Plant thinning machine and method of thinning plants

Claim 1

A PLANT THINNING MACHINE FOR USE WITH A ROW OF PLANTS GROWING IN THE GROUND COMPRISING A FRAME ADAPTED TO BE ADVANCED OVER SAID GROUND ALONG SAID ROW, A SHAFT, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID SHAFT ON SAID FRAME FOR LIMITED OSCILLATION ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF SAID ROW AND SITUATED DIRECTLY ABOVE SAID ROW OF PLANTS, A BLADE MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND DISPOSED IN A PLANE CONTAINING SAID AXIS, SAID BLADE HAVING A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF A BLOCK OF SAID PLANTS TO BE REMOVED FROM SAID ROW AND HAVING A RADIAL DIMENSION TERMINATING SUBSTANTIALLY AT SAID GROUND IN THE CENTRAL POSITION OF OSCILLATION OF SAID BLADE IN A POSITION TO DISLODGE SOME OF SAID GROUND INTO THE VICINITY OF SAID PLANTS AS SAID BLADE OSCILLATES, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING PROBE, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID PROBE ON SAID FRAME TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY OF SAID ROW IN A LOCATION SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE GROUND AND JUST TO THE REAR OF SAID BLADE IN A POSITION IN THE PATH OF SOME OF SAID GROUND DISLODGED BY SAID BLADE, MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID SHAFT TO SWING SAID BLADE FROM A FIRST POSITION ON ONE SIDE OF SAID ROW THROUGH SAID ROW TO A SECOND SIMILAR POSITION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID ROW, AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT INCLUDING SAID PROBE AND A RETURN PORTION AND ADAPTED TO BE COMPLETED THROUGH SAID PLANT AND SAID RETURN PORTION BY CONTACT OF SAID PROBE WITH A PARTICULAR PLANT IN SAID ROW, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE SOLELY AND IMMEDIATLEY TO COMPLETION THEREOF TO OPERATE SAID OSCILLATING MEANS TO MAKE ONE SWING OF SAID BLADE BEGINNING AT SAID FIRST POSITION AND ENDING AT SAID SECOND POSITION JUST AHEAD OF SAID PARTICULAR PLANT.