AU749868B2 - Apparatus for cutting plant vegetation - Google Patents

Description

1.

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT (Original) APPLICATION NO:

LODGED:

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION LODGED:

ACCEPTED:

PUBLISHED:

RELATED ART: NAME OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR(S): ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: ALESANDRO ANTONIO AGRIZZI

APPLICANT

LORD COMPANY Patent Trade Mark Attorneys 4 Douro Place West Perth, Western Australia, 6005

AUSTRALIA.

U. S INVENTION TITLE: "APPARATUS

VEGETATION"

FOR CUTTING PLANT DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO'S: Australian Provisional Patent Application Number PP5408 filed on August 24, 1998.

The following Statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me/us:

TITLE

"APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PLANT VEGETATION" The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting plant vegetation, and in particular to such an apparatus commonly known as a slasher.

It is known to provide a slasher which includes a housing portion provided with cutting means and a connecting portion provided with means for connecting to a vehicle such as a tractor, the cutting means being driven by a PTO shaft of the tractor. The cutting means of such slashers is generally a blade which rotates, in use, about an axis perpendicular to the ground so as to cut plant vegetation adjacent the ground. Because of the direction of rotation of the blade, substantially all of the plant vegetation which has been cut is distributed to one side of the slasher, thereby producing a line of cut plant vegetation as the slasher is drawn across the plant vegetation by the tractor.

Although such slashers operate satisfactorily in cutting plant vegetation and distributing *..the cut plant vegetation in a line, a disadvantage of such slashers is that the plant ooo.

vegetation is always distributed in the same location relative to the tractor. This may be undesirable in some circumstances.

The present invention seeks, among other things, to provide a slasher which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantage.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for cutting plant vegetation, said apparatus including a housing portion provided with cutting means and a connecting portion provided with means for connecting to a vehicle, the housing portion being provided with a rail member and the connecting portion being provided with releasable securing means slidably mounted on the rail member, the arrangement being such that the securing means is positionable relative to the rail member so that, in use, the cutting means is selectively positionable relative to the vehicle.

In this way, the lateral location of the slasher relative to the vehicle, most commonly a tractor, is adjustable and, therefore, the location of distribution of the cut plant vegetation is also adjustable.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: *Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an apparatus for cutting plant vegetation in accordance with the present invention with a connecting portion of the cutting o#Oo 0 apparatus located in a central position; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the cutting apparatus shown in Figure 1 with the connecting portion shown in a first lateral position and, in phantom, in a second lateral position.

*.With reference to the drawings, there is shown a cutting apparatus for cutting plant vegetation commonly known as a slasher 10, the slasher 10 including a housing 12 and a connecting portion 14.

The housing 12 includes a body portion 16 and two elongate side members 18 extending downwardly of respective opposite edges of the body portion 16. Provided at longitudinal edges of the side members 18 remote from the body portion 16 are respective foot portions 19, each foot portion 19 having an upturned end portion 21 at each longitudinal end of the foot portion 19.

The body portion 16 includes a plurality of reinforcing flanges 20 which extend upwardly of an upper surface 23 of the body portion 16.

The body portion 16 also includes an elongate rail member 22 extending along a side of the slasher 10 between flange portions 24, each flange portion 24 being integral with a reinforcing flange 20 and being located at a corner portion of the slasher The connecting portion 14 includes two upstanding members 26 configured and connected together to form a wishbone-shaped member. The upstanding members 26 are connected together at a first end 28 by any suitable means, for example by a nut and a bolt. Each upstanding member 26 is pivotably connected at a second end 30 to securing 0*0means in the form of a clamp means 32 having two parallel plates 33 and tightening means 34 in the form of four bolts and four corresponding nuts. Each upstanding member 26 also includes a pin 36 extending outwardly of the wishbone in a direction substantially parallel to the rail member 22. The pins 36 serve to facilitate connection of the connecting portion 14 of the slasher 10 to a vehicle, for example a tractor.

The slasher 10 also includes an elongate stabilising member 38 which includes an elongate first stabilising portion 40 pivotably connected at a first end at a first pivot connection 42 to an upstanding bar 44 provided on the surface 23 of the body portion 16, and a second stabilising portion 46 pivotably connected at a first end to the first end 28 of the connecting portion 14 at a second pivot connection 48. A second end of the first stabilising portion 40 is provided with an internally threaded portion and a second end of the second stabilising portion 46 is provided with an externally threaded portion adapted to engage with the internally threaded portion of the first stabilising portion 40. In this way, the effective length of the stabilising portion 38 may be adjusted by rotating the first stabilising portion 40 relative to the second stabilising portion 46. Locking means (not shown) may also be provided to restrain rotation of the first and second stabilising portions 38, 40 relative to each other. The locking means may be a pin which is engageable with apertures provided in the first and second stabilising portions 38, 40. It will be appreciated, however, that the effective length of the stabilising portion 38 may be made adjustable by other arrangements, for example, by providing a second stabilising portion 46 which is telescopically engageable with the first stabilising portion.

The slasher 10 also includes a PTO drive shaft 50 adapted to connect with a drive means of a vehicle, for example a tractor, and drive means 52 adapted to transfer rotational movement of the drive shaft 50 to rotational movement of the cutting means (not shown) located beneath the body portion 16. A portion of the drive means 52 is covered by an :0 arched portion 54.

The connecting portion is shown in alternative first 56 and second 58 lateral positions in Figure 2.

In order to move the connecting portion 14 from the position shown in Figure 1 to either the first and second positions shown in Figure 2, a user carries out the following steps.

The tightening means 34 are first released so that the clamp means 32 and thereby the upstanding members 26 are movable relative to the rail member 22 in a direction parallel to the rail member 22. The connecting portion 14 is then moved to the desired location relative to the rail member 22. The first stabilising portion 40 is rotated relative to the second stabilising portion 46 to adjust the effective length of the stabilising member 38 so that the connecting portion 14 extends in a substantially vertical direction. The tightening means 34 are then tightened so as to restrain movement of the clamp means 32 and thereby the upstanding members 26 relative to the rail member 22.

6 In use, a user positions the connecting portion 14 relative to the rail member 22 at a location such that, during use, cut plant vegetation will be distributed at the desired location. The connecting portion 14 is connected to a vehicle, for example a tractor, by virtue of the pins 36. The slasher 10 is then drawn across the plant vegetation to be cut by the tractor.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

*g .i* *o*oo *go

Claims (12)

1. A cutting apparatus for cutting plant vegetation, said apparatus including a housing portion provided with cutting means and a connecting portion provided with means for connecting to a vehicle, the housing portion being provided with a rail member and the connecting portion being provided with releasable securing means slidably mounted on the rail member, the arrangement being such that the securing means is positionable relative to the rail member so that, in use, the cutting means is selectively positionable relative to the vehicle.

2. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion includes a substantially wishbone-shaped member extending upwardly of the securing means.

3. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wishbone-shaped member o includes two upstanding members, each upstanding member being connected to a S: respective securing means. S.:

4. A cutting apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, further including a stabilising member extending between the connecting portion and the housing portion.

A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stabilising member is adjustable in length. 8

6. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further including locking means for selectively restraining adjustment of the length of the stabilising member.

7. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the stabilising member includes a first stabilising member and a second stabilising member telescopically engageable with the first stabilising member.

8. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first stabilising member is 00 screw threadably engageable with the second stabilising member. .:.000 0000

9. A cutting apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the securing means includes clamp means. go 0 o

10. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the clamp means includes at least two plates disposed at opposite sides of the rail member and tightening means for restraining movement of the at least two plates relative to the rail member. 0*

11. A cutting apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tightening means is at least one nut and at least one corresponding bolt.

12. A cutting apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. 9 RD DATED TI-US 23 DAY OF AUGUST 1999. ALESANDRO ANTONIO AGRTZZI By his Patent Attorneys LORD COMPANY PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 9 9. 4. 9. 9 S. 9 4 9 9. 44 9 *99* 9* .4 '4 4 94 .4 .9 4 9 S. S 94 S.