Rock picker

Claim 2

Apparatus for picking rocks or similar articles from the ground comprising: A main frame supported for forward movement over the ground, A rotatable digging head including an elongated central shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and a plurality of elongated digging teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of said shaft, means mounting said digging head for vertical movement to different adjusted positions relative to said frame between a lowered ground-penetrating position, wherein outer ends of the digging teeth will penetrate the ground on rotation of the digging head, and a raised position above the ground, power-operated means for moving said digging head between its different adjusted positions and for securing said digging head in one of said selected positions, a rotatable clearing head including an elongated shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and substantially paralleling the axis of the shaft of the digging head and a plurality of elongated clearing teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said clearing teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of the shaft and having such width and spacing that they may move freely between said digging teeth on relative rotation of said heads, means mounting said clearing head above said digging head for movement toward and away from said digging head and yieldably biasing said clearing head into a position where the clearing teeth on being rotated pass between the digging teeth, said clearing head being adapted to move away from said digging head when an unyielding object is interposed therebetween in such a manner as to produce a force urging the clearing head away from the digging head, and driving means for rotating said heads in opposite directions with the digging teeth moving forwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the digging head to pick articles and raise them from the ground and the clearing teeth moving rearwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the clearing head to remove picked articles from the digging teeth as they are raised by the digging teeth over the shaft of the digging head.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said driving means comprises means for rotating the digging and clearing heads in a predetermined timed relationship, with a clearing tooth on being rotated below the shaft of the clearing head passing through an arc adjacent the trailing edge of a digging tooth rotated over the shaft of the digging head.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the clearing teeth are disposed in a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows extending substantially axially of the clearing head, the digging teeth are disposed in a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows extending substantially axially of the digging head, said digging head having a greater number or rows of teeth than said clearing head, and said driving means is operable to rotate the clearing head faster than said digging head so that each successive row of clearing teeth coacts with each successive row of digging teeth to remove picked articles therefrom.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a digging tooth is arcuate, having a concave surface facing in the direction of rotation for the digging head.

Claim 6

Apparatus for picking rocks or similar articles from the ground comprising: a main frame supported for forward movement over the ground, a rotatable digging head supported on said main frame adjacent the ground including an elongated shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and a plurality of elongated digging teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of said shaft, a rotatable clearing head above said digging head including an elongated shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and substantially parallel to the shaft of the digging head and a plurality of elongated clearing teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said clearing teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of the shaft and having such width and spacing that they may move freely between said digging teeth on relative rotation on said heads, means mounting said clearing head on said main frame for movement toward and away from the digging head and yieldably Biasing the clearing head into a position where the clearing teeth on being rotated pass between the digging teeth, said clearing head being adapted to move away from said digging head when an unyielding object is interposed therebetween in such a manner as to produce a force urging the clearing head away from the digging head, and driving means for rotating said heads in opposite directions with the digging teeth moving forwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the digging head to pick articles and raise them from the ground and the clearing teeth moving rearwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the clearing head to remove picked articles from the digging teeth as they are raised by the digging teeth over the shaft of the digging head.

Claim 7

Apparatus for picking rocks or similar articles from the ground comprising: a main frame supported for forward movement over the ground, a rotatable digging head supported on said main frame adjacent the ground including an elongated shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and a plurality of elongated digging teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of said shaft, a rotatable clearing head above said digging head including an elongated shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and substantially parallel to the shaft of the digging head and a plurality of elongated clearing teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said clearing teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of the shaft and having such width and spacing that they may move freely between said digging teeth on relative rotation on said heads, means mounting said clearing head on said main frame for movement toward and away from the digging head and yieldably Biasing the clearing head into a position where the clearing teeth on being rotated pass between the digging teeth, said clearing head being adapted to move away from said digging head when an unyielding object is interposed therebetween in such a manner as to produce a force urging the clearing head away from the digging head, and driving means for rotating said heads in opposite directions with the digging teeth moving forwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the digging head to pick articles and raise them from the ground and the clearing teeth moving rearwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the clearing head to remove picked articles from the digging teeth as they are raised by the digging teeth over the shaft of the digging head.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5, which further comprises means mounting said digging head for vertical movement to different adjusted positions relative to the frame between a lowered ground-penetrating position, wherein outer ends of the digging teeth will penetrate the ground on rotation of the digging head, and a raised position above the ground, and power-operated means for moving said digging head between its said different adjusted positions and for securing said digging head in one of said adjusted positions.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said means for moving said digging head and securing it in a selected position comprises a double-acting ram.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5, which further comprises conveyor means mounted on said frame rearwardly of said digging and clearing heads onto which picked articles may be discharged from the digging head, operable to move such articles away from said heads, said conveyor means including an open grate structure having an upper surface for supporting articles moved away from said heads, spaced conveyor elements projecting upwardly from said upper surface of the grate structure and mounted for movement over said grate structure, and powered means connected to said conveyor elements for moving them over said grate structure in a direction away from said heads.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a conveyor element comprises a plurality of elongated, upwardly projecting, spaced fingers.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said driving means comprises means for rotating the digging and clearing heads in a predetermined timed relationship, with a clearing tooth on being rotated below the shaft of the clearing head passing through an arc adjacent the trailing edge of a digging tooth rotated over the shaft of the digging head to remove picked articles from the digging tooth which have been carried over the shaft of the digging head.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the clearing teeth are disposed in a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows extending substantially axially of the clearing head, the digging teeth are disposed in a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows extending substantially axially of the digging head, said digging head having a greater number of rows of teeth than said clearing head, and said driving means is operable to rotate the clearing head faster than said digging head so that each successive row of clearing teeth coacts with each successive row of digging teeth to remove picked articles therefrom.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a clearing tooth is arcuate, having a concave surface facing in the direction of rotation for the clearing head.

Claim 15

Apparatus for picking rocks or similar articles from the ground comprising: a main frame supported for forward movement over the ground, a rotatable digging head supported on said main frame adjacent the ground including an elongated shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and a plurality of elongated digging teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of said shaft and disposed in a plurality of circumferentiAlly spaced rows extending substantially axially of the digging head, a rotatable clearing head supported on said main frame above said digging head including an elongated shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and substantially parallel to the shaft of the digging head and a plurality of elongated clearing teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said clearing teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of the shaft and having such width and spacing that they may move freely between said digging teeth on relative rotation of said heads and disposed in a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows extending substantially axially of the clearing head, said clearing head having a lesser number of rows of teeth than said digging head, and driving means operatively connected to said heads for rotating the same in opposite directions in a predetermined timed relationship, with each row of digging teeth moving forwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the digging head to pick articles and raise them from the ground and each row of clearing teeth moving rearwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the clearing head, with said clearing head rotating faster than said digging head and each successive row of clearing teeth coacting with each successive row of digging teeth and passing through an arc adjacent the trailing edge of said row of digging teeth to remove picked articles from the digging teeth as such are raised over the shaft of the digging head, said clearing head being adapted to move away from said digging head when an unyielding object is interposed therebetween in such a manner as to produce a force urging the clearing head away from the digging head.

Claim 16

Apparatus for picking rocks or similar articles from the ground comprising: a main frame supported for forward movement over the ground, a rotatable digging head supported on said main frame adjacent the ground including an elongated shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and a plurality of elongated digging teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of said shaft and disposed in a plurality of circumferentiAlly spaced rows extending substantially axially of the digging head, a rotatable clearing head supported on said main frame above said digging head including an elongated shaft disposed with its central axis extending transversely of the frame and substantially parallel to the shaft of the digging head and a plurality of elongated clearing teeth secured to and projecting radially outwardly from the shaft, said clearing teeth being spaced laterally from each other in a direction extending axially of the shaft and having such width and spacing that they may move freely between said digging teeth on relative rotation of said heads and disposed in a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows extending substantially axially of the clearing head, said clearing head having a lesser number of rows of teeth than said digging head, and driving means operatively connected to said heads for rotating the same in opposite directions in a predetermined timed relationship, with each row of digging teeth moving forwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the digging head to pick articles and raise them from the ground and each row of clearing teeth moving rearwardly of the apparatus on passing under the shaft of the clearing head, with said clearing head rotating faster than said digging head and each successive row of clearing teeth coacting with each successive row of digging teeth and passing through an arc adjacent the trailing edge of said row of digging teeth to remove picked articles from the digging teeth as such are raised over the shaft of the digging head, said clearing head being adapted to move away from said digging head when an unyielding object is interposed therebetween in such a manner as to produce a force urging the clearing head away from the digging head.