Skimmer

• US 6,913,086 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Timothy J. Stevens
• Original Assignee: Timothy J. Stevens
• Inventors: Stevens, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US10/230,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20040040725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 172/19, 172/20, 172/815, 172/817, 172/787, 172/791, 172/786, 172/195, 172/197, 172/199, 172/684.5, 373/02, 374/44, 374/10, 374/11, 171/67, 171/45
• US Class Current: 172/815
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 31/00 Drags graders for field cultivators graders in general E02F
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 35/14 with rigid tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 45/00 Machines for treating meadows or lawns , e.g. for sports grounds
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/7618 with the scraper blade adjustable relative to the pivoting arms about a horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/962 Mounting of implements directly on tools already attached to the machine E02F3/404 and E02F3/8152 take precedence

Abstract

Apparatus and method for shearing a soil layer and removing it is provided. An apparatus in accord with the present invention has a frame mounting a shearing blade reciprocally movable substantially vertically into an operational position where the shearing blade will extend below the ground surface to shear the layer of soil above the shearing blade from the soil beneath it. An apparatus will also have a pushing blade mounted for use in pushing sheared soil. In a method in accord with the present invention, apparatus is provided that includes a shearing blade and a pushing blade. Each of the blades is positionable in operational and non-operational positions. The pushing blade is placed in its non-operational position and the shearing blade is placed in the operational position and is used to shear an upper layer of soil to a desired depth to produce a sheared soil layer and to create a new surface layer below the sheared soil layer. The shearing blade is then placed in its non-operational position and the pushing blade is placed in its operational position and is used to push the sheared soil layer off the new surface layer.

Claims

1. A skimmer comprising:

a frame including a pair of side walls;

a shearing blade mounted by said frame side walls for substantially vertical, reciprocal motion relative to said frame side walls; and

a pushing blade mounted by said frame side walls for reciprocal pivotal motion relative to said frame side walls,

wherein said shearing blade is positionable in the ground for shearing the soil above the blade from the soil beneath said blade to create a sheared soil layer while leaving the sheared soil layer substantially in place.

2. The skimmer of claim 1 and further including means for mounting said skimmer to a motive power source.

3. The skimmer of claim 1 and further including means for alternately disposing said shearing blade in operational and non-operational positions.

4. The skimmer of claim 3 and further including means for alternately disposing said pushing blade in operational and non-operational positions.

5. The skimmer of claim 3 and further including means for alternately disposing said pushing blade in an operational position when said shearing blade is in its non-operational position and for disposing said pushing blade in its non-operational position when said shearing blade is in its operational position.

6. The skimmer of claim 3 wherein each of said frame side walls includes a bottom edge and further includes a skid plate attached to said bottom edge of said frame side wall.

7. The skimmer of claim 1 wherein said shearing blade comprises at least bottom, front and rear shearing blade surfaces and wherein the intersection of the front and bottom shearing blade surfaces provides a front cutting edge and the intersection of the rear and bottom shearing blade surfaces provides a rear cutting edge.

8. The skimmer of claim 7 wherein said shearing blade further includes a top surface.

9. The skimmer of claim 8 wherein said shearing blade has a substantially trapezoidal configuration.

10. The skimmer of claim 9 wherein said shearing blade has a substantially trapezoidal configuration.

11. A skimmer comprising:

a frame including a pair of side walls;

a shearing blade apparatus including a shearing blade, said shearing blade mounted by said frame side walls for substantially vertical, reciprocal motion relative to said frame side walls, said shearing blade comprising at least bottom, front and rear shearing blade surfaces, wherein the intersection of the front and bottom shearing blade surfaces provides a front cutting edge and the intersection of the rear and bottom shearing blade surfaces provides a rear cutting edge; and

a pushing blade apparatus including a pushing blade, said pushing blade mounted by said frame side walls for reciprocal pivotal motion relative to said frame side walls,

wherein said shearing blade is positionable in the ground for shearing the soil above the blade from the soil beneath said blade to create a sheared soil layer while leaving the sheared soil layer substantially in place.

12. The skimmer of claim 11 wherein said shearing blade includes a pair of ends and said shearing blade apparatus includes a pair of shearing blade end plates attached to said shearing blade ends.

13. The skimmer of claim 12 wherein each said frame side wall includes a pair of guide plates attached thereto, each said guide plate pair being space apart to slidably receive therebetween an end plate of said shearing blade apparatus.

14. The skimmer of claim 11 and further including means for mounting said skimmer to a motive power source.

15. The skimmer of claim 11 and further including means for alternately disposing said shearing blade in operational and non-operational positions.

16. The skimmer of claim 15 and further including means for alternately disposing said pushing blade in operational and non-operational positions.

17. The skimmer of claim 15 and further including means for alternately disposing said pushing blade in an operational position when said shearing blade is in its non-operational position and for disposing said pushing blade in its non-operational position when said shearing blade is in its operational position.

18. The skimmer of claim 15 wherein each of said frame side walls includes a bottom edge and further includes a skid plate attached to said bottom edge of said frame side wall.

19. The skimmer of claim 11 wherein said shearing blade further includes a top surface.

20. A skimmer comprising:

a frame including a pair of side walls;

a shearing blade apparatus including a shearing blade, said shearing blade mounted by said frame side walls for substantially vertical, reciprocal motion relative to said frame side walls and including a pair of ends and said shearing blade apparatus includes a pair of shearing blade end plates attached to said shearing blade ends; and

a pushing blade apparatus including a pushing blade, said pushing blade mounted by said frame side walls for reciprocal pivotal motion relative to said frame side walls;

wherein each said frame side wall includes a pair of guide plates attached thereto, each said guide plate pair being space apart to slidably receive therebetween a shearing blade end plate.

21. The skimmer of claim 20 wherein said shearing blade comprises at least bottom, front and rear shearing blade surfaces and wherein the intersection of the front and bottom shearing blade surfaces provides a front cutting edge and the intersection of the rear and bottom shearing blade surfaces provides a rear cutting edge.

22. The skimmer of claim 20 wherein said shearing blade is positionable in the ground for shearing the soil above the blade from the soil beneath said blade to create a sheared soil layer while leaving the sheared soil layer substantially in place.