Machine for uprooting tree stumps and trees

In a tree-balling machine which comprises a cylindrical shell having means at one end to cut an annular trench in the soil, means supporting said shell for rotation and means to rotate said shell, the improvement which comprises a plurality of cutting blades, means pivotally mounting said blades on said shell for actuation as a group in a horizontal plane to cut a swath to define the ball composed of soil and roots, means to move said blades as a group between an outermost position and an innermost position, movement to innermost position occurring when the shell is rotated in one sense and movement to outermost position occuring when the shell is rotated in the opposite sense during rotation of the shell to cut a horizontal disc-like swath to separate the plug from the adjacent mass of soil and roots, and means for actuating the blades as a group between said two positions comprising a linkage connecting all of the blades for synchronized movement, each blade being provided with an individual arm adapted to rotate the blade on its pivotal axis and a linkage connects all said arms for joint rotation in response to force applied to one of said arms.

In a tree-balling machine which comprises a cylindrical shell having means at one end to cut an annular trench in the soil, means supporting said shell for rotation and means to rotate said shell, the improvement which comprises a plurality of cutting blades, means pivotally mounting said blades on said shell for actuation as a group in a horizontal plane to cut a swath to define the ball composed of soil and roots, means to move said blades as a group between an outermost position and an innermost position, movement to innermost position occurring when the shell is rotated in one sense and movement to outermost position occurring when the shell is rotated in the opposite sense during rotation of the shell to cut a horizontal disc-like swath to separate the ball from the adjacent mass of soil and roots, a plurality of plow-like bits one individual to each blade and fixed to the lower edge of the shell, each of the plurality of bits being positioned in advance of its individual blade to reduce the load thereon during the cutting cycle.

In a tree-balling machine which comprises a cylindrical shell having means at one end to cut an annular trench in the soil, means supporting said shell for rotation and means to rotate said shell, the improvement which comprises a plurality of cutting blades, means pivotally mounting said blades on said shell for actuation as a group in a horizontal plane to cut a swath to define the ball composed of soil and roots, means to move said blades as a group between the outermost position and an innermost position, movement to innermost position occurring when the shell is rotated in one sense and movement to outermost position occurring when the shell is rotated in the opposite sense during rotation of the shell to cut a horizontal disc-like swath to separate the ball from the adjacent mass of soil and roots, a plurality of plow-like bits one individual to each blade and fixed to the lower edge of the shell, each of the plurality of bits being positioned in advance of said blade to reduce the load thereon during the cutting cycle, said bits being wedge-shaped with the crest thereof constituting a cutting edge positioned substantially radially of the shell and a face of each bit being inclined at an angle of about 30.degree. to about 45.degree. to the horizontal.

In a tree-balling machine which comprises a cylindrical shell having means at one end to cut an annular trench in the soil, means supporting said shell for rotation and means to rotate said shell, the improvement which comprises at least one helical element secured to the interior face of the shell to compact the soil adjacent said element as the trench is cut, whereby to reduce frictional forces acting between the shell and soil.

In a tree-balling machine which comprises a cylindrical shell having means at one end to cut an annular trench in the soil, means supporting said shell for rotation and means to rotate said shell, at least one helical element secured to the interior face of the shell to compact the soil interiorly of the shell as the trench is cut whereby to reduce frictional forces acting between the shell and soil, the shell comprising two semi-cylindrical parts hinged together to be opened to admit the tree before the start of cutting and to be opened at the conclusion of cutting, the helical element being interupted to allow separation thereof when the shell parts are opened.