Patent ID: 8490711

Claim:
A ripper assembly, comprising: a linkage assembly having: a mounting section configured to secure the ripper assembly to a machine, the mounting section having an upper mounting bore and a lower mounting bore; a frame member having a frame axis and first and second spaced apart ends; the frame member being pivotally connected to the mounting section at the lower mounting bore; a carriage member having at least one ground engaging shank and being pivotally connected to the frame member; and a rigid connecting member being pivotally connected to the mounting section at the upper mounting bore and pivotally connected to the carriage member; and an actuator being movable along an actuator axis between a retracted position and an extended position, the actuator being pivotally connected to the frame member generally between the first and second spaced apart ends and pivotally connected to the carriage member; the linkage assembly being movable between a ground engaging position at which the actuator is at the retracted position and a raised position at which the actuator is at the extended position, an angle between the frame axis and the actuator axis being between approximately 40 degrees and 65 degrees when the linkage assembly is in the ground engaging position.