Patent Application
20210246628
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to grading devices and more particularly pertains to a new grading device final grading of a soil bed prior to sodding.
The prior art relates to grading devices for preparing a soil bed for sodding. Prior art devices generally comprise a blade that is attached to a machine such that movement of the blade across a surface renders it substantially flat and level. The prior art devices lack a roller that is selectively controllable on three axes, which would allow a user to easily contour gentle hills and mounds, as well as to direct excess soil selectively to one side or the other of the machine.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a vehicle, which in turn comprises a frame, a plurality of wheels, and a propulsion unit so that the vehicle is self-propelled. A deck that is engaged to the frame has a drum engaged thereto. The drum is operationally coupled to an actuator that is powered to selectively effect axial rotation of the drum against a surface upon which the vehicle is positioned. A first biaser is engaged to the frame and operationally coupled to the deck. The first biaser is powered to selectively raise, lower, and angle the deck relative to the frame to create flat sections, gentle hills, and mounds in a soil bed. A second biaser that is operationally coupled to the drum is powered to selectively effect longitudinal rotation of the drum relative to the deck to direct excess soil selectively to one side or the other of the vehicle.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The first segment 28 is coupled to and extends transversely and upwardly from a forward end 34 of the rear section 20, as shown in
A crossmember 44 is coupled to and extends bilaterally from the second segment 30 proximate to the first segment 28. The crossmember 44 may be V-shaped, as shown in
A plate 46 is coupled to the third segment 32 proximate to the front axle 38 and extending toward the rear section 20. The plate 46 is substantially parallel to the plane 36 that is defined by the plurality of wheels 16. A first brace 48 is coupled to and extends between the plate 46 and the third segment 32. A second brace 50 is coupled to and extends between the second segment 30 and the third segment 32. The first brace 48 and the second brace 50 rigidify the front section 26 of the frame 14.
A deck 52 that is engaged to the frame 14 comprises a framework 54 having a rear end 56 and a front end 58. The rear end 56 is positioned proximate to the forward end 34 of the rear section 20 of the frame 14. The front end 58 is pivotally coupled to the plate 46 so that the rear end 56 can be raised relative to the front end 58 and so that the framework 54 can tilt relative to the plane 36. The coupling of the front end 58 to the plate 46 can be accomplished using ball-hitch type connectors or other type of connectors, such as dual hinging connectors.
The framework 54 has opposing sides 60 having a crossbar 62 coupled thereto and extending therebetween. The opposing sides 60 also have a cross support 64 coupled thereto and extending therebetween. The cross support 64 is positioned between the crossbar 62 and the rear end 56 to rigidify the framework 54.
A drum 66 that is engaged to the deck 52 is operationally coupled to an actuator 68 that is powered to selectively effect axial rotation of the drum 66 against a surface, such as a soil bed, upon which the vehicle 12 is positioned. The actuator 68 may comprise a first hydraulic motor 100, or other type of motor, such as, but not limited to, pneumatic, electric, and the like. The wheels 16 on the front axle 38 can be tilted to provide a counter force to that imparted to the frame 14 by action of the drum 66 rotating against the surface.
A beam 70 that is engaged to the crossbar 62 has opposed ends 72. Each opposed end 72 has an endplate 74 coupled thereto and extending perpendicularly therefrom. The drum 66 is rotationally coupled to and extends between the endplates 74. Thus positioned, the drum 66 is open when viewed from the front axle 38 and the rear axle 22. As will become apparent, this configuration allows the drum 66 to contact raised portions of the soil bed as the vehicle 12 rolls across the surface, and to selectively dispense soil to the rear of the drum 66. A protrusion 76 that is coupled to and which extends from the drum 66, as shown in
A gearbox 80 is engaged to a respective endplate 74 and is operationally coupled to the actuator 68 and the drum 66. The gearbox 80 is positioned to provide speed and torque conversion between the actuator 68 and the drum 66.
A first biaser 82 is engaged to the frame 14 and operationally coupled to the deck 52. The first biaser 82 is powered to selectively raise, lower, and angle the deck 52 relative to the frame 14 to create flat sections, gentle hills, and mounds in the soil bed. The first biaser 82 may comprise a first hydraulic cylinder 94, as shown in
A second biaser 86 that is operationally coupled to the drum 66 is powered to selectively effect longitudinal rotation of the drum 66 relative to the deck 52 to direct excess soil selectively to one side or the other of the vehicle 12. The second biaser 86 comprises a second hydraulic motor 96 is and coupled to the deck 52, as shown in
A controller 88 that is coupled to the frame 14 proximate to the steering unit 42 is operationally coupled to the first biaser 82, the second biaser 86, and the actuator 68. A seat 90 is coupled to the rear section 20 proximate to the steering unit 42 and the controller 88.
In use, pedal controls (not shown) are used to initiate and terminate both forward and rearward movement of the vehicle 12 across the surface while using the steering unit 42 to control a direction of the vehicle 12. The controller 88 allows the user to initiate rotation of the drum 66, to actuate the first biaser 82 to selectively raise, lower, and angle the deck 52 relative to the frame 14 to create flat sections, gentle hills, and mounds in the soil bed, and to actuate the second biaser 86 to rotate the drum 66 longitudinally relative to the deck 52 to direct excess soil selectively to one side or the other of the vehicle 12.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
