Beet blocking apparatus

Claim 1

A ROW CROP THINNING MACHINE ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A TRACTOR, COMPRISING: (A) A TUBULAR HEADER MEMBER CONNECTED TO A BLOWER FAN FOR CREATING AIR SUCTION IN SAID HEADER, SAID HEADER MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY SUPPORTED; (B) A DEPENDING, GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SUCTION HOUSING ATTACHED TO AND OPENING INTO SAID HEADER, SAID SUCTION HOUSING BEING OPEN AT ITS LOWER END AND SAID LOWER END BEING ADAPTED TO BE SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE ABOVE THE GROUND LINE; (C) A PLANT CONTACTING AND TRIP MEANS LOCATED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SUCTION HOUSING FOR CONTACTING PLANS DRAWN INTO SAID HOUSING BY AIR SUCTION; (D) A PAIR OF SPACED APART MOUNTING MEANS PIVOTALLY RECEIVED ON SAID HEADER ONE ON EACH SIDE OF SUCTION HOUSING, EACH OF SAID MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING A DEPENDING CUTTER ARM AND A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED CUTTER BLADE AT THE LOWER END OF EACH ARM WITH SAID BLADES LOCATED BELOW THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING, SAID CUTTER ARMS AND BLADES BEING DESIGNED TO SWING THROUGH A LIMITED ARC, SAID BLADES ALSO BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER GENERALLY BELOW SAID TRIP MEANS; AND (E) OPERATING MEANS FOR PIVOTING SAID MOUNTING MEANS, SAID OPERATING MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO AND OPERATED BY SAID TRIP MEANS.