GB2248646A - Cultivation implement - Google Patents

Abstract

A cultivation implement primarily for mounding and/or brash-raking ground prior to tree planting comprises a transverse beam (2) for attachment to the dipper arm of an hydraulic excavator whereby the beam (2) is pivotal on the dipper arm about an axis extending longitudinally of the beam (2), and a pair of scoops (10) mounted one at each end of the beam (2) to depend from the beam (2) and to be pivotal therewith, the transverse spacing of the scoops (10) being adjustable. On appropriate controlled movement of the dipper arm and simultaneous pivoting of the beam (2) on the dipper arm, the scoops (10) can be manoeuvred through the ground to locate bodies of earth therein, these bodies of earth subsequently being tipped from the scoops to form the required mounds. The scoops can also be used to rake brash from a site prior to mounding the cleared site. <IMAGE>

Description

CULTIVATION IMPLEMENT This invention relates to cultivation implements and more particularly to such implements for attachment to hydraulic excavators to enable mounding of land and/or raking of brash covered ground prior to planting trees.

Prior to planting trees, whether it be initial stocking of the land or re-stocking of previously cultivated land, it is often desirable, particularly in the case of waterlogged ground, to prepare the land by preforming mounds thereon to receive the individual trees to be planted. The provision of the mounds ensures that the trees are positioned above the local water table and therefore results in better root architecture and long term stability of the trees.

It is established practice to utilise purpose-built vehicles or to provide specialist attachments for towing by forwarders for mounding the land. In all cases the equipment involved is of a complex and expensive nature and is subject to serious disadvantages.

Conventionally, such equipment incorporates rotating wheels provided with substantially radially-extending tines or the like, the wheels being braked and released under computer control to form a mound on each working cycle.

However, machines of this type, which are provided purely for mounding purposes, cannot conveniently work between existing tree stumps or otherwise irregular ground and are not guaranteed to produce mounds on each working cycle - if a mound is missed, it is difficult to manoeuvre the equipment to return it to the missing location, while the sizes of the mounds that are formed are pre-set according to the properties of the rotating wheels and tines.

When restocking previously harvested sites, there is often a thick layer of brash - i.e. stripped branches of harvested trees - to be penetrated before planting can occur. It is therefore necessary, prior to planting, to clear the brash from the sites and this is commonly achieved by using a further purpose-built machine to rake away the brash.

Thus it will be appreciated that the mounding of land, particularly brash-covered land, in preparation for the planting of trees can be a time-consuming and expensive matter requiring the use of complex specialist equipment.

It would be desirable to be able to provide means for mounding and/or raking ground which was simpler and cheaper to use than heretofore.

According to the present invention there is provided a cultivation implement for attachment to an hydraulic excavator, the implement comprising a substantially rigid transverse beam adapted to be attached to the dipper arm of the excavator to be pivotal on said dipper arm about an axis extending longitudinally of the beam, and at least two scoops mounted one at or adjacent each end of the beam to depend therefrom and be pivotal with said beam, the transverse spacing of the scoops being adjustable, the arrangement being such that, on appropriate controlled movement of the dipper arm and simultaneous pivoting of the beam on the dipper arm, the scoops can be manoeuvred through the ground to locate bodies of earth therein, these bodies of earth subsequently being tipped from the scoops to form the required mounds.

Such an arrangement enables pairs of mounds to be formed under the control of the excavator operator at any desired locations, the implement being substituted for the conventional bucket normally associated with the excavator and the operator having the same substantially universal control over the implement as he would have over the bucket.

It will be appreciated that the same implement attached to the excavator can be manoeuvred by the operator whereby the scoops can be used to rake brash from a site whether in preparation for subsequent mounding and tree planting or not, there being no need to adapt the equipment in any way for this additional purpose.

In a preferred implement, there are two scoops mounted on the beam to give a maximum spacing therebetween of about 2 metres, while it is further preferred that the scoops are each of curved shape in both transverse and longitudinal section and are each provided with a substantially semicircular nose portion at the lower leading edge thereof.

By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figs. 1 to 3 are, respectively, a plan view from above, a front view and an isometric view of a cultivation implement according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated implement comprises a fabricated, box-section beam 2 typically about 2 metres long provided with a pair of opposed brackets 4 substantially centrally thereof each having front and rear mounting points 6,8 respectively provided thereon.

The beam 2 can thus be mounted to the free end of the dipper arm of a conventional hydraulic bucket excavator by way of the points 6 to be pivotal thereon about a longitudinal axis extending parallel with the beam through the mounting points 6.

The conventional hydraulic bucket ram mounted on the dipper arm of the excavator is secured to the mounting points 8 whereby said pivoting movement of the beam 2 can be effected by appropriate extension or retraction of said ram.

Mounted one to each end of the beam 2 to depend therefrom are a pair of scoops 10, each scoop 10 being rigidly secured to the beam 2 by a plurality of U-bolts 12 whereby the positions of the scoops 10 along the beam 2 can be adjusted as required.

Each scoop 10 includes a pair of opposed, curved side plates 14 and a curved base plate 16 defining a volume therein which is conveniently about 0.5m long by 0.5m wide by 0.3m deep. The leading lower edge of the base plate 16 is extended forwardly to define a substantially semicircular nose portion 18 to the scoop.

The described implement is particularly suited to forming mounds for tree planting purposes. In order to form a pair of mounds, the operator of the excavator, the body of which is preferably rotatable through 3600 on the undercarriage, manoeuvres the beam 2 by way of the boom, dipper arm and hydraulic rams of the excavator so that the scoops 10 each enter the ground to the desired depth and are then drawn forwards through the ground while at the same time they are pivoted nose portion 18 forwards and upwards whereby two bodies of earth are retained in the scoops 10.

The forward movement of the scoops 10 is then continued while at the same time they are reverse pivoted nose portion 18 rearwards and upwards whereby the bodies of soil in the scoops 10 fall from the scoops to form the desired mounds.

This operation is effectively such that the lower ends of the scoops scrape along the ground to form a pair of channels in the ground and to retain the earth from the channels in the scoops, this earth then being turned over on itself by the reverse pivoting of the scoops and deposited on the ground to form mounds at positions forming continuations of the channels.

Thus the formation of the mounds is under the complete control of the operator who can accurately determine the precise depth of dig of the scoops 10 and the locations of the resultant mounds, the only limitations to the locations of the mounds being the accessibility of the excavator to the site.

The lateral spacing between the mounds of a pair can readily be altered by appropriate adjustment of the locations of the scoops 10 on the beam 2, Forestry Commission requirements specifying a maximum spacing of about 2 metres. The fore and aft spacing of the pairs of mounds is determined by particular requirements - in the case of restocking of a harvested site, the locations of the existing stumps will have a bearing on this spacing.

It will be appreciated that the provision of the nose portions 18 on the scoops 10 prevents the scoops 10 from digging into stumps or like obstacles which may be present - the rounded nature of the nose portions results in the implement glancing off such obstacles.

The mound profile is rounded with no steep cut or sharp edges while, if a mound should fail to meet the desired requirements, it is relatively easy for the operator to manoeuvre the excavator back into position to improve or replace the failed mound.

Prior to mounding and planting trees it is often necessary to clear brash from the site in question, particularly when restocking a harvested site. Heretofore, and as mentioned above, it has been necessary to utilise a specialist raking equipment to clear the part of the site to be mounded.

The above-detailed cultivation implement can, without any adaptation thereto, be used to rake brash from a site to be mounded, the excavator operator merely drawing the scoops 10 over the site to form piles of brash and thereby clear the areas to be mounded. Thus, once the ground has been cleared of brash to the full length of the excavator's boom, mounds can be formed in the brash-free zone.

If the brash is very light, it may be possible to sweep the brash away with the rear of the scoops 10 and then to produce the mounds.

Thus there is provided a relatively simple implement that is cheap to manufacture and which can be used on a conventional hydraulic bucket excavator to constitute an extremely versatile machine capable of brash raking and mounding as effectively as the expensive computer controlled systems utilised heretofore. Furthermore, the depth of dig when forming the mounds can be increased as desired if, for example, it is required to bring up mineral soil usually not accessible using the known mounding machines.

Claims (6)

1. A cultivation implement for attachment to a hydraulic excavator, the implement comprising a substantially rigid transverse beam adapted to be attached to the dipper arm of the excavator to be pivotal on said dipper arm about an axis extending longitudinally of the beam, and at least two scoops mounted one at or adjacent each end of the beam to depend therefrom and be pivotal with said beam, the transverse spacing of the scoops being adjustable, the arrangement being such that, on appropriate controlled movement of the dipper arm and simultaneous pivoting of the beam on the dipper arm, the scoops can be manoeuvred through the ground to locate bodies of earth therein, these bodies of earth subsequently being tipped from the scoops to form the required mounds.

2. A cultivation implement as claimed in claim 1 comprising two scoops mounted on the beam, each scoop being of curved shape in both transverse and longitudinal section.

3. A cultivation implement as claimed in claim 2 in which each scoop includes a substantially semi-circular nose portion at the lower leading edge thereof.

4. A cultivation implement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the scoops are each secured to the beam by an associated plurality of U-bolts.

5. A mounding and/or brash-raking machine comprising a cultivation implement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 mounted on the dipper arm of a hydraulic bucket excavator.

6. A cultivation implement substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.