Patent ID: 9605406
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: A01B,A01G,E02F

Claim:
1. A landscape trench forming apparatus, comprising: a frame movable in a direction of travel to form a landscape trench; an engine supported on said frame to provide a source of rotational power; a trench-forming rotor operably connected to said engine to receive rotational power therefrom, said rotor having a leading edge relative to the engagement of the ground in said direction of travel and being operable upon rotation to dig a trench into the ground, said rotor being driven by said engine for rotation in a direction that has the leading edge of said rotor moving from above the ground into engagement with the ground such that the rotation of said rotor assists in moving the apparatus in said direction of travel; and a deflector structure supported by said frame in cooperative relationship to said rotor such that displaced soil removed from the ground to form said trench is deflected outwardly away from said rotor, said deflector structure including a trench cleaning blade formed in a shape corresponding to a cutting profile of said rotor and positioned rearwardly of said rotor with respect to said direction of travel and within said trench to prevent displaced soil from being discharged from said rotor into said formed trench, said trench cleaning blade being mounted to permit limited multi-directional movement that allows said trench cleaning blade to move relative to said trench-forming rotor and to float within said trench rearwardly of said rotor and follow changes in vertical depth of said trench.