Tilling machine, method of use and method of gardening

• US 6,516,542 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David McClure
• Original Assignee: David McClure
• Inventors: McClure, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson, Victor
• Application Number:
  US09/970,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20020020084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 371/425, 373/66, 373/67, 373/68, 371/39, 374/62, 374/65, 373/47, 371/95, 374/03, 374/04, 374/10, 172/42, 172/107, 172/817, 172/329, 172/245, 172/247
• US Class Current: 37/142.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/028 of the walk-behind type walk-type tractors B62D51/04
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/16 with special additional arrangements A01B49/00 takes precedence; for sowing or fertilising A01B49/06
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 51/02 propelled by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/02 combined with other agricultural processing, e.g. fertilising, planting

Abstract

A tilling machine having independently driven wheels and a generally V-shaped plow. Tilling machine comprises digging chain that moves between a raised position and a lowered position, a housing carried by front wheels and rear casters, a motor that drives front wheels to propel housing, a guide wheel that aligns tilling machine with trench upon a second pass, and a generally V-shaped plow, wherein the plow may be positioned on the front or the rear to collect and deposit the dirt surrounding the trench into the trench. A method of gardening/landscaping wherein a trench is dug by a first pass, soil amendments are added to the trench, and then on the second pass, the excavated dirt is plowed back into the trench and mixed with the amendments. A method of gardening/landscaping wherein vegetation cover between trenched rows is maintained thus utilizing only the ground area that is needed for planting.

Claims

1. A tilling machine comprising:

a housing having a front end and a rear end;

digging means carried by said housing for digging a trench into the ground;

propelling means carried by said housing for moving said housing; and

a generally V-shaped plow means carried by said housing for collecting dirt surrounding the trench and depositing the dirt into the trench;

further comprising roller guide means carried by said housing for guiding said tilling machine over the trench.

2. The tilling machine of claim 1, wherein said generally V-shaped plow means is carried by said front end of said housing.

3. The tilling machine of claim 1, wherein said generally V-shaped plow means is carried by said rear end of said housing.

4. The tilling machine of claim 1, wherein said roller guide means is a wheel dimensioned to be received by the trench.

5. The tilling machine of claim 1, further comprising at least a right wheel and at least a left wheel carried by said housing, said propelling means capable of independently driving said left wheel such that said housing is rotatable within a horizontal plane in a clock-wise direction.

6. The tilling machine of claim 1, further comprising at least a right wheel and at least a left wheel carried by said housing, said propelling means capable of independently driving said right wheel such that said housing is rotatable within a horizontal plane in a counter clock-wise direction.

7. The tilling machine of claim 1, further comprising a handle assembly pivotably attached to said housing, said handle assembly capable of rotating in a horizontal plane.

8. The tilling machine of claim 1, wherein said digging means mixes amendments with said dirt deposited into the trench.

9. A trenching machine comprising:

a housing having a front end and a rear end;

digging means carried by said housing for digging a trench into the ground, said digging means positioned near said front end of said housing;

propelling means carried by said housing for moving said housing;

a plow defined by two nonparallel plates, said plates capable of pushing dirt into the trench; and

a handle assembly, said handle assembly capable of rotating in a horizontal plane;

further comprising roller guide means carried by said housing for guiding said tilling machine over the trench.

10. The trenching machine of claim 9, wherein said roller guide means is a wheel dimensioned to be received by the trench.

11. The trenching machine of claim 10, wherein said wheel is positioned proximately centered between said two nonparallel plates.

12. The trenching machine of claim 9, wherein said plow is carried proximal to said first end of said housing.

13. The trenching machine of claim 9, wherein said plow is carried by said second end of said housing.

14. The trenching machine of claim 9, wherein said plow generally forms a V shape.

15. The trenching machine of claim 9, further comprising at least a right wheel and at least a left wheel carried by said housing, said propelling means capable of independently driving said left wheel and said right wheel.

16. A method of gardening, trenching, and collecting the dirt surrounding a trench comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining a tilling machine comprising a housing having a front end and a rear end;

digging means carried by said housing for digging a trench into the ground;

propelling means carried by said housing for moving said housing;

roller guide means for guiding said tilling machine over said trench;

a generally V-shaped plow means for collecting the dirt surrounding the trench and depositing said dirt into the trench; and

b. digging in a first pass at least one elongated trench in an untilled ground area utilizing said tilling machine, thereby creating piles of dirt adjacent to and along the length of both sides of the trench.

17. The method of gardening of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

c. making a second pass with said tilling machine, wherein said generally V-shaped plow means plows the piles of dirt created by said first pass into the trench.

18. The method of gardening of claim 16, wherein said digging means mixes amendments with said dirt.