Method and apparatus for an aerator with differential, steering assist and power lifting

• US 6,708,773 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Turfco Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Hansen, Loren F., Isaman, Thomas E., Brophy, Robert, Kotula, Donavon D., Kinkead, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US10/293,528
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 172/21, 172/22, 172/42, 172/43, 172/48, 172/51, 172/245, 172/247, 172/250, 172/253, 172/540-544, 172/611, 172/662, 172/705, 562/56, 562/95, 111/135
• US Class Current: 172/21
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/082 Transmissions; Gearings; Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 45/026 Scarifiers comprising a knife reel actively driven around a substantially horizontal shaft

Abstract

An aerator that allows the operator to make a turn with the machine while the tines are still in contact with the turf through the use of a differential shaft and brakes that enhance the maneuverability of the machine. The aerator is fitted with a mechanical gear type differential on an intermediate drive shaft that provides for automatic, separate and variable rotational motion of the individual halves of the tine shaft. This differential apparatus also provides constant and equal torque application to both sides of the tine wheel assembly simultaneously while the machine is operating. This insures that tine penetration into the turf is equal on both sides at all times. The tine shaft halves are designed and mounted in such manner as to allow each half (left and right sides) to be driven by separate chains from the differential shaft. This design results in a desired variation in the speed of rotation of the two halves that facilitates turning the unit. The differential mechanism is also functional in driving the transport rollers at the front of the machine. The improved aerator is also fitted with brakes installed on each side of the unit which can reduce the speed of rotation of the separate tine wheel halves and the individual drive rollers on the front of the unit, thus increasing the steering efficiency and a spring-actuated lift assist to help the operator raise the unit into the transport position. The aerator includes heavy duty springs on both sides of the unit to apply equal forces to both of the transport wheel lift members. A release mechanism operated from the handle bar is provided to allow the operator to disengage the retaining latches, which will allow these springs to pull the transport wheels under the unit thus raising the tine shaft halves. The aerator also incorporates drums of sufficient mass so as to not require the addition of water or other additional weighting methods.

Claims

1. A turf aerator, comprising:

a) a frame;

b) an engine mounted on the frame for powering the aerator having a power take-off shaft;

c) a pair of tine shafts rotatably mounted in the frame, each tine shaft having a plurality of tines thereon for aerating the turf; and

d) a differential shaft mounted to the frame operatively connected to and clutched with the power take-off shaft and further operatively connected to each tine shaft as to give variable rotation to each tine shaft.

2. The aerator of claim 1, wherein the differential shaft has a left side and a right side and further comprising a hand-actuated brake on each side of the differential shaft to variably control the rotation of the differential shaft and the tine shafts.

3. The aerator of claim 1, further comprising a pair of roller shafts rotatably mounted in the frame with a drive roller on each shaft and each roller shaft being operatively connected to a left side or a right side of the differential shaft, respectively.

4. The aerator of claim 3, wherein the differential shaft'"'"'s operational connections to the tine shafts and roller shafts are outside the frame for easy servicing.

5. The aerator of claim 1, further comprising a biased lifting assembly mounted to and below the frame for lifting and holding the tines out of the turf to place the aerator in a biased transportation mode from an operational mode.

6. The aerator of claim 3, wherein the drive rollers are molded directly to the roller shafts and wherein the drive rollers and roller shafts are sufficiently massive such that the addition of water to the drive roller, or other weighting method, is not required to facilitate penetration of the tines into the turf.

7. The aerator of claim 1, further comprising:

a steering handle, the steering handle being mounted to the frame;

a pair of brake levers; and

a pair of brake hand guards, the brake levers and hand guards being mounted on the steering handle.

8. The aerator of claim 1, further comprising a differential shaft coupling disposed on the differential shaft, wherein the coupling allows for disassembly of the differential shaft for maintenance and servicing.

9. A turf aerator comprising:

a) a frame;

b) an engine mounted on the frame for powering the aerator having a power take-off shaft;

c) a pair of tine shafts rotatably mounted in the frame, each tine shaft having a plurality of tines thereon for aerating the turf and differentially operatively connected to and clutched with the power take-off shaft as to give variable rotation to each tine shaft; and

d) left side and right side hand-actuated brakes operatively connected to the tine shafts to variably control the rotation of the tine shafts.

10. The aerator for claim 9, further comprising a differential shaft mounted to the frame operatively connected and clutched with the power take-off shaft and operatively connected to each tine shaft.

11. The aerator of claim 10, wherein the differential shaft has a left side and a right side wherein the hand-activated brakes are on each side of the differential shaft to variably control the rotation of the differential shaft and the tine shafts.

12. The aerator of claim 10, further comprising a pair of roller shafts rotatably mounted in the frame with a drive roller on each shaft and each roller shaft being operatively connected to the differential shaft.

13. The aerator of claim 12, wherein the differential shaft'"'"'s operational connections to the tine shafts and the roller shafts are outside the frame for easy servicing.

14. The aerator of claim 9, further comprising a biased lifting assembly mounted to and below the frame for lifting and holding the tines out of the turf to place the aerator in a biased transportation mode from an operational mode.

15. The aerator of claim 12, wherein the drive rollers are molded directly to the roller shafts and wherein the drive rollers and roller shafts are sufficiently massive such that the addition of water to the drive rollers, or other weighting method, is not required to facilitate penetration of the tines into the turf.

16. The aerator of claim 9, further comprising:

a steering handle, the steering handle being mounted to the frame;

a pair of brake levers; and

a pair of brake hand guards, the brake levers and hand guards being mounted to the steering handle.

17. The aerator of claim 10, further comprising a differential shaft coupling disposed on the differential shaft, wherein the coupling allows for disassembly of the differential shaft for maintenance and servicing.

18. A turf aerator, comprising:

a) a frame;

b) an engine mounted on the frame for powering the aerator having a power take-off shaft;

c) a pair of tine shafts rotatably mounted in the frame, each tine shaft having a plurality of tines thereon for aerating the turf and differentially operatively connected to and clutched with the power take-off shaft as to give variable rotation to each tine shaft; and

d) a pair of roller shafts rotatable mounted in the frame with a drive roller on each shaft and each roller shaft being differentially operatively connected to and clutched with the power take-off shaft as to give variable rotation to each roller.

19. The aerator of claim 18, further comprising a differential shaft mounted to the frame operatively connected and clutched with the power take-off shaft and operatively connected to each tine shaft and each roller shaft.

20. The aerator of claim 19, wherein the differential shaft has a left side and a right side and further comprising a hand-activated brake on each side of the differential shaft to variably control the rotation of the differential shaft, the tine shafts and the roller shafts.

21. The aerator of claim 19, wherein the differential shaft'"'"'s operational connections to the tine shafts and roller shafts are outside the frame for easy servicing.

22. The aerator of claim 18, further comprising a biased lifting assembly below the frame for lifting and holding the tines out of the turf to place the aerator in a biased transportation mode from an operational mode.

23. The aerator of claim 18, wherein the drive rollers are molded directly to the roller shafts and wherein the drive rollers and roller shafts are sufficiently massive such that the addition of water to the drive rollers, or other weighting method, is not required to facilitate penetration of the tines into the turf.

24. The aerator of claim 18, further comprising:

a steering handle, the steering handle being mounted to the frame;

a pair of brake levers; and

a pair of brake hand guards, the brake levers and hand guards being mounted to the steering handle.

25. The aerator of claim 19, further comprising a differential shaft coupling disposed on the differential shaft, wherein the coupling allows for disassembly of the differential shaft for maintenance and servicing.

26. A turf aerator, comprising:

a) a frame;

b) an engine mounted on the frame for powering the aerator having a power take-off shaft;

c) a pair of tine shafts rotatably mounted in the frame, each tine shaft having a plurality of tines thereon for aerating the turf and differentially operatively connected to and clutched with the power take-off shaft as to give variable rotational to each tine shaft; and

d) a biased lifting assembly with wheels mounted below the frame for lifting and holding the tines out of the turf to place the aerator in the biased transportation mode from an operational mode.

27. The aerator of claim 26, further comprising a differential shaft mounted to the frame operatively connected and clutched with the power take-off shaft and operatively connected to each tine shaft.

28. The aerator of claim 27, wherein the differential shaft has a left side and a right side and further comprising a hand-activated brake on each side of the differential shaft to variably control the rotation of the differential shaft and the tine shafts.

29. The aerator of claim 27, further comprising a pair of roller shafts rotatably mounted in the frame with a drive roller on each shaft and each roller shaft being operatively connected to a left side or a right side of the differential shaft, respectively.

30. The aerator of claim 29, wherein the differential shaft'"'"'s operational connections to the tine shafts and roller shafts are outside the frame for easy servicing.

31. The aerator of claim 29, wherein the drive rollers are molded directly to the roller shafts and wherein the drive rollers and roller shafts are sufficiently massive such that the addition of water to the drive rollers, or other weighting method, is not required to facilitate penetration of the tines into the turf.

32. The aerator of claim 26, further comprising:

a steering handle, the steering handle being mounted to the frame;

a pair of brake levers; and

a pair of brake hand guards, the brake levers and hand guards being mounted to the steering handle.

33. The aerator of claim 27, further comprising a differential shaft coupling disposed on the differential shaft, wherein the coupling allows for disassembly of the differential shaft for maintenance and servicing.

34. A turf aerator, comprising:

a) a frame;

b) an engine mounted on the frame for powering the aerator having a power take-off shaft;

c) a pair of tine shafts rotatably mounted in the frame, each tine shaft having a plurality of tines thereon for aerating the turf;

d) a differential shaft with a left side and a right side mounted to the frame operatively connected to and clutched with the power take-off shaft and further operatively connected to each tine shaft as to give variable rotation to each tine shaft;

e) left side and right side hand-activated brakes on each side of the differential shaft to variably control the rotation of the differential shaft;

f) a pair of roller shafts rotatably mounted to the frame with a drive roller on each shaft and each roller shaft being operatively connected to the left side or the right side of the differential shaft, respectively, wherein the drive rollers are molded directly to the roller shafts and wherein the drive rollers and roller shafts are sufficiently massive such that the addition of water to the drive rollers, or other weighting method, is not required to facilitate penetration of the tines into the turf;

g) a biased lifting assembly mounted to and below the frame for lifting and holding the tines out of the turf to place the aerator in a biased transportation mode from an operational mode;

h) brake levers and brake hand guards, the brake levers and hand guards being mounted on a steering handle, the steering handle being mounted to the frame; and

i) a differential shaft coupling disposed on the differential shaft, wherein the coupling allows for disassembly of the differential shaft for maintenance and servicing.

35. Method of turning a powered aerator, said method comprising:

engaging the clutching system, thus transferring power from the engine to the tine shaft and drive rollers such that the aerator is driven forwardly;

actuating the left brake to slow the rotation of the left side of the differential shaft which slows the rotation of the left tine shaft and left drive roller, causing the aerator to turn to the left with a concomitant increase in the rotational speed of the right tine shaft and the right drive roller; and

actuating the right brake to slow the rotation of the right side of the differential shaft which slows the rotation of the right tine shaft and right drive roller, causing the aerator to turn to the right with a concomitant increase in the rotational speed of the left tine shaft and left drive roller.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

applying pressure by the operator on the right side of the steering handle resulting in the slowing of rotation of the left side of the differential shaft which slows the rotation of the left tine shaft and the left drive roller while the rotational speed of the right tine shaft and the right drive roller increase, causing the aerator to turn to the left; and

applying pressure by the operator on the left side of the steering handle resulting in the slowing of the rotation of the right side of the differential shaft which slows the rotation of the right tine shaft and the right drive roller while the rotational speed of the left tine shaft and the left drive roller increase, causing the aerator to turn to the right.