Patent Publication Number: US-6341435-B1

Title: Ditch digging and cleaning system having dual dispersing members

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This is a continuation-in-part application for U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/315,743 filed on May 20, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,903, issued May 8, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to ditch diggers and more specifically it relates to a ditch digging and cleaning system having dual dispersing members for easily digging ditches, cleaning ditches, and creating terraces with reduced power take-off (PTO) power. 
     Farmers often times desire to dig ditches for draining water from fields thereby increasing the usability of the land. In addition, farmers often times desire to construct terraces on uneven land. Hence, it is desirable to have a single machine that both digs ditches and creates terraces. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Ditch digging devices have been in use for years. Typically, a rotary blade member is utilized that has a rotational plane parallel to a vertical axis. The lower edge of a rotary blade engages, cuts and throws the dirt creating a curved ditch structure. 
     Conventional ditch diggers require significant PTO power to the PTO shaft since the rotary blade is initially engaging, cutting and throwing the dirt. In addition, conventional ditch diggers merely cutout a curved ditch that easily fills in with dirt and debris over time requiring constant cleaning. Also, a curved ditch is incapable of handling as large of volume of water as a flat bottomed ditch of the same width. In additional, the velocity of water flowing through a conventional curved ditch is significantly higher than a flat bottomed ditch of the same width thereby increasing erosion of the land. 
     Examples of ditch diggers include U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,610 to Liebrecht, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,985 to Sillasen; U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,761 to Nadeau; U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,826 to Rogers; U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,618 to Croucher; U.S. Pat. No. 2,923,073 to Baker; U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,800 to Hawkins; U.S. Pat. No. 1,175,926 to Bunnell; U.S. Pat. No. 1,095,097 to Fournet; U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,534 to Sackett; U.S. Pat. No. 16,007 to Evans which are all illustrative of such prior art. 
     Liebrecht, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,610) discloses a rotating disk type ditcher. Liebrecht teaches a frame structure, a PTO power system, and a cutting disk inclined downwardly so that the leading edge cuts into the ground. A plurality of paddles or scoops are positioned on the back side of the disk that throw the soil particles. 
     Sillasen (U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,985) discloses a rotary whirling ditcher. Sillasen teaches a frame, a drive assembly, and a plurality of rotating blades. 
     Nadeau (U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,761) discloses a rotary ditcher having ripper blades. Nadeau teaches a flywheel type rotor carrying impeller blades that pickup and throw soil to the side of the rotor, and two ripper blades in front of the rotor that loosen the soil. 
     While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for easily digging ditches, cleaning ditches, and creating terraces with reduced power take-off (PTO) power. Conventional machines require extensive PTO power for operating properly which can be extremely demanding upon a tractor vehicle. 
     In these respects, the ditch digging and cleaning system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of easily digging ditches, cleaning ditches, and creating terraces with reduced power take-off (PTO) power. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of ditch diggers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new ditch digging and cleaning system construction wherein the same can be utilized for easily digging ditches, cleaning ditches, and creating terraces with reduced power take-off (PTO) power. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new ditch digging and cleaning system that has many of the advantages of the ditch diggers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new ditch digging and cleaning system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art ditch diggers, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a frame having a hitch and a pair of support arms with wheels, a pair of front blades, a pair of side blades, a pair of dispersing members rotatably attached to the frame, a drive system mechanically connected to the dispersing members, and a pair of deflector structures attached to the rear portion of the frame. The dispersing members are each comprised of a circular base, and a plurality of fan blades orthogonally attached to an upper surface of the circular base. The dispersing members are juxtaposed behind pans attached to the front blades. The dispersing members are also less than 45 degrees with respect to the ground surface. The blades preferably are V-shaped for penetrating hardened soil. Coulters may be added in front of the front blade for loosening the ground or a beater member. In operation, the front blades sever the dirt from the ground surface at a desired depth. The dirt is passed over the pans onto the dispersing members where after the fan blades throw the dirt toward the deflector structures that guide the dirt in the desired location. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a ditch digging and cleaning system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices. 
     Another object is to provide a ditch digging and cleaning system that requires significantly less PTO power than conventional ditch digging devices. 
     Another object is to provide a ditch digging and cleaning system that utilizes dual dispersing members to remove soil and debris. 
     An additional object is to provide a ditch digging and cleaning system that can be utilized to dig ditches, clean ditches or create terraces within a field. 
     A further object is to provide a ditch digging and cleaning system that creates a flat bottomed ditch thereby reducing the velocity of water flow. 
     Another object is to provide a ditch digging and cleaning system that can be connected to most tractors. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention. 
     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded upper perspective view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a rear view of the present invention showing the dual dispersing members. 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of the present invention showing the dual dispersing members behind the dual front blades. 
     FIG. 6 is an upper perspective view of the present invention showing the dual dispersing members throwing soil material. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several view, FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate a ditch digging and cleaning system  10 , which comprises a frame  20  having a hitch  22  and a pair of support arms  26   a-b  with wheels  28 , a pair of front blades  40   a-b , a pair of side blades  42 , a pair of dispersing members  30   a-b  rotatably attached to the frame  20 , a power train mechanically connected to the dispersing members  30   a-b , and a pair of deflector structures  60   a-b  attached to the rear portion of the frame  20 . The dispersing members  30   a-b  are each comprised of a circular base  32   a-b , and a plurality of fan blades  34   a-b  orthogonally attached to an upper surface of the circular base  32 . The dispersing members  30   a-b  are juxtaposed behind pans  44   a-b  attached to the front blades  40   a-b . The dispersing members  30   a-b  are also less than 45 degrees with respect to the ground surface. The blades  40   a-b  are preferably V-shaped for penetrating hardened soil. Coulters may be added in front of the front blades  40   a-b  for loosening the ground. In addition, a beater member  70  may be utilized to breakup and feed the soil  14  into the dispersing members  30   a-b.    
     As best shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  4  of the drawings, the frame  20  includes a hitch  22  for connecting to a tractor vehicle. A jack  24  is attached to the front portion of the hitch  22  for supporting the hitch  22  when not attached to a tractor. 
     A pair of support arms  26   a-b  are pivotally attached to the rear portion of the frame  20  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The support arms  26   a-b  are preferably angled forwardly as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. A pair of wheels  28  are rotatably attached to the distal ends of the support arms  26   a-b  as shown in FIGS. 1,  3  and  4  of the drawings. A pair of hydraulic cylinders  27   a-b  are connected between the frame  20  and the support arms  26   a-b  for elevating and lowering the frame  20  as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The hydraulic cylinders  27   a-b  control the depth of the front blades  40   a-b . As best shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the wheels  28  are positioned outside of the front blades  40   a-b  thereby ensuring an even cut through the ground surface. 
     As best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the front blades  40   a-b  is attached to the frame  20  along with a pair of side blades  42 . Each of the front blades  40   a-b  preferably has a V-shape for providing easy penetration into a hardened ground as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings. The front blades  40   a-b  are preferably removable and replaceable after periods of extended use. The pair of side blades  42  are substantially vertically orientated along the sides of the front blades  40   a-b  as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. A pair of pans  44   a-b  are attached behind the front blades  40   a-b  for channeling the newly cut dirt rearwardly into the dispersing members  30   a-b . The pans  44   a-b  have a semi-circular cutout that receives the dispersing members  30   a-b  as best shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. 
     A power train is attached to the frame  20  such as a PTO driven system or hydraulic driven system. The power train may comprise a PTO shaft, a gear box, and a drive shaft. The PTO shaft is rotatably attached to the frame  20  and is connectable at one end to the PTO of a conventional tractor. The gear box is attached to the opposing end of the PTO shaft for converting the rotational speed downward. The drive shaft is connected to the gear box and to the dispersing members  30   a-b . Alternatively, a pair of hydraulic motors may be mechanically connected to the dispersing members  30   a-b  to rotate the dispersing members  30   a-b.    
     As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, each of the dispersing members  30   a-b  are generally circular in shape and are rotatably attached to the frame  20  by drive shafts  36   a-b . The dispersing members  30   a-b  each comprise a flat base  32   a-b  and a plurality of fan blades  34   a-b  attached to an upper surface of the base  32   a-b . Each of the fan blades  34   a-b  may receive a corresponding wear plate  35  as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. 
     The base  32   a-b  of each of the dispersing members  30   a-b  is circular and has an edge juxtaposed to the semi-circular cutout within the pans  44   a-b . The base  32   a-b  of each of the dispersing members  30   a-b  is lower than the upper surface of the pans  44   a-b  thereby allowing the dirt to drop onto the base  32   a-b  during usage. Each base  32   a-b  is preferably less than 45 degrees with respect to the ground surface when in operation thereby utilizing reduced PTO power or hydraulic power to elevate the dirt. 
     Each of the fan blades  34   a-b  are preferably attached substantially orthogonally to the upper surface of the base  32   a-b . There are preferably four fan blades  34   a-b  upon each of the dispersing members  30   a-b , however it can be appreciated by one skilled in the art than more or less fan blades  34   a-b  may be utilized. Some of the fan blades  34   a-b  are taller than the other fan blades  34   a-b  for providing increased engagement and throwing of the dirt dropped onto the base  32   a-b  of each of the dispersing members  30   a-b.    
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  6  of the drawings, the deflector structures  60   a-b  are attached to the rear portion of the frame  20  for directing the thrown dirt from the dispersing members  30   a-b . The deflector structures  60   a-b  are each comprised of adjustable brackets  64   a-b . A pair of deflector members  62   a-b  are attached to the adjustable brackets  64   a-b  for guiding the soil  14  being thrown from the dispersing members  30   a-b  as best shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings. 
     As best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, a beater member  70  is rotatably attached to the frame  20  above the front blades  40   a-b . A drive motor is attached to the frame  20  and is mechanically connected to the beater member  70  for rotating the beater member  70 . The drive motor may be comprised of a conventional electric or hydraulic motor as can be appreciated by one skilled in the art. The beater member  70  is comprised of a plurality of paddles that are utilized to break apart and urge the newly cut soil  14  downwardly onto the dispersing members  30   a-b  as the dirt leaves the pans  44   a-b.    
     In use, the user adjusts the hydraulic cylinders  27   a-b  depending upon the depth desired to cut into the ground surface. The user then engages the PTO or hydraulic drive system thereby causing the dispersing members  30   a-b  to rotate in the same rotational direction behind the front blades  40   a-b . The user then operates the conventional tractor pulling the invention forwardly so that the front blades  40   a-b  penetrate the ground surface. The newly cut dirt flows upon the pans  44   a-b  toward the dispersing members  30   a-b  where the beater member  70  engages the dirt pushing it into the dispersing members  30   a-b . The dirt falls onto the base  32   a-b  of each dispersing member  30   a-b  where after the fan blades  34   a-b  engage the dirt. The fan blades  34   a-b  throw the dirt outwardly to the side and rearwardly where the deflector structures  60   a-b  deflect a portion of the thrown dirt  14  into the desired direction as best shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The soil  14  from the adjacent dispersing members  30   a-b  is thrown at an angle with respect to the frame  20  without the path of the thrown soil  14  engaging the adjacent dispersing member  30   a-b  or the frame as clearly illustrated within FIG. 6 of the drawings. The user may pass over the newly created channel if they desire to dig a deeper channel. If the user desires to create a terrace, the user simply continues passing over the field throwing the dirt in the desired location. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.