WO2003105564A1

WO2003105564A1 - A miniature powered garden cultivator

Info

Publication number: WO2003105564A1
Application number: PCT/GB2003/002444
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anthony Charles Robert Johnson
Original assignee: Anthony Charles Robert Johnson
Priority date: 2002-06-14
Filing date: 2003-06-05
Publication date: 2003-12-24
Also published as: GB0213636D0; AU2003232939A1

Abstract

A miniature garden cultivator for hand operation, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, having a powered tiller (Item 1), driven by a motor and gears (Item 2 ) and mounted on supporting wheels or shoes (Item 5 ), so that it may easily be pushed backwards and forwards by the operator, in the manner of using a typical garden hoe or rake by use of a handle or handles (Item 4 ), and a means of being able to continuously control the depth of the tilth being that the cultivator having the supporting wheels or shoe mounted on a sprung frame so that pushing downwards on the handle or handles will bring the tiller lower into the ground.

Description

A MINIATURE POWERED GARDEN CULTIVATOR

Mechanical cultivators are generally too big to use for intricate tasks such as the maintenance of domestic gardens. This invention provides a miniature mechanical cultivator, which is sufficiently small, light and controllable so that it can be used in the confined spaces between plants in domestic gardens.

The cultivator, which is the subject of this invention, consists of a motor powered tiller, mounted on a frame and supported on wheels or shoes such that the depth of the tilling action is controlled. The cultivator, as described, is manually operated in the same manner as a conventional garden hoe and thus performs as a hoe but with the benefit of being mechanically powered.

The niiniature cultivator, which is the subject of this invention, consists of a motor driven tiller to break up the sou, attached to a mounting frame for the accommodation of wheels or shoes to support it and a handle for the operator to use it. The cultivator is used in the manner of a garden hoe or rake by the operator pushing it backwards and forwards. A particular feature of the arrangement described is that the weight of the cultivator is supported upon the wheels or shoes and in one of several ways this enables the height of the tiller to be continuously adjusted so as to provide the required depth of tilth.

In using a conventional hoe or tiller, the operator has to provide sufficient energy to break up the soil and also to support the weight of the said hoe or tiller. Users not accustomed to this sort of work may easily become tired and not able comfortably to complete the task intended. The cultivator described here has the advantages that the motor driven tiller does the work and the wheels or shoes carry the weight. Thus the operator can carry out his task with the expenditure of much reduced energy.

The general description of the cultivator is now described by reference to Figures 1 and 2 and the accompanying text. Figure 1 is a side on view of the main components of the cultivator and Figure 2 is a head on view of the same. The soil tiller (Iteml) is arranged so that when accommodated as described and caused to rotate, it will break up the soil with which it is in contact and cause a tilth to be obtained. The said tiller is driven by a motor and suitable gears (Item 2). The motor and gears are mounted onto a frame (Item 3) to which are also attached the wheels or shoes (Item 5) and the handle (Item 4). The wheels or shoes are attached to the frame by means of a spindle (Item 6).

In a particular embodiment there is a rniniature garden cultivator for hand operation, having a powered tiller driven by a motor and gears and mounted on supporting wheels or shoes, so that it may easily be pushed backwards and forwards by the operator, in the manner of using a typical garden hoe or rake by use of a handle or handles, such handles also being equipped with a mechanism or a lever, so that the operator may thereby continuously raise or lower the rotating tiller, which is linked to it, in relation to the ground and so be able to control the depth of the tilth being obtained. The said cultivator is of width not exceeding 50 centimetres and of weight not exceeding 7 kilograms. The cultivator is powered by an electric motor and gears or a petrol engine and gears, having a power not exceeding 700 watts.

In alternative embodiments of this invention the above numerical parameters may be exceeded. Also, according to particular embodiments, the axis of rotation of the tiller may be vertical or near vertical or it may be horizontal.

An important feature of this invention is the provision of a means to continuously control the depth of the tilth being obtained. Different embodiments of the design involve different methods of achieving this control. Thus in a particular embodiment the means of controlling the depth of tilth is by causing the cultivator to tip about a horizontal axis such that the tiller is raised or lowered automatically or otherwise. In an alternative embodiment the means of controlling the depth of tilth is by motor power through suitable gears and a mechamsm such as a linkage or a rack and pinion such that the tiller is raised or lowered automatically or otherwise. In a further embodiment, so that the wheel or shoe is mounted on a sprung frame so that pushing downwards on the handle will bring the tiller lower into the ground. In another embodiment the wheel is arranged to rotate about an eccentric axis such that the height of the axis above the ground will vary with the rotation of the wheel in a manner such that the operator is afforded a means to control the height of the cultivator above the ground and hence the depth of tilth being obtained. In a further embodiment the shoe is arranged to pivot about an axis and is of such a shape that the height of the axis above the ground will vary with the pivoting of the shoe in a manner such that the operator is afforded a means to control the height of the cultivator above the ground and hence the depth of tilth being obtained. The said various means of controlling the depth of tilth inherently provide a means to avoid overloading the motor by avoiding having the tiller too deep into the ground. Thus when it becomes known to the operator that the power required for tilling is excessive, he may employ the means provided to immediately raise the tiller and so reduce the power required. An embodiment of the design which includes a torque limiter will make overloading clear to the operator as such devices emit a noise when activated.

Claims

1. A miniature garden cultivator for hand operation, having a powered tiller driven by a motor and gears and mounted on supporting wheels or shoes, so that it may easily be pushed backwards and forwards by the operator, in the manner of using a typical garden hoe or rake by use of a handle or handles, and a means of being able to continuously control the depth of the tilth being that the cultivator having the supporting wheels or shoe mounted on a sprung frame so that pushing downwards on the handle or handles will bring the tiller lower into the ground.

2. A miniature garden cultivator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said cultivator is of width not exceeding 50 centimetres and weight not exceeding 7 kilograms.

3. A miniature garden cultivator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said cultivator is powered by an electric motor and suitable gears.

4. A miniature garden cultivator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said cultivator is powered by an engine and suitable gears.

5. A miniature garden cultivator, as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 wherein the said cultivator wherein the power of the engine or the motor does nor exceed 1 kilowatt.

6. A ininiature garden cultivator, as claimed in any of the above claims in which the axis of rotation of the tiller is vertical or near vertical.

7. A miniature garden cultivator, as claimed in any of the above claims in which axis of rotation of the tiller is horizontal.

8. A miniature garden cultivator, as claimed in any of the above claims in which the means of controlling the depth of tilth is by causing the cultivator to tip about a horizontal axis such that the tiller is raised or lowered.

9. A miniature garden cultivator, as claimed in any of the above claims in which the means of controlling the depth of tilth is by motor power through suitable gears and a mechanism such as a linkage or a rack and pinion such that the tiller is raised or lowered automatically or otherwise.

10. A miniature garden cultivator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said wheel is arranged to rotate about an eccentric axis such that the height of the axis above the ground will vary with the rotation of the wheel in a manner such that the operator is afforded a means to control the height of the cultivator above the ground and hence the depth of tilth being obtained.

11. A miniature garden cultivator, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said shoe is arranged to pivot about an axis and is of such a shape that the height of the axis above the ground will vary with the pivoting of the shoe in a manner such that the operator is afforded a means to control the height of the cultivator above the ground and hence the depth of tilth being obtained.