Tine cultivator with releasable striking tool

Claim 2

A cultivator comprising a frame and coupling means for attachment to a tractor, a plurality of side-by-side soil-working members supported on said frame in a row transverse to the direction of travel, said soil working members being rOtatable about upwardly extending axes and being drivenly connected to drive means and a source of power, said soil-working members each having generally vertically extending tine means with striking tools releasably connected to the tine means of at least one of said soil-working members, with clamping means, said clamping means and striking tools being slideable and adjustable vertically, along the lengths of said tine means whereby vegetation can be cut at selected heights by said striking tools during operation of said soil-working members.

Claim 3

A cultivator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tine means includes a pair of tines secured to every third soil-working member of said row with striking tools connected to each tine, the remaining soil-working members having their tines removed, whereby the striking tools can be rotated along horizontal paths below said soil-working members.

Claim 4

A cultivator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the axes of rotation of said soil-working members with tines and striking tools, are spaced apart from one another by substantially 75 centimeters and each striking tool has a maximum length of not more than 70 centimeters.

Claim 5

A cultivator as claimed in claim 3, wherein each striking tool has a minimum length of about 37 centimeters and a maximum length of about 70 centimeters.

Claim 6

A cultivator comprising a frame and coupling means for attachment to a tractor, a plurality of side-by-side soil-working members supported on said frame in a row transverse to the direction of travel, said soil-working members being rotatable about upwardly extending axes and being drivenly connected to drive means and a source of power, said soil-working members each having a pair of generally vertical tines that extend downwardly on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of their respective soil-working members, striking tools releasably connected to more than one pair of said tines with clamping means, said tools and said clamping means being slideable and adjustable vertically along the lengths of said tines, whereby vegetation can be cut at selected heights by said striking tools during operation of said cultivator members.

Claim 7

A cultivator comprising a frame and coupling means for attachment to a tractor, a plurality of side-by-side soil-working members supported on said frame in a row transverse to the direction of travel, said soil-working members being rotatable about upwardly extending axes and being drivenly connected to drive means and a source of power, said soil-working members each having a pair of generally vertical tines that extend downwardly on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of their respective soil-working members, striking tools releasably connected to more than one pair of said tines with clamping means, said tools and said clamping means being slideable and adjustable vertically along the lengths of said tines, whereby vegetation can be cut at selected heights by said striking tools during operation of said cultivator members.

Claim 8

A cultivator as claimed in claim 5, wherein the connections between said striking tools and their respective tines are quick releasable clamps having at least one accessible bolt.

Claim 9

A cultivator as claimed in claim 5, wherein each striking tool is turnable relative to its respective tine about both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis.

Claim 10

A cultivator as claimed in claim 5, wherein each striking tool is flexible.

Claim 11

A cultivator as claimed in claim 8, wherein each striking tool comprises a chain.

Claim 12

A cultivator as claimed in claim 8, wherein each striking tool comprises a resilient strip.

Claim 13

A cultivator comprising a frame and coupling means for attachment to a tractor, a plurality of side-by-side soil-working members supported on said frame in a row transverse to the direction of travel, said soil-working members being rotatable about upwardly extending axes and being drivenly connected to drive means and a source of power, said soil-working members each having generally vertical tines that are plural sided and said tines extending downwardly on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of their respective soil-working members, striking tools releasably connected to more than one pair of said tines with clamping means, said tools and said clamping means being slideable and adjustable vertically along the lengths of said tines, whereby vegetation can be cut at selected heights by said striking tools during operation of said cultivator members.

Claim 14

A cultivator comprising a frame and coupling means for attachment to a tractor, a plurality of side-by-side soil-working members supported on said frame in a row transverse to the direction of travel, said soil-working members being rotatable about upwardly extending axes and being drivenly connected to drive means and a source of power, said soil-working members each having generally vertical tines that are plural sided and said tines extending downwardly on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of their respective soil-working members, striking tools releasably connected to more than one pair of said tines with clamping means, said tools and said clamping means being slideable and adjustable vertically along the lengths of said tines, whereby vegetation can be cut at selected heights by said striking tools during operation of said cultivator members.

Claim 15

A cultivator as claimed in claim 11, wherein said striking tools are releasably secured to their respective tines by quick releasable clamping members.

Claim 16

A cultivator as claimed in claim 11, wherein said cultivator has spaced apart soil-working members side-by-side and spaced apart to culture plants grown in rows.

Claim 17

A cultivator as Claimed in claim 13, wherein said cultivator has spaced apart soil-working members with tines to which striking tools are secured to work plants grown under ridge culture and to be movable longitudinally between ridges, the tines of those soil-working members in register with the ridges being removed.