Cutting apparatus particularly for cutting sods and removing plants

A cutting apparatus for a vehicle, particularly for cutting sods and removing plants, comprising a transmission device which is connected by elements a power take-off coupled to a driving device. The cutting apparatus is supported by a supporting structure which is articulated to one or more axes. The cutting apparatus comprises a guiding and supporting element which is supported by the supporting structure and is shaped so that upon assembly it is arranged like a circular arc along its longitudinal extension. A plurality of sliding blocks is slidingly associated with the guiding and supporting element along its edge; the sliding blocks are mutually connected and moved by a flexible element. Each sliding block supports a corresponding cutting element which is suitable to cut and remove plants. The plurality of sliding blocks and the corresponding flexible element form a closed cutting loop which is kinematically coupled to the power take-off.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an apparatus which can be associated with 
a vehicle particularly for cutting sods and removing plants. 
In the farming and plant-nursery field, in garden-keeping and in the field 
of the cultivation of ornamental plants or productive crops, it is 
conventionally necessary to cut the sod and remove the plants without 
compromising their root system and ultimately their life. 
Vehicles have been conceived for this purpose which obviate the long and 
tiring manual work required for cutting and uprooting the plants. 
These vehicles substantially comprise a mobile chassis, usually with a 
track drive, in which a seat is provided for the operator and for means 
for controlling and actuating the steering and the cutting operations. 
Moreover, these vehicles are provided with a cutting apparatus which is 
connected by means of a power take-off coupled to driving means for a 
rotating and vibrating blade which is usually crescent-shaped and is 
suitable to cut and remove trees. 
The blade penetrates the ground and removes, after rotating through 
approximately 180 sexagesimal degrees about an axis that passes through 
its mutually opposite ends, a substantially hemispherical sod which 
contains the root system of the plant. 
Although these machines perform their intended tasks, they have been found 
to be effective only in case of soft soil and with root systems that are 
not excessively developed. 
When the weather conditions harden the soil and with particular plants, 
these machines are in fact unable to cut the sod. 
Additionally, since the sods to be removed have different dimensions 
according to the age and type of plant, it is often necessary to replace 
the blades in order to optimize the operations for excavating and removing 
the plants. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, particularly 
for cutting sods and removing plants, which can be used substantially on 
any kind of plant and with any soil condition, even when the soil is 
particularly hard owing to its nature or to weather conditions. 
Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to 
provide an apparatus which is highly flexible in operation and equally 
easy to use. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is 
easily maneuverable and usable even in very rough, steep or muddy terrain. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which 
does not require the operator to have particular skills for its use. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which 
can be an accessory and can be applied to various vehicles, such as for 
example farm tractors, excavators, earth-movers or the like. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is 
durably reliable, can be manufactured with conventional technologies and 
in models which are flexible in terms of size and power and are suitable 
to meet the most disparate requirements of application. 
This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter 
are achieved by a cutting apparatus for a vehicle, particularly for 
cutting sods and removing plants, comprising transmission means which are 
connected by means of a power take-off coupled to driving means, said 
apparatus being characterized in that said cutting apparatus comprises a 
guiding and supporting element which is supported by a supporting 
structure and is shaped like a circular arc along its longitudinal 
extension, a plurality of sliding blocks being slidingly associated with 
said guiding and supporting element along its perimetric edge, said 
sliding blocks being mutually connected and moved by a flexible element, 
each sliding block supporting at least one corresponding cutting element 
suitable to cut and remove sods and therefore plants, said plurality of 
sliding blocks and the corresponding flexible element forming a closed 
cutting loop which is kinematically coupled to said power take-off.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
With particular reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, a vehicle particularly for 
cutting sods and removing plants is generally designated by the reference 
numeral 10. 
The vehicle 10 comprises a chassis 11 with a track drive 12, in which there 
is provided a seat 13 for an operator and for means, generally designated 
by the reference numeral 14, for controlling and actuating the steering 
and cutting operations. 
The vehicle 10 also comprises a cutting apparatus according to the present 
invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 15, which in turn 
comprises transmission means 16 which are connected by means of a power 
take-off 17 coupled to driving means which are not shown. 
The cutting apparatus 15 is supported by a supporting structure, generally 
designated by the reference numeral 18, which is articulated to a 
horizontal axis and a vertical axis, generally designated by the reference 
numeral 19. 
The cutting apparatus 15 comprises a guiding and guiding and supporting 
element 20 which in this case is plate-shaped, is supported at its ends by 
the supporting structure 18, and is shaped so as to be arranged, upon 
assembly, in the shape of a circular arc along its longitudinal extension. 
A plurality of sliding blocks 21 are slidingly associated with the guiding 
and supporting element 20, along its edge, and are mutually connected and 
moved, in this case, by a cable 22 made of metal wires. 
Each sliding block 21, in this case substantially constituted by a shaped 
block, supports a corresponding cutting element 23 which is indeed 
suitable to cut and remove sods and therefore plants. 
As a whole, the plurality of sliding blocks 21 and the cable 22 form a 
closed cutting loop which is moved by toothed pinions 24 which are 
rotatably coupled to the supporting structure 18; one of the pinions is 
also motorized by connection to the power take-off 17. 
More specifically, each sliding block 21 is provided with an axial through 
hole 25 in which a corresponding portion of the cable 22 is inserted and 
keyed. 
Moreover, the guiding and supporting element 20 is shaped, at its edge, so 
as to form a plurality of teeth 26 which are associated, by insertion in 
corresponding holes 27, with corresponding flat elements 28 which form 
flanges which, by mutual association, form the track for the sliding of 
the sliding blocks 21. 
Each sliding block 21 also has a corresponding longitudinal slot 29 which 
is shaped so as to form undercuts 30 and is suitable to slidingly 
associate with the elements 28. 
In this embodiment, the radius of the circular arc formed by the guiding 
element 20 can vary over a variability range and can thus provide a 
corresponding variability in the volume of the sod to be removed, thus 
limiting the need to interchange different guiding and supporting elements 
for different applications. 
With particular reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, a different embodiment of the 
apparatus 15 is shown in which the sliding blocks 21 are substantially 
constituted by a composite block which is generally designated by the 
reference numeral 31 and is constituted by two hollow components 32 and 33 
which form, by mutual association, a longitudinal seat 34 in which it is 
possible to accommodate a shaped tubular fixing element 35 provided with 
two flanges 36 at the end; upon assembly, said flanges fix said fixing 
element axially to the corresponding block 31. 
The flanges 36 are in fact accommodated in corresponding seats formed by 
the components 32 and 33 by mutual association. 
The tubular element 35, during assembly, is fixed by keying (in other cases 
by welding or equivalent means) to a corresponding segment of the cable 
22. 
The two components 32 and 33 are furthermore mutually associated by means 
of threaded elements 37. 
In this embodiment, the slot 29 is formed at the component 33. 
With particular reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, a second embodiment of the 
apparatus according to the present invention has a guiding and supporting 
element 100 which is supported by a supporting structure, not shown, and 
is shaped so as to be arranged, upon assembly, in the shape of a circular 
arc along its longitudinal extension. 
A plurality of sliding blocks, designated by the reference numeral 101 in 
this case, are slidingly associated with the guiding and supporting 
element 100 along its edge; said sliding blocks are mutually connected and 
moved by chain segments 102. 
Each sliding block 101 supports a corresponding cutting element 103 which 
is suitable to cut and remove sods and therefore plants. 
The sliding blocks 101 and the corresponding flexible element are 
constituted in this case by the chain segments 102 and form a closed 
cutting loop coupled to a power take-off, which in this case is not 
illustrated. 
Each sliding block 101 is constituted, in this case, by a shaped block on 
which slots 104 are formed on opposite sides along the longitudinal axis; 
the slots are crossed transversely by corresponding pins 105 which also 
enter the end links 106 of the chain segments 102 that connect it to 
adjacent sliding blocks 101. 
In this case too, the guiding and supporting element 100 is shaped so as to 
form, at its edge, teeth 107 with which plate-like elements 108 are 
associated; said plate-like elements are suitable to form flanges which 
form, by mutual association, the sliding track of the sliding blocks 101. 
The chain segments 102 and the corresponding sliding blocks 101 are driven 
by toothed pinions which are not illustrated. 
In practice it has been found that the present invention has achieved the 
intended aim and objects. 
It is in fact noted that the cutting apparatus according to the present 
invention can be easily used in any condition of the terrain and with 
extensive roots, since the active cutting action produced by the movement 
of the sliding blocks and therefore of the corresponding cutting elements 
allows to deal successfully with the resistance of the toughest root 
systems and even of the hardest soils. 
Attention is also drawn to the operating flexibility of the apparatus 
according to the present invention also in terms of size, because of the 
possibility to adjust the width of the cut of the cutting apparatus with 
which it is provided. 
The possibility to vary the cutting width entails a reduced need to vary 
and adjust the apparatus according to various applications. 
Attention is also drawn to the solidity of the structure of the cutting 
apparatus according to the present invention, which requires limited 
maintenance and on which particularly quick and effective repairs can be 
performed in any case. 
Attention is also drawn to the low operating cost of the apparatus 
according to the present invention, which can be used easily even in 
particularly difficult working conditions, such as rough, rocky, steep or 
muddy terrain. 
The present invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and 
variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; 
thus, for example, the flexible element can move in a single direction or 
back and forth and it is also possible to provide means for coupling to 
other self-propelled units. 
The details can be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. 
The materials and the dimensions may be any according to requirements.