second arm toward the first arm;
- wherein the at least one wheel assembly is connected to the first end of the second arm
- wherein the at least one tower engagement wheel when driven by the at least one drive motor and frictionally engaged to said at least one horticulture tower causes the at least one horticulture tower to rotate;
- and
- wherein said apparatus is stationary along the track.
11 more elements
An apparatus for rotating at least one horticulture tower that is moveable along a track, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one drive motor, the at least one drive motor operatively connected to at least one power supply;
- at least one drive assembly for imparting drive from the at least one drive motor to at least one wheel assembly, the at least one drive assembly being operatively connected to an output shaft of the at least one drive motor and an axle of the at least one wheel assembly, the at least one wheel assembly having at least one tower engagement wheel coupled to the axle for rotation therewith, the at least one tower engagement wheel having an outer surface for frictional engagement with the at least one horticulture tower;
- an attachment assembly for coupling the at least one drive motor, the at least one drive assembly and the at least one wheel assembly to a support structure;
- and
- at least one biasing mechanism, each biasing mechanism moveably connecting the support structure to a fixed point, the at least one biasing mechanism configured to bias the support structure towards the at least one horticulture tower;
- wherein the at least one biasing mechanism comprises
- a hinge having
- a first hinge portion connected to the fixed point;
- and
- a second hinge portion connected to the support structure and pivotally coupled to the first hinge portion;
- a pneumatic actuator operatively connected to the first and second hinge portions,
- wherein, upon being actuated, the pneumatic actuator exerts a force on the second hinge portion urging the support structure towards the at least one horticulture tower
- wherein the at least one tower engagement wheel when driven by the at least one drive motor and frictionally engaged to said at least one horticulture tower causes the at least one horticulture tower to rotate;
- and
- wherein said apparatus is stationary along the track.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.