AU712437B2 - A mulching machine - Google Patents

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant(s): Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: GOLDEN CIRCLE LIMITED NELSON CHARLES O'BRIEN CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

Invention Title: A MULCHING MACHINE Details of Associated Provisional Applications: No. PM8512 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: THIS application is a further application under Section 39 of the Patents Act 1990 in respect of an invention disclosed in copending patent application no.

703811. This application also relates to improvements in, and/or modifications of, the invention disclosed in copending application no. 703811.

The invention of this application relates to agricultural machinery. The invention is particularly directed to a mulching machine suitable for mulching pineapple plants and similar vegetation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION To maintain high crop quality, pineapple plants are removed or destroyed typically after two years of crops, and the field is replanted. Rotary hoes and lacerators are commonly used to break up the pineapple plants into smaller pieces, and bury the pieces in the soil. However, it has been found that the plant butts, or portions thereof, in the soil often re-shoot, and interfere with the new plants. To avoid re-shooting, all substantial portions of the plant butts should be removed from the soil.

S.Removed pineapple plants pose a disposal problem. Burning is considered to be environmentally unacceptable and wasteful. Hitherto, the removed pineapple plants have not generally been mulched as known mulching machines have been unsuitable. It is believed that known mulching machines would become blocked or jammed by the pineapple plants.

It is an object of this invention to provide a mulching machine, particularly suitable for pineapples.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The mulching machine of this invention has a plurality of spaced planar members, and a plurality of rotatable members adapted to rotate about a common axis.

Each rotatable member is positioned between a pair of adjacent planar members. The rotatable members having outer end portions which extend axially on either side thereof.

In the preferred embodiment, the spaced planar members are fixed parallel plates, which may be provided with at least one recess therein. The rotatable members are mounted on a common shaft, and have a plurality of radial finger portions. The outer end of the finger portions is bent out of the radial plane of the respective rotatable member.

More preferably, the outer end of each finger portion is bifurcated, and the bifurcated portions are bent out of the radial plane of the rotatable member in opposite axial directions.

The mulching machine may be free standing or mounted in a fixed frame. Alternatively, the mulching machine may be mounted in a carrier vehicle, or mounted Son a trailer. If the mulching machine is mounted to a vehicle (including a trailer), a suitable conveying 20 mechanism is provided for delivering material to be mulched to the mulching machine. If the mulching machine is used for mulching pineapple plants, the conveying mechanism may be used to remove plants from the soil and feed them to the mulching machines.

*00* BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of an agricultural machine in the form of a self-powered carrier; Fig. 2 is a perspective rear view of the carrier; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the carrier; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the carrier; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rear chassis of the carrier; Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of one of the carrier's steerable wheels; Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view taken on line 7-7 on Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a schematic plan view showing the machine operating along rows on an inclined surface; Fig. 9 is an elevational rear view of the machine corresponding to Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a rear elevational view showing an optional mounting assembly for the rear suspension; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the mounting system in more detail; Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the operator's 15 console on the carrier; e* Fig. 13 is a front perspective view of a remote operator's console; Fig. 14 is a perspective fragmentary view of a mulching machine according to a preferred embodiment of 020 the invention.

*0 0° Fig. 15 is a plan view showing the mulching discs and plates of the mulching machine; Fig. 16 is a perspective front view of the mulching machine mounted in the carrier; and Fig. 17 is a schematic sectional side view of the mulching machine in the carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, an agricultural implement carrier 10 has a substantially U-shaped main frame 11 defined by a pair of side beams 12, 13 interconnected by a rear cross-beam 14 and at least one intermediate cross-beam 15. Vertical mounting plates 16, 17 extend downwardly from the forward ends of the side beams 12, 13 and mount hydrostatic motors 18 within the hubs 19, 20 of the main driving wheels 21, 22 at the front of the carrier 10. A rocker arm 23 is pivotally mounted intermediate its length between a pair of brackets 24, 25 fixed to the rear cross-beam 14 and mounting blocks 26, 27 at the ends thereof receive and journal the king pin 28, 29 of a pair of steerable wheels 31 which have their axles received in yokes 30, 32 fixed to the king pin 28, 29.

A steering ram 34 is mounted on the rocker arm 23 and is connected to a steering rod 35, each end of which (see Fig. 7) is connected to a lug 36 on a plate 37 which is rotatably journalled on the king pins 28, 29 and spaced above a plate 30, fixed to the king pin 28, 29, having a notch 39 in its periphery. A finger 40, having a roller 51 is biased by a spring to urge the roller 51 into engagement with the notch 39 to provide steering connection between the steering rod 35 and the king pin :eooe e 28, 29. A hydraulic ram 43, mounted on the plate 38, has a piston rod 44 with a nose 45 operable to engage the oooe finger to urge it to a position where the roller 51 is released from the notch 39 to enable the steerable wheels 31 to operate with a castor action. A block 36 has a notch to releasably retain the nose 45 in the extended position to prevent inadvertent engagement of the roller with the notch 39.

An operator's cabin 47 is mounted on the main frame 11 and is provided with a suitable control console 25 48 and the driver's seat 49. A diesel motor 50 and hydraulic pump 51 are provided within a power unit enclosure 52.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 9, the carrier may be required to operate between rows 50 of plants on an inclined surface 51. To compensate for the tendency of the carrier 10 to run down the inclined slope 31, a suitable "yaw" factor 39 may be provided to the steering of the machine by the mounting of the rocker arm 23 from a mounting block 52 slidably mounted on the rear crossbeam 14 and movable by a ram 53.

Referring now to Fig. 12, the operator's cabin 47 is mounted on the main frame 11 and is provided with the operator's console 48 and seat 49 to enable the operator to have a clear view of the operation of the carrier and any implements fitted thereto.

A remote operator's console 54 and seat (Fig. 13) may be mounted below the main frame. The remote operator's console 54 is connected to the main operating console 48 by suitable hydraulic lines and/or electric cables.

At both the main console 48 and remote console 54, the drive of the carrier 10 (and any machinery mounted on the carrier) are controlled by two stick controllers 55, while the carrier 10 is steered by a pair of foot pedals 56 (operably connected to the steering ram 34) An isolation system is provided so that the e 15 carrier 10 can only be operated from one console 48, 54 at a time.

Fig. 14 illustrates a mulching machine which may be mounted to the carrier 10. However, the mulching machine may also be mounted on a trailer which, in use, is towed by the carrier, a tractor or other prime mover.

The mulching machine may also be mounted in a stationary frame, to receive pineapple plants which have been .oo o removed from the soil and transported to the mulching machine.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the mulching machine comprises a plurality of fixed spaced parallel plates 90. Preferably, the plates have concave notches or recesses 91, 92 therein as shown.

A mulching head 93 comprises a plurality of spaced parallel discs 94 mounted on a rotatable shaft The discs 94 are located between adjacent pairs of plates The discs 94 have radially extending teeth or fingers 97, the distal ends of which are bifurcated into a pair of angularly inclined tips 98. That is, although the teeth or fingers 97 of each disc 94 are located in the plane of the disc, the outer tips 98 are angled out of that plane.

Although the tips 98 in the illustrated embodiment are formed integrally with their respective discs 94, the tips 98 may be welded or mounted to the discs in any suitable manner.

Radial extensions 99 may be provided on some of the outer tips of the fingers 97. These extensions protrude radially beyond the angled tips 99, and act as rotary cutters.

In use, shaft 95 is rotated so that the teeth 97 and the angled tips 98 travel between the plates 90 as the discs 94 rotate. It has been found that the above described construction provides a very efficient and effective method of mulching pineapple plants, with little jamming or clogging. It is believed that the tips 15 98 act as rotating hammers which smash the pineapple plants, and the teeth 97 and extensions 99 function as cutters to cut through the plants. The combination of S"cutting and smashing ensures a thorough mulching of the pineapple plants.

The mulching machine may be mounted to the carrier and used in conjunction with a plant lifting mechanism 80 as shown in Figs. 16 and 17. The plant lifting mechanism 80 has a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel, forwardly inclined rake bars at the bottom thereof, each rake bar having a discing tip 82 at its bottom end.

A pair of side chains 83, 84 passing around upper and lower sprockets 85, 86 carry cross-bars 87 on which are provided a plurality of raking and lifting fingers 87. The upper sprocket 85 is driven by a hydraulic motor 88 via an endless chain 89.

In use, as the carrier travels along the rows of pineapple plants, the hydraulic motor 88 drives the side chains 83, 84 so that the fingers 87 rake the soil and lift the pineapple plants from the soil. The plants are carried up rake bars 81 by the fingers 87. Upon reaching the top of the rake bars 81, the pineapple plants drop into the mulching machine which is located in 8 housing 70. The mulched material is then returned to the ground as nutrients for the soil.

The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the invention and modifications which are obvious to those skilled in the art may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, although the invention has been described with particular reference to its application to pineapple plants, the mulching machine may be used for mulching other plants and vegetation.

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Claims (12)

1. A mulching machine having a plurality of spaced planar members, a plurality of rotatable members adapted to rotate about a common axis, each rotatable member being positioned between a pair of adjacent planar members, characterised in that the rotatable members have outer end portions which extend axially on either side thereof.

2. A mulching machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spaced planar members are fixed parallel plates.

3. A mulching machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the parallel plates have at least one recess therein.

4. A mulching machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the rotatable members are mounted on a common shaft.

A mulching machine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each rotatable member comprises a plurality of radial finger portions.

6. A mulching machine as claimed in claim wherein the outer end of the finger portions of each rotatable member are bent out of the radial plane of the rotatable member.

7. A mulching machine as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein at least some of the finger portions have extensions which protrude radially beyond the bent outer ends of the finger portions.

8. A mulching machine for mulching pineapple plants and the like, the mulching machine having: a plurality of fixed spaced parallel plates, a rotatable shaft located adjacent the plates and extending perpendicular thereof, a plurality of general planar members mounted on the shaft and spaced therealong, the planar members being rotatable with the shaft, the planar members each having a plurality of radial finger portions, wherein the outer ends of the finger portions are bifurcated and the bifurcated portions are bent out of the plane of their respective planar members in opposite axial directions.

9. A mulching machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein at least some of the finger portions have extensions which protrude radially beyond the bifurcated portions.

A vehicle adapted to remove plants from soil and mulch them, the vehicle having a mulching machine as claimed in any preceding claim, and conveying means for removing plants from the soil and delivering the plants to the mulching machine. 15

11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the S o conveying means comprises an inclined ramp, and a :eeooe plurality of spaced fingers adapted to lift pineapple *S plants from the soil along the ramp to the mulching machine.

12. A mulching machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference Figs. 14 and 15, or Figs. 14 and 15 as modified by Figs. 16 and 17. DATED this 1st day of July 1999 GOLDEN CIRCLE LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.