초록 ▼

An apparatus and method for cultivating soil by forcing a burst of pressurized fluid into the soil. The apparatus is provided with a horizontal hollow shaft, rotatably mounted on a frame member, and having a plurality of hollow rods extending radially therefrom, and arranged in longitudinal rows. Ea

An apparatus and method for cultivating soil by forcing a burst of pressurized fluid into the soil. The apparatus is provided with a horizontal hollow shaft, rotatably mounted on a frame member, and having a plurality of hollow rods extending radially therefrom, and arranged in longitudinal rows. Each rod is tipped with a conically shaped soil piercing nozzle, and a burst of pressurized fluid is provided to the nozzles via a tank and valve arrangement. When the apparatus is pulled by a tractor, the longitudinal rows of rods are sequentially embedded in the soil under the force of the weight of the apparatus and a burst of pressurized fluid is vented through the embedded nozzles to break up the soil into small pieces. The fluid can be either air, water, or liquid fertilizer.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for cultivating soil by forcing a pressurized fluid therethrough comprising: a wheeled frame; a source of pressurized fluid mounted on said frame; means for controlling the flow from said source of pressurized fluid; a hollow shaft horizontally and rotatably mounted on said frame; a plu

An apparatus for cultivating soil by forcing a pressurized fluid therethrough comprising: a wheeled frame; a source of pressurized fluid mounted on said frame; means for controlling the flow from said source of pressurized fluid; a hollow shaft horizontally and rotatably mounted on said frame; a plurality of spaced arrays of hollow rods radially extending from said shaft, the individual rods in said arrays being radially aligned to define longitudinal rows of rods, each said rod including a generally conically shaped nozzle connected to the free end thereof, each said nozzle including a plurality of blades radially disposed around the entire periphery of said nozzle to facilitate the embedding of said nozzle in the soil, each said nozzle further including a plurality of outlets disposed along the length of said blades to facilitate the breaking up of the soil, and with the length of each said rod being greater than the distance from said soil to said rotatable shaft; and conduit means connected to said source of pressurized fluid and said outlets in said nozzles for sequentially channeling said pressurized fluid from said source to said outlets, said conduit means including a plurality of primary pipes disposed inside said hollow rotatable shaft with the number of said primary pipes corresponding to the number of longitudinal rows of said hollow rods and associated therewith, said conduit means further including a plurality of secondary pipes, with each said hollow rod having one secondary pipe disposed therein, said primary pipes being in communication with said pressurized fluid source, and with said secondary pipes being in communication with the associated primary pipe and associated nozzle, said conduit means further including a flange connected to said shaft and rotatable therewith, said rotating flange having a plurality of openings corresponding to the number of primary pipes and in communication therewith, said conduit means further including a stationary flange mounted within said frame and in slidable contact with said rotating flange, said stationary flange having an aperture in communication with said source of pressurized fluid and disposed such that it is sequentially aligned with the opening in said rotating flange which communicates with the primary pipe that is associated with the particular longitudinal row of rods that is then in the vertically downward position, and wherein the movement of said frame causes the sequential embedding of said nozzles of said longitudinal rows of rods in said soil whereby when a longitudinal row of rods is in the vertically downward position, said means for controlling the flow of said source of pressurized fluid releases a short burst of pressurized fluid such that said fluid is channeled through the aligned apertures in said flanges, and through the associated primary pipe to the associated secondary pipes and to said embedded nozzles and is vented through said outlets thereby breaking up the soil.