Roper Corporation

Lee R Herscher

Gerold G Goertzen

A tine assembly for use with a rotary tiller comprising a selectively rotatable tine shaft and a plurality of pivotally mounted tines. The tines each include stop surfaces associated with an innermost end of the tine whereby the tine pivots to one position when the tine shaft is rotated in a clockwise direction and automatically pivots to a second position when the tine shaft is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. The angle of pivot between the two positions is such that the leading edge of the ground engaging portion of the tine sweeps a larger radius than the following portion of the tine when the tine shaft is rotated in either the clockwise or counterclockwise directions.

Tilling machine with pivotal bi-directional operative tines

A walk-behind garden tiller having a pair of ground wheels and a row of soil penetrating and pulverizing tines both powered from a single engine through a power transmission. The transmission includes a tilling drive mode in which the tines and drive wheels are simultaneously driven, a non-tilling reverse ground wheel drive mode, a non-tilling machine transport drive mode, and a neutral drive mode, all controlled by a single, simple push-pull lever which is adapted to automatically disengage power transmission to the tines when the tiller is operated in either the reverse, transport, or neutral drive modes.

Soil tilling machine with transmission having three drive trains

A walk-behind garden tiller having power driven ground wheels and a single row of tines which are driven at relatively high speed in a direction counter to that of the drive wheels, whereby the tines cut upwardly through the untilled soil at the working face with less power and in the event of contacting an obstruction tend to move the machine in a rearward direction be reason of reactive forces acting upon the machine through the tines. A drag shield is pivotably mounted rearwardly of the machine for dragging along and smoothing the soil after it is tilled and for providing a protective barrier between the operator and a rear exposure to the power driven tines. The drag shield has a length greater than the vertical distance between its point of mounting on the machine and the bottom peripheral level of the tines and, in the event of sudden rearward movement of the machine during tilling, is adapted to anchor in the soil and thereupon be pivoted about such anchor point to elevate the rear of the machine, reducing tine contact with the soil and any obstruction.

Garden tiller with extended drag shield

A walk-behind garden tiller having power driven ground wheels and a single row of tines which are driven at relatively high speed in a direction counter to that of the drive wheels such that during tilling the tines cut upwardly through the untilled soil at the working face with each pass of the tines penetrating and severing a relatively thin uniform layer of soil, resulting in improved power efficiency and easier control of the tiller when operating in adverse soil conditions. A tine shield overlies the tines for confining flying and turbulent soil during tilling to the immediate area about the tines. The tine shield has a forward extension which defines an extended cavity in front of the tines within which a quantity of partially tilled soil directed upwardly and forwardly by the counter-rotating tines can accumulate for re-working and more thorough pulverization by the tines as the machine proceeds along its forward movement. The illustrated shield extension terminates in a downwardly and forwardly tapered lip for directing such partially tilled soil impinging upon the underside of the shield extension onto a continuously formed mound of partially tilled soil in front of the tines.

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Kankakee, IL, United States of America

Lee R Herscher