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US 4,921,050 AGranted
Plant extractor and cultivating apparatus
OwnerWayne J. Browninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Plant extracting apparatus is provided by the present invention which utilizes spaced pairs of endless belts having adjacent runs which extend from an inlet adjacent the ground towards an elevated outlet above a cutter assembly. The adjacent runs of the belts are biassed towards one another and engage plants therebetween and pull them from the ground as they are conveyed along the adjacent runs and as the apparatus travels along. Transfer means are provided for transferring the plants to the cutter assembly.
Claims18
Plant extracting apparatus of the type having a supporting frame;
- support means associated with said supporting frame whereby the latter may be conveyed along a row of plants;
- a pair of endless belts supported by and extending between respective upper and lower guide wheels and having juxtapositioned belt runs which incline upwardly and rearwardly from a plant inlet towards an extracted plant outlet, and drive means for driving said belts whereby said juxtapositioned belt runs move upwardly and rearwardly from said plant inlet, characterized in that:
- the upper and lower guide wheels supporting one of said endless belt are restrained against movement transverse to said juxtapositioned belt runs;
- the upper and lower guide wheels supporting the other endless belt are supported on respective pivot arms for movement transverse to said juxtapositioned belt runs whereby induced tension in said other endless belt biases the juxtapositioned run of said other endless belt into engagement with the juxtapositioned run of said one endless belt such that plant stems may be gripped between said juxtapositioned belt runs, and
- one of said pivot arms is formed as a hydraulic ram which is hydraulically biassed towards an extended attitude so as to induce a desired belt tension in said other endless belt.
2 more elements
Plant extracting apparatus including:
- a supporting frame;
- support means associated with said supporting frame whereby the latter may be conveyed along a row of plants;
- a pair of endless belts supported by and extending between respective upper and lower guide wheels and having juxtapositioned belt runs which incline upwardly and rearwardly from a plant inlet towards an extracted plant outlet;
- said upper guide wheels supported by fluidic rams which are fluidically biassed towards an extended attitude to induce a desired tension in said belts;
- drive means for driving said belts whereby said juxtapositioned belt runs move upwardly and rearwardly from said plant inlet;
- biassing means for biassing said juxtapositioned belt runs into engagement with one another, and
- respective intermediate guide pulleys arranged in longitudinally spaced relationship along said juxtapositioned belt runs for displacing said juxtapositioned belt runs from a straight line path between said upper and lower guide wheels whereby the contact pressure between said juxtapositioned belt runs may be increased upwardly of said plant inlet.
4 more elements
Plant extracting apparatus including:
- a supporting frame;
- support means associated with said supporting frame whereby the latter may be conveyed along a row of plants;
- a pair of endless belts supported by and extending between respective upper and lower guide wheels and having juxtapositioned belt runs which incline upwardly and rearwardly from a plant inlet towards an extracted plant outlet;
- drive means for driving said belts whereby said juxtapositioned belt runs move upwardly and rearwardly from said plant inlet;
- p1 said upper and lower guide wheels supporting one said endless belt being restrained against movement transverse to said juxtapositioned belt runs;
- said upper and lower guide wheels supporting the other said endless belt being supported on respective pivot arms for movement transverse to said juxtapositioned belt runs whereby induced tension in said other endless belt biases the juxtapositioned run of said other endless belt into engagement with the juxtapositioned run of said one endless belt whereby plant stems may be gripped between said juxtapositioned belt runs;
- one of said pivot arms being formed as a variable length arm, and biassing means for biassing said variable length arm towards an extended attitude so as to induce a desired belt tension in said other endless belt.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.