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

Claim 14:
15. 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 wheel rotates in use by consequence of the wheel's engagement with the vegetation and vine or cane posts as the apparatus is driven along a row of vines or canes for pruning;
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; and

a second like driven rotary cutter mounted adjacent and below the toothed wheel for extending the pruning area of the apparatus.