Patent ID: 11864497
Assignee: nan
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A vine or cane pruning apparatus, comprising:
a non-motorized toothed wheel for guiding the pruning apparatus over vegetation in use, the wheel comprising a multiplicity of generally radially projecting teeth distributed about the periphery of the wheel for catching vegetation between gaps of the teeth, and wherein the projecting teeth of the non-motorized toothed wheel engage the vegetation, during use, so as to cause rotation of the non-motorized wheel in a substantially horizontal plane as the apparatus is driven along a row of vines or canes for pruning; and
a driven rotary cutter mounted co-axially to the wheel for cutting vegetation caught between the teeth, the cutter being configured such that its effective cutting area falls within the diameter of the wheel;
a displaceable arm assembly for connecting the toothed wheel with a prime mover for driving the apparatus along a row of vines or canes for pruning such that the wheel, mounted to a distal end of the arm assembly, is laterally moveable with respect to the prime mover, wherein:
the arm assembly is provided with one or more suspension system(s) configured such that the wheel is biased to return to a neutral position with respect to the prime mover from a deflected position after encountering resistance against vegetation and/or post obstacles in use,
the arm assembly comprises a first arm and a second arm pivotably coupled to the first arm, and a suspension system coupled therebetween such that the first arm is laterally moveable between the biased neutral position and the deflected position, and
the arm assembly further comprises a third arm pivotably coupled to the second arm, and wherein a second suspension system is coupled therebetween such that the lateral movement of both the first arm and the second arm are effected when the wheel, mounted to a distal end of the first arm, encounters vegetation and/or post obstacles in use for improved traction between the wheel and said obstacles when traversing said obstacles.