Patent ID: 8783308

Claim:
A stump reducing machine comprising: a chassis; an engine supported on the chassis; a stump reducing structure including a stump cutting wheel rotatable about a wheel axis, the stump reducing structure also including a plurality of stump cutters mounted about a periphery of the stump cutting wheel; a swing arm assembly movable relative to the chassis about a swing axis, the swing arm assembly including a four member pivot linkage including a mounting member, a first linkage, a pivot linkage and a third linkage, third linkage being spaced from the mounting member, the first linkage being spaced from the second linkage, the first and second linkages being configured to pivotally connect the third linkage to the mounting member; the mounting member being positioned adjacent to the swing axis; a motor supported by the third linkage; a drive shaft that connects the motor to a gear assembly that drives rotation of the stump cutting wheel about the wheel axis, the drive shaft being contained within the third linkage and the stump reducing structure and the gear assembly being supported at a lower end of the third linkage; an actuator for pivoting the four member pivot linkage to raise and lower the stump reducing structure relative to the chassis; and wherein during stump reducing, the swing arm assembly configured such that it is pivots about the swing axis to swing the stump reducing structure back and forth relative to the chassis.