WO2003011009A1 - Rotary cultivators - Google Patents

Rotary cultivators Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2003011009A1
WO2003011009A1 PCT/GB2002/003511 GB0203511W WO03011009A1 WO 2003011009 A1 WO2003011009 A1 WO 2003011009A1 GB 0203511 W GB0203511 W GB 0203511W WO 03011009 A1 WO03011009 A1 WO 03011009A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
motor
cutter
housing
teeth
drive
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2002/003511
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Peter Charles Hill
Original Assignee
Peter Charles Hill
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Peter Charles Hill filed Critical Peter Charles Hill
Publication of WO2003011009A1 publication Critical patent/WO2003011009A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01B—SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL
    • A01B1/00—Hand tools
    • A01B1/06—Hoes; Hand cultivators
    • A01B1/065—Hoes; Hand cultivators powered

Definitions

  • This invention relates to rotary cultivators and is concerned with the provision of an improved form of hand-propelled rotary cultivator.
  • a rotary cultivator comprising an elongated tube interconnecting a motor housing and a cutter housing, a motor within the motor housing, a cutter assembly within the cutter housing, and a drive shaft within the elongated tube for the transmission of drive from the motor to the cutter assembly, and in which the cutter assembly comprises a pair of spaced rotatable discs formed with teeth which are arranged so that teeth on one disc extend towards teeth on the other disc.
  • the cutter discs are preferably arranged for rotation about a common axis with a worm drive system providing for the transmission of drive from the drive shaft to the two discs.
  • a rotary cultivator comprising an elongated tube interconnecting a motor housing and a cutter housing, a motor within the motor housing, a cutter assembly within the cutter housing, and a drive shaft within the elongated tube for the transmission of drive from the motor to the cutter assembly, and in which means are provided for the transmission of both forward and reverse drives from the motor to the cutter assembly.
  • the motor is preferably a cordless reversible motor and switch means are preferably provided for enabling the user of the cultivator to select either forward or reverse drives.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand-held rotary cultivator
  • Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view of the upper end of the rotary cultivator of Figure 1 ,
  • Figure 3 is a detailed underneath perspective view of the lower end of the rotary cultivator of Figure 1 .
  • Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cutter assembly of the rotary cultivator.
  • the cultivator shown in the drawings comprises a cylindrical tube 3 within which there is a solid drive shaft (not shown) which extends for the length of the cylindrical tube 3 and interconnects the output shaft of a cordless electric motor (not shown) contained within a motor housing 1 and a worm drive system or gearbox 7 contained within a cutter housing 5.
  • the gearbox 7 is arranged to transmit drive from the solid drive shaft to a pair of cutter discs 6 contained within the cutter housing 5.
  • Each of the cutter discs 6 consists of a flat plate and a plurality of teeth extending around the periphery of the plate and extending at right angles to the plane of the plate.
  • the teeth of the cutter discs 6 are located inwardly of the adjacent wall of the housing 5 so that, as the cultivator is used, there are no rotating parts which extend sideways outwardly beyond the walls of the cutter housing 5. It is thus possible for the user of the cultivator to position the cutter housing 5 close to the stem of a growing plant without there being any risk of damaging the plant.
  • the shaping of the teeth will be such that effective penetration of the soil is achieved regardless of the direction of rotation of the cutter discs 6.
  • the cutter discs 6 are disposed close to the walls of the cutter housing 5, but do not project beyond the housing walls so that cultivation can be effected safely close to growing plants.
  • the extent by which the cutter discs 6 project downwardly below the lower edge of the cutter housing 5 determines the depth to which cultivation of the soil is effected.
  • the teeth on the cutter discs 6 project from both sides of the main body of each disc 6.
  • all the teeth on the one disc will be arranged so that they extend towards, but terminate short of, the teeth on the other disc.
  • the cordless electric motor is powered by rechargeable electric batteries and a three-position switch (not shown) can be provided on the side of the motor housing 1.
  • the three positions of the switch can be:- a) "on”, in which the cutter discs 6 are caused to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4, b) "off”, and c) "reverse”, in which the cutter discs 6 are caused to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4.
  • the cordless electric motor may be afforded by an electric drill having a handle terminating in a casing within which the rechargeable batteries are located, the electric drill being connected by an interface unit 2 to the tube 3 and to the solid drive shaft contained within the tube 3.
  • the interface unit 2 may, if desired, contain a gearbox and/or clutch assembly to protect the drill from overload conditions.
  • a handgrip formation 4 is provided at an intermediate point along the length of the tube 3 and projects from the tube 3 so that the cultivator can be used by holding the handgrip formation 4 with one hand and the handle of the electric drill with the other hand.
  • the cutter housing 5 is of generally circular form in side view but with the lower sector of the circle removed to provide a horizontal lower edge.
  • the dimensions of the cutter housing 5 and the cutter discs 6 are typically such that the distance by which the cutter discs 6 project downwardly below said horizontal lower edge is of the order of 25 mm. so that a cutting depth (or depth of cultivation) of 25 mm. is provided. If desired, however, the dimensions of the cultivator may be such as to provide a somewhat greater depth of cultivation.
  • the cultivator In use, the cultivator will be placed on the ground where cultivation is to be effected and the three-way switch moved to the "on" position to start the motor drive and cause the cutter discs 6 to rotate in the anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4. The cultivator is then moved forwardly, i.e. to the left as viewed in Figure 1 , with movement in this direction assisted by the reaction to the rotary motion of the cutter discs 6. Such movement will tend to cause a slight displacement of the soil in a direction opposite to that in which the cultivator is being moved.
  • the three-way switch When, therefore, the user of the cultivator is working up a bank or other incline, the three-way switch will be moved to the "reverse" position so that the direction of drive to the cutter discs 6 is reversed and the soil then being acted upon will be displaced, if at all, up the slope. Displacement of the soil down the slope is thereby avoided.
  • the housing 5 protects the user of the rotary cultivator from flying debris and moves aside the foliage of the plants to allow effective cultivation to be effected without damaging the plants or injuring the user of the rotary cultivator.

Abstract

A rotary cultivator comprises an elongated tube (3) interconnecting a motor housing (1) and a cutter housing (5). There is a motor within the motor housing (1), a cutter assembly (6) within the cutter housing (5), and a drive shaft within the elongated tube (3) for the transmission of drive from the motor to the cutter assembly (6), which comprises a pair of spaced rotatable discs formed with teeth which are arranged so that teeth on one disc extend towards teeth on the other disc.

Description

ROTARY CULTIVATORS
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rotary cultivators and is concerned with the provision of an improved form of hand-propelled rotary cultivator.
A number of rotary cultivators are currently available. They are, however, difficult to control with any precision with the result that the operator has to ensure that the cultivator is kept well away from existing crops in order to avoid damaging the crops.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of hand-held rotary cultivator.
Summary of the Invention
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary cultivator comprising an elongated tube interconnecting a motor housing and a cutter housing, a motor within the motor housing, a cutter assembly within the cutter housing, and a drive shaft within the elongated tube for the transmission of drive from the motor to the cutter assembly, and in which the cutter assembly comprises a pair of spaced rotatable discs formed with teeth which are arranged so that teeth on one disc extend towards teeth on the other disc.
The cutter discs are preferably arranged for rotation about a common axis with a worm drive system providing for the transmission of drive from the drive shaft to the two discs.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary cultivator comprising an elongated tube interconnecting a motor housing and a cutter housing, a motor within the motor housing, a cutter assembly within the cutter housing, and a drive shaft within the elongated tube for the transmission of drive from the motor to the cutter assembly, and in which means are provided for the transmission of both forward and reverse drives from the motor to the cutter assembly.
The motor is preferably a cordless reversible motor and switch means are preferably provided for enabling the user of the cultivator to select either forward or reverse drives. Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand-held rotary cultivator,
Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view of the upper end of the rotary cultivator of Figure 1 ,
Figure 3 is a detailed underneath perspective view of the lower end of the rotary cultivator of Figure 1 , and
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cutter assembly of the rotary cultivator.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
The cultivator shown in the drawings comprises a cylindrical tube 3 within which there is a solid drive shaft (not shown) which extends for the length of the cylindrical tube 3 and interconnects the output shaft of a cordless electric motor (not shown) contained within a motor housing 1 and a worm drive system or gearbox 7 contained within a cutter housing 5.
The gearbox 7 is arranged to transmit drive from the solid drive shaft to a pair of cutter discs 6 contained within the cutter housing 5. Each of the cutter discs 6 consists of a flat plate and a plurality of teeth extending around the periphery of the plate and extending at right angles to the plane of the plate. The teeth of the cutter discs 6 are located inwardly of the adjacent wall of the housing 5 so that, as the cultivator is used, there are no rotating parts which extend sideways outwardly beyond the walls of the cutter housing 5. It is thus possible for the user of the cultivator to position the cutter housing 5 close to the stem of a growing plant without there being any risk of damaging the plant. In practice, the shaping of the teeth will be such that effective penetration of the soil is achieved regardless of the direction of rotation of the cutter discs 6. The cutter discs 6 are disposed close to the walls of the cutter housing 5, but do not project beyond the housing walls so that cultivation can be effected safely close to growing plants. The extent by which the cutter discs 6 project downwardly below the lower edge of the cutter housing 5 determines the depth to which cultivation of the soil is effected.
As shown, the teeth on the cutter discs 6 project from both sides of the main body of each disc 6. In an alternative arrangement, all the teeth on the one disc will be arranged so that they extend towards, but terminate short of, the teeth on the other disc. With such alternative arrangement, it is possible to position the main body of each cutter disc 6 quite close to the adjacent side wall of the housing 5. The cordless electric motor is powered by rechargeable electric batteries and a three-position switch (not shown) can be provided on the side of the motor housing 1. The three positions of the switch can be:- a) "on", in which the cutter discs 6 are caused to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4, b) "off", and c) "reverse", in which the cutter discs 6 are caused to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4.
The cordless electric motor may be afforded by an electric drill having a handle terminating in a casing within which the rechargeable batteries are located, the electric drill being connected by an interface unit 2 to the tube 3 and to the solid drive shaft contained within the tube 3. The interface unit 2 may, if desired, contain a gearbox and/or clutch assembly to protect the drill from overload conditions.
A handgrip formation 4 is provided at an intermediate point along the length of the tube 3 and projects from the tube 3 so that the cultivator can be used by holding the handgrip formation 4 with one hand and the handle of the electric drill with the other hand.
As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the cutter housing 5 is of generally circular form in side view but with the lower sector of the circle removed to provide a horizontal lower edge. The dimensions of the cutter housing 5 and the cutter discs 6 are typically such that the distance by which the cutter discs 6 project downwardly below said horizontal lower edge is of the order of 25 mm. so that a cutting depth (or depth of cultivation) of 25 mm. is provided. If desired, however, the dimensions of the cultivator may be such as to provide a somewhat greater depth of cultivation.
In use, the cultivator will be placed on the ground where cultivation is to be effected and the three-way switch moved to the "on" position to start the motor drive and cause the cutter discs 6 to rotate in the anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4. The cultivator is then moved forwardly, i.e. to the left as viewed in Figure 1 , with movement in this direction assisted by the reaction to the rotary motion of the cutter discs 6. Such movement will tend to cause a slight displacement of the soil in a direction opposite to that in which the cultivator is being moved.
When, therefore, the user of the cultivator is working up a bank or other incline, the three-way switch will be moved to the "reverse" position so that the direction of drive to the cutter discs 6 is reversed and the soil then being acted upon will be displaced, if at all, up the slope. Displacement of the soil down the slope is thereby avoided. As the rotary cultivator is being moved across the soil, the housing 5 protects the user of the rotary cultivator from flying debris and moves aside the foliage of the plants to allow effective cultivation to be effected without damaging the plants or injuring the user of the rotary cultivator.

Claims

Claims:-
1. A rotary cultivator comprising an elongated tube interconnecting a motor housing and a cutter housing, a motor within the motor housing, a cutter assembly within the cutter housing, and a drive shaft within the elongated tube for the transmission of drive from the motor to the cutter assembly, and in which the cutter assembly comprises a pair of spaced rotatable discs formed with teeth which are arranged so that teeth on one disc extend towards teeth on the other disc.
2. A rotary cultivator as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the cutter discs are arranged for rotation about a common axis with a worm drive system providing for the transmission of drive from the drive shaft to the two discs.
3. A rotary cultivator comprising an elongated tube interconnecting a motor housing and a cutter housing, a motor within the motor housing, a cutter assembly within the cutter housing, and a drive shaft within the elongated tube for the transmission of drive from the motor to the cutter assembly, and in which means are provided for the transmission of both forward and reverse drives from the motor to the cutter assembly.
4. A rotary cultivator as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the motor is a cordless reversible motor and switch means are provided for enabling the user of the cultivator to select either forward or reverse drives for said motor.
PCT/GB2002/003511 2001-08-01 2002-07-31 Rotary cultivators WO2003011009A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0118740A GB0118740D0 (en) 2001-08-01 2001-08-01 Rotary cultivators
GB0118740.0 2001-08-01

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2003011009A1 true WO2003011009A1 (en) 2003-02-13

Family

ID=9919601

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2002/003511 WO2003011009A1 (en) 2001-08-01 2002-07-31 Rotary cultivators

Country Status (2)

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GB (1) GB0118740D0 (en)
WO (1) WO2003011009A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2489395B (en) * 2011-02-16 2016-02-24 Leslie Neville Reeves Ground treatment apparatus
WO2022262125A1 (en) * 2021-06-16 2022-12-22 Techtronic Cordless Gp Handheld cultivator

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3031018A (en) * 1959-11-19 1962-04-24 V L Smithers Mfg Company Portable power-driven implement
FR2495529A1 (en) * 1980-12-10 1982-06-11 Roques Lecoeur Seter Sa Gardening tool powered by electric drill - uses tubular frame carrying drive shaft fitting chuck of drill and having output gearing for both horizontal and vertical shafts
US5056605A (en) * 1990-10-30 1991-10-15 Bond William R Multipurpose cutting means
US5850882A (en) * 1997-03-28 1998-12-22 Link; Cletus H. Garden power tool
US5960889A (en) * 1998-05-14 1999-10-05 Mclaren; Dan Cordless soil tiller

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3031018A (en) * 1959-11-19 1962-04-24 V L Smithers Mfg Company Portable power-driven implement
FR2495529A1 (en) * 1980-12-10 1982-06-11 Roques Lecoeur Seter Sa Gardening tool powered by electric drill - uses tubular frame carrying drive shaft fitting chuck of drill and having output gearing for both horizontal and vertical shafts
US5056605A (en) * 1990-10-30 1991-10-15 Bond William R Multipurpose cutting means
US5850882A (en) * 1997-03-28 1998-12-22 Link; Cletus H. Garden power tool
US5960889A (en) * 1998-05-14 1999-10-05 Mclaren; Dan Cordless soil tiller

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2489395B (en) * 2011-02-16 2016-02-24 Leslie Neville Reeves Ground treatment apparatus
WO2022262125A1 (en) * 2021-06-16 2022-12-22 Techtronic Cordless Gp Handheld cultivator

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0118740D0 (en) 2001-09-26

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