Remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus and method

Claim 2

A remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, comprising: a wheeled vehicle; a hydraulic support system and a rotational power supply mounted to said vehicle; a cutting head for cutting, chipping and clearing brush and trees, said cutting head being mounted to said hydraulic support system and engaged to said rotational power supply; an apparatus locator means mounted to said vehicle for receiving the remote positioning data and the radio communication signals; and a guidance means in signal communication with said apparatus locator means, for continuously reading and processing the remote positioning data and the radio communication signals to determine an instantaneous location of the vehicle relative to the surface of the earth and, in response thereto, to guide the vehicle for movement in a desired direction and to assist the vehicle in maintaining travel in the desired direction and returning the vehicle to the desired direction.

Claim 3

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 1, wherein the cutting head includes a housing, within which is secured a rotatable horizontal shaft engaged to said rotational power supply, and having a plurality of mounting discs laterally mounted to the horizontal shaft, a plurality of pivotal, U-shaped, throw-out knives mounted to the mounting discs and at least one bumper mounted to the housing to facilitate the cutting, chipping and clearing of brush and trees.

Claim 4

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 2, wherein said cutting head is vertically adjustable.

Claim 5

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus locator means comprises at least one first antenna for receiving the remote positioning data and at least one second antenna for receiving the radio communication signals.

Claim 6

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 1, wherein the guidance means comprises a data processor mounted to said vehicle to continuously process the remote positioning data and radio communication signals for providing navigational guidance, to guide the apparatus for movement in the desired direction.

Claim 7

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 5, wherein the data processor further comprises a central processing unit for continuously processing the remote positioning data and radio communication signals and a display means for visually conveying the remote positioning data and the desired direction to an operator.

Claim 8

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals as defined in claim 1, wherein the remote positioning data comprises a plurality of GPS network signals.

Claim 9

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals as defined in claim 7, wherein the radio communication signals comprise a plurality of differential correction signals generated from at least one GPS base station.

Claim 10

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals as defined in claim 8, wherein the apparatus locator means comprises a first GPS antenna mounted to the vehicle for receiving the plurality of GPS network signals and a second radio communication antenna for receiving the plurality of differential correction signals.

Claim 11

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 6, wherein the display means is a video display screen for displaying a current position of the vehicle relative to the surface of the earth and the desired direction of travel for the vehicle.

Claim 12

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus locator means comprises a first radio communication antenna mounted to the vehicle for receiving the remote positioning data transmitted by a geodetic survey system.

Claim 13

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 11, wherein said apparatus guidance means comprises a data processor mounted to said vehicle and is in signal communication with said first radio communication antenna for receiving the remote positioning data and radio communication signals.

Claim 14

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 12, wherein said data processor comprises a central processing unit to continuously process the remote positioning data and radio communication signals and a video display screen to display a current position of the apparatus relative to the surface of the earth and the desired direction of travel for the apparatus, to guide the apparatus for movement in the desired direction and to assist the vehicle in maintaining travel in the desired direction and returning the vehicle to the desired direction.

Claim 15

A remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, comprising: a wheeled vehicle; a hydraulic support system and a rotational power supply mounted to said vehicle; a vertically adjustable cutting head mounted to said hydraulic support system and said rotational power supply for cutting, chipping and clearing brush and trees, wherein the cutting head includes a housing, within which is secured a rotatable horizontal shaft engaged to said rotational power supply, and having a plurality of mounting discs laterally mounted to the horizontal shaft, a plurality of U-shaped, throw-out knives pivotally mounted on the mounting discs and at least one bumper mounted on the housing to facilitate the cutting, chipping and clearing of brush and trees; at least one first antenna mounted to said vehicle for receiving the remote positioning data and at least one second antenna mounted to said vehicle for receiving the radio communication signals; and a data processor means mounted to said vehicle, in signal communication with said at least one first antenna and said at least one second antenna for continuous processing of the remote positioning data and the radio signal communications for determining and displaying a current position of said vehicle, relative to the surface of the earth and also displaying the desired direction of travel for the vehicle and in response thereto, to guide the vehicle in the desired direction and to assist the vehicle in maintaining travel in the desired direction and returning the vehicle to the desired direction.

Claim 16

A remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, comprising: a wheeled vehicle; a hydraulic support system and a rotational power supply mounted to said vehicle; a vertically adjustable cutting head mounted to said hydraulic support system and said rotational power supply for cutting, chipping and clearing brush and trees, wherein the cutting head includes a housing, within which is secured a rotatable horizontal shaft engaged to said rotational power supply, and having a plurality of mounting discs laterally mounted to the horizontal shaft, a plurality of U-shaped, throw-out knives pivotally mounted on the mounting discs and at least one bumper mounted on the housing to facilitate the cutting, chipping and clearing of brush and trees; at least one first antenna mounted to said vehicle for receiving the remote positioning data and at least one second antenna mounted to said vehicle for receiving the radio communication signals; and a data processor means mounted to said vehicle, in signal communication with said at least one first antenna and said at least one second antenna for continuous processing of the remote positioning data and the radio signal communications for determining and displaying a current position of said vehicle, relative to the surface of the earth and also displaying the desired direction of travel for the vehicle and in response thereto, to guide the vehicle in the desired direction and to assist the vehicle in maintaining travel in the desired direction and returning the vehicle to the desired direction.

Claim 19

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 2, wherein the throw-out knives, at revolutions of at least 60 revolutions per minute, outwardly extend a sharpened U-shaped cutting edge to cut, chip and clear trees and brush.

Claim 20

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 14, wherein the throw-out knives, at revolutions of at least 60 revolutions per minute, outwardly extend a sharpened U-shaped cutting edge to cut, chip and clear trees and brush.

Claim 21

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 14, further comprising an apparatus locator means including said at least one first antenna for receiving the remote positioning data and said at least one second antenna for receiving the radio communication signals.

Claim 22

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 14, wherein the data processor further comprises a central processing unit for continuously processing the remote positioning data and radio communication signals and a display means for visually conveying the remote positioning data and the desired direction to an operator.

Claim 23

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 14, wherein the remote positioning data comprises a plurality of GPS network signals.

Claim 24

The remotely guided brush cutting, chipping and clearing apparatus, dependent upon remote positioning data and radio communication signals, as defined in claim 19, wherein the display means is a video display screen for displaying a current position of the vehicle relative to the surface of the earth and the desired direction of travel for the vehicle.