Apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees and the like

• US 5,081,941 A
• Filed: 03/27/1990
• Issued: 01/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul R. Weeks
• Original Assignee: Paul R. Weeks
• Inventors: Weeks, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Dennis L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLSEN, ARLEN
• Application Number:
  US07/500,188
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 37/2 R, 37/2 P, 111/101, 83/928, 414/23
• US Class Current: 111/101
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/046 Transplanting devices using elements to be driven into the ground for making a container around the root ball

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees includes a plurality of blade assemblies mounted on a multi-sided, horizontally disposed frame for overlying and substantially surrounding an excavation site. Each blade assembly includes a curved tower and a blade mounted on a slide assembly for reciprocation along the tower to effect penetration of the excavation site, and hydraulic power means for effecting reciprocation of the blade and slide. The slide assembly includes pliable, replaceable materials such as plastic and brass as the contact and sliding surfaces between the tower and the slide assembly. The tower is pivotable between a plurality of operational positions so as to be useful with a plurality of blades to remove sections of earth from the excavation area having different sizes, i.e., widths and depths, and having different shapes, e.g., a conical shape having parabolically curved sides or a truncated shape having parabolically curved sides. The blades are either a plurality of tree spade blades of a single size or, preferably, asymmetrical blades having different sizes which are positioned to effectively use the weight of the vehicle to excavate an earth section which remains intact about the root system of the tree.

Claims

1. Apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees comprising:

a generally horizontally disposed multi-sided frame defining a substantially enclosed space for overlying and substantially surrounding an area to be excavated;

a plurality of blade assemblies mounted on said frame, each blade assembly including

a tower affixed to and extending upwardly from said frame, said tower being a one-piece construction having a curved shape;

a slide assembly mounted on and capable of sliding movement along said tower, said slide assembly having means mounted therein which contact said tower and on which said sliding movement occurs;

a blade affixed to and movable with said slide assembly, and

power means to actuate said blade and impart reciprocal movement thereto.

2. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 wherein said means mounted in said slide assembly which contact said tower comprise pliable materials.

3. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 wherein said frame is characterized further in that at least one side of said frame is pivotable outwardly with respect to said enclosed space to facilitate positioning of said frame about a tree to be excavated or transplanted.

4. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 wherein said blade has an asymmetrical shape.

5. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of blade assemblies includes blades having two sizes.

6. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 further comprising a vehicle to which said apparatus is attached and wherein there are four blade assemblies mounted on said frame at spaced positions 90 degrees apart with respect to the center line of said vehicle.

7. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 wherein said slide assembly further includes a mounting plate having the shape of said blade and wherein said blade is affixed to said mounting plate by bolts.

8. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 wherein said power means comprises hydraulic actuating means operatively connected to said blade.

9. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 wherein said tower is pivotally affixed to said frame to be pivotable to any one of a plurality of positions, each position being useful with a particular blade to provide an excavation having a particular size and shape.

10. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 wherein said means mounted in said slide assembly which contact said tower comprise plastic materials.

11. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 1 wherein said means mounted in said slide assembly which contact said tower comprise brass materials.

12. Apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees comprising:

a generally horizontally disposed multi-sided frame defining a substantially enclosed space for overlying and substantially surrounding an area to be excavated;

a plurality of blade assemblies mounted on said frame, each blade assembly including

a tower affixed to and extending upwardly from said frame;

a slide assembly mounted on and capable of sliding movement along said tower;

an asymmetrical blade affixed to and movable with said slide assembly, and

power means to actuate said blade and impart reciprocal movement thereto.

13. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 12 wherein said plurality of blade assemblies includes blades of two sizes.

14. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 12 further comprising a vehicle on which said apparatus is mounted, and wherein said plurality of blade assemblies comprises four blade assemblies mounted on said frame at spaced positions 90 degrees apart, two of said blades being larger than the other two, the two larger blades being mounted closer to said vehicle than the two smaller blades.

15. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 12 wherein said frame is further characterized in that at least one side of said frame is pivotable outwardly with respect to said enclosed space to facilitate positioning of said frame about a tree to be excavated or transplanted.

16. Apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees comprising:

a generally horizontally disposed multi-sided frame defining a substantially enclosed space for overlying and substantially surrounding the area to be excavated;

a plurality of blade assemblies mounted on said frame, each blade including

a tower pivotally affixed to and extending upwardly from said frame, said tower being a one-piece construction having a curved shape and being pivotable to any one of a plurality of positions to excavate any one of a plurality of earth shapes;

a slide assembly mounted on and capable of sliding movement along said tower, said slide assembly having pliable means therein which contact said tower and on which said sliding movement occurs, and having a mounting plate thereon;

an asymmetrical blade affixed to said slide assembly mounting plate; and

power means to actuate said blade and impart reciprocal movement thereto.

17. An apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees according to claim 16 further comprising asymmetrical blades of two sizes.