GB2590596A

GB2590596A - A hedge laying device

Info

Publication number: GB2590596A
Application number: GB1915827.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Searby Stephen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-10-31
Filing date: 2019-10-31
Publication date: 2021-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-31
Also published as: GB201915827D0; GB2590596B; GB2590596A8

Abstract

A hedge laying device 99 for use with a loader assembly (100, figure 4) is described. The hedge layer comprises an elongate member 3 having a first end 1 arranged to connect with the loader assembly, and a second end 2 arranged for pushing trees, the ends 1,2 defining an axis therebetween. The second end comprises two arms 6 extending laterally and longitudinally away from the axis and a plate 7 extending upwards from the axis. The plate extends from an opening A situated between the arms and spacing the arms apart. The plate may extend orthogonally or at an acute angle from the axis. The plate may extend above the elongate member and/or arms. When in use attached to a loader assembly of a tractor, the plate of the hedge laying device may be used to push over a tree trunk to create the beginnings of a hedge.

Description

A HEDGE LAYING DEVICE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hedge laying device, in particular a device for use in moving plants when laying hedges, more particularly but not exclusively a device for use on a tractor.

Background

Increasing mechanism and modernism in many fields has not eroded some practices.

For example many livestock enclosures require hedging made from live trees, as 15 opposed to fencing, walls or other modern barriers, for a variety of reasons.

However forming or laying these hedges can be a time-consuming practice, where the plants or trees need to be bent into a low-level overlap, and tied together to keep growth in this way and maintain a close-packed hedge for prevention of livestock 20 passage in particular.

Prior Art

CN103918525 (NI et al) discloses a tree bulldozing device for a bulldozer. The tree bulldozing device comprises a transverse beam, a slant support and two main arms, the front ends of the two main arms are fixedly connected with the two ends of the transverse beam respectively, one end of the slant support is connected with the middle of the transverse beam, and the other end of the slant support is connected with the middles of the main arms; first installation holes are formed in the middles of the main arms, and an installation structure matched with the first installation holes is arranged; the back ends of the main arms are provided with second installation holes, and a second installation base matched with the second installation holes is arranged; when the installation structure is fixed at the upper end of a scraper knife of the bulldozer, the second installation base can be fixed at the back end of a pushing rod of the scraper knife of the bulldozer. When the bulldozer with the tree bulldozing device works, tree roots are cut off through a knife corner of the scraper knife, and trees can be pushed down through the tree bulldozing device. Compared with the prior art, the force points of the tree bulldozing device on tree trunks are high, the trees can be pushed down with small traction force, power is saved, and the tree felling efficiency of the bulldozer is further improved. The invention further discloses the bulldozer.

CN203145070(VVANG et al) discloses a tree-clearing used for clearing trees during land reclamation and forest exploitation comprising an inclined U-shaped frame, a push blade perpendicular to the ground, one end of a left push beam and one end of a right push beam are hinged to left and right travelling frames of the bulldozer through spherical bearings, the other ends of the left and right push beams are connected with the blade, the tail ends of two sides of the push frame are connected to the middle upper planes of the left and right push beams, the middles of two sides of the push frame are connected with the tops of two sides of the blade through supports, a lifting cylinder of the bulldozer is connected with the left push beam and the right push beam. The tree-clearing dozer blade has the advantages that the push frame and the blade can be lifted and lowered stably to adapt to trees different in thickness; after the trees are bulldozed by the push frame, roots of the trees are separated from the soil by the blade before the ground is leveled, and the functions of tree bulldozing and land reclamation are combined; and operating efficiency is improved greatly and construction cost is lowered.

US3377724 (JONES) discloses a tree pusher attachment for use in connection with a tractor equipped with a bulldozer having a frame including a blade extending horizontally and laterally in front thereof, the upper edge portion of the forward face of said bulldozer blade being inclined upwardly and forwardly, a pair of push bars attached to said blade respectively at opposite sides thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom along opposite sides of said tractor and pivoted at their rearward ends to said tractor for vertical movement, and power means for pivoting said push bars vertically, said tree pusher attachment comprising:(a) an attachment frame comprising a pair of pusher beams adapted to be pivoted respectively at their rearward ends to said push bars for vertical movement and to rest at points intermediate their ends on the transversely extending horizontal upper edge of said bulldozer blade, so as to extend substantially forwardly and upwardly from said bulldozer blade,(b) a pusher tooth extending between and rigidly interconnecting the forward ends of said pusher beams, and(c) means for preventing upward movement of each of said pusher beams relative to said blade, said means comprising a hook member consisting of a block affixed to the lower side of said beam forwardly of said blade and depending therefrom, the rearward end surface of said block being inclined upwardly and forwardly whereby to hook under the upper edge portion of the forward face of said blade.

The present invention arose in order to overcome problems suffered by existing devices.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a hedge laying device for use with a loader assembly, comprised by an elongatemember having a first end arranged to connect with the loader assembly, and a second end arranged for pushing trees, the ends defining an axis therebetween; the second end comprising two arms extended laterally and longitudinally away from the axis and a plate extending upwards from the axis, wherein the plate extends from an opening situated between the arms and spacing the arms apart.

The device may be envisaged to be used with a digger or tractor equipped with a front loader assembly, and may comprise a three-point or quick hitch.

In some embodiments the plate may extend substantially orthogonally from the axis. 25 In some embodiments the plate may extend at an acute angle from the axis.

The plate may comprise a substantially planar plate, and may extend at a fixed angle from the axis.

It may be envisaged therefore that the plate extends substantially or partially in a vertical direction when the frame is horizontally arranged. It may be further envisaged that the plate extends above the arms in use. In this way the plate may be used to push a section of a tree, for example into a hedge-laying position. An upper part of the plate may thereby extend above the axis, arms and member.

In some embodiments the plate or upper part of the plate,may be inclined forward, so as to better allow for bending of the tree at the second end without a requirement excessive height at the first end.

The arms may thereby extend outwards in use from the plate, such that the arms may be used to gather items towards the plate when the second end is moved forward along the axis, such as towards a plant or tree.

The arms may be supported or braced by bracing members.

In some embodiments the frame is formed of steel baror box frame or girder such as rebar or I bar. This may be painted or coated.

In some embodiments the first end is arranged with parts arranged to hook onto a 15 tractor or loading assembly hitch.

In some embodiments the first end is arranged with locking catches comprising displaceable pins in use, to hook onto tractor or loading assembly hitch or linkage.

In some embodiments the first end comprises a U shaped portion wherein the vertical parts of the U are arranged to conned with the tractor hitch, and the member is supported by the lateral part.

In some embodiments the elongate member extends axially from the first end a substantial distance, for example 10-12 feet. This may thereby advantageously enable the second end of the device to be used at a distance from the tractor, and accordingly long or tall hedge-laying trees may be bent and maintained bent whilst a user ties the bent trees to form the hedge.

In some embodiments the frame comprises two elongate members diagonally bracing the axial elongate member.

In some embodiments the plate has two bracing sections, such that the upper part of the plate at least is supported from behind.

In some embodiments the arms advantageously comprise angled ends. These angled ends may enable the arms to be used more precisely, giving triangular ends to the second end so as to separate trees and branches In some embodiments the second end may comprise different and/or displaceable parts, for example providing more arms, different shaped arms, or different openings or plate arrangements. For example in some embodiments the arms may comprise blades envisaged to cut branches, and/or the plate may comprise a pivot.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the Figures in which:

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows an exploded isometric view of the embodiment of the device shown 20 in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an isometric view of the first end of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a sketch view, subject to later formalisation or removal as appropriate, of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention, in use; And Figure 5 shows a sketch view, subject to later formalisation or removal as appropriate, of a second embodiment of the device according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of Figures

With reference to the figures there is an embodiment of the device generally comprising a hedge laying device 99 for use with a loader assembly 100, comprised by an elongate member 3 having a first end 1 arranged to connect with the loader assembly, and a second end 2 arranged for pushing trees, the ends defining an axis therebetween; the second end comprising two arms 6 extended laterally and longitudinally away from the axis and a plate 7 extending upwards from the axis, wherein the plate 7 extends from an opening A situated between the arms 6 and spacing the arms 6 apart.

In particular reference to the pictured embodiment the embodiment comprises a device designed to fit to the front loader assembly Woof a tractor 1000 to make the difficult and time-consuming task of laying hedges faster and easier.

The embodiment has a elongate member 3 defining the length between ends of 15 approximately 3 meters (10 foot), to extend the second end 2 from the front of the tractor in use, being secured at the first end.

The second end has two arms 6, spaced apart by the plate 7 to provide an intermediate opening A which narrows axially toward the plate 7. This opening A 20 may be envisaged to substantially allow entrance of appropriate sized trunks of trees for hedging.

The arms 6 extend to either side of the trunk in use in this way, with the trunk in the opening A and/or against the plate 7 in use.

The device or more particularly the second end may be subsequently moved vertically so as to allow the arms 6 to move up and down the side of the trunk and extending around the trunk.

The arms 6 are arranged to project wider than the opening A so as to advantageously enable the second end to be used in this way to separate a tree from its neighbour, by isolating the trunk.ln addition or the alternative vertical movement of the arms in this way advantageously enables the second end to strip or bend branches from the trunk.

The plate 7 may then be used to push the trunk over to create the beginnings of a hedge. In use a user would then tie the bended plant or tree to another so as to form the hedge.

* 5 The first end of the frame comprises a U shaped portion 5formed of box frame. This U-shaped portion 5 is orthogonal the axis, and has uprights 10 that are spaced 4 foot apart. In this way the uprights 10 are arranged to be spaced apart appropriate to a tractors hitch in use, and/or in standardised sizing.

The uprights 10 have tractor hitch hooks 61 and catches 62 to rear, the hooks 61 arranged vertically above the catches 62, such that the hooks 61 are hooked onto or over the tractor or loader assembly hitch and the catches 62 engaged by bolts to lock the device onto the hitch. In this way the device may be connected to the tractor using connections that are industry standard for this type of product.

The lower, lateral, part 9 of the U shaped portion 5 provides the base or securement for the elongate member 3 defining the axis, which is thereby substantially located in use below the tractor hitch advantageously such that the loader assembly arm may operate the device from above.

The uprights 10 further provide and support two diagonally depending bracing members 4 for the elongate member so as to provide greater structural strength to the second end where the hooks 61 substantially correspond to the ends of the bracing members 4 and the lateral part 9 and centrally located elongate member 3 substantially correspond to the catches 62.

The uprights 10 have triangular bracing 11 with the lateral part 9 of the portion 5. The elongate member 3 comprises a U shaped girder with an overlapped top projection over part of the lateral part 9 and horizontal triangular side braces 12 to the 30 front face of the lateral part 9 of the U shaped portion 5.

The elongate bracing members 4 comprise right-angle girders with a flat upper face and a securement to the side face of the elongate member. This may be bolted as in the second embodiment or welded in the first.

The elongate member 3 comprises two vertically extending right-angled triangular bracing sections8 behind the plate 7 at the second end, and two laterally extending isosceles triangular bracing filets 13 behind the arms 6.

The arm ends 14 are inclined backwards to provide a triangular front edge in use, for better precision. The plate in the first embodiment is orthogonal the axis defined by the elongate member 3. The plate in the second embodiment is angled at 45 degrees towards the end.

The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of invention as defined by the claims, in particular but not solely combination of features of described embodiments.

Claims

Claims 1. A hedge laying device for use with a loader assembly, comprised by an elongate member having a first end arranged to connect with the loader assembly, and a second end arranged for pushing trees, the ends defining an axis therebetween; the second end comprising two arms extended laterally and longitudinally away from the axis and a plate extending upwards from the axis, wherein the plate extends from an opening situated between the arms and spacing the arms apart.
2. A hedge laying device according to claim 1 for use with a digger or tractor equipped with a front loader assembly, and a three-point hitch or quick hitch.
3. A hedge laying device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the plate extends substantially orthogonally from the axis.
4. A hedge laying device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the plate extends at an acute angle from the axis.
5. A hedge laying device according to any preceding claim wherein the plate comprises a substantially planar plate, extended at a fixed angle from the axis
6. A hedge laying device according to any preceding claim wherein the plate extends above the elongate member
7. A hedge laying device according to any preceding claim wherein the plate extends above the arms in use.
8. A hedge laying device according to any preceding claim wherein the elongate member is braced by bracing members.
9. A hedge laying device according to any preceding claim wherein the first end comprises a U shaped portion wherein the vertical parts of the U are arranged to connect with the loader assembly, and the elongate member is supported by the lateral part.