Seeding machine
First Claim
1. A seeding machine comprising an ambulant main frame, a dirt skimming element on the lower forward portion of the frame, a dirt elevator carried by the frame and having a dirt inlet adjacent the dirt skimming element, said elevator having an elevated dirt discharge adapted to direct the elevated dirt to the ground rearwardly of the dirt inlet of the elevator, a supply of open mesh sheet material supported by the frame having means for feeding and laying the sheet on the ground rearwardly of the dirt skimming element, a seed supply device on said frame having a seed outlet directed toward the ground in the path of flow dirt from said elevator, and the frame including means extending downwardly from said elevator for guiding the discharged dirt and seed in a layer onto the open mesh sheet material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A seeding machine and method wherein a generally uniform thin layer of dirt is skimmed from the ground, mixed with a seed such as lawn grass seed, and the mixture then redeposited on the ground in an even layer onto a strip of open mesh fabric, preferably water-proof plastic, the mixture of dirt and seed and the open mesh fabric beneath it then being rolled or otherwise smoothed, the growth from the seed, young sod, for example, being harvested by lifting the open mesh fabric and with it the young sod or similar growth, the lifting preferably being accomplished by rolling the sod and open mesh fabric into transportable rolls, and replanting by depositing and unrolling the sod and open mesh fabric at the new site.
17 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A seeding machine comprising an ambulant main frame, a dirt skimming element on the lower forward portion of the frame, a dirt elevator carried by the frame and having a dirt inlet adjacent the dirt skimming element, said elevator having an elevated dirt discharge adapted to direct the elevated dirt to the ground rearwardly of the dirt inlet of the elevator, a supply of open mesh sheet material supported by the frame having means for feeding and laying the sheet on the ground rearwardly of the dirt skimming element, a seed supply device on said frame having a seed outlet directed toward the ground in the path of flow dirt from said elevator, and the frame including means extending downwardly from said elevator for guiding the discharged dirt and seed in a layer onto the open mesh sheet material.
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2. The structure in claim 1, and said elevated dirt discharge, said seed supply device and said means for guiding the discharged dirt and seed onto the open mesh sheet material having dimensions transversely of the frame and of the direction of movement of the frame approximating the width of the sheet of open mesh fabric.
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3. The structure in claim 1, and a ground leveling device carried by and extending across the lower front portion of the frame in front of the skimming element and the dirt elevator.
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4. The structure in claim 3, and said dirt skimming device adjustable upwardly and downwardly relative to the ground leveling device.
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5. The structure in claim 3, and said ground leveling device comprising a roller at least partially supporting the forward portion of said frame, said roller being approximately coextensive with said dirt skimming element transversely of the frame.
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6. The structure in claim 3, and said dirt skimming element comprising a blade extending transversely of the frame, and said ground leveling device comprising a roller carried by the frame and extending transversely of the frame in front of and parallel to the dirt skimming element.
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7. The structure in claim 6, and said elevator including an upwardly and rearwardly directed trough, means supported by the frame and movable upwardly and rearwardly in said trough for moving dirt upwardly and rearwardly therein, the trough having a leading bottom edge comprising the dirt skimming element, and the ground leveling device and the dirt skimming element being articulated on a transverse pivotal axis.
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8. The structure in claim 7, and means for raising and lowering said transverse pivotal axis and the connected portions of said dirt skimming element and ground leveling device.
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9. The structure in claim 1, and said dirt skimming element having opposite end portions defining the width of the skimming cut made thereby, and smoothing devices carried by the frame adjacent said opposite end portions to flatten and smooth berms or windrows produced by said end portions in the skimming operation.
Specification