Vineyard cultivator

Claim 2

A cultivator of the type that is controlled by an operator and that is particularly well adapted for cultivating a vineyard or an orchard wherein vines, trees, or other objects are spaced along generally parallel rows, said cultivator characterized in that its width can be adjusted continuously by the operator while the cultivator is in use, so as to accommodate variations in the space between two rows, and further characterized in that it cultivates a strip that is as wide or wider than the space between two rows without running over the vines, trees or other objects, said cultivator comprising in combination: a main frame including a laterally-movable portion on which laterally-spaced castered sweeps are mounted and a laterally-unmovable portion on which laterally-spaced sweeps are mounted; actuator means mounted on said main frame and operable under control of the operator for continuously adjusting while the cultivator is in use the lateral position of the laterally-movable portion with respect to the laterally-unmovable portion; and, an outrigger pivotally attached to the main frame for movement about a vertical axis and about a horizontal axis and having an outboard end that is supported and maintained at a substantially constant distance from the ground by a wheel to enable the outboard end of said outrigger to follow the contour of the ground, said outrigger further including sensing means and motive means that function without intervention by the operator for respectively sensing the presence of an object in the path of said outrigger and for contracting said outrigger laterally and pivoting said outrigger rearwardly toward the main frame to prevent said outrigger from running over the object.

Claim 3

The cultivator of claim 1 further comprising electrical means for producing under control of the operator electrical control signals and for transmitting the electrical control signals to said actuator means.

Claim 4

The cultivator of claim 1 wherein said wheel is cambered.

Claim 5

The cultivator of claim 1 wherein said outrigger further comprises four members that are pivotally connected to form a four-sided outrigger frame which is alterable in shape to permit lateral contraction of said outrigger frame.

Claim 6

The cultivator of claim 4 wherein said motive means interconnect any two of the four members of said outrigger frame for producing lateral contraction of said outrigger and for pivoting said outrigger rearwardly toward the main frame.

Claim 7

The cultivator of claim 4 wherein said four members are pivotally connected by ball joints.

Claim 8

The cultivator of claim 4 wherein said four members are pivotally connected by universal joints.

Claim 9

The cultivator of claim 1 further comprising pivotal means for connecting said outrigger to the main frame.

Claim 10

The cultivator of claim 8 wherein said pivotal means further comprise a ball joint.

Claim 11

The cultivator of claim 8 wherein said pivotal means further comprise a universal joint.

Claim 12

A cultivator of the type that has a main frame, that is controlled by an operator, and that is particularly well adapted for cultivating a vineyard or an orchard where vines, trees, or other objects are spaced along generally parallel rows, said cultivator characterized in that its width can be adjusted continuously by the operator while the cultivator is in use so as to accommodate variations in the space between two rows, in that it cultivates a strip that is as wide or wider than the space between two rows without running over the vines, trees or other objects, in that it can cultivate the soil between the successive vines or trees in a row without injuring the vines or trees, and further characterized in that without intervention by the operator it can spray a chemical in a limited area about the foot of each vine, tree or object and nowhere else, said cultivator comprising in combination: a main frame including a laterally-movable portion on which laterally-spaced castered sweeps are mounted and a laterally-unmovable portion on which laterally-spaced sweeps are mounted; actuator means mounted on said main frame and operable under control of the operator for continuously adjusting while the cultivator is in use the lateral position of the laterally-movable portion with respect to the laterally-unmovable portion; an outrigger pivotally attached to the main frame for movement about a vertical axis and about a horizontal axis and having an outboard end that is supported and maintained at a substantially constant distance from the ground by a wheel to enable the outboard end of said outrigger to follow the contour of the ground, said outrigger further including sensing means and actuating means that function without intervention by the operator for respectively sensing the presence of an object in the path of said outrigger and for contracting said outrigger laterally and pivoting said outrigger rearwardly toward the main frame thereby causing the outboard end of said outrigger to jog laterally from its forward motion to prevent said outrigger from running over the object; and, sprayer means mounted on the outrigger near its outboard end and activated by the lateral jogging motion of the outrigger for directing a spray toward the foot of the object, said sprayer means by virtue of its location on the outrigger producing a sprayed area that extends around the foot of the object and nowhere else.

Claim 13

A cultivator of the type that has a main frame, that is controlled by an operator, and that is particularly well adapted for cultivating a vineyard or an orchard where vines, trees, or other objects are spaced along generally parallel rows, said cultivator characterized in that its width can be adjusted continuously by the operator while the cultivator is in use so as to accommodate variations in the space between two rows, in that it cultivates a strip that is as wide or wider than the space between two rows without running over the vines, trees or other objects, in that it can cultivate the soil between the successive vines or trees in a row without injuring the vines or trees, and further characterized in that without intervention by the operator it can spray a chemical in a limited area about the foot of each vine, tree or object and nowhere else, said cultivator comprising in combination: a main frame including a laterally-movable portion on which laterally-spaced castered sweeps are mounted and a laterally-unmovable portion on which laterally-spaced sweeps are mounted; actuator means mounted on said main frame and operable under control of the operator for continuously adjusting while the cultivator is in use the lateral position of the laterally-movable portion with respect to the laterally-unmovable portion; an outrigger pivotally attached to the main frame for movement about a vertical axis and about a horizontal axis and having an outboard end that is supported and maintained at a substantially constant distance from the ground by a wheel to enable the outboard end of said outrigger to follow the contour of the ground, said outrigger further including sensing means and actuating means that function without intervention by the operator for respectively sensing the presence of an object in the path of said outrigger and for contracting said outrigger laterally and pivoting said outrigger rearwardly toward the main frame thereby causing the outboard end of said outrigger to jog laterally from its forward motion to prevent said outrigger from running over the object; and, sprayer means mounted on the outrigger near its outboard end and activated by the lateral jogging motion of the outrigger for directing a spray toward the foot of the object, said sprayer means by virtue of its location on the outrigger producing a sprayed area that extends around the foot of the object and nowhere else.

Claim 14

The cultivator of claim 11 further comprising electrical means for producing under control of the operator electrical control signals and for transmitting the electrical control signals to said actuator means.

Claim 15

The cultivator of claim 11 wherein said wheel is cambered.

Claim 16

The cultivator of claim 11 wherein said outrigger further comprises four members that are pivotally connected to form a quadrilateral-shaped outrigger frame which is alterable in shape to permit lateral contraction of said outrigger frame.

Claim 17

The cultivator of claim 14 wherein said four members are pivotally connected by ball joints.

Claim 18

The cultivator of claim 14 wherein said four members are pivotally connected by universal joints.

Claim 19

The cultivator of claim 14 wherein said outrigger further comprises motive means interconnecting any two of the four members of said outrigger frame for producing lateral contraction of said outrigger and for pivoting said outrigger rearwardly toward the main frame.

Claim 20

The cultivator of claim 11 further comprising pivotal means for connecting said outrigger to the main frame.

Claim 21

The cultivator of claim 18 wherein said pivotal means further comprise a universal joint.

Claim 22

The cultivator of claim 18 wherein said pivotal means further comprise a ball joint.

Claim 23

The cultivator of claim 11 wherein said outrigger further comprises caster-mounted sweeps.

Claim 24

The cultivator of claim 11 wherein the outrigger includes outrigger frame members that move in a first direction relative to one another as the outrigger contracts and that move in a second direction relative to one another as the outrigger reverts to its original uncontracted configuration and wherein said sprayer further includes pump means connected between two of the outrigger frame members and operated by relative motion between the two outrigger frame members to fill the pump during motion in said first direction and to discharge the pump during motion in said second direction.

Claim 25

The cultivator of claim 22 wherein said sprayer further includes a reservoir and check valve means connected between said reservoir and said pump means to permit a liquid contained in said reservoir to enter said pump means during motion in said first direction but to prevent the liquid from returning to said reservoir during motion in said second direction.