Patent ID: 6494270
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: A01B

Abstract:
An apparatus useful in mulching and cultivating valley portions of an agricultural field, the apparatus comprising:a frame having means for attachment to an agricultural traction vehicle adapted for moving the apparatus across an agricultural field; a first carriage and a second carriage moveably carried by the frame for affixing thereto at a preselected orientation, each of the first and second carriages having first and second arms in spaced relation for receiving a drum therebetween; a first drum and a second drum carried by the first and second carriages, respectively, each drum freely rotatable on an axle extending between the first and second arms of each of the first carriage and the second carriage, each of the first and second drums having a rolling surface for operating with a ground surface above which the frame is moving, wherein the first carriage is in a spaced relation to the second carriage along a direction generally transverse a direction of travel for the frame thus permitting the first and second drums to freely roll over ground at opposing sides of a crop row, and wherein the first and second carriages and drums, in combination, form a drum pair, with one drum pair carried at a forward portion of the frame and a second drum pair carried at an aft portion of the frame; a plurality of blades carried on the rolling surface of the drum, wherein each of the plurality of blades extends radially outward from the axle and includes a cutting edge oriented at first and second non-zero angles thereto, and wherein the first non-zero angle carried by the first drum is generally orthogonal to the second non-zero angle carried by the second drum.