Agricultural organic device for weed control

• US 10,477,760 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2016
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Underground Agriculture, LLC
• Original Assignee: Underground Agriculture, LLC
• Inventors: Bassett, Joseph D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Alicia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behrens, Adam J
• Application Number:
  US15/392,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20170181373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/662 to the front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/835 specially adapted for particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/14 with dispensing apparatus, e.g. for fertilisers, herbicides or preservatives
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 21/043 by chemicals
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0025 Mechanical sprayers

Abstract

An agricultural system includes a plurality of organic devices for controlling weeds in a planted field, the organic devices being positioned between respective adjacent rows of planted matter in a field. Each the organic devices includes a pivotable shaft having an upper end and a lower end, and a weed-control unit attached to the lower end of the pivotable shaft. The weed-control unit includes a rotatable blade for mowing weeds growing between the adjacent rows of the planted matter. The system further includes at least one motor coupled to one or more of the organic devices for driving the rotatable blade of each weed-control unit.

Claims

1. An agricultural system comprising:

a frame linkage for attachment to an agricultural vehicle; and

at least one cutting device for cutting planted matter in a planted field, the cutting device being mounted to the frame linkage and positioned between respective adjacent rows of the planted matter in the field and including

a vertically-adjustable shaft having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end being the only portion of the at least one cutting device mounted directly to the frame linkage, and

a cutting unit attached to the lower end of the shaft, the cutting a rotatable blade for cutting the planted matter, including weeds, growing between the adjacent rows of the planted matter, the cutting unit being attached concentrically with a vertical axis of the shaft; and

at least one dedicated electric motor mounted to the upper end of the shaft for driving the rotatable blade of the cutting unit, the electric motor being external to the cutting unit.

2. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the cutting unit includes a guard within which the rotatable blade is mounted, the guard having a bottom opening through which the rotatable blade makes contact with the planted matter.

3. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the cutting unit has a width that is less than a row width of the adjacent rows of the planted matter.

4. The agricultural system of claim 1, further comprising at least one gauge wheel attached to the cutting unit.

5. The agricultural system of claim 4, wherein the at least one gauge wheel is mounted in a leading position of the cutting unit.

6. The agricultural system of claim 1, further comprising a sprayer input tube attached to the cutting unit for delivering a weed-control substance.

7. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the at least one cutting device includes a plurality of cutting devices.

8. The agricultural system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of cutting devices are commonly mounted to the frame linkage.