Patent ID: 7896095

Claim:
A soil aeration apparatus, comprising: a frame having wheels for traveling over a ground surface; first and second tine-holder shafts that extend generally parallel to a central axis and are positioned on opposite sides of the central axis such that the first tine holder shaft is laterally offset from the second tine-holder shaft with the central axis therebetween, the first and second tine-holder shafts being driven to revolve about the central axis while the first tine-holder shaft rotates about a first shaft axis and while the second tine-holder shaft rotates about a second shaft axis, the first and second tine-holder shafts being configured to travel over the ground surface with the frame; a first set of aeration tines removably mounted to the first tine-holder shaft for forming aeration pockets in the ground surface, wherein the first set of aeration tines extend from the first tine-holder shaft in a direction generally transverse to the central axis so that the first set of aeration tines pass through the central axis when the first and second tine-holder shafts are driven to revolve about the central axis; a second set of aeration tines removably mounted to the second tine-holder shaft for forming aeration pockets in the ground surface, wherein the second set of aeration tines extend from the second tine-holder shaft in a direction generally transverse to the central axis so that the second set of aeration tines pass through the central axis when the first and second tine-holder shafts are driven to revolve about the central axis; first and second non-centrally located support shafts that extend generally parallel to the central axis and are positioned on opposite sides of the central axis such that the first non-centrally located support shaft is laterally offset from the second non-centrally located support shaft with the central axis therebetween, wherein the first and second tine-holder shafts are spaced apart from the central axis such that the first and second sets of aeration tines pass through the central axis without interference from another tine or shaft when the first and second tine-holder shafts are driven to revolve about the central axis.