Two part lawn treating machine

• US 3,995,569 A
• Filed: 03/28/1975
• Issued: 12/07/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert N. Picardat
• Original Assignee: Robert N. Picardat
• Inventors: Picardat, Robert N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagwill, Robert E.
• Application Number:
  US05/563,057
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 180/11, 180/49, 180/51, 180/52, 239/656, 239/661-662, 239/670, 239/687, 111/1, 111/6, 111/8-13
• US Class Current: 111/12
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 45/00 Machines for treating meadows or lawns , e.g. for sports grounds
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 51/026 of the automotive vehicle type, e.g. including driver accommodation A01B51/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/006 Hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/007 with agitators in the hopper
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 17/00 Fertilisers or seeders with centrifugal wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 17/001 Centrifugal throwing devices with a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 17/005 Driving mechanisms for the throwing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/124 with top delivery of the seeds

Abstract

A lawn treating machine consisting of a wheeled front section and a wheeled rear section hinged together by a hydraulically operated vertical hinge mechanism for steering the machine. The front section includes a hydraulically driven scattering mechanism provided at the lower outlets of a multiple-compartment hopper assembly. The scattering mechanism includes a rotating horizontal scattering disc and rotating agitating and feeding elements which feed material from the hopper compartments to the disc. The rear section carries an engine-driven hydraulic pump supplying pressure hydraulic fluid to respective hydraulic motors driving the wheels of the front section. The rear section also carries a pivotally mounted transversely extending ground-scarifying blade assembly having a plurality of sod-piercing blades, the assembly being raised and lowered by hydraulic link means. The front section carries a tank for liquid chemicals, connected to a spray nozzle assembly at the rear portion of the front section, and the spray tank is provided with a hydraulically driven liquid pressurizing pump.

Claims

1. A lawn treating machine comprising a front body section having a first pair of ground-engaging supporting wheels, a rear body section having a second pair of ground-engaging supporting wheels, means for driving said ground-engaging supporting wheels, power-generating means mounted on said rear body section, vertical hinge means connecting said body sections, a steering motor connected to said hinge means so as to rotate said sections relative to each other to effect steering of the machine, hopper means mounted on said front section and being provided with a depending bottom discharge conduit means, and motor-driven rotating horizontal scattering disc means mounted on said front section spaced forwardly of said first pair of supporting wheels below said discharge conduit means.

2. The lawn treating machine of claim 1, and a ground-scarifying assembly pivoted on a horizontal axis to said rear body section, and means to selectively raise and lower said ground-scarifying assembly.

3. The lawn treating machine of claim 2, and wherein said ground-scarifyng assembly comprises supporting arms pivoted to said rear body section, a transverse shaft supportingly engaged through said arms, a plurality of multi-bladed scarifier blade assemblies rotatably mounted on said shaft for free lateral-swinging motion, and spring means biasing said scarifier blade assemblies toward vertical positions.

4. The lawn treating machine of claim 3, and wherein said raising and lowering means comprises hydraulic cylinder means connecting said supporting arms to said rear body section.

5. The lawn treating machine of claim 3, and wherein said blade assemblies comprise disc members provided on opposite sides with alternate outwardly extending triangular blades, said shaft being provided with spaced spherical bearing members, said disc members being rotatably supportingly engaged on said spherical bearing members, and wherein said spring means comprises coil springs surrounding said shaft and bearing between the disc members and between the arms and the adjacent disc members.

6. The lawn treating machine of claim 1, and wherein said hopper means is spaced forwardly of said first pair of supporting wheels, and downwardly-directed liquid spray nozzle means mounted on the front section rearwardly of the hopper means, a liquid tank mounted on said front section, and conduit means including a pump connected between said liquid tank and said spray nozzle means.

7. The lawn treating machine of claim 6, and wherein said discharge conduit means includes rotatable feed means for feeding solid materials from said hopper means to said scattering disc means simultaneously with the discharge of liquid from said tank through said spray nozzle means.

8. A lawn treating machine comprising a front body section having a first pair of supporting wheels, a rear body section having a second pair of supporting wheels, means for driving said body sections, hinge means connecting said front and rear body sections, steering means operatively connected to said hinge means to effect rotation of said body sections relative to each other, power generating means mounted on said rear body section operatively connected to said driving means, scattering means mounted on said front body section adjacent the forward end thereof and spaced forwardly of said first pair of supporting wheels, hopper means mounted on said front body section and being provided with discharge conduit means, and a ground scarifying assembly mounted on said machine and including substantially vertically oriented means for selectively raising and lowering said assembly into and out of engagement with the ground surface.

9. The lawn treating machine of claim 8, and rotatable feed means in said discharge conduit means, wherein said rotatable feed means comprises a generally cylindrical enclosure in said discharge conduit means having top and bottom openings and a rotatable feed element in said enclosure having metering recesses sequentially exposed to said top and bottom openings to convey metered quantities of material through said discharge conduit means.

10. The lawn treating machine of claim 9, and adjustable cover means, slidably mounted on the discharge conduit means over the enclosure for regulating the admission of material to said top opening.

11. The lawn treating machine of claim 9, and the means to rotate said feed element at a speed in accordance with the speed of said first pair of supporting wheels.

12. The lawn treating machine of claim 9 wherein said driving means comprises traction motor means operatively connected to said first pair of supporting wheels.

13. The lawn treating machine of claim 12 further comprising means to at times operatively connect said power-generating means to said traction motor means and said steering motor means.

14. The lawn treating machine of claim 13, and wherein said traction motor means and said rotatable feed means include hydraulic motor and said power-generating means includes hydraulic pump means, and the means connecting said power-generating means to the traction motor means and the feed means comprises conduit means connecting said pump means in circuit with said hydraulic motors.

15. The lawn treating machine of claim 8, and wherein said hopper means comprises a plurality of compartments communicating with said discharge conduit means for simultaneously distributing materials contained in said compartments.

16. The lawn treating machine of claim 15, and wherein said hopper means is spaced forwardly of said first pair of supporting wheels and said discharge conduit means is provided with respective rotatable feed means communicating with the compartments, and means operatively connecting said power-generating means to said feed means in a manner to drive said feed means at a speed in accordance with the speed of said first pair of supporting wheels.

17. The lawn treating machine of claim 8, and wherein said hopper means is spaced forwardly of said first pair of supporting wheels and said front body section is provided with an operator'"'"'s seat located behind said hopper means and sufficiently elevated to provide an operator with a clear view over said hopper means.

18. The lawn treating machine of claim 17, and wherein said front body section is provided with means to reversibly control said steering means, located forwardly of said operator'"'"'s seat.

19. The lawn treating machine of claim 18, and rotatable feed means in said hopper discharge conduit means, means to drive said feed means at a speed in accordance with the speed of said first pair of supporting wheels, and means adjacent the operator'"'"'s seat to at times deactivate said feed means independently of the operation of said first pair of supporting wheels.

20. The lawn treating machine of claim 8, and wherein said driving means and said steering means comprises respective hydraulic motors and said power generating means includes hydraulic pump means, conduit means connecting said pump means to the driving means, and conduit means including a reversing valve connecting said pump means to the steering hydraulic motor.

21. The lawn treating machine as set forth in claim 8, wherein said, ground scarifying assembly comprises a transversely extending shaft and a plurality of blade assemblies mounted on said shaft for independent rotation about said shaft and independent tilting movement toward and away from each other whereby said blade assemblies will automatically and independently adjust to the contour and nature of the ground surface.

22. The lawn treating machine of claim 21, and wherein said shaft is provided with spaced bearing members, said blade assemblies being rotatably supported on said bearing members, and means biasing said blade assemblies into a substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other.

23. The lawn treating machine of claim 8 and wherein said ground-scarifying assembly comprises supporting arms pivoted to said rear body section, a transverse shaft supportingly engaged through said arms, a plurality of multi-bladed scarifier blade assemblies rotatably mounted on said shaft for free lateral-swinging motion and spring means biasing said scarifier blade assemblies toward vertical positions.

24. The lawn treating machine of claim 23 and wherein said raising and lowering means comprises hydraulic cylinder means connecting said supporting arms to said rear body section.

25. The lawn treating machine of claim 24 and wherein said blade assemblies comprise disc members provided on opposite sides with alternate outwardly extending triangular blades, said shaft being provided with spaced spherical bearing members, said disc members being rotatable supportingly engaged on said spherical bearing members, and wherein said spring means comprises coil springs surrounding said shaft and bearing between the disc members and between the arms and the adjacent disc members.

26. The lawn treating machine of claim 23, and wherein said traction motor means and said rotatable feed means include hydraulic motors and said power generating means includes hydraulic pump means and the means to drive said feed means at a speed in accordance with the speed of the first pair of supporting wheels comprises conduit means connecting said pump means in circuit with said hydraulic motors.

27. The lawn treating machine of claim 8 and wherein said hopper means is spaced forwardly of said first pair of supporting wheels, and downwardly-directed liquid spray nozzle means mounted on the front section rearwardly of the hopper means, a liquid tank mounted on said front section, and conduit means including a pump connected between said liquid tank and said spray nozzle means.

28. The lawn treating machine of claim 27 and wherein said discharge conduit means includes rotatable feed means for feeding solid materials from said hopper means to said scattering disc means simultaneously with the discharge of liquid from said tank through said spray nozzle means.

29. A lawn treating machine which comprises a front body section having a pair of ground-engaging support wheels, a wheeled rear body section, means for driving said body sections, pivot means connecting said front and rear body sections, steering means operatively connected to said front body section and consisting of a single driving member extending therefrom and operatively connected to said rear body section to effect relative rotation between said front and rear body sections about said pivot means, power generating means on said rear body section, hopper means mounted on said front body section and being provided with discharge conduit means, and an operator'"'"'s seat mounted on said front body section located behind said hopper means and sufficiently elevated to provide an operator seated therein a substantially clear view over said hopper means whereby the contents distribution thereof may be visually monitored by said operator.

30. The lawn treating machine of claim 29, and rotatable feed means in said discharge conduit means, wherein said rotatable feed means comprises a generally cylindrical enclosure in said discharge conduit means having top and bottom openings and a rotatable feed element in said enclosure having metering recesses sequentially exposed to said top and bottom openings to convey metered quantities of material through said discharge conduit means.

31. The lawn treating machine of claim 30, and adjustable cover means, slidably mounted on the discharge conduit means over the enclosure for regulating the admission of material to said top opening.

32. The lawn treating machine of claim 30, and the means to rotate said feed element at a speed in accordance with the speed of said first pair of supporting wheels.

33. The lawn treating machine of claim 29, and wherein said hopper means comprises a plurality of compartments communicating with said discharge conduit means for simultaneously distributing materials contained in said compartments.

34. The lawn treating machine of claim 29, and a ground-scarifying assembly pivoted on a horizontal axis to said rear body section, and means to selectively raise and lower said ground-scarifying assembly.

35. The lawn treating machine as set forth in claim 34, wherein said ground scarifying assembly comprises a transversely extending shaft and a plurality of blade assemblies mounted on said shaft for independent rotation about said shaft and independent tilting movement toward and away from each other whereby said blade assemblies will automatically and independently adjust to the contour and nature of the ground surface.

36. The lawn treating machine of claim 35, and wherein said shaft is provided with spaced bearing members, said blade assemblies being rotatably supported on said bearing members, and means biasing said blade assemblies into a substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other.

37. The lawn treating machine of claim 36, and wherein said raising and lowering means comprises hydraulic cylinder means connecting said supporting arms to said rear body section.

38. The lawn treating machine of claim 29, and rotatable feed means in said hopper discharge conduit means, means to drive said feed means at a speed in accordance with the speed of said first pair of supporting wheels, and means adjacent the operator'"'"'s seat to at times deactivate said feed means independently of the operation of said first pair of supporting wheels.