Abstract:
An apparatus  10  and method for excavating, transporting, and transplanting a live tree. The invention relates more specifically to equipment, which utilizes curved ground piercing excavation blades  42  moveably supported on a ring assembly  50  that is pivotally supported in a support frame  20.  The ring assembly and the support frame may be positioned around the tree and the blades forced into the ground to excavate a root ball which can thereafter be lifted and transported for subsequent transplantation. The ring assembly  50  may be tilted rearward to permit transporting the tree in a rearward inclined or tilted position, such that wind an obstacle damage to the branches and limbs may be reduced as compared to forward tilting movers. In addition, the rearward tilt may accommodate tilting relatively tall trees at angles of up to 90 degrees from vertical, in order to transport the tree under relatively low over-head clearance obstacles, such as bridges, other trees, and porta cocheres. An improved blade keel  40  assembly is provided which saves time and costs, as compared to prior art assemblies.

Description:
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. In addition, this invention relates to equipment for inclining the tree at an angle to permit transporting large trees down public roadways having overhead obstacles, such as electrical lines and overpasses. 
     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, Tex., 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. 
     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, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,605, the Stocker device, 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 equipment, such that trees with low limbs frequently required the limbs to be removed in order to 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 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. 
     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. Since 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. 
     Prior art tree excavators have used hydraulic cylinders each secured to a blade and to a fixed member, such as an annular ring member or a blade guide. Blades are individually inserted into the ground from forces provided by these cylinders. In many prior art tree excavation equipment, the cylinders are rather lengthy, such that the blade may be moved from a fully retracted position to a completed excavation stroke with a full stroke of the linear motor. Thereby, the linear cylinders are rather lengthy and extend upward from the fixed member, creating further height limitations problems, frequently necessitating removal of low hanging branches and limbs from the tree. U.S. application Ser. No. 09/477,513 discloses a tree excavator providing relatively shorter hydraulic cylinders, and includes a series of holes along an outer, longitudinal length of each blade for sequentially connecting, disconnecting and reconnecting the cylinder as the blade is inserted into the ground. A pin and clevis arrangement is disclosed for removably securing the cylinder to the blade. However, such apparatus requires significant time and manual labor to connect, disconnect, and reconnect each cylinder on each blade, both when the blades are inserted to excavate the tree, and when the blades are subsequently moved in the opposite direction to replant the excavated tree. 
     When excavating and transporting relatively tall trees, clearance under obstructions along the transportation route, such as overhead power lines and roadway overpasses, can be problematic. With some prior art tree transplanting equipment, an excavated tree may be tilted as an angle with respect to the ground, in a direction toward the truck or prime mover. Thereby, the maximum permitted angle of inclination for the tree is limited by interference of the tree trunk, limbs, or branches with the prime mover. 
     An additional problem with tilting prior art tree moving equipment is encountered when transporting the tree over large distances or at higher speeds, such as on highways. The prior art equipment tilts the tree forward, toward the truck or prime mover and in the direction of transport. The forward inclination of the tree unfavorably positions the branches with respect to wind and obstacles encountered by the tree. Thereby, encountered obstacles and/or high wind tend to bend the branches backward, toward the base of the tree, which may result in hanging the branches and limbs on the obstacle and/or breaking the limbs or branches. At roadway speeds, the wind loading on a tree angled forward into the wind may also create sizeable stress and forces on the tree as the limbs are bent downward. Limbs, branches, and/or foliage thereby may be relatively easily broken or damaged. 
     Another problem with transporting relatively tall trees at an inclination over roadways using prior art equipment is decreased verticle clearance under obstacles, such as porta-cocheres or electrical lines, due to the base of the tree being carried or positioned above a vehicle axle and/or wheels. Thereby, trees exhibiting large diameter root balls and/or large diameter upper portions may incur relatively low clearance obstacles during transportation, which may necessitate removing branches or the obstacle. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,427, Dahlquist discloses a truck mounted tree planter which transports a tree inclined forward, positioning the branch and limb portion of the tree toward and over the truck cab. In addition, the root ball is supported above the truck rear frame and axles, limiting verticle clearance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,941 to Weeks discloses a loader mounted apparatus for excavating and transplanting trees. The Weeks transporter is limited in its ability to transport large trees in highly inclined positions, and is not well suited for long-distance or roadway transportation. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,691, Stevens discloses a tree excavating and transporting apparatus which also imposes height limitations and clearance problems for large trees, in that the root ball is positioned above the transporter&#39;s axle. In addition, the tree is inclined forward, in the direction of travel and toward the prime mover. Thereby, potential transportation problems are imposed, including branches being broken due to wind and engagement with obstructions, and engagement of taller trees with the prime mover, imposing potential height clearance problems. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,025 to Stocker also discloses a truck mounted tree transporter, which inclines the tree forward over the cab of the truck, imposing minimum clearance problems for large diameter trees and relatively low hanging obstructions. The previously discussed problems of forward inclining the tree are also inherent with this apparatus. 
     It is highly desirable to provide a tree excavating and transplanting apparatus that can transplant relatively large trees down roadways with reduced damage to the tree. It is also highly desirable to transport relatively large trees under relatively low height clearance obstructions, such as power lines, porta-cocheres, and bridges. It is desirable to tilt a tree rearward at up to 90 degrees while transporting the tree, relative to the vertical trunk position, to minimize wind and obstruction damage to the tree. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A preferred machine for excavating and transplanting large trees involves a tilting annular ring assembly pivotally supported in an supporting frame. The tilting annular ring assembly may support a plurality of blades moveably supported thereon. The annular ring assembly and the supporting frame are 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, tilted rearward with respect to the prime mover, and moved to a new location. Typically, the annular ring assembly includes a front rigid section and one or more 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 transporting trees experienced in the prior art. This invention offers advantages over the prior art in that it may improve excavation of trees from and transplantation of trees to uneven or sloped terrain, while maintaining the tree in a gravitationally plumb posture. This machine permits tilting a front or rear portion of the support frame with respect to the other, while additionally permitting tilting of the blade-supporting annular ring assembly with respect to the supporting frame. Thereby, the present invention permits additional machine flexibility and positioning options for operations on uneven or sloped terrain. 
     A primary object of this invention is to provide a tree mover that can tilt relatively large trees rearward with respect to a prime mover at the front of the machine. Thereby, the tree may be transported under relatively low-clearance overhead obstructions, and may additionally minimize wind and obstruction damage to limbs and branches, compared to prior art machines. The invention may also substantially improve the tree excavating and transplanting process, such as by eliminating the need for removing overhead obstacles, or permitting access to transplanting areas which may previously have been inaccessible due to such obstacles. Tilting the tree rearward, away from the prime mover, permits tilting a relatively tall tree at angles of up to 90 degrees, without interference or engagement with the prime mover, as experienced with prior art tree movers. Branches tilted rearward may be less prone to breaking due to the wind and obstacles encountered during transport, as compared to trees tilted forward, toward the wind and obstacles. 
     Another primary object of this invention is to provide an excavating machine that offers the ability to excavate, transport, and transplant large trees, including relatively tall trees, and to further improve such excavating and transplanting operations on uneven or sloping terrain. The preferred embodiment disclosed affords this characteristic through the arrangement of four hydraulic elevating cylinders engaged with the support frame and three moveable base supports. Two elevating cylinders are each pivotally attached at one end to the support frame which pivotally supports the blade carrying annular ring assembly, and are each attached at the other end to one of the two moveable rear base supports. Two front elevating cylinders may be pivotally attached at one end to the support frame and at another end to an over-center neck mechanism, which in turn may be pivotally attached at one end to the support frame and at an opposing end to a front moveable base support. The three moveable base supports may be supported upon one or more axles, tires, wheels, and/or tracks, to make the moveable supports rollable supports, such that a prime mover may move the tree mover apparatus. 
     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 to best position the ring assembly around the tree, the ring assembly may maintain a substantially level position with respect to the terrain. However, due to the dimensional distances between the moveable base supports, on highly uneven terrain, additional vertical positioning of the blades is desirable. Such improved positioning is achieved through this invention by pivotally supporting the annular ring assembly within the support frame. Thereby, the blades and annular ring assembly may be further aligned with respect to the terrain and tree trunk position by pivoting the annular ring with respect to the support frame. The likelihood of tree survival may be increased since pivoting the annular ring with respect to the support frame may permit excavation of a more accurately excavated root ball than previously possible with the prior art. 
     This invention may also utilize a plurality of relatively shorter length blade movers/hydraulic cylinders to better position the tree mover around tree trunks having relatively low hanging limbs and branches. With tree movers utilizing long-stroke hydraulic cylinders, such limbs and branches frequently require removal in order to position the tree mover around the tree trunk. However, use of prior art short stroke hydraulic cylinders is relatively time consuming and labor intensive to reposition each cylinder in order to make subsequent steps or stokes for blade movement. 
     It is a feature of this invention to reduce the time required excavating and transplanting a tree using a tree mover apparatus utilizing a plurality of the shorter, relatively low-clearance hydraulic cylinders. An improved keel assembly and method of operating the cylinders is provided by the present invention, reducing the labor and time required to reposition each of the hydraulic cylinders between stokes. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a keel is provided on each blade along an inside surface of the circumference formed by the plurality of ground piercing blades. Each keel may be provided with a plurality of keel slot profiles, each designed for laterally engaging a lower end of a hydraulic cylinder. An upper end of each blade moving hydraulic cylinder may be pivotally positioned relative to the lower end such that the cylinder may be pivoted slightly along a pendulum-like arc into engagement with or from engagement with a selected keel profile. These features are favorable over the prior art in that workers may efficiently operate the tree mover apparatus in a timely fashion, eliminating time consuming hydraulic cylinder removal and reattachment to each keel, following each cylinder stoke of the relatively short hydraulic cylinder. These features are also advantageous over the prior art in that they may decrease the number of additional tools necessary to repeatedly attach the blade movers to the ground piercing blades. 
     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, transporting and transplanting machine may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a simplified top view of the tree excavator and transplanter with the plurality of blades removed for clarity, and illustrating the frame in a lowered position relative to the base. 
     FIG. 2 is a simplified elevation view of FIG. 1, showing the apparatus with the support frame in a lowered position and including an over-frame neck pivotally positioned on a rollable front base, such as a powered vehicle, and further illustrating one blade on the annular ring and one blade on a rearward opened gate, with all other blades removed for clarity. 
     FIG. 3 is a simplified top view of the apparatus with the gates closed, with the plurality of blades removed for clarity, and the annular ring and support frame elevated relative to the base. 
     FIG. 4 is a simplified elevation view of the apparatus from FIG. 3, with the annular ring assembly in an elevated or raised position and the plurality of blades in a fully closed position. 
     FIG. 5 is a simplified elevation view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, with the annular ring assembly in an elevated position and tilted rearward at approximately 90 degrees. 
     FIG. 6 is a simplified side view of one of the plurality of ground piercing blades and keel combinations, illustrating the longitudinal keel with a plurality of keel slot profiles along an inside surface of the keel for laterally receiving an end of a hydraulic blade cylinder. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The attached drawings are provided for reference purposes only, for demonstrating preferred embodiments, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention. FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5  are simplified illustrations of an embodiment of a tree excavating and transplanting apparatus  10  according to the present invention. A tree mover apparatus according to the present invention includes an annular ring assembly  50  pivotally supported in a support frame  20 . The support frame  20  is pivotally supported on a base  30 , preferably including rear base members  31  and  32 , and front base  60 . Front base  60  preferably includes front leg  62 . Each of the base members  31 ,  32 ,  60  pivot relative to the frame  20 . The support frame  20  is preferably generally U-shaped and the annular ring assembly  50  includes at least one gate section on a rearward portion of the ring  50 , such that the rear opening  80  of the ring  50  and support frame  20  may be positioned around a tree trunk. The gate may then be closed, thereby encircling the tree trunk with the annular ring  50 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support frame  20  and annular ring  50  may be positioned around a tree and then lowered to near ground-level G. Thereafter, a plurality of blades  40  positioned circumferentially around the annular ring  50  may be forced in the ground G to excavate a root ball from the ground. After the plurality of blades  40  are lowered into the ground under the root ball, the support frame  20  may be elevated to the raised position as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, by pivotally moving the frame relative to the base  30 . As illustrated in FIG. 5, the tree may thereafter be tilted rearward for transportation to an objective site for replanting. In tilting the tree and root ball rearward, in one embodiment, the annular ring  50  is pivoted relative to the frame  20  and relative to the base  30 . 
     A prime mover  90  may provide the driving power for moving the apparatus. The term prime mover as used herein may be defined broadly to encompass a variety of engine and/or vehicle arrangements. In a preferred embodiment, the prime mover  90  is positioned at an axially forward portion of the apparatus  10 , opposite the rear opening  80 . For example, the prime mover may be a truck or similar vehicle, or a single-axle prime mover such as commonly used on articulating earthmovers. Positioning references herein made with respect to the prime mover  90  refer to embodiments having the prime mover positioned near an axially forward end of the apparatus, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5. The rearward end of the apparatus  10  may be defined as the end and preferably including the opening  80  for positioning the apparatus  10  around the tree by moving the apparatus in a rearward direction. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a preferred embodiment of a tree mover apparatus  10  may include a moveable base  30  having a base centerline  12 , generally axially aligned with the prime mover  90  to accommodate moving the apparatus  10 . The base  30  may include left side rollable base supports  31  on a respective left side of the base centerline  12  and right side rollable base supports  32  on a respective right side of the base centerline  12 . The left side  31  and right side  32  rollable base supports may include leg members such as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, and may further include a wheel arrangement  33 ,  34  or a track arrangement. The base  30  is pivotally connected to the support frame  20  to facilitate raising and lowering the frame  20  and ring  50  relative to the base  30 . 
     A significant feature of the invention is that the elevation of the annular ring  50  relative to the ground surface may be selectively altered by pivoting the base  30  and  60  relative to the frame  20 . In a preferred embodiment, the frame  20  and ring  50  may be lowered until the frame  20 , ring  50 , or lower ends of the blades engage the ground surface. During lowering, the front base  60  may roll in a forward direction while the rear base  30 , including supports  31  and  32  roll in a rearward direction. Thereafter, the blades may be inserted in to the ground to excavate the tree. 
     After excavation, the ring  50  and frame  20  may be elevated to an elevated position relative to the ground to transport the excavated tree. During elevation, the front base  60  may roll in a rearward direction while the rear base  30 , including supports  31  and  32  rolls in a forward direction. Each of the rear base members  31  and/or  32 , and the front base  60  may be pivoted independently of the other members such that the ring  50  may be maintained at a level attitude, particularly on inclined surfaces. In like fashion, the ring  50  may be tilted from side-to-side, as well as front to back. The position of an excavated tree, or of the ring and/or frame, may be selectively maneuvered to the left, right, front, rear, or any combination thereof. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the rollable base  30  may also include a front rollable base support  60  pivotally connected to the support frame  20 . An over-center neck mechanism  61  may pivotally connect the front rollable base  60  and the support frame  20 . A pair of over-center neck hydraulic cylinders  67 ,  69  may be provided for pivoting the over-center neck mechanism to elevate the support frame  20  relative to the front base  60 . A front pivot brace member  27  may provide a mechanical advantage for each of the cylinders  67 ,  69  to pivot the over-center neck mechanism  61  relative to the base  30 . 
     The support frame  20  is pivotally connected to the left side rollable base support  31  by pivot  36  and to the right side  32  rollable base support  32  by pivot  38 . The frame  20  may include left-side frame leg  26 , right side frame leg  28 , and cross members  19 ,  27 ,  29 , and  129  to connect the side legs  26  and  28 . The left side  31  and right side  32  rollable base supports, and the front rollable base support  60 , each may be movable along the base centerline  12  relative to the support frame  20 . Preferably the rear rollable base supports  31 ,  32  are rollable along the base centerline  12  with respect to the front rollable base supports  60 , as illustrated by comparing the component pivotal positions of FIG. 2 with FIG.  4 . 
     The annular ring assembly  50  may be pivotally supported on the support frame  20 , and more particularly on side legs  26  and  28  by pivots  72  and  74 , such that the annular frame member  50  may be tilted or pivoted rearward. The annular ring assembly  50  may include a rigid ring portion  250  supporting one or more rearward pivotal gate sections  52 ,  54  thereon to facilitate positioning the annular ring assembly  50  circumferentially around the tree. The annular ring  50  may also include pivot mounts  79  and  77  secured to the rigid portion  250  to support the pivots  72  and  74  in the annular ring  50 . In a preferred embodiment, a pivot axis may pass through pivots  72 , 74 , and ring vertical axis  14 , wherein the ring assembly  50  may be substantially neutral biased with respect to tilting forward or rearward, such that without selective tilting, a tree trunk may be positioned substantially along vertical tree trunk axis  14 , illustrated in FIG.  4 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, a pair of hydraulic tilting cylinders  56 ,  58  may be pivotally connected to each of the support frame  20  and the annular ring  50 . The cylinders  56 ,  58  may selectively tilt the annular ring  50  relative to the base, from a vertical tree trunk position  14  to a rearward inclined tree trunk position, such as illustrated in FIG.  5 . Thereby, the tree may be transported with the tree trunk and branches tilted rearward during transport and to permit moving the tree under relatively low clearance overhangs. When positioned for transplantation, the tilted tree may be repositioned back to vertical by the cylinders  56  and  58 . FIG. 5 illustrates the annular ring assembly  50  positioned at a substantially 90-degree angle with respect to vertical  14 . Arc  16  between axes  12  and  14  illustrate the 90-degree tilt angle. Preferred embodiments may permit tilting the tree at least 60 degrees with respect to a substantially gravitationally plumb axis  14 , with the ability to tilt the tree to a full 90-degree tilt, as illustrated in FIG.  5 . Other embodiments may favor tilting the tree at least 45 degrees relative to plumb axis  14 , while still other embodiments may tilt preferably at least 75 degrees relative to axis  14 . 
     For preferred embodiments, in addition to permitting tilting a tree rearward for transport, pivoting ring  50  relative to the frame  20  permits excavating a tree with the frame  20  and base  30  positioned on an inclined slope or irregular ground surface G. Thereby, a tree may be excavated from or transplanted to a sloped terrain or ground G, with the ring  50  positioned substantially perpendicular to the plumb axis  14 , while the frame  20  and/or base are inclined along a ground slope. 
     For selectively raising and lowering the frame  20  and annular ring  50  with respect to the base, a preferred embodiment may include a hydraulic elevating cylinder  22  and  24  on each of the left side  31  and right side  32  rollable base supports. The base supports may pivot about pivots  36  and  38  to raise the frame  20  and ring  50 . In addition, a pair of hydraulic cylinders  67  and  69  may permit the over-center neck mechanism to substantially simultaneously raise a front portion of the frame  20  and ring  50  while the left  31  and right  32  rollable base supports are raised, such that the frame  20  and ring  50  may be raised at a substantially level posture/attitude, which is substantially perpendicular with respect to a plumb axis  14 . 
     In one embodiment, the support frame  20  may be generally U-shaped, having a right side leg on a right side of the base centerline  12 , a left side leg on a left side of the base centerline, and a rearward opened portion  80  to position the support frame  20  around a tree trunk. In addition, the annular ring assembly  50  may include at least one gate section  52 ,  54  pivotally supported by pivots  51 ,  53 , on a rearward portion of the ring  50 , such that the ring  50  and support frame  20  also may be positioned around the tree trunk. The gate sections  52 ,  54  may be secured to each other at connectors  55 , and may further include connector hydraulic cylinders  57 . After positioning the frame  20  and ring  50  around a tree trunk, the gates  52 ,  54  may thereafter be closed and the tree thereafter excavated and transplanted. 
     A plurality of ground piercing blades  40  may be circumferentially arranged about the annular ring assembly  50 . Each blade may have a radius of curvature along a longitudinal axis  141 , from an upper end of the blade to a lower blade apex  15 , at center axis  14 , such that the plurality of blades may be guided by the annular ring assembly  50  to move downward and inward relative to the annular ring and into substantially circumferential engagement under the tree to sever a root ball of the tree from the ground. Thereafter, the plurality of blades  40  may support the tree and root ball as the annular ring assembly  50  and the plurality of blades  40  are elevated with respect to the base or ground to lift the tree and root ball from the ground for transportation. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2,  4 , and  6 , a plurality of hydraulic blade movers  140 , preferably hydraulic cylinders, may be provided to each move a respective blade  42  relative to the annular ring assembly  50 , in an upward or downward direction, through respective ring slots  49 . A downward blade movement may cause excavation of the root ball from the ground, while an upward movement may move the blades from under the root ball, such as when transplanting the tree. FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a blade cut longitudinally along the keel to illustrate an embodiment of a blade and keel arrangement. The annular ring member  50  may support a vertically positioned cylinder mast  160  to position and support a hydraulic cylinder connected thereto for engagement of the cylinder with a selected one of a plurality of keel slot profiles  150  in the blade keel  44 . 
     In one embodiment, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 6, each of the plurality of ground piercing blades  40  includes a longitudinal keel  44  positioned along a length of the blade. Each keel  44  may include a plurality of keel slot profiles  150  spaced along the longitudinal length  141  of the longitudinal keel  44 . At least one blade  42  may be secured to each keel  44 , extending circumferentially outward from the keel  44 , such that the plurality of blades  40  are substantially circular in shape, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. In a preferred embodiment, each blade  40  may include a pair of blade halves, with each half secured to an opposing side of the keel  44 , as illustrated in FIG. 2, by the blade assembly  40 , positioned on an opened gate portion  52 , illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6, in a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of hydraulic blade movers  140  is a hydraulic blade cylinder removably engaged at one end  147  to one of the plurality of keel slot profiles  150 . Each of the plurality of keel slot profiles may be positioned along an inner, surface  144  of the keel  44 . The one end  147  may be positioned within the profile  150  by passing laterally, through a receiving profile  152  and then downward slightly into a lower slot  154  to engage a lower engagement surface  155 , or upward slightly into an upper slot  156  to engage an upper engagement surface  157 . The keel-engaged end  147  of the blade mover  140  may include an engagement member  148  to engage the engagement surface  155  or  157 . An opposing end  145  of the hydraulic blade cylinder  140  may be pivotally attached to the annular ring assembly  50 , such as via mast  160 . To move one of the plurality of blades from a blade retracted position to a blade extended to excavate a root ball, the blade mover  140  may engage one of the plurality of profiles  150  with the cylinder in a piston retracted position. The blade mover  140  may be activated to extend the piston to a piston extended position, causing engagement member  148  to engage the profile lower engagement surface  155 . 
     When the blade mover  140  is extended to a fully extended position, the cylinder  140  may be retracted slightly to disengage member  148  from surface  155 . The extended end  147  of the cylinder may be removed laterally from the profile  150  by pivoting the blade mover  140  about pivot  143 , and laterally through receiving profile  152 , without requiring unbolting or unpinning the engagement member  148  from the keel  44 . Thereafter, the extended end  147  may be retracted into the blade mover  140  and then pivoted again to laterally move engagement member  148  into engagement with another keel slot profiles  150 . The step-by-step process of engaging, extending, disengaging retracting, re-engaging and re-extending may be repeated for each of the plurality of ground piercing blades  40  until each of the plurality of blades  42  is in a fully extended position under a tree root ball. 
     Each keel slot profile  150  is designed for laterally engaging a lower end  147  of a blade mover/hydraulic cylinder  140 . The upper end  145  of each blade mover  140  may be pivotally positioned relative to the lower end  147  such that the blade mover  140  may be pivoted slightly along a pendulum-like arc into engagement with or disengagement from a selected keel slot profile  150 . These features are favorable over the prior art in that workers may operate the tree mover apparatus in a more efficient fashion, eliminating individual cylinder removal and reattachment to each keel, following each cylinder stoke. Thereby, costs in time, labor, and tools required to excavate a tree are reduced as compared to prior art. 
     After the plurality of blades  42  are positioned at apex  15 , under the tree and root ball, each of the plurality of blade mover pistons  140  may be secured in such configuration by secondary locking or securing members. Chains and/or additional tie-down equipment may be used to secure the tree and root ball to the apparatus. The elevating cylinders  22 ,  24 ,  67 , and  69  may be actuated to elevate the frame  20 , the annular ring assembly  50 , and the excavated tree and root ball relative to the base  130 , to lift the tree and root ball from the ground, as illustrated in FIG.  4 . During and/or subsequent to elevating the root ball, the tilting cylinders  56 ,  58  may be actuated to tilt the annular ring member  50 , to accommodate changes in ground profile or slope as the tree mover is moved with the tree. The tree also may be tilted rearward to accommodate transporting the tree and/or moving the tree under relatively low clearance obstacles. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a longitudinal keel  44  is positioned along a longitudinal length of a respective blade  42  and radially inside a circumference formed by the plurality of ground piercing blades, such as illustrated in FIG.  6 . Similarly, the blade mover mast  160  may also be positioned radially inside the circumference formed by the plurality of ground piercing blades. A plurality of masts  160 , each for a corresponding one of the plurality of ground piercing blades, may be secured to an upper surface  82  of annular ring assembly  50  and to a similar upper surface on gates  52  and  54 . The receiving profiles  152  for the keel slot profiles  150  may be positioned along a radially inward surface of the keel  44 , such that one end of the blade mover  140  may be moved laterally into and from within the keel profile  150 , by pivoting along a path-line extending radially outward from centerline  14  to a respective keel  44 . Thereby, a preferred embodiment may utilize an inside keel, as opposed to an outside keel. 
     In addition to supporting the masts  160 , annular ring plate member  82  and the corresponding inner plate portions of gates  52  and  54  may cover a portion of the excavated ground surface of an excavated root ball. Thereby, the plate member  82  and corresponding portions of the gates  52 , and  54  may at least partially support and retain the root ball within the annular ring assembly  50  and blades  40  when the annular ring assembly  50  and excavated tree are tilted rearward. Chains and/or ropes may also be used to further secure the tree. 
     The ring  50  and/or the frame  20  may be tilted selectively rearward relative to the prime mover, and/or left or right about base centerline  12 , to accommodate positioning the tree as needed during transport. To tilt the tree left or right, each base member may be pivoted independently relative to the other base members to elevate the selected left or right side higher or lower than the other side. Such positioning may be desirable in excavating trees with non-uniform weight distributions around the circumference of the upper portion of the tree, or to traverse uneven ground surfaces. 
     To replant the tree, the tree excavation process is substantially reversed, by positioning the root ball over a pre-formed hole in the ground and actuating tilting cylinders  56 ,  58  to up-right the tree to a plumb/vertical tree trunk position. Elevating cylinders  22 ,  24 ,  67 , and  69  may be actuated to pivot base supports  31 ,  32 , and  62  with respect to the frame  20 , to cause the tree, root ball, plurality of blades, annular ring assembly and frame to move downward relative to the ground, and lower the root ball into the preformed hole. Wheels  33 ,  34  and  64  may facilitate rollability of the base supports  31 ,  32 , and  62 . The over-center neck mechanism  61  may be pivotally connected to front rolling members  64 , such as by pivot  66 , and to support frame  20 , such as by pivot  68 . Thereby, the over-center neck mechanism may permit the frame  20  and ring  50  to be lowered and raised relative to the front base support  62 . The over-center neck mechanism and the left and right rear base members may be each selectively operated independently of the each other to accommodate tilting the ring  50  and frame  20  left and right, as well as rearward and forward. In addition, the ring  50  may be pivoted rearward and forward with respect to the frame  20 , as needed to facilitate transporting the tree and tree mover  10  over uneven terrain. 
     Thereafter, each of the plurality of hydraulic blade movers  140  may be actuated to retract each of the plurality of ground piercing blades from under the root ball. Each slot engagement member  148  may move from the lower slot  154  to the upper slot  156  to engage upper slot engagement surface  157 , and thereby begin retracting each of the plurality of blades  42  from under the root ball. The retracting movements may be repeated in step-by-step fashion by moving engagement member  148  from keel slot to keel slot until the blade  42  is fully retracted and the tree deposited in the hole. During blade retraction, slot engagement member  148  may be moved laterally through receiving profile  152  of each profile  150  engaged by the engagement member  148 . 
     A prime mover  90  may be engaged with the tree mover to provide power for maneuvering the tree mover  10  and for transporting the tree and tree mover. The prime mover may comprise a truck vehicle, whereby an over-center neck mechanism may be mounted on a portion of the truck, such as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. The prime mover  90  may be selectively connected to and disconnected from the tree mover  10 , or fabricated as an integral part of the tree mover apparatus  10 . 
     A wide variety of prime movers may be connected to or engaged with the tree mover  10 . For example, the prime mover  90  may include an axle and wheel supported power unit pivotally or articulatedly engaged with the tree mover  10 , such as commonly found on large scrapers or earthmovers. 
     A hydraulic power unit  190  may also be provided to power the hydraulic cylinders, such as the tilting, elevating, and blade moving cylinders. The hydraulic power unit  190  may be secured to the support frame  20 , such as on support member  129 , on the front rollable base support  60 , or with the prime mover  90 . 
     The tree mover  10  may transport trees selectively positioned at substantially unlimited attitudes, inclinations, or angles, with respect to the base or ground. The tree mover  10  preferably does not have a nesting position in which the tree is positioned for moving. Tree positioning is selective and variable during transportation, excavation, and replanting. The apparatus may be selectively pivoted to a side, forward, or rearward. 
     In alternative embodiments, a second ring may be positioned within the frame  20 . The second ring may be pivotally engaged with the frame  20  and the ring  50  supporting the blades. Pivots for the second ring may be positioned circumferentially at an angle with respect to the position of pivots  72  and  74 , such that the annular ring  50  may be gimbaled. 
     To transport relatively large or heavy trees that are highly inclined rearward, a removable rear support member, such as a beam or bar, may be positioned between and engaged with rear base members  31  and  32  to support a portion of the tree thereon. Such support member may provide for selective support height to accommodate a variety of tree sizes and angles of inclination. In addition, a trailing dolly may be connected to the tree mover to support a portion of the tree thereon. 
     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.