Walk aerators are well known for aerating an area of the ground by punching holes in the ground. Such aerators are guided by a walking operator who holds a handle assembly. Such aerators include a coring head that is carried on the aerator frame. The coring head includes a plurality of vertically reciprocal side-by-side tine assemblies, each tine assembly having multiple coring tines.
In prior art aerators, at least some of the ground engaging wheels supporting the aerator are mounted outboard, i.e. laterally outside of, the coring head. Thus, the wheels unduly increase the width of the aerator. In addition, when making multiple, back and forth passes over a ground area being aerated, the wheels will pass over at least some of the coring holes in the immediately preceding coring swath. When doing so, the wheels can compact previously formed holes or prematurely crush soil cores left from such holes. This is a disadvantage.
Another difficulty with prior art aerators presents itself when such aerators operate over uneven terrain. Because the coring head is generally fixed in place on the aerator frame, a varying ground contour will cause the depth of the coring holes to vary as well. Some coring holes will be too shallow and other coring holes too deep. It would be desirable for such an aerator to form holes having a substantially constant, uniform depth.
The crankshafts used in prior art aerators are typically expensive and must be precisely cast or machined. The bearings used in such crankshafts to journal the drive arms for the tine assemblies are not meant to be replaced and instead must be periodically lubricated. A less expensive and easily driven crankshaft in which the bearings are easily replaceable would be desirable.
Many prior art aerators have relatively heavy coring heads. Since the head is carried on one end of the aerator frame, a head having a large fore and aft or front to back depth as is true in prior art aerators serves to cantilever a lot of weight off one end of the frame. This may take too much weight off the other end of the frame, limiting steering and/or traction from the ground engaging wheels carried on the other end of the frame. A reasonably compact coring head would be advantageous.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds