GB2263854A - Adjustable guard for hedge cutter. - Google Patents

Abstract

A boom mounted hedge cutter (104 fig 1) has a front guard 8 which is adjustable, from the cabin (100 Fig 1) of the vehicle on which the boom is mounted, to vary the extent to which a flail cutter 2 projects from an open side of a casing 4. This enables adaptation of the hedge cutter for cutting light or dense hedges and/or grassy banks. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements Relating to Cutting Apparatus This invention relates to cutting apparatus, and in particular relates to a cutting apparatus known as a hedge cutter which comprises a rotary cutting assembly which is housed in a cutter hood or cover which is open at one side to permit the cutting assembly to perform its operation.

Hedge cutters typically are used by being carried by the articulated loader arms of a tractor or loader vehicle so that the hedge cutter can be positioned by manipulation in relation to a hedge to be cut at any desired angle between vertical and horizontal for cutting the tops and sides of hedges.

Hedge cutters are also utilised from time to time as grass cutters and can function to cut cultivated grass verges or grassy banks, or more dense and uncultivated scrub.

A number of arrangements are provided in hedge cutters to adapt same to the different functions. For example, the hedge cutter cutting assembly may be designed to be rotated at different speeds for different types of cutting, the cutter may be rotated in opposite directions for the performance of different types of cutting, or in less sophisticated versions, an adjustable cover plate or the like may be adjusted manually to make the hedge cutter more open or closed for the cutting of different materials or densities of materials.

Generally, the hedge cutter is more open the lighter the material being cut and more closed the denser or heavier the material being cut.

As regards machines with this manual adjustment, in practise drivers of the vehicles simply do not effect the adjustment when switching between for example dense hedge cutting to light hedge cutting and grass cutting, or even between cutting of light grass and heavy scrub.

If proper adjustment is not made, certain disadvantages result.

If the front guard is not correctly positioned and cutting is taking place along a roadside, the cuttings, especially hedge cuttings and cuttings from scrub tend to be scattered outside the confines of the cover or hood, and frequently end up as debris on the roadway. This means that the dispersed cuttings have to be subsequently collected and removed, adding to expense, and if they are not collected, they are a nuisance tq road users, in, particular to cyclists as the cuttings can readily cause punctures. Also, this debris can cause safety problems and hedge cutters are attracting criticism for this reason.

The present invention is concerned with a hedge cutter vehicle combination whereby the aforesaid disadvantages may be obviated or mitigated.

In accordance with the present invention, in a first aspect thereof, a hedge cutter is provided with an adjustable front guard to adjust the hedge cutter depending upon the work to be performed, and wherein the front guard is adjustable from the vehicle cabin by the vehicle driver.

The vehicle typically has an articulated arm by which the hedge cutter is suspended in that it is carried by the free end of the arm, and in use the hedge cutter will be suspended by the arm to the side of the vehicle, typically an agricultural tractor. The arm may be mounted on the tractor behind the rear wheels, or in front of the front wheels, or it may be mid-mounted between the front and rear wheels.

This invention provides that the driver can effect the adjustment of the front guard even during cutting, but in any event he is not required to leave his vehicle driving seat in adjusting the hedge cutter to render it suitable for different types or densities of material being cut and it is more likely that he will perform the adjustment in carrying out the work.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tractor/hedge cutter combination when in use; Figs. 2 and 3 are respective sectional side views showing two embodiments of hedge cutter according to the invention; and Fig. 4 is a sectional side view showing a specific and advantageous mounting arrangement for the hedge cutter.

As shown in Fig. 1, a conventional tractor 100 has å midmounted articulated arm 102 which can be hinged and swung relative to the tractor 100 in conventional fashion to enable a hedge cutter 104 to be manipulated to enable the cutter to cut either the top 106 or the side 108 of a hedge 110 from the roadside 112 on which the tractor 100 runs. The hedge cutter 104 can also be manipulated so as to cut the grass verge 112.

Referring to Fig. 2 the hedge cutter shown comprises a rotating shaft 1, to which are attached a series of free swinging flails 2 which rotate at high speed around the centre line 3 of a shaft 10 supported by bearings at each end to a frame provided with a suitable hood or cover 4.

The hedge cutter as explained is mounted on an arm 102 (which may be of any configuration) attached to the side, front or rear of a standard agricultural tractor 100 and which is driven forward whilst the flails are rotating to cut the grass 112 or hedge 110. The frame is runningly guided on the roller 5 or is held suspended above the ground or hedge so that the flails achieve the correct depth of cut as indicated by reference 6.

The grass, hedge material or scrub growth, as indicated at 7 will be of varying length and density and as the machine travels forward, as the cutter rotates in direction "A", the material 7 is cut and carried through the cutting head inside the hood and is ejected at "C".

The depth of the opening as indicated by "D", is the distance between the ground, or top of the hedge and edge of the hood is the desired height of cut, and this depth of the opening to allow the material to enter the cutting mechanism, should ideally vary with the density of the growth and the forward speed of the machine. If the material is short and the opening large, material will be ejected forward as indicated by "E" which can be dangerous for other people, livestock, or if the cutting is adjacent a highway, then passing vehicles may be affected. Therefore, as the machine travels forward it is desirable to adjust the opening "D" by raising and lowering a curved front guard 8 utilising a hydraulic ram 9 or similar means controlled from the cabin of the tractor to open and close the opening "D".

The front guard 8 is pivoted about first point 11 or it could be arranged to pivot around the bearing shaft 1 (See Fig. 4), on the same centre line 3 as the cutter, whereby the clearance between the tops of the flails 2 and the guard 8, indicated by letter "F", would remain constant. Whilst this is preferable it is not essential.

Referring now to Fig. 4, wherein reference numerals already used in relation to Fig. 1 and having corresponding parts in Fig. 4, are again used in Fig. 4 and further explanation will now be given.

In the arrangement of Fig. 4, the guard 8 is adapted to be rotated around the main shaft 1 of the cutter, and this is achieved by forming large bores 16 in end plates of the guard, and these bores are supported upon rotatable brushes 18 which provide a support and centralising effect.

This arrangement keeps the front edge Y of the guard 8 in the correct relationship to the flails whose tip rotation diameter is indicated by reference 2 in Fig. 4, and this correct relationship is maintained in the open and closed positions.

The depth control roller or rollers 5 is or are supported by support arms 5A which are adapted to be pivoted about pivot 5B so that the position of the roller relative to the axis 3 can be adjusted thereby adjusting depth of cut.

As an alternative, a front guard 15 as illustrated in Fig. 2 could be used. The front guard 15 in this case moves in a linear movement and is moved by hydraulic ram 16 or electrical or mechanical means or any combination of these to move the guard 15 in slots 17 to open and close the gap "G".

Thus, the cutting mechanism is suspended on an arm to the side of an agricultural tractor, the arm being mounted behind the rear wheels or in a mid-mounted position between the front and rear wheels, or in front of the front wheels and cutting mechanism is equipped with a front guard that can be opened or closed by any conventional means but from the driving seat as the machine is being driven in its direction of working. The said conventional means may be such as to cause the front guard to be operated hydraulically, electrohydraulically or electro-mechanically for opening and closing the front guard or to provide variable width opening for a flail cutter with for example alternative types of opening as illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 attached.

Claims (14)

1. A hedge cutter provided with an adjustable front guard to adjust the hedge cutter depending upon the work to be performed, and including means whereby the front guard is adjustable from a remote location such as for example the drivers' seat of a vehicle on which the hedge cutter is carried.

2. A hedge cutter according to claim 1, wherein the said means comprises, hydraulically, electrically and/or mechanically operated means.

3. A hedge cutter according to claim 2, wherein said means comprises a hydraulic ram.

4. A hedge cutter according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said front guard comprises a pivotally mounted guard.

5. A hedge cutter according to claim 4, wherein said guard is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to but spaced from the axis of rotation of a rotary flail cutter of the hedge cutter.

6. A hedge cutter according to claim 4, wherein said front guard is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis incident with the axis of rotation of a rotary flail cutter of the hedge cutter.

7. A hedge cutter according to claim 6, wherein the guard comprises end plates having bores therein which are rotatably supported by brushes arranged on a pick circle at each end of the rotary flail cutter shaft.

8. A hedge cutter according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the front guard is mounted for linear movement.

9. A hedge cutter according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cutter comprises a casing open at one side and containing a rotary flail cutter which projects from said open side, and the guard defines one edge of the open side, adjustment of the guard effecting adjustment of the position of said edge to vary the extent to which the casing side is open.

10. A hedge cutter substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. The combination of a vehicle and a hedge cutter according to any preceding claim.

12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the adjustment of the guard is controllable by the driver of the vehicle from the drivers seat.

13. The combination according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the hedge cutter is carried by adjustable arm means mounted on the vehicle at the front, rear or mid region.

14. The combination of vehicle and hedge cutter, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.