Claims
- 1. A cutting apparatus, comprising:
- a substantially endless housing having an open bottom, an air intake opening and a discharge port;
- projection means projecting inwardly from a bottom part of said housing, said housing cooperating with said projection means to define a substantially enclosed centrifuge chamber;
- rotatable cutting means mounted in the housing; and
- recycle means attached to the discharge port for receiving cuttings produced by the rotatable cutting means and delivering said cuttings to a predetermined location adjacent said endless housing for mulching.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recycle means includes applicator means for treating the cuttings to facilitate composting and fermentation thereof following delivery to a support surface.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recycle means includes means for directing cuttings to a front portion of said housing.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recycle means includes a rake module for facilitating dispersion of the cuttings at a predetermined location.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said rake module includes a plurality of spring-like tines.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cutting means includes a rotatable support plate and a plurality of cutting blades, each of said cutting blades being mounted for swivel movement on the support plate as the support plate is rotated.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least one of the cutting blades is mounted at a different horizontal position from the other cutting blades.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 further including means supported in the centrifuge chamber for accelerating movement of the cuttings within the centrifuge chamber.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1 further including pressurizing means for pressurizing air in the housing, the operation of said pressurizing means enhancing the centrifugal movement of cuttings within the housing.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a plurality of rotatable wheels for elevating said housing above a support surface, the rotation of said wheels transporting said apparatus along said support surface.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a plurality of rotatable roller members for elevating said housing above a support surface, the rotation of said roller members transporting said apparatus along said support surface.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said plurality of roller members is comprised of respective front and rear elongated rollers, said front roller spanning substantially the entire width of a front portion of said housing and said rear roller spanning substantially the entire width of a rear portion of said housing.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recycle means further includes diverter means for diverting at least some of the cuttings inwardly toward said cutting means for finer cutting.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 1 further including impeller means mounted for co-rotation with said cutting means for pressurizing air in said housing.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cutting means includes a rotatable support plate, a plurality of cutting members mounted for co-rotation with said support plate, and a ring circumscribing said support plate and mounted for co-rotation therewith, respective distal ends of said cutting members being located between said support plate and said ring.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said ring has a vertically extending outer wall, said outer wall extending below each of said cutting members to inhibit access to said cutting members.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 15 further including a plurality of radial spokes connecting said ring and said support plate and lifting means carried on each of said spokes for directing air upwardly as said support plate, said ring and said spokes are rotated.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cutting means includes a rotatable support plate, a ring circumscribing said support plate and mounted for co-rotation therewith, and a plurality of cutting members mounted for co-rotation with said ring, at least a portion of each cutting member projecting outwardly from said ring.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said ring has a vertically extending outer wall, said cutting members being circumferentially spaced around said ring and being mounted with said ring at respective discrete positions along the height of said outer wall.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said outer wall has at least one slot formed therein intermediate respective top and bottom surfaces of said ring to accommodate at least one cutting member at an intermediate position with respect to the height of said outer wall.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 1 further including pressurizing means for pressurizing air in said housing and vacuum module means operatively coupled to a vacuum side of said pressurizing means for vacuuming cuttings that are not delivered to said predetermined location adjacent said housing.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said vacuum module means includes a vacuum chamber, a port communicating with said vacuum chamber a rotatable cutting member located in said vacuum chamber and closure means for isolating said vacuum chamber from a support surface beneath the housing, said port being adapted to receive a conduit, whereby material is suctioned by said pressurizing means through said conduit into said vacuum chamber when said vacuum chamber is isolated from said support surface by said closure means, said cutting member being operable for cutting the material sucked into said vacuum chamber before said material is suctioned into said centrifuge chamber by said pressurizing means.
- 23. A cutting apparatus for simultaneously cutting and mulching vegetation as the apparatus is advanced in a forward direction, comprising:
- a housing having an open bottom, an air intake opening and a discharge port, said housing having a frontal portion;
- a plate member projecting inwardly from a bottom part of said housing, said housing cooperating with said plate member to define a substantially enclosed centrifuge chamber;
- rotatable cutting means mounted in the housing for cutting vegetation and for throwing the cuttings outwardly in the centrifuge chamber as the cutting means rotates, said cuttings being transported in the centrifuge chamber to the discharge port;
- pressurizing means for pressurizing air in the housing, said pressurizing means accelerating the movement of said cuttings in the centrifuge chamber to the discharge port; and
- recycle means attached to the discharge port for receiving the cuttings and delivering the cuttings to said frontal portion, said cuttings being delivered to a support surface beneath the housing as the apparatus is advanced in the forward direction.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 23 further including a plurality of rotatable wheels for supporting said housing, said apparatus being advanced in the forward direction by the rotational movement of said wheels.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 23 further including a plurality of rotatable roller members for supporting said housing, said apparatus being advanced in the forward direction by the rotational movement of said roller members.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said plurality of roller members include opposed front and rear elongated roller members, said front roller member extending substantially the entire width of said frontal portion and said rear roller member extending substantially the entire width of a rear portion of said housing.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 23 further including vacuum module means operatively coupled to a vacuum side of the pressurizing means for vacuuming cuttings that are not delivered to the support surface by the recycle means.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said vacuum module means includes a vacuum chamber, said apparatus further including clean-out means in communication with the vacuum chamber to facilitate cleaning of the pressurizing means.
- 29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said vacuum module means further includes an agitator brush and means for rotating said agitator brush.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 23 further including at least one barrier located on said plate member for diverting cuttings back into the cutting means for recut.
Parent Case Info
This invention is a continuation-in-part of prior co-pending application Ser. No. 07/680,788, filed Apr. 3, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,235 which is a continuation-in-part of prior co-pending application Ser. No. 07/528,718, filed May 24, 1990 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,615.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
680788 |
Apr 1991 |
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Parent |
528718 |
May 1990 |
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