Tree mover

• US 5,348,361 A
• Filed: 05/13/1993
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Ilchuk
• Original Assignee: John Ilchuk
• Inventors: Ilchuk, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer, Dean J.
• Application Number:
  US08/060,061
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 294/50, 294/50.5, 294/68.23, 294/88, 414/624, 414/625, 37/183 R, 37/186, 37/187, 37/188, 37/901, 172/233, 56/400.08, 56/400.1
• US Class Current: 294/68.23
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/046 Transplanting devices using elements to be driven into the ground for making a container around the root ball
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 3/16 by fluid motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 37/901 Bucket cleaners

Abstract

This invention relates to a tree mover for relocating small trees. The tree mover is designed to dig a hole to receive a tree having a root ball, dig up a tree and deposit a tree in a hole. The tree mover comprises loader buckets having concave inner surfaces pivoted between an open position for digging and a closed position for lifting. Pusher blades are mounted so as to be closely spaced from said inner surfaces and to be movable between a raised position and a lowered position. These pusher blades enable the integrity of a root ball of a tree to be retained. They also may be used to clean dirt from the surface of the bucket.

Claims

1. A tree mover comprising a supporting frame, a pair of loader buckets having concave inner surfaces mounted on said frame for pivotal movement about substantially horizontal axes between an open position for digging and closed position for lifting, means for pivotally moving said loader buckets about said horizontal axes, a generally U-shaped pusher blade, including a blade portion and supporting arms at each end of the blade portion, pivotally mounted on each of said buckets so as to be movable between a raised position and a lowered position with the pusher blade being closely spaced from the inner surface of the bucket throughout such movement, a first bracket mounted on one of said supporting arms and a second bracket mounted on a loader bucket and in which a double acting hydraulic cylinder is pivotally connected to the first and second brackets to bias the pusher blade between its raised and lowered position and means for moving said pusher blade.

2. A tree mover as in claim 1 in which the pusher blades mounted on each of the buckets are independently controlled.

3. A tree mover comprising a generally C-shaped supporting frame with braced upright frame members at its rearward end, said supporting frame being adapted for attachment at its rear end to the front of a tractor, a pair of spaced forwardly extending shafts pivotally mounted on said frame, a loader bucket having a concave inwardly facing surface and having a cutting edge at its bottom mounted at its upper end on each of said shafts for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a crank arm connected to each of said shafts, a link joining each of said crank arms to an arm of a double crank which is mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis so that rotation of the double crank in one direction biases the loader buckets away from each other in unison to an open position, a double acting hydraulic cylinder for rotating said double crank in one direction or the opposite direction and means for raising said loader buckets and lowering them below ground level to lift most of the weight of the front of the tractor off the ground so as to impart downward pressure for digging from the weight of said tractor forcing said cutting edges into the ground, and a pusher blade mounted to sweep said concave inwardly facing surface, means for actuating said pusher blade, said pusher blade having a first bracket and a second bracket and hydraulic means pivotally connected to the first and second brackets to provide said means for actuating said pusher blade.

4. A tree mover as in claim 3 in which each pusher blade is separately controlled.