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US 4,286,398 AGranted
Apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees and the like
AssigneeRowe Corporation
InventorsPhillip E. Lemond, S. Donald La Shomb, Oliver R. Rowe, Sr.
Life of this patent
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AssigneeRowe Corporation
InventorsPhillip E. Lemond, S. Donald La Shomb, Oliver R. Rowe, Sr.
Estimating the term…
An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees includes a plurality of blade assemblies mounted on the sides of a horizontal multi-sided frame for overlying and substantially surrounding an excavation site. Each blade assembly includes a housing within which a flanged blade and stem unit can be mounted for reciprocation to effect penetration of the excavation site, and a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly detachably affixable to the stem for effecting reciprocation of the blade and stem unit. Within each housing are mounted a plurality of rollers engageable with opposite sides of the blade thereof, a pair of guide blocks adjacent opposite sides of the blade flange, and a pair of guide bars on opposite sides of the stem, all cooperable to guide and maintain the blade and stem unit in an established path during reciprocation. Associated with each housing is one curved and one straight blade and stem unit selectively and alternately mountable therein for reciprocation, the arcuate blades, when mounted in the housings and reciprocated, following arcuate paths to remove a generally conical section from the excavation area and the straight blades, when so mounted and reciprocated, following straight paths to remove a frusto-conical or frustum-shaped section from the excavation area.
An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees and the like comprising a generally horizontally disposed multisided frame defining a substantially enclosed space for overlying and substantially surrounding an area to be excavated, and a plurality of blade assemblies, being mounted on the sides of said frame, each said blade assembly including a housing mounted on said frame, said housing having a downwardly facing opening, a blade disposed in said housing for reciprocation through said downwardly facing opening thereof for penetrating said area to be excavated, operating means associated with said blade for imparting reciprocal movement thereto, and means for guiding and aligning said blade during reciprocation thereof to prevent deviative movement thereof, said guiding and aligning means including a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted in said housing adjacent said downwardly facing opening in rotational engagement with opposite sides of said blade during reciprocation thereof to guide said blade as it penetrates the area to be excavated and to maintain said blade therebetween in a regular and established path of movement while resisting torsional, binding and frictional forces imposed on said blade during penetration of said area to be excavated.
An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees and the like comprising a generally horizontally disposed multi-sided frame defining a substantially enclosed space for overlying and substantially surrounding an area to be excavated, and a plurality of blade assemblies being mounted on the sides of said frame, each said blade assembly including a housing mounted on said frame, said housing having a downwardly facing opening and an upwardly facing opening, a blade disposed in said housing for reciprocation through said downwardly facing opening thereof for penetrating said area to be excavated, a stem affixed to and extending upwardly from said blade through said upwardly facing opening for reciprocation therewith, means affixed to said stem for imparting reciprocal movement thereto, said blade and stem being curved longitudinally about a common center with the same radius of curvature forming an arcuate blade unit inwardly curving toward said enclosed space whereby said arcuate blade unit follows a generally arcuate path upon reciprocation thereof for removing a generally conically shaped section from said area to be excavated, and bearing means in said housing for guiding and aligning said blade during reciprocation thereof in said arcuate path to prevent deviative movement of said blade.
An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees and the like comprising a generally horizontally disposed multisided frame defining a substantially enclosed space for overlying and substantially surrounding an area to be excavated, and a plurality of blade assemblies, being mounted on the sides of said frame, each said blade assembly including a housing mounted on said frame and having a downwardly facing opening and an upwardly facing opening formed therein, a pair of blade units associated with each said housing and constructed for selective and alternative mounting therein for reciprocation therewithin and through said downwardly facing opening thereof, each blade unit having a blade for penetrating said area to be excavated upon reciprocation of said blade unit and a stem affixed to said blade for reciprocation therewith and extending from said blade upwardly through said upwardly facing opening, one of said blade units being substantially straight along the extending length thereof and one of said blade units being substantially arcuate along the extending length thereof, operating means associated with said housing for imparting reciprocal movement to the blade unit mounted therein, said operating means including a reciprocating member having detachable attachment means selectively engagable with either blade unit of said pair of blade units to effect reciprocation thereof, and guide means mounted in said housing for receiving therein the blade unit mounted in said housing and for guiding and aligning the blade unit during reciprocation thereof to prevent deviative movement thereof, said guide means being constructed to receive therein either blade unit of said pair of blade units.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.