Machine for cutting and shredding above-ground plant growth and for tilling the soiland shredding plant roots

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND SHREDDING ABOVE-GROUND PLANT STALKS IN ROWS AND FOR TILLING THE SOIL AND SHREDDING AND DISINTEGRATING BELOW-GROUND ROOTS IN SAID ROWS IN A ONCE-OVER OPERATION PREPARATORY TO REPLANTING IN SAID ROWS, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING A BODY PORTION ADAPTED TO BE DRAWN BY A TRACTOR, MEANS ON SAID BODY PORTION OPERABLE TO RAISE AND LOWER THE BODY PORTION RELATIVE TO THE GROUND, VERTICAL AXIS ROTARY ABOVE-GROUND CUTTER MEANS ON THE BODY PORTION OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH TO SPAN AT LEAST TWO OF SAID ROWS FOR CUTTING AND SHREDDING SAID ABOVE-GROUND STALKS THEREIN, TRAILING VERTICALLY SWINGABLE ROTARY TILLER MEANS ON SAID BODY PORTION OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH TO SPAN AT LEAST TWO OF SAID ROWS INCLUDING TRANSVERSELY SPACED ROTARY TILLER BLADE UNITS ENGAGING DIRECTLY ON SAID TWO ROWS FOR TILLING THE SOIL AND SHREDDING AND DISINTEGRATING BELOW-GROUND ROOTS IN SAID TWO ROWS, MEANS SEPARATE FROM THE FIRST-NAMED MEANS ON SAID BODY PORTION AND CONNECTED WITH SAID TILLER MEANS AND OPERABLE TO RAISE AND LOWER THE TILLER MEANS RELATIVE TO THE GROUND AND BODY PORTION AND TO HOLD THE TILLER MEANS IN SELECTED ADJUSTED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THE GROUND, AND GEARING ON SAID BODY PORTION DRIVINGLY INTERCONNECTING THE ROTARY CUTTER AND TILLER MEANS AND INCLUDING AN INPUT DRIVE SHAFT ADAPTED TO BE COUPLED WITH THE POWER TAKE-OFF SHAFT OF A TRACTOR.