AU2015251504A1

AU2015251504A1 - Mower

Info

Publication number: AU2015251504A1
Application number: AU2015251504A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Antonio Roberto Rocca
Original assignee: Rocca Manufacturing Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Rocca Manufacturing Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2014-04-24
Filing date: 2015-04-24
Publication date: 2016-11-24
Also published as: WO2015161351A1; CN106455489A

Abstract

A mower, particularly, but not exclusively for use with plastic mulch, comprises a substantially cylindrical body that is mountable to a powered vehicle, such as tractor. The body supports a motor and one or more angled blades are coupled to and driven by the motor to cut plant material in the ground and extract the plant material upwards through the body. Embodiments comprise a floating linkage coupled between the body and a frame assembly which attaches to the powered vehicle.

Description

WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198

TITLE

MOWER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to agricultural machinery. In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to a mower, particularly for use with plastic mulch. However, the mower of the present invention is not limited to such applications and can be used where plastic mulch is not used. 10

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Some crops are grown with the aid of plastic sheeting known as plastic mulch, which is at least partially embedded in the ground at the start of the growing period. Plastic mulch provides a range of benefits including helping 15 modulate soil temperature, reduce soil erosion, evaporation, fertilizer leaching and weed problems and increase produce quality and yields.

When the crops are harvested, the plastic mulch is often removed from the ground for disposal or recycling. Sometimes the plastic mulch is left in the ground and reused for the next crop. However, when the plastic mulch is left in the 20 ground, plant matter, such as roots, stalks and branches etc. remaining from the previous crop still needs to be extracted from the ground whilst minimising damage to the plastic mulch.

Plastic mulch retrievers are agricultural machines designed for the removal of plastic mulch and are typically drawn behind a powered vehicle, such as a 25 tractor. Some known plastic mulch retrievers comprise a pair of cutting elements in the form of coulter wheels at a front end, which cut into the ground and the plant matter. A pair of angled, substantially horizontal blades mounted rearward of the coulter wheels also cut into the ground and underneath the plastic mulch embedded in the ground. As the mulch retriever is pulled along behind the WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 2 powered vehicle, the mulch is unearthed and left lying loosely on top of the planting bed. A centre coulter wheel usually located rearward of the pair of coulter wheels slices the plastic mulch into two halves. The positions of the coulter wheels are adjustable to accommodate different sizes of planting beds. 5 One drawback of this type of mulch retriever is that the unearthed mulch and plant matter subsequently needs to be collected for disposal, which is labour intensive and inefficient because the unearthed mulch and plant matter remains strewn along the growing area. Also, this machine is unsuitable where the plastic mulch is to be left in the ground and reused. ίο Other known plastic mulch retrievers comprise a roller or other storage device for holding the retrieved mulch. However, with such mulch retrievers the plastic mulch often retains a lot of earth, plant matter, stones, debris and the like. It is desirable to minimize the amount of earth removed during retrieval to minimize the amount of nutrients removed from the soil. The earth, stones and 15 other debris attached to the removed mulch also adds to the weight of the bundle for disposal. Furthermore, the capacity of the rollers for capturing the plastic mulch is reduced because the attached earth occupies some of the volume and significantly more volume than the plastic mulch alone. Therefore, efficiency is reduced because more stops must be made to empty the rollers than would 20 otherwise be necessary.

This problem has been ameliorated by the inventor’s plastic mulch retriever, as described in US 8302699, by the inclusion of, inter alia, a vibrating conveyor mounted rearward of the cutting elements and forward of the storage device to engage the loosened plastic mulch and remove at least some of the ground 25 material attached to the extracted mulch. However, even the inventor’s machine is unsuitable where the plastic mulch is to be left in the ground and reused.

Another known modified mulch retriever comprises a plurality of propane burners rearward of the coulter wheels and angled blades. The burners incinerate the unearthed mulch and exposed plant matter thus avoiding the need to collect 30 the mulch and plant matter. However, incineration is environmentally unfriendly and illegal in some jurisdictions. The burners also require a propane tank, which 3 adds to both the financial and environmental cost. This machine is also unsuitable where the plastic mulch is to be left in the ground and reused.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 5 It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for use with plastic mulch that addresses or at least ameliorates one or more of the aforementioned problems of the prior art or provides consumers with a useful commercial alternative. 10 WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect, although not necessarily the broadest or only aspect, embodiments of the present invention reside in a mower comprising: a body supporting a motor; and one or more blades coupled to and driven by the motor to cut plant material 15 and extract the plant material through the body; wherein the body is mountable to a powered vehicle.

The mower is particularly useful with plastic mulch for removing plant material and other debris from the plastic mulch, but the mower can be used in other applications. 20 Preferably, the body comprises a cylinder and the plant material is extracted upwards through the cylinder.

Suitably, the body comprises a support arm extending from a wall of the cylinder.

Suitably, the motor is mounted to the support arm, preferably an end of the 25 support arm, such that the motor is located on a central axis of the cylinder.

Preferably, a surface of the blades is curved upwards. WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 4

Suitably, the motor is selected from one of the following: a hydraulic motor coupled to a hydraulic system of the powered vehicle; an electric motor coupled to an electrical system of the powered vehicle.

Preferably, a hood is mounted to a top surface of the cylinder to direct the 5 plant material and any debris rearward.

Suitably, one or more support wheels are rotatably mounted to the body.

Suitably, the body comprises a front mount.

Suitably, a floating linkage is rotatably coupled at a first end to the front mount. ίο Suitably, the floating linkage comprises a pair of parallel, spaced apart elongate members rotatably coupled to each side of the front mount.

Preferably, an upper pair of the elongate members is joined together with at least one transverse member and a lower pair of the elongate members is joined together with at least one transverse member. 15 Preferably, the front mount comprises at least one stop to limit travel of the floating linkage.

Suitably, the floating linkage is rotatably coupled at a second end to a frame assembly.

Preferably, the floating linkage is rotatably coupled to a mount of the frame 20 assembly.

Suitably, the frame assembly comprises one or more transverse tubes.

Preferably, one or more cutting elements, such as coulter wheels, are rotatably coupled to one or more of the one or more transverse tubes.

Suitably, the frame assembly comprises a hitch for coupling the frame 25 assembly of the mower to the powered vehicle.

Suitably, the body comprises a rear mount.

Preferably, one or more wheels or rollers is/are coupled to the rear mount. WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 5

Suitably, one or more arms are pivotally coupled to the rear mount to which the one or more wheels or rollers are rotatably mounted.

Suitably, an arm is pivotally coupled to each side of the rear mount and the arms are coupled by a transverse brace. 5 Suitably, the transverse brace comprising a pivot post.

Suitably, the body further comprises a mounting post.

Suitably, an actuator, such as a hydraulic cylinder is coupled between the pivot post and the mounting post to adjust a position of the one or more wheels or rollers relative to the body of the mower. ίο According to another aspect, although not necessarily the broadest aspect, embodiments of the present invention reside in a multi-row mower system comprising two or more of the aforementioned mowers, wherein the two or more mowers are coupled together for the simultaneous mowing of two or more rows.

Suitably, in the multi-row mower system, a respective body of each of the two or 15 more mowers is independently coupled to a frame assembly which couples to a powered vehicle.

Further aspects and/or features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of example only and in which like features are identified by like reference numerals, wherein: FIG 1 is a plan perspective view of a mower according to a first 25 embodiment of the present invention; FIG 2 is a rear side perspective view of a mower according to a second embodiment of the present invention; WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 6 FIG 3 is a photograph of the mower shown in FIG 2 including support wheels; FIG 4 is a front side perspective view of the mower shown in FIG 2; FIG 5 is a perspective view of a body of the mower shown in FIG 1; FIG 6 is a perspective view of a frame assembly of the mower; FIG 7 is a perspective view of a multi-row mower according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Skilled addressees will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the relative dimensions of some of the elements in the drawings may be distorted to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG 1, a mower 10 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention comprises a body 12 formed from any suitable grade steel or similar material familiar to the skilled addressee. The body 12 supports a motor 14, such as a hydraulic motor, and one or more blades 16 are coupled to and driven by the motor 14 to cut plant material and extract the plant material through the body 12. The body 12 of the mower 10 is mountable to a powered vehicle (not shown), such as a tractor. Where the motor 14 is a hydraulic motor, the motor is coupled to a hydraulic system of the powered vehicle. If the motor is an electric motor, the motor is coupled to an electrical system of the powered vehicle.

In the embodiment shown in FIG 1, the body 12 comprises a hollow cylinder 18 and the plant material is extracted upwards through the cylinder when the motor 14 is in operation. The body 12 comprises a support arm 20 extending from a wall 22 of the cylinder 18 and the motor 14 is mounted to the support arm 20. In the embodiment shown in FIG 1, the motor 14 is mounted to an end of the support arm 20, such that the motor is located on a central axis of the cylinder 18. The support arm 20 is a hollow tube such that tubing/cabling 23 for the WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 7 hydraulic/electrical system can be routed through the support arm 20 and connected to the motor 14.

In the embodiment shown in FIG 1, three blades 16 are mounted to the motor 14 equidistant from each other. The blades 16 are provided with at least 5 one cutting edge and a surface of the blades is curved upwards. When the motor 14 is driven, for example at around 1,500 to 2,000 rpm, the blades 16 cut the plant material, e.g. from a planting bed that may or may not comprise plastic mulch, and the rotation of the upwardly curving blades 16 produces a pressure differential or partial vacuum such that the upward flow of air extracts the cut plant material and ίο any other debris upwards through the cylinder 18. FIG 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the mower 10 of the present invention, including the body 12 comprising the motor 14 as described above. The mower 10 comprises a hood 24 mounted to a top surface of the cylinder 18, for example via a mounting ring 25 (shown in FIG 5), to direct the plant material and is any debris rearward of the mower. The hood 24 comprises a rounded front surface 26 to assist in directing the plant material and debris rearward. In some embodiments the hood 24 has a curved upper surface 28 such that the hood has a substantially semi-circular cross section. In some embodiments the upper surface 28 also tapers downwardly from the rounded front surface 26 in a 20 rearward direction, as shown in FIG 3. The size of the open end of the hood 24 can be selected to assist in controlling the flow of air through the body 12. For example, reducing the size of the open end of the hood 24 increases the air flow rate through the body 12, thus increasing the rate of extraction. It is envisaged that in some embodiments, the hood 24 can rotate relative to the body 12 to enable 25 the direction in which the extracted plant material and debris etc. is expelled to be selected. FIG 3 also shows the mower 10 comprising a pair of support wheels 30 rotatably mounted to the body. One or more support wheels can be provided and only one of the support wheels 30 is visible in FIG 3. Support wheels 30 are 30 rotatably mounted to the body via wheel support brackets 32 made from hollow tubing steel. The height of the support brackets 32, and therefore the height of the support wheels 30, is adjustable by any suitable means, such as telescopic tubing. WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 8

Referring to FIG 4, the body 12 comprises a front mount 34. The front mount can be in the form of sheet metal bent at right angles at the ends and bolted or otherwise attached to the outside of the cylinder wall 22. A floating linkage 36 is rotatably coupled at a first end to the front mount 34. The floating 5 linkage 36 absorbs the undulations and vibrations of the powered vehicle to which the mower is attached and keeps the mower 10 at a consistent height across the planting area, paddock or field.

The floating linkage 36 comprises a pair of parallel, spaced apart elongate members 38 rotatably coupled to each side of the front mount 34. An upper pair of ίο the elongate members 38 is joined together with at least one transverse member 40 and a lower pair of the elongate members 38 is joined together with at least one transverse member 40. The floating linkage 36 is rotatably coupled at a second end to a frame assembly 42. Hence, the spaced apart elongate members 38 remain parallel and form a parallelogram at all times. 15 The front mount 34 comprises at least one stop 44 (shown more clearly in FIGS 2 and 5) to limit travel of the floating linkage 36. The stop 44 can be in the form of sheet metal bent at right angles on one side for affixing to the front mount 34, for example by bolting or welding. The other side of the stop 44 can comprise a protrusion 46 to limit upward and downward movement of the elongate members 20 38 of the floating linkage 36. The protrusion 46 can be formed by one or more bends of the sheet metal. In one embodiment, the protrusion comprises a bend of 37 degrees away from the right angle bend on the other side of the stop followed by a bend of 37 degrees toward the right angle bend.

With reference to FIG 2, in some embodiments, the floating linkage 36 is 25 rotatably coupled to a mount 48 of the frame assembly 42. The mount 48 can be in the form of sheet metal bent at right angles at the ends and bolted or otherwise attached to a transverse tube 50 of the frame assembly 42. The frame assembly will now be described in more detail with reference to FIG 6.

The frame assembly 42 can comprise one or more transverse tubes 50, 30 which can be hollow tubes formed from any suitable grade steel or similar material familiar to the skilled addressee. In the embodiment shown, the frame assembly WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 9 42 comprises a pair of spaced apart transverse tubes 50 welded together with a pair of spacers 52, which can also be in the form of hollow metal tubes.

The frame assembly 42 comprises a hitch 54 for coupling the frame assembly of the mower 10 to the powered vehicle. The hitch 54 comprises forward 5 transverse tube 50 and a mast 56 extending upwardly from the forward transverse tube 50. Mast 56 comprises left and right mast sides welded to the forward transverse tube 50 at the bottom and joining at the top at a gusset 58. Two mast supports 60 are welded to the gusset 58 at first ends and to the rearward transverse tube 50 at the second ends. Hitch plates 62 are welded to the forward ίο transverse tube 50 outside the left and right mast sides.

Referring to FIG 2, one or more cutting elements, such as substantially vertically mounted coulter wheels 64, are rotatably coupled to one or more of the transverse tubes 50 of the frame assembly 42. Coulter wheels 64 cut into the ground and cut the plant material and other debris to be retrieved and help 15 prevent the blades 16 of the mower 10 from becoming entangled with the plant material. In the embodiment shown, a pair of coulter wheels 64 are provided, each coulter wheel rotatably mounted at the end of, and between, a pair of respective coulter wheel arms 66. Coulter wheel arms 66 are rotatably mounted to a respective bracket 68, each of which is mounted to the rearward transverse tube 20 50 by an adjustable clamping arrangement 70. The separation of the coulter wheels 64 along transverse tube 50 can therefore be adjusted according to the size of the planting bed. Suspension for each coulter wheel 64 is provided by a pair of rod mounted springs 72, one rod mounted spring 72 provided either side of the coulter wheel 64 and extending between the coulter wheel arms 66 and their 25 respective bracket 68.

With reference to FIG 5, the body 12 of the mower 10 comprises a rear mount 74 to which one or more wheels or rollers is/are coupled. The rear mount 74 comprises a pair of outer pivot walls 76 welded to the body 12 in a spaced apart relationship. A top plate 78 is welded to the outer pivot walls 76 and to the 30 body 12. One or more additional gussets can be welded to the body 12 and the underside of the top plate 78 to provide additional support and rigidity. WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 10

With further reference to FIG 2, one or more arms 80 are pivotally coupled to the rear mount 74. In the embodiment shown, an arcuate arm 80 is pivotally coupled to the outer pivot walls 76 on each side of the rear mount 74 and a roller 82 is rotatably coupled between the arms 80. The roller 82 can be formed from a 5 steel pipe comprising a disc at each end with an aperture through the centre of the discs. A shaft passes through the apertures of the discs and is rotatably coupled between the arms 80.

According to some embodiments, the arms 80 are coupled by a transverse brace 84, as shown in FIG 2, which can be in the form of a hollow steel tube of ίο circular cross section. A brace mount in the form of a steel plate with an aperture therethrough can be used where the transverse brace 84 is mounted to each arm 80. The transverse brace 84 can comprise a pivot post 86.

With further reference to FIG 5, the body 12 can further comprise a mounting post 88, which in some embodiments is in the form of an elongate sheet 15 of metal welded to the top plate 78 of the rear mount 74. The mounting post 88 can be further secured in place with gusset members 90 welded to either side of the mounting post 88 and to the top plate 78. An actuator (not shown), such as a hydraulic cylinder, is coupled between the pivot post 86 of the transverse brace 84 and the mounting post 88 to adjust a position of the one or more wheels or rollers 20 relative to the body 12 of the mower 10. An aperture is provided in each of the pivot post 86 and the mounting post 88 for coupling the actuator thereto. In alternative embodiments, the position of the one or more wheels or rollers relative to the body 12 can be adjusted manually, such as via a ratchet mechanism.

The one or more wheels or rollers support the rear of the mower 10 and 25 prevent bouncing of the mower. Where the mower 10 is used with plastic mulch and it is not desirable for roller 82 to run over the mulch, one or more wheels can be used. The wheels can be coupled to the one or more arms 80 and where multiple wheels are used, the wheels can be spaced apart a similar width to the coulter wheels 64 to avoid running over the plastic mulch. 30 According to other embodiments of the present invention, and with reference to FIG 7, a multi-row mower system 100 is provided comprising two or more of the aforementioned mowers 10 coupled together for the simultaneous WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 11 mowing of two or more rows of a field or the like. In one embodiment of the multirow mower system 100, a frame assembly 42 of each of the mowers 10 are coupled together. For example, transverse tubes 50 of each frame assembly 50 can be coupled together by any suitable means known in the art, such as welding 5 or bolting together with clamps or the like. It will be appreciated that preferred means of coupling the mowers 10 together are means which allow the mowers to be relatively easily separated so the mowers 10 can be used individually and separately.

In another embodiment of the multi-row mower system 100, the respective ίο bodies 12 of two or more mowers 10 are independently coupled to a single frame assembly 42 via a respective floating linkage 36. The frame assembly 42 can be of an appropriate size such that two or more mowers 10 can be coupled to a single frame assembly 42. The frame assembly 42 then couples to the powered vehicle. In such an embodiment, the bodies 12 of the mowers 10 are closer 15 together suitable for mowing narrower rows.

It is envisaged that in some embodiments of the multi-row mower system 100 the frame assembly 42 comprises multiple attachment points such that the separation of adjacent mowers 10 can be selected according to the row width or particular application. 20 It will be appreciated that in embodiments of the multi-row mower system 100, certain features of the mower 10 can be duplicated for each mower or a single feature can be used for multiple mowers. For example, a single hood 24 could be used across two or more bodies 12. Similarly, a single rear roller 82 can be employed across two or more mowers 10. 25 It is envisaged that embodiments of the mower 10 of the present invention can be used with buried or partially embedded flexible sheeting material other than plastic mulch and for other applications where no sheeting or plastic mulch is present. For example, it is envisaged that the mower 10 of the present invention can be used to mulch plant material of crops that do not typically use plastic 30 mulch, such as cotton. WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 12

Hence, embodiments of the present invention address or at least ameliorate the aforementioned problems of the prior art. The mower 10 of the present invention can be used in instances where the plastic mulch is to be left in the ground and reused because the mower 10 does not damage the plastic mulch. 5 The blades 16 cut the plant material and extract the cut plant material and any other debris upwardly through the body 12 of the mower 10 leaving the plastic mulch in tact. The coulter wheels 64 forward of the mower body 12 initially cut the plant material into smaller pieces prior to cutting by the blades 16 of the mower to help prevent the blades becoming entangled with larger pieces of plant material, ίο such as long thick roots, stems or branches or the like. The hood 24 directs the extracted plant material and other debris rearward, or in some embodiments in another selectable direction, and prevents the plant material and other debris damaging to the powered vehicle. The floating linkage 36 absorbs undulations and vibrations of the powered vehicle and helps keep the mower 10 at a consistent 15 height across the planting area, paddock or field. The rear wheel(s) or roller(s) prevents bouncing of the mower 10 over rough terrain. The absence of a centre coulter wheel also leaves the mulch in tact. The mower 10 therefore substantially clears the surface of the plastic mulch of plant matter and debris ready for the mulch to be re-used or ready for more efficient retrieval of the mulch. If the cut 20 plant matter and debris is not collected, for example by a following vehicle, the cut plant matter and debris easily falls off the plastic mulch when it is retrieved. The clean plastic mulch is easier to recycle or takes up less landfill volume. Also, more plastic mulch can be collected in the aforementioned storage devices of the mulch retrievers. For example, after the mower 10 has been used, one type of mulch 25 retriever can retrieve mulch from five rows before the storage device needs to be emptied. In contrast, without using the mower 10 of the present invention, the same mulch retriever must be emptied after each row due to the plant material and other debris adhered to the plastic mulch.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be 30 taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

The terms “comprise”, “comprises”, “comprising” are intended to mean a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a system, method or apparatus that comprises WO 2015/161351 PCT/AU2015/050198 13 a list of elements does not include those elements solely, but may well include other elements not listed.

Throughout the specification the aim has been to describe the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. Persons skilled in the relevant art may realize variations from the specific embodiments that will nonetheless fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A mower comprising: a body supporting a motor; and one or more blades coupled to and driven by the motor to cut plant material and extract the plant material through the body; wherein the body is mountable to a powered vehicle.

2. The mower of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a cylinder and the plant material is extracted upwards through the cylinder.

3. The mower of claim 2, further comprising a support arm extending from a wall of the cylinder and supporting the motor such that the motor is located on a central axis of the cylinder.

4. The mower of any preceding claim, wherein a surface of the blades is curved upwards.

5. The mower of any preceding claim, wherein the motor is selected from one of the following: a hydraulic motor coupled to a hydraulic system of the powered vehicle; an electric motor coupled to an electrical system of the powered vehicle.

6. The mower of any preceding claim, further comprising a hood is mounted to a top surface of the cylinder to direct the plant material and any debris rearward.

7. The mower of any preceding claim, further comprising one or more support wheels rotatably mounted to the body.

8. The mower of any preceding claim, wherein the body comprises a front mount and a floating linkage rotatably coupled at a first end to the front mount.

9. The mower of claim 8, wherein the floating linkage comprises a pair of parallel, spaced apart elongate members rotatably coupled to each side of the front mount.

10. The mower of claim 9 wherein an upper pair of the elongate members is joined together with at least one transverse member and a lower pair of the elongate members is joined together with at least one transverse member.

11. The mower of claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the front mount comprises at least one stop to limit travel of the floating linkage.

12. The mower of any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the floating linkage is rotatably coupled at a second end to a frame assembly.

13. The mower of claim 12, wherein the frame assembly comprises one or more transverse tubes and one or more cutting elements, such as coulter wheels, rotatably coupled to one or more of the one or more transverse tubes.

14. The mower of claim 12 or 13, wherein the frame assembly comprises a hitch for coupling the frame assembly to the powered vehicle.

15. The mower of any preceding claim, wherein the body comprises a rear mount and one or more wheels or rollers coupled to the rear mount.

16. The mower of claim 15, wherein the one or more wheels or rollers are coupled to the rear mount via one or more arms pivotally coupled to the rear mount.

17. The mower of claim 15 or 16, further comprising a transverse brace coupled between a pair of the arms pivotally coupled to each side of the rear mount.

18. The mower of claim 17, further comprising an actuator, such as a hydraulic cylinder coupled between the transverse brace and the body to adjust a position of the one or more wheels or rollers relative to the body of the mower.

19. The mower of any preceding claim, wherein the mower cuts plant material protruding through plastic mulch.

20. A multi-row mower system comprising two or more mowers as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two or more mowers are coupled together for the simultaneous mowing of two or more rows.

21. The multi-row mower system of claim 20, wherein a respective body of each of the two or more mowers is independently coupled to a frame assembly which couples to a powered vehicle.