Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MICRO-TILLER MODULE
BACKGROUND
1. Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for working the
earth in situ
including an earth working element which cuts into the ground and has a
rolling motion as
it is positively moved with respect to its support with a continuous or cyclic
motion.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
[0002] U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,059 discloses a combined garden cultivator and
lawn
edger. In the '059 patent, an elongated inclined support arm is provided and a
horizontal
transverse shaft member is journaled from the lower end of the support arm and
supports a
rotary blade assembly thereon spaced to one side of the support arm. An
electric motor is
supported from the upper end of the support arm and includes an output shaft
paralleling
the support arm and extending downwardly along the latter toward the lower end
thereof
from which a right angle gear transmission is supported having an input shaft
projecting
toward the upper end of the support arm and an output shaft of which the
rotary shaft
member comprises a part. A drive shaft extends along the support arm and
drivingly
connects the motor output shaft to the transmission input shaft and an
intermediate portion
of the drive shaft is journaled from a corresponding intermediate portion of
the support
arm. An arcuate shield panel is supported from the transmission output shaft
and the lower
end of the support arm in position partially embracingly encircling the rotary
blade
assembly and opening toward the latter away from the upper end of the support
arm. The
shield panel is supported for oscillation about the axis of rotation of the
transmission output
shaft and one arch end of the shield includes a ground engaging support
portion, structure
being connected between the shield panel and the support arm for releasably
retaining the
shield panel in adjusted angularly displaced position and yieldingly biasing
the shield panel
from one limit of oscillation thereof toward the other limit of oscillation
thereof.
[0003] The background description provided herein is for the purpose of
generally
presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named
inventors, to the
extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the
description that
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may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither
expressly nor
impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
[0004] A micro-tiller module that is releasibly engageable with a hand
drill can
include a gear box assembly, first and second tilling wheel assemblies, and a
stabilizer fork.
The gear box assembly can include a housing, an input shaft, a first output
shaft, a second
output shaft, and a plurality of gears. The input shaft can extend along an
input shaft axis
through the housing between a first end positioned outside of the housing and
a second end
positioned inside of the housing. The first output shaft can extend along an
output shaft
axis transverse to the input shaft axis and through the housing between a
first end
positioned outside of the housing and a second end positioned inside of the
housing. The
second output shaft can extend along the output shaft axis and through the
housing between
a first end positioned outside of the housing and a second end positioned
inside of the
housing. The plurality of gears can be positioned inside of the housing and
can be arranged
such that the first output shaft and the second output shaft rotate in
response to rotation of
the input shaft. The first end of the input shaft is configured to be
releasibly engageable
with a chuck of the hand drill. The first tilling wheel assembly can be
mounted at the first
end of the first output shaft. The second tilling wheel assembly can be
mounted at the first
end of the second output shaft. Each of the first and second tilling wheel
assemblies having
a hub and plurality of blades projecting away from the hub. The stabilizer
fork can extend
from a base end fixed to the housing, along a stabilizer axis transverse to
the input shaft
axis and to the output shaft axis, to a distal end from which first and second
tines project.
Each of the first and second tines can extend further along the input shaft
axis than
transverse to the input shaft axis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The detailed description set forth below references the following
drawings:
[0006] Figure 1 is side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure
attached to a hand drill;
[0007] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a gear box assembly taken
along section
lines 2 ¨ 2 in Figure 1;
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MOM Figure 3 is a perspective view of tilling wheel assemblies
according to the
first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0009] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a stabilizer fork according to
the first
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] The present disclosure, as demonstrated by the exemplary
embodiments
described below, provides an improved attachment or module for working the
earth that
can be releasibly attached to a hand drill. A micro-tiller module 10 that is
releasibly
engageable with a hand drill 12 can include a gear box assembly 14, first and
second tilling
wheel assemblies 16, 18, and a stabilizer fork 20. The micro-tiller module 10
and the hand
drill 12 can be releasibly engagable with one another. In other words, the
micro-tiller
module 10 can be mounted on hand drill 12 to accomplish rotation of the first
and second
tilling wheel assemblies 16, 18 and working of earth; the micro-tiller module
10 can be
removed from the hand drill 12 without damage to the micro-tiller module 10 or
the hand
drill 12 and can be re-attached to again accomplish rotation of the first and
second tilling
wheel assemblies 16, 18 and working of earth; the micro-tiller module 10 or
the hand drill
12 can be replaced with a newer version thereof and can engage the remaining
component.
[0011] As best shown in Figure 2, the gear box assembly 14 can include a
housing
22, an input shaft 24, a first output shaft 26, a second output shaft 28, and
a plurality of
gears 30, 32. It is also noted that the gear box assembly 14 can also include
bearings and
seals as desired. Exemplary bearings are referenced at 50, 52, 54, and 56. The
housing 22
extends along the input shaft axis 34 between an aft end 108 and a forward end
110. The
input shaft 24 can extend along an input shaft axis 34 through the housing 22.
The input
shaft 24 can extend between a first end 36 positioned outside of the housing
22 and a second
end 38 positioned inside of the housing 22. The input shaft 24 extends out of
the housing
22 at the aft end 108.
[0012] The first output shaft 26 can extend along an output shaft axis 40
transverse
to the input shaft axis 34. The first output shaft 26 can extend through the
housing 22
between a first end 42 positioned outside of the housing 22 and a second end
44 positioned
inside of the housing 22. The second output shaft 28 can extend along the
output shaft axis
40. The second output shaft 28 can extend through the housing 22 between a
first end 46
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positioned outside of the housing 22 and a second end 48 positioned inside of
the housing
22.
[0013] The exemplary shafts 26 and 28 can be integral or integrally-formed
with
respect to one another. "Integrally-formed" refers to the fact that in the
exemplary
embodiment the exemplary shafts 26 and 28 can be formed together rather than
being
formed separately and then subsequently joined. The term defines a structural
feature since
structures that are integrally-formed are structurally different than
structures that are
comprised of subcomponents formed separately and then subsequently joined.
"Integral"
means consisting or composed of parts that together constitute a whole and
thus
encompasses structures of more than one part wherein the parts are either
integrally-formed
or formed separately and then subsequently joined.
[0014] The plurality of gears 30, 32 can be positioned inside of the
housing 22. In
the exemplary embodiment, the gear 30 can be fixedly mounted on the input
shaft 24 for
concurrent rotation. In the exemplary embodiment, the gear 32 can be fixedly
mounted on
the output shafts 26, 28 for concurrent rotation. The plurality of gears 30,
32 can be
arranged such that the first output shaft 26 and the second output shaft 28
rotate in response
to rotation of the input shaft 24. The first end of the input shaft 24 is
configured to be
releasibly engageable with a chuck of the hand drill 12. The first end of the
input shaft 24
can be cylindrical or can define a hex cross-section.
[0015] The first tilling wheel assembly 16 can be mounted at the first end
42 of the
first output shaft 26. The second tilling wheel assembly 18 can be mounted at
the first end
46 of the second output shaft 28. The first and second tilling wheel
assemblies 16, 18 can
be substantially similar. Figure 3 shows the first and second tilling wheel
assemblies 16,
18, side-by-side, as they can be positioned on opposite lateral sides 58, 60
of the housing
22 in operation. Each of the first and second tilling wheel assemblies 16, 18
can define a
respective cutting swath during rotation, each of the respective cutting
swaths centered on
the output shaft axis 40. A cutting swath of the first tilling wheel assembly
16 is referenced
at 62 in Figure 1. The cutting swath 62 is generally cylindrically-shaped,
visible as a circle
in the plane of Figure 1.
[0016] As set forth above, the first and second tilling wheel assemblies
16, 18 can
be substantially similar. The second tilling wheel assembly 18 is a mirror of
the first tilling
wheel assembly 16 across a plane containing the input shaft axis 34 and
perpendicular to
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the output shaft axis 40. The description herein of the first tilling wheel
assembly 16 is
therefore applicable to the second tilling wheel assembly 18.
[0017] Referring again to Figure 3, the first tilling wheel assembly 16
can include
a hub 64 and plurality of blades projecting away from the hub 64. An exemplary
blade is
referenced at 66. The location and orientation of the output shaft axis 40 is
shown in Figure
3 for reference. The hub 64 can include an aperture extending transverse to
the output shaft
axis 40 and set screw received in that aperture. Figure 3 shows an Allen
wrench 68 engaged
with the set screw. The set screw can be utilized to releasibly engage the
first tilling wheel
assembly 16 to the first output shaft 26. The blade 66 can project away from
the hub 64
along a longitudinal axis 70 that is parallel to the output shaft axis 40. All
of the exemplary
blades are shown projecting away from the hub 64 along respective longitudinal
axes that
are each parallel to the output shaft axis 40. The blades mounted on the hub
64 of the first
tilling wheel assembly 16 and the blades mounted on the hub of the second
tilling wheel
assembly 18 can be symmetrical with respect to one another across the plane
containing
the input shaft axis 34 and perpendicular to the output shaft axis 40.
[0018] Referring again to Figure 3, the hub 64 has a thickness defined
along the
longitudinal axis 70. A portion of the hub 64 has a thickness along the
longitudinal axis
70 is referenced at 72. The exemplary blade 66 is a flat rectangular plate.
All of the blades
can be flat rectangular plates. The blade 66 has a length defined along the
longitudinal
axis. The length of the blade 66 along the longitudinal axis 70 is referenced
at 74. The
length 74 includes a first portion (again referenced at 72) overlapping the
thickness of the
hub 64 along the longitudinal axis 70. The length 74 also includes a second
portion 76
extending past an outer face of the hub 64 along the longitudinal axis 70. The
length 74
also includes a third portion 78 extending past an inner face of the hub 64
opposite the
outer face along the longitudinal axis 70. The second portion 76 and the third
portion 78
are greater than the thickness 72. The second portion 76 is greater than the
third portion
78.
[0019] Referring now to Figure 4, the stabilizer fork 20 can extend from a
base end
80 fixed to the housing 22. The base end 80 of the stabilizer fork 20 engages
housing 22
rearward of the cutting swaths of the first and second tilling wheel
assemblies 16, 18 along
the input shaft axis 34, as shown in Figure 1. The stabilizer fork 20 can
extend along a
stabilizer axis 82 transverse to the input shaft axis 34 and to the output
shaft axis 40. The
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exemplary stabilizer axis 82 is oblique to the input shaft axis 34, as shown
in Figure 1. The
stabilizer fork 20 can extend to a distal end 84 from which first and second
tines 86, 88
project.
[0020] The exemplary stabilizer fork 20 is straight between the base end
80 and the
distal end 84, but could be arched in other embodiments to define a handle for
gripping by
the user. Each of the first and second tines 86, 88 can extend further along
the input shaft
axis 34 than transverse to the input shaft axis 34. This is shown in Figure 1.
[0021] The exemplary base end 80, the distal end 84, the first tine 86,
and the
second tine 88 can be integral with respect to one another and not releasibly
engaged with
respect to one another. The base end 80 can be welded to rod portion of 90 of
the stabilizer
fork 20. The distal end 84 which includes the tines 86, 88 can also be welded
to the rod
portion 90. In other embodiments, the base end 80, the distal end 84, the
first tine 86, and
the second tine 88 can be integrally-formed with respect to one another. The
base end 80
can include apertures for receiving fasteners that allow the stabilizer fork
20 to be releasibly
engaged with the housing 22.
[0022] The first tine 86 and the second tine 88 each extend to respective
tips 92,
94. The first and second tines 86, 88 are configured such that the tips 92, 94
remain spaced
from one another when the micro-tiller module 10 is engaged with the hand
drill 12. The
first and second tines 86, 88 are configured to be disposed on opposite sides
of a handle 96
of the hand drill 12 when the micro-tiller module 10 is engaged with the hand
drill 12. The
first and second tines 86, 88 are configured to be spaced from and unconnected
to one
another in operation in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
The distal
end 84, engaged to the handle 96 through first and second tines 86, 88, can be
arranged to
transfer thrust along the input shaft axis 34 without friction as disclosed in
the prior art.
Thrust can be generated by rotation of the first and second tilling wheel
assemblies 16, 18
about the output shaft axis 40 in at least one direction of rotation. The
distal end 84 can
also prevent rotation of the housing 22 about the input shaft axis 34 through
the engagement
of the tines 86, 88 with the handle 96.
[0023] Referring again to Figure 1, the input shaft axis 34 and the output
shaft axis
40 can be disposed in a first plane. This first plane would appear as an edge
in Figure 1
and can be represented by input shaft axis 34. As shown in Figure 4, the first
and second
tines 86, 88 each extend along respective longitudinal tine axes 98, 100. In
the exemplary
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embodiment, the tine axes 98, 100 are disposed in a second plane. This second
plane would
appear as an edge in Figure 1 and can be represented by tine axis 98.
[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the exemplary first and second planes are
parallel to
one another. However, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, the
first and second
planes can be oblique to one another. An alternative tine is shown in phantom
and
referenced at 102. In an embodiment including tine 102 the first and second
planes would
be oblique to one another.
[0025] It is also noted that the tines 86, 88 can be different lengths in
the various
embodiments of the present disclosure. Tines alternative to tine 92 are shown
in phantom
and referenced at 104 and 106. Tine 104 is longer than tine 92 and tine 106 is
shorter than
tine 92. It is also noted that one or more portions of the stabilizer fork can
be adjustable in
other embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the rod portion 90
can be
formed from telescoping members allowing its length to change. Alternatively,
the rod
portion 90 can be formed from two members interconnected at a selectively-
lockable joint
so that the rod portion 90 could be non-straight and yet rigid. Further, the
distal end 84
could be rotatable relative to the rod portion 90. One or both of the tines
86, 88 could be
extendable to different lengths from the distal end 84. Alternatively, the
distal end 84 could
be extendable laterally to allow the tines 86, 88 to be positioned different
distances apart.
[0026] The micro-tiller module 10 can also include a shield 112. The
shield 112
can be radially spaced from at least partially encircle the respective cutting
swaths of the
first and second tilling wheel assemblies. The base end 80 of the stabilizer
fork 20 can be
connected to the housing 22 through the shield 112 such that the shield 112 is
interposed
between the housing 22 and the base end 80, as shown in Figure 1.
[0027] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to
an
exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that
various
changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof
without
departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many
modifications may
be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the
present disclosure
without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended
that the present
disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best
mode
contemplated for carrying out this present disclosure, but that the present
disclosure will
include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. The
right to
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claim elements and/or sub-combinations that are disclosed herein as other
present
disclosures in other patent documents is hereby unconditionally reserved.
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