Tree excavator and transplanter

This invention relates generally to an apparatus and a method for excavating and transplanting a live tree. The invention relates more specifically to equipment which utilizes curved ground piercing blades moveably supported on a ring assembly positioned around a tree to be transplanted, the blades being forced and guided down into the ground to completely encompass a tree root ball which can thereafter be lifted out of the ground and transported for subsequent transplantation. Both the apparatus and the method facilitate the excavation and transplantation of trees with low limbs and crooked trunks to and/or from uneven or sloping terrain, and may be utilized with any of the prime movers of adequate towing capacity available at an excavation site.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 This invention generally relates to apparatus and methods for excavating
 and transplanting trees. The invention relates more specifically to
 equipment which utilizes curved ground piercing blades moveably supported
 on a ring assembly positioned around a tree to be transplanted, the blades
 being forced and guided down into the ground to completely encompass a
 tree root ball which can thereafter be lifted out of the ground and
 transported for subsequent transplantation.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 Land developers are becoming more interested in trying to save trees on the
 land they are developing. In fact, some communities, such as Austin Texas,
 have an ordinance protecting trees 19 inches in diameter or larger. Since
 such trees are usually in the way of the planned construction, they must
 be moved to another location on the site or elsewhere. For the trees to
 have a reasonable chance of surviving, a substantial root ball must be
 moved with the tree.
 Mechanical devices for excavating trees have existed for decades. However,
 these devices are limited in application, as they may conventionally only
 excavate small trees and shrubs. Larger trees, having trunks greater than
 15 inches in diameter, commonly require a more manual method for
 excavation called "round-ball" or boxing." In this method, a large trench
 several feet in width and depth is be excavated around the tree. Long
 pipes or wooden members are then horizontally driven at the bottom of the
 trench from one side of the tree to another, forming a support framework
 underneath the tree. Cranes may then lift this framework and the tree out
 of the ground for subsequent transplantation. The method is very tedious
 and labor intensive, requiring the aid of multiple workers and tools, and
 is particularly disfavored during mild flooding, on sloping terrain, or
 with medium rocky or clay-type soils. Thus, strides were taken to automate
 the process of large tree excavation.
 Previous tree moving equipment such as the DeHaan device, U.S. Pat. No.
 4,226,033, the Lemond device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,398, the Newman device,
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,605, the Stocker device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,025, the
 Dahiquist device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,427, the Weeks device, U.S. Pat. No.
 5,081,941, and the Stevens device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,691, employed a
 plurality of blades that severed the root ball from the ground and formed
 a supporting structure for the root ball and tree as it was lifted out of
 the ground and moved to its new location. The blades were guided into the
 ground by various types of guide members that engaged the blade over a
 substantial portion of their length. This resulted in significant
 structure high above the ground. This structure is a disadvantage to
 utilizing the prior art, such that trees with low limbs frequently require
 the limbs to be removed in order be transplanted.
 The Korenek tree transplanter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,518, attempted to
 alleviate this problem, but it also has its disadvantages. Use of the
 Korenek equipment can be limited when utilized on terrain that is not
 level because the mast requires the ring assembly, tree and root ball to
 be raised vertically. The problem may become evident when the apparatus is
 utilized on terrain having more than minimal slope, such as that exceeding
 10 degrees. Many applications require the transplantation of a tree either
 from or to a terrain that has a significant slope, such that the blades of
 the previous equipment might not be properly aligned with the axis of the
 tree, thereby resulting in excavating a root ball insufficient to protect
 the tree and ensure successful transplantation. Since the ring structure
 and blades of the prior art are set in a given plane in relation to the
 terrain, the Korenek equipment may not allow the excavation of a tree and
 adequate root ball from severely sloped terrain, such as the side of a
 mountain. Further problems may arise with the Korenek equipment when the
 tree to be excavated and has a crooked trunk or significant branches which
 the mast would interfere with, such that in positioning the transplanting
 apparatus around the tree, the trunk may force the misalignment of the
 ring structure and blades in relation to the root ball, resulting in the
 excavation of an inadequate or asymmetrical root ball, and thereby
 sacrificing the health of the tree and decreasing the likelihood of
 successful transplantation.
 Since the Korenek apparatus includes a mast on which a ring structure
 vertically raises and lowers in relation to the ground. The mast stands in
 a strictly vertical plane and may interfere with the limbs of large trees,
 possibly injuring the tree limbs or requiring the removal of several tree
 limbs in order to accurately position the apparatus around the tree.
 Further, this problem makes such devices particularly disadvantageous for
 use in nurseries where it is desirable to plant and cultivate trees as
 closely as possible to utilize the available land most efficiently.
 Because of the space required for maneuvering and positioning conventional
 devices to remove such trees, the trees must be planted a greater distance
 apart than would generally be desirable from the standpoint of utilizing
 available space in the most efficient manner possible.
 Additionally, those skilled in the art have learned that the mast
 arrangement is often not strong or rigid enough to use the apparatus with
 large trees, such that additional braces have been attached between the
 mast and various points on the ring structure. These additional supports
 may also interfere with the limbs of the tree to be excavated, resulting
 in the need to again remove several limbs prior to excavation. To
 desirably position the ring assembly of the Korenek device for a tree
 excavating operation, the lower end of the mast is closely adjacent the
 ground surface. This close spacing e.g., approximately 8 inches, presents
 ground clearance problems when using the equipment, particularly in muddy
 environments.
 Moreover, once a tree is excavated with the Korenek equipment, the weight
 of the excavated tree bears substantially upon the mast. To counteract the
 moment about the mast created by the excessive weight of the tree, a
 particular prime mover must be selected to prevent the mast from breaking
 and to prevent the excavated tree from falling backwards to the ground.
 This limitation in selecting a prime mover of appropriate weight to
 prevent such malfunction is particularly disfavored to those skilled in
 the art, since many applications have limitations in the availability of
 prime movers of various weights.
 The Korenek apparatus is also susceptible to malfunctions attributed to
 wear and fracture of the blade guides which guide the blades into the
 ground. The guides in the Korenek apparatus receive excessive loading from
 the blades, a problem intensified by the minimal contact area between the
 blades and the guides. This loading creates excessive wear on the guides,
 resulting in the failure of the guides or blades, and thereby driving up
 maintenance requirements of the apparatus, decreasing the reliability of
 the device, and ultimately increasing operating costs of the device. The
 guides also provide no effective means for removing debris that becomes
 lodged between the guides and the blades during use, a factor that leads
 to further malfunction or fracture of the apparatus. Also, as the Korenek
 transplanting apparatus is repeatedly used and the force of the blades on
 the guides and debris accumulates between the guides and the blades,
 significant wear is effected on the guides, such that the engagement of
 the guides and the blades is lessened, thereby preventing the blades from
 being accurately driven into the ground. This also results in the
 inadequate excavation of the root ball and diminishes the likelihood of
 tree survival.
 Finally, utilization of the Korenek tree transplanter can be a tedious
 process, requiring multiple bolting and unbolting of the ring sections to
 and from one another. While tree excavating apparatus are often utilized
 in the construction and nursery industries where time is of the essence, a
 tedious procedure is not cost effective. Utilizing this equipment requires
 the additional utilization of multiple tools and several people, thereby
 increasing both the complexity, execution time and cost of excavating a
 single tree.
 It is highly desirable to provide a tree excavating and transplanting
 apparatus that is easily operated and highly reliable, that may be
 utilized on terrain of even the most severe slope with trees having
 severely crooked trunks, that requires little time and minimal trimming to
 execute the excavation of trees of any size, and that overcomes the wear
 and maintenance problems inherent in the prior art.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 A preferred machine for excavating and transplanting large trees involves a
 plurality of blades moveably supported around an annular ring assembly
 which is positioned around a tree by a prime mover. The blades sever a
 root ball from the ground and form a supporting structure for the root
 ball and tree as it is lifted out of the ground and moved to a new
 location. Typically, the annular ring assembly includes a front rigid
 section and two rear gate sections pivotally attached to the rigid
 section, such that the gate sections can be rotated open to allow the
 machine to be positioned around the tree.
 The present invention provides a machine and method for excavating and
 transplanting large trees, and affords solutions to some of the challenges
 of excavating and transplanting trees experienced in the prior art. This
 invention offers advantages over the prior art in that it may facilitate
 the excavation and transplantation of trees having low limbs or crooked
 trunks to and/or from substantially sloped terrain. The invention may also
 more accurately guide the plurality of blades into the ground, thereby
 increasing the reliability of the machine and the accuracy with which a
 root ball is excavated, thus increasing the likelihood of tree survival.
 The invention may also substantially automate the excavating process,
 thereby eliminating the need for numerous tools and workers during tree
 transplantation.
 A primary object of this invention is to provide an excavating machine that
 offers the ability to excavate and transplant large trees to and from
 uneven or sloping terrain. The preferred embodiment disclosed affords this
 characteristic through the arrangement of four hydraulic elevating
 cylinders, two elevating cylinders each attached at one end to a front
 rigid section of a ring assembly which moveably supports a plurality of
 ground piercing blades, the other two elevating cylinders attached at one
 end to a rear rigid section of the ring assembly. The two front elevating
 cylinders may be pivotally attached at an opposing end to an over-center
 neck mechanism which is attached at one end to the ring assembly and at an
 opposing end to a moveable base. The two rear hydraulic elevating
 cylinders are each attached at an opposing end to a respective moveable
 base. By extending the elevating cylinder pistons to different lengths as
 necessary to best position the ring assembly around the tree, the ring
 assembly may maintain a substantially horizontal position regardless of
 the profile of the terrain. Additionally, the elevating cylinders may in
 the same manner position the ring assembly in a plane at an angle relative
 to level terrain in order to excavate a root ball of appropriate grade for
 transplanting the tree to a location of different grade. This feature is
 of particular advantage over the prior art, in that it may facilitate the
 excavation of a tree located on a significant slope or where the terrain
 elevation varies from one side of the tree to another. Additionally, the
 feature is particularly useful when a tree has been excavated from a
 substantially level terrain and needs to be transplanted to a location
 that is severely sloped or uneven. In both cases, this advantage has
 aesthetic benefits, in that the grade of the transplanted tree may
 substantially match that of the surrounding transplant location, such that
 the tree may appear to have actually grown in that location. Additionally,
 in both of the above scenarios, the likelihood of tree survival may be
 increased since an adequate root ball will have been more accurately
 excavated than previously possible with the prior art.
 Another objective of this invention is to provide a tree excavating and
 transplanting machine that can excavate trees with low limbs or crooked
 trunks. The present invention has no structure above the top of the
 plurality of blades when the ring assembly is in a lowered position. This
 lack of structure may facilitate use of the present invention to
 transplant trees that have low limbs, whereas the prior art required the
 removal of such low limbs to avoid interference between the limbs and the
 tall vertical structure of the prior art. Additionally, the combination of
 the low structure height and the pivoting ring assembly discussed above
 may allow the plurality of blades and ring assembly to be more accurately
 positioned around a tree, thereby further encouraging the excavation of a
 root ball sufficient to ensure the likelihood of tree survival.
 It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tree excavator
 and transplanter capable of use with any one of several prime movers
 available at an excavation site and having an adequate towing capacity.
 This characteristic is characterized in the preferred embodiment of the
 present invention through the provision of an integral hydraulic power
 unit, consisting of a motor, a hydraulic fluid pump and a hydraulic fluid
 reservoir. This feature is particularly advantageous over the prior art,
 in that the present invention is not dependent upon a prime mover or other
 source for hydraulic or electric power. This may enable the tree
 excavating and transplanting machine to be used with almost any prime
 mover available at the excavation site. Additionally, the plurality of
 blades and ring assembly of the present invention may completely support
 the weight of the excavated tree. This feature is favorable over the prior
 art, in that the selection of a prime mover may be independent of the
 weight of the excavated tree, but may instead be selected solely on the
 basis of the towing capacity of the prime mover. This feature is
 advantageous in that it may eliminate the limitations in the prior art in
 selecting a prime mover, and may facilitate the use of a tree excavator
 and transplanter with any one of several prime movers available at the
 excavation site.
 It is a further objective of this invention to provide blade guides with
 increased reliability and maintainability. The preferred embodiment
 disclosed affords this characteristic through the provision of a plurality
 of blade guides that contact a respective one of the plurality of blades
 over the width of the blade. This is an advantage over the prior art in
 that the previous equipment provided only point contact between the blades
 and guides, such that the blades applied significant loading on the guides
 during excavation. The present invention may increase the reliability of
 the blade guides by providing a larger contact area between the blades and
 the guides, such that the forces resulting from moving the blades during
 excavation are applied over a larger area than that in the previous
 equipment.
 It is a further objective of this invention to provide adjustability in the
 engagement of the guides and the blades. The preferred embodiment
 disclosed affords this characteristic through the provision of a plurality
 of guide adjustment members. The plurality of guide adjustment members may
 allow the guides to be adjusted radially inward and outward, thereby
 increasing or decreasing the engagement of the guides with the blades.
 This feature is advantageous over the prior art, in that the wear on the
 guides from prolonged used of the machine may be compensated for by
 adjusting the guides closer to the blades and increasing the engagement of
 the guides with the blades. Additionally, the feature is advantageous over
 the prior art in that the guides may be temporarily adjusted away from the
 blades in order to remove the accumulation of debris resulting from
 prolonged use of the machine.
 It is a further objective of this invention to substantially automate the
 excavation process. The preferred embodiment disclosed affords this
 characteristic through the provision of a system of hydraulic cylinders. A
 pair of hydraulic gate cylinders each attached at one end to the annular
 ring assembly and at an opposing end to a respective gate section
 pivotally attached to the ring assembly rigid section may provide the
 automation of the movement of the gate sections between an open position
 and a closed position. A pair of hydraulic securing cylinders each moving
 a securing pin between a secured position and an unsecured position may
 provide the automation of securing the gate sections to the ring assembly
 rigid section. Further, a hydraulic locking cylinder moving a locking pin
 between a locked position and an unlocked position may provide the
 automation of locking the gate sections to one another. Finally, a
 plurality of hydraulic blade cylinders each attached at one end to a
 respective one of the plurality of blades and attached at an opposing end
 to the ring assembly may provide the automation of digging the plurality
 of blades into the ground underneath the tree. These features are
 favorable over the prior art in that a single worker may operate the
 cylinder systems while remaining at a single position relative to the
 apparatus. This may eliminate the need to manually configure the present
 invention into an excavating configuration, leaving only the removal and
 reattachment of one end of each of the plurality of blade cylinders to a
 respective one of the plurality of blades in a step by step manner to
 force the blades into the ground. In addition, these features may increase
 the speed at which the excavating machine may be operated to excavate a
 tree, in that many of the steps in excavating the tree have been automated
 and may be performed by a single worker in a central location, and that
 the hydraulic cylinders may be actuated in a matter of seconds, whereas
 the prior art utilized threaded fastener configurations for securing the
 gate sections to the ring assembly rigid section and for locking the two
 gate sections to one another. These features are also an advantage over
 the prior art because they may decrease the number of workers required to
 excavate a tree. They are also advantageous over the prior art in that
 they may decrease the number of additional tools necessary to complete the
 excavation, whereas using the prior art excavate a tree required
 additional tools to configure the gate sections, secure the gate sections
 to the ring assembly rigid section, and lock the gate sections to one
 another. Finally, these automated features may allow the forces required
 to actuate these mechanisms which are attributed to slight misalignment or
 accumulation of debris to be overcome more easily, since the forces may be
 overcome by hydraulic power as opposed to human power.
 The forgoing disclosure and description of the machine for excavating and
 transplanting large trees and components is illustrative and explanatory
 thereof This invention is not intended to be limited to the illustrated
 and discussed embodiments, as one skilled in the art will appreciate that
 various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the
 details of the construction and combinations of features of the tree
 excavating and transplanting machine, may be made without departing from
 the spirit of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 Reference is made to the attached drawings only for the purpose of
 demonstrating preferred embodiments and not for the purpose of limiting
 the same. FIG. 1 illustrates generally a tree excavating and transplanting
 machine 10 consisting of an annular ring assembly 18 supported by a front
 moveable base 12, a right rear moveable base 38, and a left rear moveable
 base 40. FIG. 2 illustrates in further detail a left rear gate section 22
 and a right rear gate section 24, each pivotally attached to an annular
 ring assembly rigid section 20, as well as a pair of hydraulic gate
 cylinders 56 each attached to the annular ring assembly rigid section 20
 and a respective rear gate section 22 and 24 for moving the rear gate
 sections 22 and 24 between an open position and a closed position. FIG. 3
 illustrates generally the annular ring assembly rigid section 20 and right
 rear gate section 24 depicted in FIG. 2, as well as a securing pin 58 for
 securing the right rear gate section 24 to the annular ring assembly rigid
 section 20, a hydraulic securing cylinder 62 for moving the securing pin
 58 between a secured position and an unsecured position, a locking pin 48
 for locking the right rear gate section 24 to the left rear gate section
 22, and a hydraulic locking cylinder 60 for moving the locking pin 48
 between a locked position and an unlocked position. FIG. 4 illustrates
 generally the relative locations of the front moveable base 12, the rear
 moveable bases 38 and 40, the annular ring assembly 18, and a plurality of
 ground piercing blades 26, as well as the attachment points of an
 over-center neck mechanism 34 attached to the annular ring assembly rigid
 section 20 and the front moveable base 12, and a front elevating cylinder
 36 attached to the annular ring assembly rigid section 20 and the
 over-center neck mechanism 34, while the annular ring assembly 18 is in a
 lowered position. FIG. 5 illustrates generally the relative locations of
 the front moveable base 12, the rear moveable bases 38 and 40, the annular
 ring assembly 18, the plurality of blades 26, the over-center neck
 mechanism 34, and the hydraulic elevating cylinder 36 while the annular
 ring assembly 18 is in a raised position. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 illustrate
 generally the engagement of a plurality of guides 30 with the plurality of
 blades 26 in relation to the annular ring assembly rigid section 20, as
 well as the adjustment members 64 for radially adjusting the plurality of
 guides 30.
 In a preferred embodiment, an annular ring assembly 18 is comprised of two
 rear gate sections 22 and 24 pivotally attached to a rigid section 20. The
 rigid section 20 is comprised of a plurality of flanged sections 21, with
 each flanged section 21 preferably being secured to the adjacent flanged
 section 21 by a plurality of peripheral flange bolts (not shown). An
 over-center neck mechanism 34 is pivotally attached at one end to the
 annular ring assembly rigid section 20 and at an opposing end to a front
 moveable base 12 having a centerline generally aligned with a prime mover
 70 for moving the apparatus 10. A pair of hydraulic elevating cylinders 36
 are positioned on opposite sides of the front base centerline 35, each of
 the pair of elevating cylinders 36 having one end attached to the
 over-center neck mechanism 34 and an opposing end attached to the annular
 ring assembly rigid section 20. In a preferred embodiment, the annular
 ring assembly 18 is further supported by a right rear moveable base 38 and
 a left rear moveable base 40 on respective sides of the annular ring
 assembly 18, the moveable bases 38 and 40 each being connected to the
 annular ring assembly 18 by a hydraulic elevating cylinder 44 and 42 each
 having one end attached to the respective base 38 and 40 and an opposing
 end attached to a ring assembly standoff 82 (see FIG. 4). In a preferred
 embodiment, the front moveable base 12 includes a left side roller 16 and
 a right side roller 14 each spaced laterally from the base 12 centerline
 outward of the over-center neck mechanism 34. In a preferred embodiment, a
 tow-bar 72 is attached to the front moveable base 12 for interconnecting
 the front moveable base 12 with the prime mover 70. The moveable bases 38
 and 40 each have a left-side and right-side roller spaced laterally
 outward from its respective elevating cylinder.
 In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of ground piercing blades 26 are
 arranged about the annular ring assembly 18, each blade 26 having a radius
 of curvature along its longitudinal axis and tapered laterally toward a
 lower blade apex 28 (see FIG. 4) such that the plurality of blades 26 may
 move into substantially circumferential engagement under a tree to sever a
 root ball of the tree from the ground and thereafter support the tree and
 root ball as the annular ring assembly 18 and the plurality of blades 26
 are raised with respect to the front base 12 to lift the tree and root
 ball from the ground. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
 apex 28 may be spaced slightly from the lower end of a blade which is
 slightly rounded. In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of
 blades 26 includes an inner keel 52 and an outer keel 50 from which the
 blade 26 extends circumferentially outward, each outer keel 50 including a
 plurality of apertures 54 spaced along a length of the outer keel 50. The
 plurality of blades 26 are each supported on the annular ring assembly 18
 by a respective one of a plurality of guides 30 circumferentially spaced
 around and attached to the annular ring assembly 18. In a preferred
 embodiment, each of the plurality of guides 30 are moveably attached to a
 respective one of a plurality of adjustment members 64, such that the
 location of each of the plurality of guides 30 may be adjusted radially
 inward and outward to increase or decrease the engagement of each of the
 guides 30 to a respective one of the plurality of blades 26, the
 engagement between each of the guides 30 and a respective one of the
 plurality of blades 26 serving to accurately guide the movement of the
 blade 26 with respect to the annular ring assembly 18 along a path defined
 by the radius of curvature of a respective blade 26, and to limit the
 radial and lateral movement of the blades 26 during excavation. In a
 preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of blades 26 is moved through
 the guides 30 and into the ground by a respective one of a plurality of
 hydraulic blade cylinders 32, each blade cylinder 32 having one end
 attached to a respective one of the plurality of blades 26 and an opposing
 end attached to the annular ring assembly 18. The inner keel 52 and the
 outer keel 50 may be a single component, with each blade 26 comprised of
 two halves each welded to a side of the keel.
 In a preferred embodiment, each of the two rear gate sections 22 and 24
 include a plurality of vertically spaced securing sleeves 46 for securing
 each of the rear gate sections 22 and 24 to the annular ring assembly
 rigid structure 20. Each end of the annular ring assembly rigid section 20
 also includes a plurality of vertically spaced securing sleeves 74 secured
 radially inward to an end of the rigid section 20. Each of the plurality
 of annular ring assembly rigid section securing sleeves 74 is axially
 aligned with a respective plurality of rear gate section securing sleeves
 46 secured radially inward on each of the rear gate sections 22 and 24
 when the rear gate sections 22 and 24 are in a closed position, such that
 a vertically moveable securing pin 58 may be inserted through both a
 plurality of annular ring assembly rigid section securing sleeves 74 and a
 respective plurality of rear gate section securing sleeves 46 to secured
 the respective rear gate section 22 or 24 in the closed position. In a
 preferred embodiment, a hydraulic securing cylinder 62 is attached at one
 end to a respective one of the securing pins 58 and at an opposing end to
 the annular ring assembly 18, such that the securing cylinder 62 may move
 the securing pin 58 between a secured position and an unsecured position.
 In a preferred embodiment, each of the two rear gate sections 22 and 24
 include a plurality of vertically spaced locking sleeves 76 secured
 radially outward to the free end of the rear gate sections 22 and 24, each
 plurality of locking sleeves 76 aligning axially with the plurality of
 locking sleeves 76 secured to the other rear gate section 22 or 24, such
 that a vertically moveable locking pin 48 may be inserted simultaneously
 through the plurality of locking sleeves 76 on both rear gate sections 22
 and 24 to lock the rear gate sections 22 and 24 to one another. In a
 preferred embodiment, a hydraulic locking cylinder 60 is attached at one
 end to the locking pin 48 and at an opposing end to the annular ring
 assembly 18, such that the locking cylinder 60 may move the locking pin 48
 between a locking position and an unlocking position.
 In a preferred embodiment, each of the hydraulic cylinders 32, 36, 42, 44,
 56, 60, 62 are actuated by hydraulic power supplied by a hydraulic power
 unit 80 consisting of a motor 84, a fluid pump 86 and a fluid reservoir
 88. The hydraulic power unit 80 is preferably rigidly secured to one side
 of the annular ring assembly rigid section 20. Suitable controls (not
 shown) are provided for operator control of the cylinders from the unit
 80. Accordingly, hydraulic power from the prime mover 70 is not required
 to operate the machine 10.
 In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of guides 30 is composed
 of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, although another selected
 plastic material may be used in other embodiments. Other embodiments may
 also use alternative means for moving each of the plurality of blades 26
 into the ground, such as a toothed rack on the outer keel 50 on each of
 the plurality of blades 26 and mounting a plurality of hydraulic torque
 motors to the annular ring assembly 18. Each of the plurality of torque
 motors may be secured to a respective pinion gear engaging a toothed rack
 on the outer keel 50 of a respective one of the plurality of blades 26,
 such that by causing the torque motor to drive the respective pinion gear,
 the blade 26 is forced into the ground.
 The invention includes a preferred process for excavating and transplanting
 a tree. By providing a moveable front base 12 having a centerline
 generally aligned with a prime mover 70 for moving the tree, supporting an
 annular ring assembly 18 on the moveable base 12, the annular ring
 assembly 18 including a pair of rear gate sections 22 and 24 and a rigid
 section 20 comprised of a plurality of flanged sections 21 secured to one
 another, pivotally attaching one end of an over-center neck mechanism 34
 to the annular ring assembly rigid section 20 and an opposing end to the
 moveable base 12, positioning a pair of hydraulic elevating cylinders 36
 on opposite sides of the over-center neck mechanism 34 and attaching one
 end of each of the pair of hydraulic elevating cylinders 36 to the
 over-center neck mechanism 34 and an opposing end to the annular ring
 assembly rigid section 20, a plurality of ground piercing blades 26 may be
 moveably supported circumferentially around the annular ring assembly 18.
 This apparatus 10 may then be positioned around a tree to be excavated by
 opening the rear gate sections 22 and 24, thereafter using the prime mover
 70 to position the apparatus 10 around the tree, thereafter closing the
 rear gate sections 22 and 24, thereafter securing the rear gate sections
 22 and 24 to the annular ring assembly rigid section 20 by actuating a
 pair of hydraulic securing cylinders 62 to each move a respective one of a
 pair of securing pins 58 into a secured position engaging both a plurality
 of rear gate section securing sleeves 46 which are secured to a radially
 inward surface on each of the rear gate sections 22 and 24 and a plurality
 of annular ring assembly rigid section securing sleeves 74 which are
 secured to a radially inward surface of both ends of the annular ring
 assembly rigid section 20, and thereafter locking the rear gate sections
 22 and 24 to one another by actuating a locking cylinder 60 to move a
 locking pin 48 to a locked position engaging a plurality of rear gate
 section locking sleeves 76 secured to a radially outward surface of both
 rear gate sections 22 and 24. By further mounting a plurality of hydraulic
 blade cylinders 32 each on one end to the annular ring assembly 18 and an
 opposing end to a respective one of the plurality of blades 26, and
 mounting a plurality of guides 30 to the annular ring assembly 18, each of
 the plurality of blades 26 may be driven into the ground and underneath
 the tree to be excavated. The annular ring assembly 18 and the plurality
 of blades 26 may then be raised relative to the front base 12, thereby
 excavating the tree and a root ball for subsequent transplantation.
 While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated
 in detail, it is apparent that modifications and adaptations of the
 preferred embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it
 is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are
 within the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the
 following claims.