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US 4,757,670 AGranted
Agricultural crop defoliator
OwnerPhillip Kinch, Casey Gouwinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The leaves and stalks of plants have previously been topped using pick-up fingers for raising the leaves and stalks to an elevated more or less vertical position, and blades for cutting the thus elevated plant tops. The plant tops can be elevated more effectively by blowing air against the leaves and stalks simultaneously from opposite sides thereof. A cutter is provided at the trailing end of the streams of air.
Claims14
An apparatus for removing the top of a plant, comprising casing means including a pair of downwardly extending hollow arm means having ground engaging slide plates along their lower edges for bordering a plant during use;
- inlet means for introducing air under pressure into each said arm means;
- opposed discharge means at the bottom inner ends of said arm means for discharging air substantially horizontally against opposite sides of the plant to elevate the top of the plant;
- and rotary cutter means for cutting the plant top while in the elevated position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.