Rotary tiller device adapted for chopping

• US 4,044,841 A
• Filed: 06/27/1975
• Issued: 08/30/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smitty's, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smitty's, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Alexander, Baggs, Burton D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shapiro, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US05/591,098
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 172/63, 172/68, 172/70, 172/72, 172/112, 172/118, 172/119, 172/121, 172/122, 172/540, 172/552
• US Class Current: 172/72
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/021 with rigid tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/022 at least one tool being actively driven

Abstract

A device in the nature of a rotary tiller equipped for traveling through fields as well as uneven terrain, for effectively chopping up encountered clods, vegetation and debris, and mixing same with the soil. We utilize a framework in which either of two different types of bladed, couner-rotating rotors may be effectively mounted, with one type of rotor having a number of outwardly extending teeth that are adapted for penetrating the ground as the tiller device moves thereover. The outermost portion of each tooth is provided with a novel cutting blade, which may interact with a stationary shear bar, with this type of blade being well adapted for chopping up encountered vegetation and for mixing it thoroughly with the soil. Another type of blade usable in our rotary tiller is a cylindrially-shaped gumbo rotor, utilizing a number of essentially flat, peripherally disposed blades, each of substantially rectangular configuration, which blades are oriented such that their principal surfaces each form a part of the exterior of the cylinder, and with each blade having a long edge that is sharpened, and caused to engage the soil. This latter type of rotor advantageously will not clog or become ineffective, even in very sticky soil. Our tiller device is equipped for mounting either type of rotor in such a manner that the depth of cut can be carefully controlled, and such that the closeness of the toothed blade to the shear bar can be carefully controlled. We preferably utilize a spring bias arrangement in the fore and aft positioning of the rotor, such that upon a hard obstacle becoming lodged between the shear bar and the rotor teeth, the spring bias can be overcome in such a way as to cause an enlargement of the distance between the teeth and the shear bar, such that the obstruction can pass through. Other features of our invention include the use of at least one skirt on the rear of the device for assuring a highly satisfactory leveling action.

Claims

1. A tiller for cutting and mulching vegetation, comprising a framework, an elongate, ground-engaging rotor mounted for rotation with respect to said framework, and a cooperative cover essentially surrounding the upper portion of said rotor but spaced above said rotor for a substantial distance to define the upper boundaries of a large mixing chamber, said mixing chamber also having forward and rear walls, said framework having rolling support means, means for driving said rotor in a rotative direction opposite to that of said rolling support means, said rotor having a plurality of blade means that serve to forcefully engage the ground and bring about a cross-mix of earth and vegetation into a fluidized conglomerate in said mixing chamber, deflector means closely adjacent the path of travel of said blade means, and disposed above the lower edge of the forward wall of said mixing chamber, said deflector means extending in a longitudinal direction for essentially the length of said rotor, and extending along the arc of travel of said blade means for several inches, being disposed within approximately one inch of the path of travel of said blade means, said deflector means serving to intercept earth thrown off from said rotor blades and directed toward or parallel to said forward wall, and functioning to redirect such earth rearwardly over said rotor.

2. The tiller as defined in claim 1 in which leveling means are utilized for leveling the earth falling on the ground behind said rotor, said leveling means including skirt member hingedly disposed behind the rotor and adjacent thereto, with the lowermost edge of said skirt being in direct contact with the tilled earth.

3. The tiller as defined in claim 1 in which said rear wall of said mixing chamber is dependently hinged for limited motion responsive to the rate of flow of said fluidized conglomerate through said mixing chamber.

4. The tiller as defined in claim 1 in which said rotor has a multiplicity of cutting blades, and said framework has a fixed shear bar arranged to interact with peripheral portions of said cutting blades, thus to enable a cutting of heavy vegetation.

5. The tiller as defined in claim 4 in which the position of said rotor can be adjusted with respect to said framework, such adjustment including the establishment of a desired spacing between the peripheral portions of said cutting blades, and said shear bar.

6. The tiller as defined in claim 1 in which said blade means are disposed in a helical array around said rotor.

7. The tiller as defined in claim 1 in which said blade means are disposed in three separate but interlaced helical arrays around said rotor.

8. The tiller as defined in claim 7 in which a majority of said blade means involve two separate components, blade bases secured along a central portion of said rotor, and cutting means removably secured to said bases.

9. The tiller as defined in claim 1 in which said rotor is readily adjustable with respect to said framework in a depthwise attitude.

10. A tiller as defined in claim 1 in which said rotor is generally cylindrical, with the outer surface thereof being principally made up of a plurality of generally rectangularly shaped blades disposed in a spaced array, each of such blades having at least one long edge that has been sharpened, said blades being oriented such that principal surfaces thereof each form a part of the exterior of the cylinder, and such that their sharpened edges as well as their principal axes are essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotor, the rotary direction of said rotor being such as to bring the sharpened edges of said blades into contact with the ground.

11. A tiller for cutting and mulching vegetation, comprising a framework, an elongate, ground-engaging rotor mounted for rotation with respect to said framework, and a cooperative cover essentially surrounding the upper portion of said rotor but spaced above said rotor for a substantial distance to define the upper boundaries of a large mixing chamber, said mixing chamber also having forward and rear walls, said framework having rolling support means, means for driving said rotor in a rotative direction opposite to that of said rolling support means, said rotor having a plurality of blade means that serve to forcefully engage the ground and bring about a cross-mix of earth and vegetation into a fluidized conglomerate in said mixing chamber, said blade means involving a multiplicity of cutting blades, said framework having a fixed shear bar arranged to interact with peripheral portions of said cutting blades, thus to enable a cutting of heavy vegetation, deflector means disposed closely adjacent the path of travel of said blade means, and disposed above the lower edge of the forward wall of said mixing chamber, said deflector means serving to intercept earth thrown off from said rotor blades and directed toward or parallel to said forward wall, and functioning to redirect such earth rearwardly over said rotor, and spring bias means for biasing said rotor in such a way that its blades normally operate in close proximity to said shear bar, though not in metallic contact therewith, such bias means being at least partially overcome in the event a hard obstruction wedges between said shear bar and said blades, thus allowing an increase in the shear bar-blade spacing, such that the obstruction may pass through.

12. A tiller for cutting and mulching vegetation comprising a framework, an elongate, ground-engaging rotor mounted for rotation with respect to said framework, and a cooperative cover essentially surrounding the upper portion of said rotor but spaced above the rotor for a substantial distance to define a large mixing chamber, said tiller having rolling support means, means for driving said rotor in a rotative direction opposite to that of said rolling support means, said rotor having a plurality of blade means that serve to forcefully engage the ground and bring about a cross-mix of earth and vegetation into a fluidized conglomerate in said mixing chamber, with the action of said rotor causing the fluidized mixture of earth and vegetation to flow over said rotor and thence downwardly behind said rotor, upper and lower hinged skirts, said upper skirt forming at least a portion of the rear wall of said mixing chamber, with the position of said upper skirt being responsive to at least some degree to the rate of flow of the fluidized conglomerate flowing through said mixing chamber, said lower skirt having a lower edge generally in contact with the tilled earth, and arranged to level the fluidized mixture after it has been deposited on the ground, and means for accomplishing a ready adjustment of the position of said rotor with respect to said framework.

13. The tiller as defined in claim 12 in which said rotor has a multiplicity of cutting blades, and said framework has a fixed shear bar arranged to interact with peripheral portions of said cutting blades, to enable a cutting of heavy vegetation.

14. The tiller as defined in claim 13 in which said means for accomplishing an adjustment of rotor position involves establishment of a desired spacing between the peripheral portions of said cutting blades, and said shear bar.

15. The tiller as defined in claim 12 in which said blade means are disposed in a helical array around said rotor.

16. The tiller as defined in claim 12 in which said blade means are disposed in three separate but interlaced helical arrays around said rotor.

17. The tiller as defined in claim 12 in which a majority of said blade means each comprise a blade base secured along an axial portion of said rotor, and cutting means removably secured to said base.

18. The tiller as defined in claim 12 in which said rotor is vertically adjustable with respect to said rolling support means.

19. A tiller as defined in claim 12 in which said rotor is generally cylindrical, with the outer surface thereof being principally made up of a plurality of generally rectangularly shaped blades disposed in a spaced array, each of such blades having at least one long edge that has been sharpened, said blades being oriented such that principal surfaces thereof each form a part of the exterior of the cylinder, and such that their sharpened edges as well as their principal axes are essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotor, the rotary direction of said rotor being such as to bring the sharpened edges of said blades into contact with the ground.

20. The tiller as defined in claim 12 in which said mixing chamber has a forward wall, a lower portion of the inner surface of said forward wall of said mixing chamber being contoured, to deflect rearwardly, displaced material thrown essentially vertically by said rotor.

21. A tiller for cutting and mulching vegetation comprising a framework, an elongate, ground-engaging rotor mounted for rotation with respect to said framework, and a cooperative cover essentially surrounding the upper portion of said rotor but spaced above the rotor for a substantial distance to define a large mixing chamber, said tiller having rolling support means, means for driving said rotor in a rotative direction opposite to that of said rolling support means, said rotor having a plurality of blade means that serve to forcefully engage the ground and bring about a cross-mix of earth and vegetation into a fluidized conglomerate in said mixing chamber, with the action of said rotor causing the fluidized mixture of earth and vegetation to flow over said rotor and thence downwardly behind said rotor, means for leveling the mixture after it has been deposited on the ground, means for accomplishing a ready adjustment of the position of said rotor with respect to said framework, said rotor having a multiplicity of cutting blades, and said framework having a fixed shear bar arranged to interact with peripheral portions of said cutting blades, to enable a cutting of heavy vegetation, spring bias means for biasing said rotor toward said shear bar so that its blades normally operate in close proximity to said shear bar, and stop means cooperative with said spring bias means to maintain minimal separation between said shear bar and said blades, such bias means being at least partially overcome in the event a hard obstruction wedges between said shear bar and said blades, thus allowing an increase in the shear bar-blade spacing, such that the obstruction may pass through.

22. A tiller for cutting and mulching vegetation comprising a framework, an elongate, ground-engaging rotor mounted for rotation with respect to said framework, and a cooperative cover essentially surrounding the upper portion of said rotor but spaced above the rotor for a substantial distance to define a large mixing chamber, said tiller having rolling support means, means for driving said rotor in a rotative direction opposite to that of said rolling support means, said rotor having a plurality of blade means that serve to forcefully engage the ground and bring about a cross-mix of earth and vegetation into a fluidized conglomerate in said mixing chamber, with the action of said rotor causing the fluidized mixture of earth and vegetation to flow over said rotor and thence downwardly behind said rotor, a shear bar located along a lower interior portion of a forward part of said mixing chamber, said rotor being supported by a pair of housings, one at each end of said rotor, each housing containing means for driving said rotor in rotation, spring bias means disposed between each housing, and a respective portion of said framework, said spring bias means functioning to normally bias said rotor such that cutting blade portions of its blade means normally operate in close proximity to said shear bar, such bias means able to be overcome so as to permit an enlargement of the spacing between said cutting blade portions and said shear bar in the event a hard obstruction is encountered, thus to let such obstruction pass through.

23. The tiller as defined in claim 22 in which said housings are separately movable to permit local enlargement of the cutting blade-shear bar spacing, in the event an obstruction close to one of said housings is encountered.

24. The tiller as defined in claim 22 in which adjustment means are provided to enable ready modification of the normal cutting blade-shear bar spacing.

25. The tiller as defined in claim 22 in which adjustment means associated with the support of said housings are provided, such that height modifications of said housings with respect to the ground can be readily brought about, thus to effect change in the depth of cut of said rotor.

26. The tiller as defined in claim 22 in which said rotor is a toothed rotor, principally constituted by a plurality of blade bases secured in a spaced array around the periphery of a rotor drum, and extending down the length of the drum, a removable cutting blade portion of substantial length secured upon each of said blade bases, each cutting blade portion being in non-aligned relationship with adjacent cutting blade portions, but each cutting blade portion being in substantial parallelism with said shear bar at the instant of closest approach to said shear bar.

27. The tiller as defined in claim 26 in which each cutting blade portion also has a forwardly extending nose portion.

28. A toothed rotor in a rotary tiller with a stationary shear bar, said rotor comprising an elongate, cylindrically shaped rotor drum having mounting means at each end, enabling it to be rotatably mounted in a framework of said tiller upon which said shear bar is supported, a plurality of blade bases equiangularly disposed around the circumference of said drum at each of a number of locations along the length of said drum, with the blade bases at any one of such locations being rotationally displaced with respect to the position of the blade bases at adjacent locations, means on each of said blade bases for attaching an elongate cutting blade portion, with said cutting blade portion in each instance being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotor, said stationary shear bar mounted closely adjacent said cutting blade portions, and spring bias means normally operating to bias said rotor such that its blade portions normally operate in close proximity to said shear bar, though not in metallic contact therewith, such bias means being at least partially overcome in the event a hard obstruction wedges between said shear bar and said blade portions, thus allowing an increase in the shear bar-blade spacing, such that the obstruction may pass through.

29. The toothed rotor as defined in claim 28 in which said blade bases are disposed in a helical array on said rotor drum.

30. The toothed rotor as defined in claim 28 in which said blade bases are disposed in three interlaced helical arrays.

31. The toothed rotor as defined in claim 28 in which a nose portion extends forwardly from each cutting blade portion.

32. A rotor in a tiller with shear bar means, said rotor being generally cylindrical, and having mounting means at each end, enabling it to be rotatably mounted in a framework of said tiller adjacent said shear bar means, the outer surface of said rotor being principally made up of a plurality of generally rectangularly shaped blades equiangularly disposed around the circumference of said rotor at each of a number of locations along the length of said rotor, with the blades at any one of such locations being rotationally displaced with respect to the positions of the blades at adjacent locations, each of such blades having at least one long edge that has been sharpened, said blades being oriented such that their principal surfaces each form part of the exterior of the cylinder, and such that their sharpened edges as well as their principal axes are essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotor, the rotary direction of said rotor being such as to bring the sharpened edges of said blades into contact with the ground, means associated with said framework for supporting said shear bar means in such relationship to said rotor as to interact with the blades thereof without metallic contact therewith, and spring bias means for normally biasing said blades toward said shear bar means, with said bias means being at least partially overcome in the event a hard obstruction wedges between said blades and said shear bar means, thus allowing an increase in the shear bar-blade spacing, such that the obstruction may pass through.