Landscaping apparatus and method

• US 20050172525A1
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bradley W. Kostyak
• Original Assignee: Bradley W. Kostyak
• Inventors: Kostyak, Bradley W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 37/449
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/8152 Attachments therefor, e.g. wear resisting parts, cutting edges E02F3/8155, E02F3/8157 take precedence; teeth per se E02F9/28

Abstract

A landscaping tool for attachment to a bucket of a landscaping vehicle, the tool generally comprising an elongate plate having two opposite longitudinal working edges and a plurality of integrally formed teeth protruding from each working edge. The elongate plate has a plurality of mounting holes extending therethrough for mounting the tool to the bucket attachment of a loader. The plurality of holes can be arranged in sets to allow mounting of the tool in various orientations and configurations to provide differing edge orientations for different landscaping tasks, and to allow a single tool to be used with a variety of different bucket attachments. Methods of converting a bucket into a rake and scarifying attachment is also provided, the methods increasing the versatility of the tool and thereby eliminating the need to purchase several tools to accomplish a wide variety of landscaping tasks.

Claims

1. An apparatus for attachment to landscaping equipment, the apparatus comprised of:

An elongate plate having a first longitudinal edge, a second opposite longitudinal edge, and a middle plate portion disposed between the first longitudinal edge and the second opposite longitudinal edge;

wherein

The first longitudinal edge includes a plurality of teeth, each tooth separated from at least one adjacent tooth by a trough;

The second longitudinal edge includes a plurality of teeth, each tooth separated from at least one adjacent tooth by a trough; and

The middle portion includes a plurality of apertures for mounting the tool to the bucket attachment of a landscaping vehicle, at least two of the apertures corresponding to mounting apertures provided in the bottom lip of the bucket attachment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first longitudinal edge and second opposite longitudinal edge are coplanar.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first longitudinal edge and second opposite longitudinal edge are offset at a preselected angle.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the preselected angle is between about 1 degree and about 179 degrees.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the preselected angle is between about 45 degrees and about 135 degrees.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the preselected angle is between about 45 degrees and about 90 degrees.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each tooth provided on the first longitudinal edge has a base portion adjacent the first longitudinal edge and a terminal point portion opposite the base portion, the base portion having a width that is greater than the width of the tooth at the terminal point portion, and wherein each tooth provided on the second opposite longitudinal edge has a second base portion adjacent the second longitudinal edge and a second terminal point portion opposite the second base portion, the second base portion having a width that is approximately the same as the width of the tooth at the second terminal point portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first longitudinal edge includes at least 1 tooth per foot.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the second longitudinal edge includes at least 4 teeth per foot.

10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the elongate plate is comprised of metal, the plate having a substantially uniform thickness.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the elongate plate and the plurality of teeth provided on the first longitudinal edge and second opposite longitudinal edge are cut from a unitary piece of metal stock.

12. A method of manufacturing a landscaping tool for attachment to a landscaping vehicle, the method comprised of the steps of:

Providing a unitary piece of elongate stock material; and

Cutting the unitary piece of stock material to form a tool having a first longitudinal edge and an opposite longitudinal edge joined by a middle plate portion, each edge having a plurality of teeth protruding from the edge and divided by troughs, the plurality of teeth provided substantially coplanar with their respective edge.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprised of the step of offsetting the first longitudinal edge and second opposite longitudinal edge.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of offsetting the first longitudinal edge and second opposite longitudinal edge includes bending the middle portion to produce a preselected offset angle.

15. A method of manufacturing a landscaping tool for attachment to a landscaping vehicle, the method comprised of the steps of:

Providing a unitary piece of elongate stock material;

Cutting the unitary piece of stock material to form a substantially flat first portion of a tool, the substantially flat first portion having a first longitudinal edge and an opposite longitudinal edge joined by a middle plate portion, the first longitudinal edge having a first plurality of teeth protruding from the edge and divided by troughs, the first plurality of teeth provided substantially coplanar with the first longitudinal edge;

Providing a second unitary piece of elongate stock material;

Cutting the second unitary piece of elongate stock material to form a substantially flat second portion of a tool, the substantially flat second portion having a first longitudinal edge and an opposite longitudinal edge joined by a middle plate portion, the first longitudinal edge having a second plurality of teeth protruding from the first edge, the second plurality of teeth provided substantially coplanar with the first longitudinal edge; and

Joining the opposite longitudinal edge of the first portion of the tool to the opposite longitudinal edge of the second portion of the tool to form a landscaping tool having two working opposed longitudinal edges offset at a preselected angle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of joining includes welding.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of joining includes attaching each tool portion to at least one bracket to interconnect the tool portions at a preselected angle.

18. A method of landscaping in a zero-tolerance mode, the method comprised of:

providing a landscaping tool comprised of;

an elongate plate having a first longitudinal edge, a second opposite longitudinal edge, and a middle plate portion disposed between the first longitudinal edge and the second opposite longitudinal edge;

wherein the first longitudinal edge includes a plurality of teeth, each tooth separated from at least one adjacent tooth by a trough;

wherein

the second longitudinal edge includes a plurality of teeth, each tooth separated from at least one adjacent tooth by a trough; and

wherein the middle portion includes a plurality of apertures for mounting the tool to the bucket attachment of a landscaping vehicle, at least two of the apertures corresponding to mounting apertures provided in the bottom lip of the bucket attachment; and

wherein the first longitudinal edge and second opposite longitudinal edge are offset at a preselected angle;

Mounting the landscaping tool to the bottom lip of a bucket attachment of a landscaping vehicle so that the teeth of one longitudinal edge protrude downward and substantially perpendicular from bottom lip of the bucket attachment and to that the teeth of the opposite longitudinal edge protrude substantially parallel to the bottom lip and towards the rear wall of the bucket;

Operating the landscaping vehicle so that the downwardly projecting teeth contact soil at a location substantially adjacent the front lip of the bucket; and

Moving the landscaping vehicle while maintaining the bucket in a substantially horizontal position so as to manipulate the soil using the downwardly projecting teeth.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of providing a landscaping tool includes providing a landscaping tool having a first longitudinal edge that is offset from the second opposite longitudinal edge at a preselected offset angle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the preselected offset angle is between about 45 degress and about 90 degrees.