Turf aerator having removable cover over rotatable tines

• US 10,212,872 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Kinkead, George, Ferguson, Steven, Bondeson, Terrence R, Fiske, Tom, Larson, Roger Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Fabian-Kovacs, Arpad
• Application Number:
  US15/331,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 172 21, 172 22
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 45/02 for aerating
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 45/026 Scarifiers comprising a knife reel actively driven around a substantially horizontal shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/166 manually adjustable

Abstract

Tine assemblies (100a, 100b, 104) are secured by a single bolt (126) extending diametrically through each tine (120) located in a cavity (112) of a tine plate (110). An outer tine assembly (104) is connected to a sleeve (116) rotatably mounted on independently rotatable shafts (102) to which inner tine assemblies (100a, 100b) are connected. A tine cover (50) removably closes an opening (40) in the top plate (28) and in which weights (70) are removably received over the tine assemblies (100a, 100b, 104). Transport wheels (134) are moveable by pivoting a stop plate (140) to position an upper pivot axis (150a) of an abutment bar (150) ahead of or behind the stop axis (142) and lower pivot axis (150b). A stop (146) positioned on the stop plate (140) without the use of tools adjusts the depth of the tine assemblies (100a, 100b, 104).

Claims

1. Turf aerator comprising, in combination:

a chassis including first and second side plates, front and back plates extending between the first and second side plates, and a top plate extending between the first and second side plates and between the front and back plates, with the chassis being movably supported on turf adjacent to the front plate of the chassis;

a handlebar extending from the chassis in a direction away from the front plate;

a motor mounted on the top plate adjacent to the front plate;

a tine assembly rotatably mounted about an axis to the chassis between the first and second side plates and adjacent to the back plate, with the tine assembly being driven by the motor, with the tine assembly including a tine plate including a periphery rotatable about the axis and a plurality of tines, with each tine comprising a single component immovably fixed to the tine plate and extending from the axis in a radial direction for a radial extent to a free end configured to engage the turf;

an opening formed in the top plate intermediate the first and second side plates, intermediate the front and back walls, intermediate the motor and the back plate, and extending over the tine assembly, wherein the free ends of the plurality of tines extend through the opening formed in the top plate, and wherein the top plate is spaced from the axis less than the radial extent; and

a tine cover removably secured to the chassis, positioned over the free ends of the plurality of tines of the tine assembly above the axis, and closing the opening in the top plate.

2. The turf aerator of claim 1 further comprising, in combination:

a removable weight, with the tine cover including a cavity slideably receiving the removable weight, with the removable weight received in the cavity extending over the free ends of the plurality of tines of the tine assembly, positioned over the axis, and positioned intermediate the first and second side plates.

3. The turf aerator of claim 2 wherein the tine cover includes a back sheet, a top sheet extending from the back sheet, and first and second side sheets extending from the back sheet and the top sheet, with the first and second side sheets located outwardly of and extending over the first and second sides, with the tine cover being removably secured to the first and second side plates of the chassis by fasteners extending between the first and second side sheets and the first and second side plates.

4. The turf aerator of claim 3 wherein the opening is spaced from the first and second side plates and from the front and back walls;

wherein the back, top, and side sheets extend perpendicular to each other;

wherein the tine cover includes a front sheet including a first section extending at an obtuse angle from the top sheet and generally perpendicular to the first and second side sheets;

wherein the front sheet includes a second section extending from the first section, generally perpendicular to the first and second side sheets, and parallel to and spaced from the back sheet, with the first and second side sheets having seven edges including edges interconnected to the back and top sheets and the first and second sections, a front edge extending at an obtuse angle from the interconnection of the second section and the first and second side sheets to a bottom edge spaced from and parallel to the top sheet, and a back edge extending at an obtuse angle from the interconnection of the back sheet and the first and second side sheets to the bottom edge.

5. The turf aerator of claim 4 wherein an entrance to the cavity is located in one of the first and second side sheets of the cover.

6. The turf aerator of claim 4 wherein an entrance to the cavity is located in the back sheet.

7. The turf aerator of claim 1 with the tine plate including a plurality of non-intersecting, generally semi-circular cross section cavities extending tangentially to the axis for a length, with the each of the plurality of the generally semi-circular cross section cavities intersecting the periphery and having a constant size from the periphery for the length, with the plurality of tines comprising a plurality of tubular tines, with each tubular tine received in one of the plurality of cavities;

and

a bolt extending diametrically through each tubular tine, extending through the one of the plurality of cavities, and connected to the tine plate.

8. The turf aerator of claim 7 wherein each tubular tine is in a form of a flat sheet bent into a tubular shape and having abutting edges, with the abutting edges each including a cutout to define a rear opening in the tubular shape, with a through hole extending diametrically through the tubular shape of the tubular tine and generally at 90°

to the abutting edges, with the bolt extending through the through hole, with the plurality of cavities extending along chords spaced from, but parallel to, diameters of the tine plate.

9. The turf aerator of claim 8 further comprising, in combination:

an attachment ring, with the tine plate located intermediate the attachment ring and each tubular tine, and with each bolt connected to the attachment ring.

10. The turf aerator of claim 9 further comprising, in combination:

a shaft, with the attachment ring welded to the shaft, with the tine plate being free of direct attachment to the shaft.

11. The turf aerator of claim 9 further comprising, in combination:

a sleeve adapted to be rotatably mounted on a shaft, with the attachment ring welded to the sleeve, with the tine plate being free of direct attachment to the sleeve.

12. The turf aerator of claim 1 wherein the opening has a size smaller than the top plate, and wherein the tine cover abuts the top plate outside of the opening.