Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Obiects of the Invention
This invention relates to a tree mover for relocating small
trees.
An object of this invention is to provide a tree mover
including buckets which are adapted to dig a hole to receive a
tree, dig up a tree and unload such tree, with the root ball, in
the hole.
A further object is to provide a tree mover with a simple
rugged mechanism.
A further object of this invention in its preferred
embodiment is to provide a tree mover, the working parts of which
can readily be disassembled for repair.
A further object of this invention in its preferred
embodiment is to provide a tree mover including provision against
damage to its mechanism if an obstruction is encountered.
Another object of this invention is to make provision for
retaining the integrity of the root ball while it is being
unloaded onto a hole.
It is also an object of this invention to control the tree
while it is being unloaded so that the tree will be straight.
It is another object of this invention to enable soil to be
cleaned from the buckets.
Brief Description of the Invention
A tree mover is provided 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 a closed position
for lifting, means for pivotally moving said loader buckets about
said horizontal axes, a pusher blade pivotally mounted on each
of said buckets so as to be movabla 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 and
means for moving said pusher blade.
This is particularly advantageous for maintaining the
integrity of the root ball while a tree is being relocated. As
the buckets are lowered to deposit the tree in a hole which has
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been dug in a new location, the buckets are opened. At the same
time the buckets are lifted. Also at the same time, the pusher
blades are biased from a raised position towards a lower position
to support and follow the root ball to prevent the root ball from
breaking apart.
The pusher blades also function to clean off any dirt that
adheres to the inner surface of the buckets after digging or
planting a tree.
Brief Descr~~ption of the Drawings
In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment
of this invention:
Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a tree mover showing
the buckets in open position;
Figure 2 is a front perspective view of a tree mover showing
the buckets in closed position:
Figure 3 is a side perspective view of a tree mover
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2:
Figure 4 is a back perspective view illustrating part of the
tree mover shown in Figures 1 to 3.
Figure 5 is a front perspective view of an improved tree
mover including pusher blades and showing the buckets in closed
position;
Figure 6 is a detailed front perspective view of the
improved tree mover of Figure 5 in which the pusher blades are
in a raised position and the buckets are in open position.
Figure 7 is a detailed perspective view of the improved tree
mover of Figure 5 in which the pusher blades are in a lowered
position and the buckets are in open position;
Figure 8 is a front perspective view of a tractor, upon
which the improved tree mover of Figure 5 has been mounted. The
pusher blades are in a raised position and the buckets are
closed.
Detailed Description of the Drawings
Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings illustrate a tree mover
generally indicated by the number 10 mounted at the front of a
tractor 11. The tree mover comprises a generally C-shaped frame
12 consisting of transverse frame member 13 at each end of which
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is connected longitudinal frame members 14. At the rearward end
of frame 12 there are upright frame members 15, the tops of which
are joined by crosspiece 15A. Braces 16 are connected between
upright frame members 15 and longitudinal frame members 14.
Shafts 17 have bearings 18 located on the underside of
transverse member 13 and bearings 19 mounted on linkage arms 20
which are joined to plates 21 at the ends of longitudinal frame
members 14 by bolts 22. Buckets 23 are mounted on shafts 17 and
have cutting edges 24 at their bottoms. Buckets 23 include also
lateral brace members 25 and 26. Buckets 23 can easily be
removed for repair by removing bolts 22, and linkage arms 20,
together with bearing 19, and sliding shafts 17 forward out of
bearings 18.
Each of shafts 17 has a crank arm 27 at its forward end.
Links 28 joins each of crank arms 17 to an arm of a double crank
29 so that rotation of double crank 29 in one direction biases
loader buckets 23 towards each other to a closed position and
rotation of the double crank 29 in an opposite direction biases
the loader buckets away from each other to an open position.
Double crank 29 is mounted on crank shaft 30 which as best
shown in Figure 4, is supported by brackets 31 and 32. Bracket
31 is L-shaped and bolted by bolts 33 to transverse frame 13 so
that the lever mechanism can be disassembled by removing bolts
33.
Link 34 is rigidly mounted, such as by welding, to crank
shaft 30. Link 35 is loosely mounted on crank shaft 30. Shear
pin 36 connects links 34 and 35. Double acting hydraulic
cylinder 37 extends between link 35 and a supporting bracket 38
on frame member 13. Hydraulic cylinder 37 therefore acts
through links 34 and 35 and double crank 29 to open and close
buckets 23. Shear pin 36 protects the mechanism in the event
of an obstruction such as a boulder.
' A storage stand is provided by upright members 40 slidable
in sleeves 41 which are joined to transverse frame 13. Pins 42
engage holes 43 to hold member 40 in an appropriate position for
storage. The tree mover 10 is linked to tractor 11 by
connecting members 45 which extend upwardly and rearwardly from
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the lower parts of upright members 15 to which they are pivotally
joined by pins 46. Members 45 are secured to the tractor at
their other ends. A double acting hydraulic cylinder 47 is
connected between an upper part of upright member 15 and the
tractor so that actuating cylinder 47 is connected between an
upper part of upright member 15 and the tractor so that actuating
cylinder 47 causes buckets 23 to be raised or lowered between a
pasition in which buckets 23 are above ground level and position
in which they are below ground level. Connecting members 45 have
bracing members 48, because of the stress to which they will be
subjected by the action described below.
To operate the tree mover it is positioned with the buckets
23 in an open position as shown in Figure 1, each to one side of
the spot marked X and indicated by the numeral 50 where a tree
is to be planted. Pressure is exerted downwardly by hydraulic
loader cylinder 47 lifting most of the weight off the front
wheels 51 of the tractor. H~draulic cylinder 37 is then
actuated to move the buckets 23 to the closed position of Figure
2. Under normal conditions it should be possible to cut a hole
about 18" deep by 36" square at the top where dimension h in
Figure 2 is 18" and dimension d is 36".
The soil in buckets 23 is removed to a remote location. If,
however, it is desired to save some of the top soil to fill in
holes and air spaces around the tree after the tree is set in the
hole, successive cuts are made. The first cut may be 8" to 10"
deep to remove and retain the top soil. The depth of cut is
regulated by the downward pressure applied by the loader cylinder
47.
The tree mover is located in the position of Figure 1 with
the tree at location X. Downward pressure is exerted and the
tree with its adjacent roots and surrounding earth is scooped up.
Sometimes it is necessary to rock the cutting blades backwards
' and forwards as downward pressure is applied and the blades 24
of the buckets 23 are brought together. This may be required to
cut through thick roots, hard clay and gumbo soil.
The tree is then positioned over the hole that has
previously been dug. It~is lowered into the hole and levelled
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by controlling the bucket cylinder. The blades are then opened
and at the same time lifted to remove them.
Figures 5 to 8 illustrate an improvement to the tree mover
illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 in which pusher blades are provided
to assist in retaining the integrity of the root ball while a
tree is being unloaded into a hole. The pusher blades also will
help to keep the tree straight. Another function is to enable
soil adhering to the buckets to be removed. The structure and
function of the tree mover in Figures 5 to 8 is the same as
previously described with respect to Figures 1 to 4. Therefore
in the description that follows repetition of the description of
common parts will be avoided. The same numerals will be used for
similar parts.
In Figures 5 to 8, generally U-shaped pusher blades 51 and
52 are provided. Each includes a blade portion 53 extending
substantially parallel to, but slightly spaced from, the
concavely curved inner surface 54 of bucket 23, and supporting
arms 55 and 56 at each end of blade portion 53.
Brackets 57 are located on the brace members 25 of bucket
23 to give a mounting for pivot pins 58 which are the free ends
of supporting arms 55 and 56, so that pusher blades 51 and 52 may
be pivoted between the raised position shown in Figure 6 and the
lowered position illustrated in Figure 7. In the raised position
the blade is adjacent to the top of the inner surface 54 of
bucket 23 and in the lowered position is adjacent to the bottom
of surface 54.
Pivot pins 58 are located so that blades 53 are slightly
spacad from the inner surface 54 of bucket 23 throughout the
movement between raised and lowered position.
Hydraulic cylinder 60 controls blade 51 and hydraulic
cylinder 61 controls blade 52. Hydraulic cylinder 60 is
pivotally mounted by pivot pin 62 on upper bracket 63, which is
~ in turn welded to bucket 23. Pivot pin 64 connects hydraulic
cylinder 60 to lower bracket 65, which is mounted on supporting
arm 56 of pusher blade 51. Hydraulic cylinder 61 is similarly
mounted to control blade 52. When hydraulic cylinders 60 and 61
are extended, blades 51 and 52 will be in lowered position and
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when these cylinders are retracted blades 51 and 52 will be
biased to raised position
Hydraulic lines 66 and 67 provide hydraulic fluid to double
acting hydraulic cylinder 60 and separately controlled lines 68
and 69 provide hydraulic fluid to hydraulic cylinder 61.
Therefore hydraulic cylinders 60 and 61 can be actuated together
to raise or lower pusher blades 51 and 52 in unison.
Alternatively hydraulic cylinders 60 and 61 can be actuated
separately, which is useful for straightening out a tree that is
tilting to one side. '
As mounting bracket 63 is on bucket 23 and pusher blade 51
is pivotally mounted on brace 25 forming part of bucket 23, the
position of pusher blade 51 remains constant in relation to
bucket 23 as bucket 23 is opened and closed.
Description of Operation
When digging a hole for a tree to be planted, the pusher
blades 51 and 52 will be in a raised position as shown in Figure
6. Sometimes dirt will stick to the buckets. If so; pusher
blades 51 and 52 can be pivoted to the lowered position shown in
Figure 7, so as to sweep the dirt from the interior surface 54
of bucket 23. If there is dirt on only one bucket one of blades
51 and 52 can be actuated.
When it is desired to dig up a tree, blades 51 and 52 will
start in a raised position. The buckets will be open as shown
in Figure 6 and will be on each side of the tree to be dug up.
If necessary, the weight of the tractor may be used to drive the
buckets into the ground to scoop up the tree including the root
ball. The buckets are pivoted to a closed position and the tree
is lifted and transported to its new position where a hole has
already been dug.
It is desired to maintain the integrity of the root ball as
the tree is deposited in its new location. The root ball will
sometimes break apart using a tree mover as described in Figures
1 to 4. Therefore, in accordance with the improvement
illustrated in Figures 5-8, the tree is replanted in the
previously dug hole by lowering the buckets holding the tree into
the hole. The buckets are then carefully lifted and at the same
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time the buckets are rotated to an open position. At the same
time also the pusher blades 51 and 52 are pivoted down towards
a lowered position to support and follow the root ball so that
the root ball does not break apart.
If the tree appears to be crooked during the unloading
operation then the pusher blade can moved down faster on the high
side than on the low side (that is to say the side to which the
tree is inclined) to straighten the tree.
