Patent EA-002044-B1 (EA)
Title: Multple blade brush-cutting mower
Inventor: BURCH THOMAS B
IPC: A01D43/14
Filed: 1998-12-09
Abstract: 1. A mower for cutting vegetation and applying vegetation treatment fluid at a first cutting to cut brush and vegetation, comprising: a mower having a convertible deck, said convertible deck having a main deck and a movable portion, said movable portion being forwardly attachable to said main deck; a distal edge of said main deck, said movable portion attachable to said distal edge at a proximal edge of said movable portion, said movable portion extending beyond said distal edge of said main deck; a plurality of rotatable spindles mounted to the underside of said main deck; a plurality of pairs of cutting blades, each of said pairs of cutting blades connected to respective central blade shafts, each of said shafts mounted respectively to each one of said plurality of rotatable spindles; means for rotating said plurality of pairs of cutting blades; a means for securing the mower to a standard tractor; and a means for applying treatment fluid to a lower surface of each of said plurality of cutting blades, whereby said treatment fluid remains on said lower surface of each blade until said blade cuts vegetation, when said treatment fluid is applied to said cut vegetation at the moment of first cutting; wherein said movable portion being openable between a closed position and an open position where said plurality of cutting blades are uniformly exposed; said plurality of cutting blades forming a continuous blade path at least as wide as the width of the tractor. 2. The mower of claim 1, wherein said spindles are spaced across the width of said underside of said main deck, with each of said plurality of cutting blades connected in pairs to a distal spindle end of each of said spindles, said distal spindle end underneath said main deck for each of said plurality of spindles. 3. The mower of claim 1, wherein said pairs of cutting blades further comprise: a pair of cutting blades mounted opposingly on each of said central blade shafts at opposed angled junctions; a cutting edge of each of said cutting blades, said cutting edge aligned with a leading edge of each of said central blade shafts; each of said opposed angled junctions form downwardly curved junctions with said cutting blades; and an angle of approximately 25 degrees formed by each of said opposed angled junctions in relation to said central blade shaft. 4. The mower of claim 3, wherein said applying means further comprises: a plurality of conduits for delivery of treatment fluid from a treatment fluid reservoir to a proximal end of each of said spindles; an internal conduit for fluid within each of said spindles; a fluid dispenser bar connected at a central point to a distal end of each of said spindles, said dispenser bar receiving fluid from a respective spindle, said dispenser bar located underneath each pair of cutting blades; at least two conduits internal to said dispenser bar, said conduits radiating outward from said central point to corners of said dispenser bar; and at least two outlet ports in opposing ends of said dispenser bar. 5. The mower of claim 4, wherein said at least two outlet ports are oriented a distance interior to said angled junction of said cutting edge, the distance interior is in the range of approximately 9.5 millimeter (0.375 inch) to approximately 15.875 millimeter (0.625 inch) inward from said angled junction of said cutting edge, with said outlet ports aligned in the range of approximately 19.050 millimeter (0.75 inch) to approximately 31.75 millimeter (1.25 inch) back from said leading edge of each of said central blade shafts. 6. The mower of claim 5, wherein said distance interior to said angled junction of said cutting edge is approximately 12.7 millimeter (0.5 inch) inward, and said outlet ports are aligned approximately 25.4 millimeter (1.0 inch) back from said leading edge of each of said central blade shafts. 7. The mower of claim 1, wherein said applying means further comprises at least one treatment fluid reservoir mounted on said tractor, said at least one reservoir is connectable in series or in parallel to another treatment fluid reservoir mounted on said tractor. 8. The mower of claim 7, wherein said applying means further comprising: pumping means for pumping said treatment fluid from a luid container to said plurality of cutting blades; and flow control means coupled to said pumping means for metering an amount of treatment fluid, said amount of treatment fluid delivered to said plurality of cutting blades through said plurality of conduits. 9. The mower of claim 8, wherein said pumping means further comprising: a pump to move said treatment fluid from said fluid container to said plurality of cutting blades; and a flow control means coupled to said pump, said control means meters the amount of the treatment fluid to said lower surface of each of said plurality of cutting blades; whereby said control means meters between approximately 0.946 liter/acre (0.25 gallons/acre) to approximately 9.46 liter/acre (2.5 gallons/acre) of treatment fluid in total, during cutting and applying to vegetation, said fluid applied is a total volume as applied to each acre of vegetation, as cut by said plurality of pairs of cutting blades. 10. The mower of claim 1, wherein said mower further comprising: at least one blade belt drive, said blade belt drive rotatably mounted to said mower deck; a continuous belt connectable to said blade belt drive; each of said rotatable spindles connectable to said continuous belt; wherein each pair of said plurality of pairs of cutting blades is separately rotatably mounted to one of said plurality of blade spindles. 11. The mower of claim 1, wherein said movable portion comprises a clam shell attachable to said distal edge of said main deck. 12. The mower of claim 1, wherein said means for securing the mower is connectable to either a front end or rear end of a standard tractor, said securing means further comprising a three-point hitch from said movable portion of said convertible deck, said three-point hitch including at least one hydraulic piston for adjustment of the height of said movable portion. 13. A method of cutting vegetation and treating cut vegetation with a treatment fluid at the moment that vegetation is initially cut, said method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of pairs of cutting blades, said plurality of pairs of cutting blades connecting with fluid dispenser bars leading to a treatment fluid container; rotating said plurality of pairs of cutting blades; pumping said treatment fluid from the container to each of said pairs of cutting blades; placing treatment fluid across a lower surface of each of said pairs of cutting blades; cutting the vegetation with said plurality of pairs of cutting blades by a leading edge of each of said cutting blades; moving said lower surface of each of said pairs of cutting blades across the cut vegetation; and delivering treatment fluid from said lower surface of each of said pairs of cutting blades to said cut vegetation during the initial cutting step of the vegetation. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said placing step further comprising the steps of: aligning a fluid dispensing bar outlet with each leading edge of each of said plurality of pairs of cutting blades; dispensing said treatment fluid evenly across said lower surface of each of said pairs of cutting blades; and maintaining the speed of said rotating cutting blades for dispensing of said treatment fluid across said lower surface of each of said pairs of cutting blades. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein said delivering step further comprising the steps of: pumping the treatment fluid from said fluid container through said fluid conduits to said lower surface of each of said cutting blades; and controlling said delivering step to an amount adequate for applying said treatment fluid to said cut vegetation. 16A method for clearing brush and cutting vegetation utilizing a brush-cutting mower comprising the steps of: (a) providing a mower, said mower having a self propelled tractor attachable to said mower; (b) providing a plurality of pairs of cutting blades on said mower; (c) rotating said plurality of pairs of cutting blades during operating of said mower; (d) pumping vegetation treatment fluid onto a lower surface of each of said cutting blades; (e) cutting brush and vegetation with said cutting blades; and (f) applying vegetation treatment fluid from sad lower surface of each of said cutting blades onto said cut brush and vegetation simultaneously with said cutting step. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said applying step further comprises continuously applying the vegetation treatment fluid to the cut brush and vegetation at the time of initial cutting, said cut vegetation absorbing said vegetation treatment fluid directly into interior pores of the cut vegetation. 18. A vegetation cutting and treatment fluid dispenser apparatus comprising: at least two cutting blades interconnected by angled junctions to a central horizontal shaft, said blades, angled junctions, and central horizontal shaft rotatable as one unit, said angled junctions extending down and outward from a midpoint opening of said central horizontal shaft to each of said blades; a leading edge of each of said blades, said leading edge curved downward to form said lower surface of each of said blades; a trailing edge of each of said blades, said trailing edge curving upward away from said lower surface; an upper surface of each of said blades, said upper surface curves upward from said leading edge to said upward curing trailing edge; a fluid dispenser mounted on said apparatus; a fluid dispenser bar communicating with said fluid dispenser, said bar attachable at a central opening to the underside of said central shaft, said dispenser bar having opposing ends terminated at the angled junction of said central shaft and said leading edge curved downward to said lower surface; a central spindle, said