Mine field clearing apparatus

Mine clearing apparatus for attachment to a vehicle including a vehicle tread and comprising:

• a frame mountable onto a vehicle for selectable positioning in a raised or lowered orientation;
• means, mounted onto said frame, for raising and shunting aside mines;
• means for selectably retaining said frame in a raised orientation and including control means operable from inside the vehicle for selectably releasing the frame from its raised orientation and allowing it to assume its lowered orientation;
• and
• means for automatically raising said frame from its lowered orientation to its raised orientation in response to backwards motion of the vehicle and comprising:
• mounting means rotatably mounted onto the vehicle;
• supporting means mounted onto said mounting means and attached to said raising means and operative, when actuated, to raise said frame means to its raised orientation;
• tooth means fixed onto said mounting means and arranged for selectable engagement with a vehicle tread;
• and
• means for urging said tooth means into driven engagement with said vehicle tread whereby during backwards movement of said vehicle, the vehicle tread causes the mounting means to rotate, thereby actuating said supporting means, thereby raising said frame to its raised orientation.