Method and apparatus for rejuvenating sugar cane stubble

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR REJUVENATING SUGAR CANE STUBBLE COMPRISING A MAIN FRAME HAVING GROUND-ENGAGING WHEELS, SAID FRAME HAVING GENERALLY PARALLEL SIDE MEMBERS CONNECTED BY FRONT AND REAR END MEMBERS, MEANS FOR PROPELLING SAID FRAME, AN AUXILIARY FRAME LOCATED BETWEEN SAID SIDE MEMBERS AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE SAID FRONT END MEMBER, MEANS ON SAID SIDE MEMBERS FOR TILTING SAID AUXILIARY FRAME RELATIVE TO SAID MAIN FRAME, A PAIR OF COLTERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID AUXILIARY FRAME AND ADAPTED TO SEVER THE LATERAL ROOTS OF THE STUBBLE, A LIFTER SHOE CARRIED BY SAID AUXILIARY FRAME REARWARDLY OF SAID COLTERTS FOR RAISING SAID STUBBLE FROM THE GROUND, A FIRST DRUM MOUNTEDF ON SAID AUXILIARY FRAME, SAID FIRST DRUM HAVING A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF SPACED STAGGERED TEETH FOR ENGAGING THE STUBBLE AS IT IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH AND BREAKING SAID STUBBLE INTO RELATIVELY SMALL PIECES, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID FIRST DRUM, A SHAKER CHAIN CONVEYOR HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID LIFTER SHOE FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL THEREFROM, A HOPPER FOR RECEIVING STUBBLE FROM SAID SHAKER CHAIN CONVEYOR, A TILLER FRAME MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID MAIN FRAME REARWARDLY OF SAID AUXILIARY FRAME, MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID TILLER FRAME, A SECOND DRUM ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TILLER FRAME, SAID SECOND DRUM HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIAL KNIVES FOR CULTIVATING THE SOIL, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID SECOND DRUM, A TILLER BLADE MOUNTED ON SAID TILLER FRAME REARWARDLY OF SAID SECOND DRUM FOR FORMING A FURROW, A MATERIAL CHUTE FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL FROM SAID HOPPER AND DISCHARGING SUCH MATERIAL INTO THE FURROW, A PAIR OF SPACED DISKS FOR MOVING EARTH INTO SAID FURROW, AND A PACKING WHEEL FOR COMPACTING SAID EARTH, WHEREBY SUGAR CANE STUBBLE WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE EARTH AFTER WHICH THE EARTH WILL BE CULTIVATED AND THE STUBBLE WILL BE REPLANTED.