Aerator
OwnerLeonard F. Postemainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multiple tandem castering aerator assembly is provided for mounting to the rear portion of a commercial lawnmower deck. The assembly comprises a set of tandem castering aerator wheel assemblies having a pair of vertically moveable pivot plates that bear a weighted wheel and a spiked aerator wheel assembly. The aerator wheel assembly has four curved tines and is rotatably mounted between the pivot point of the pivot plate and the weighted wheel. The assemblies caster behind and follow a moving lawnmower and the weighted wheel provides sufficient force for driving the aerator wheel tines into the ground for aeration of the soil.
Claims22
An aerator assembly for attachment to a deck of a lawn mower to aerate the soil of a lawn as the mower moves across the ground, said aerator assembly comprising:
- a frame adapted to be mounted to the deck of the mower with said frame extending a predetermined distance rearwardly of the mower deck;
- an elongated caster pin mounted to said frame for rotation about its longitudinal axis, said caster pin being oriented substantially vertically to extend from an upper end portion of said caster pin downwardly to a lower end portion of said caster pin;
- a first pivot plate axle secured at one end to said lower end portion of said caster pin, said pivot plate axle extending substantially horizontally from said lower end of said caster pin to a free end of said pivot plate axle;
- a pivot plate having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, said pivot plate being substantially planar and being pivotally mounted at its proximal end portion to said free end of said first pivot plate axle for substantially vertical pivotal motion of said pivot plate between a lowered position relative to said first pivot plate axle and a raised position relative thereto;
- a substantially circular weighted wheel having a predetermined weight and being mounted to said pivot plate adjacent its distal end for rotation of said weighted wheel about a substantially horizontal axis, said weighted wheel rolling on the ground when said aerator assembly is attached to the mower and said pivot plate is in said lowered position, said caster pin, pivot plate, and weighted wheel forming a caster assembly adapted to follow the mower as it moves across a lawn;
- a spiked aerator wheel having a plurality of substantially radially projecting curved tines extending outwardly from a central hub, said aerator wheel rotatably mounted to said pivot plate at a location intermediate said proximal end portion of said pivot plate and the mounting location of said weighted wheel, said spiked aerator wheel being mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and being positioned on said pivot plate so that the weight of said weighted wheel causes said tines of said aerator wheel to be driven into the ground to aerate the soil as the mower to which said aerator assembly is attached moves across the lawn.
A castering aerator assembly for attachment to a back of a lawn mower to aerate the soil as the lawn mower moves across the ground, said aerator assembly comprising a frame, a vertically oriented caster pin mounted to said frame for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and having a lower end, a horizontally extending axle fixed to said lower end of said caster pin, a pivot plate having a proximal and a distal end and being mounted at its proximal end to said axle for substantially vertical pivotal movement between a lowered position and a raised position, a substantially circular weighted wheel mounted to said pivot plate adjacent its distal end, said wheel for urging said pivot plate to its lowered position and for engaging and rolling on the ground as the mower to which said assembly is attached moves over a lawn, and a spiked aerator wheel rotatably mounted to said pivot plate and being positioned to that as said weighted wheel urges said pivot plate to its lowered position, the spikes of said aerator wheel are driven into the soil for aeration thereof.
A lawn aerator comprising:
- a frame;
- a caster pin movably mounted to said frame;
- said caster pin having an upper end and a lower end;
- a pivot plate having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;
- said pivot plate being movably mounted at its proximal end portion to said caster pin and being movable between a raised position and a lowered position;
- an aerator wheel assembly rotatably mounted to said pivot plate;
- said aerator wheel assembly including spike means projecting therefrom for penetrating and aerating soil as said aerator wheel assembly moves across the ground;
- said aerator wheel assembly being located on said pivot plate such that said spike means is positioned to penetrate and aerate the soil when said pivot plate is in its lowered position;
- and
- weight means mounted on said pivot plate for urging said pivot plate to its lowered position and for weighting said aerator wheel assembly to assure penetration of said spike means into the soil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.