Vegetation Cutter

[0001] The present invention refers to a vegetation cutter intended to mechanically separate vegetation, such as control of e.g. weeds and/or other undesired crops/vegetation from desired crops/vegetation on a land surface, said vegetation cutter comprises a number of knife devices arranged in a distance from each other, each of which has its own cutting function, whereupon the vegetation stems present coarser thickness, which consist of weeds and undesired crops/vegetation, said vegetation also has stems with smaller thickness, which consist of desired crops/vegetation and said distance is smaller than the coarser thickness, so that the cutting function passes through the vegetation, whereupon the weed and the undesired crops/vegetation are cut off by aid of the cutting function or being damaged and over a period of time are fading, while the desired crops/vegetation is passing the cutting function without being damaged and remains to grow on further.

[0002] On the market today structures of this kind comprise different mechanical tools in order to control weeds and other undesired crops. These consist of hand tools of the type hoes and cutting tools, where you manually identifies weeds and undesired crops/vegetation, which thereafter is eliminated by the hand tool in the way that the weed/the undesirable crops is pulled up from the land surface or is cut off, which is much time wasting and laborious to do and moreover is not possible to do mechanically. Such a hand tool is shown in the patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,527, which comprises an U-formed knife to embrace the weed with, so that a claw of the tool holds the weed, whereupon it is eliminated by folding the tool backwards. For mechanically eliminating weeds or undesired crops located over larger land surfaces of arable land mainly chemical pesticides are used today, which burdens the desired crops with poisons, which afterwards is transferred to and damages vegetation, people and animals. Today there are no other effective control methods, which mechanically and effectively eliminate weeds and other undesired crops/vegetation on a larger arable land area.

[0003] One object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned above, by that the vegetation cutter according to the invention comprises a number of knife devices arranged in a distance from each other and having a cutting function, which acts on the coarser thickness of the vegetation, such as weeds and other undesired crops and not on the smaller thickness of the vegetation, such as desired corps. Thus, said distance is smaller than the coarser thickness, so that the desired crops/vegetation passes through the cutting function at the same time as the weed or the undesired crops/vegetation is cut off or becomes damaged and which over a period of time is fading.

[0004] Thanks to the invention a vegetation cutter has now been obtained for mechanical control of weeds or other undesired crops, by treating the vegetation containing desired and undesired crops on a land surface by aid of said vegetation cutter. When using the vegetation cutter the same is moved in one direction through the vegetation. According to the invention the vegetation cutter has a number of knife devices arranged in a distance from each other. Each knife device has a cutting function that works towards/in said distance. The vegetation stems have in section different thickness/diameters such as coarser thickness, which mainly is constituting the weed or the undesired crops/vegetation. The narrower thickness are constituting the desired crops/vegetation. The distance between the knife devices is smaller than the coarser thickness at the cutting function, when it passes through the vegetation, so that the cutting function cuts off or damages the weed or the undesired crops/vegetation, while the desired crops mainly passes through undamaged and remains thereby to grow on further. In a preferable embodiment example of the invention the knife device is formed as a long and narrow thin body having elongated sides, which extend mainly in parallel with the moving direction. When moving through the vegetation, the long and narrow bodies extend mainly in parallel with the land surface, with a possible discrepancy on approximately +−30° in relation to the land surface's extension. Said body then is provided with a narrower part in its front end, pointing mainly in the moving direction, so that the movement through the vegetation is facilitated, since a space between the front ends is larger than the distance, counted across the moving direction. According to the invention the knife device can be permanently or adjustable fixed to one or more fixing places. These are in turn permanently or movably provided in a part of a supporting structure, which is adjustable in highs and that has wheels provided against the land surface. The supporting structure can be fixed to a vehicle, as a tractor or other agriculture machine, so that the weed or the undesired crops/vegetation effectively and mechanically can be controlled with small numbers workers on a bigger land surface as on a cultivated arable land. The knife devices have detachable and adjustably fixed knife blades having a cutting function, so that the same when transported through the vegetation cuts off or damages the weed/the undesired crops/vegetation in a predetermined and adjustable cutting angle in relation to the moving direction. In the preferred embodiment example the fixing locations are provided via braces in the structure, so that one end of the braces is provided in the carrying structure and its other end constitutes the fixing locations. The braces then extend mainly in a vertical direction, so that these are adjustable in highs in relation to the land surface and are turnable around their own axis. The elongated sides are then provided near each other in an increased number, so that they form a comb like appearance, so that the knife devices together looks like teeth in a comb and that the distance between teeth corresponds to the distance between the knife devices. In this embodiment example the knife blade has a knife blade form of the type “carpet knife/wallpaper knife” but can also be constituted of a round rotating disc with at points located projections in its periphery area such as saw teeth. The cutting function can also be constituted of strings/threads made of steel or plastic, which are stretched in at least two points or rotary fixed in one of its ends. In the preferred embodiment example the distance and space, the cutting angle and the knife devices' distance from the land surface adjustable via an adjusting equipment of mechanical/electronic/hydraulic type which can be reached by an user. According to the invention the adjustment equipment can be controlled by the user via a processor/computer, which can be programmed with optimal values adapted to different types' of vegetation, so that the vegetation cutter can adapt the function optimally, electronically and mechanically to control various types' of weeds or other undesired crops/vegetation in various types' of vegetations. The greatest advantages with the invention are thus, that a vegetation cutter has been provided, which automatically first can mechanically separate weeds/undesired crops/vegetation from the vegetation and then mechanically remove this in a cheap, effective and simple way with a small number of workers. Moreover, the invention can in a perfect way be used to remove the weed/the undesired crops/vegetation on larger land surfaces mechanically by the aid of pulling/pushing vehicles. This is done completely without pesticides, whereupon the desired crops is not exposed for environment poison.

[0009] A vegetation cutter 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1 and partially also in FIGS. 2 and 3, which is intended to mechanically separate vegetation 4, such as weeds 2 or other undesired crops/vegetation from desired crops 19 on a land surface 3. The vegetation cutter 1 is moved in a moving direction 6 through the vegetation 4. The vegetation cutter 1 comprises a number of knife devices 5, arranged in a distance 7 from each other.

[0010] As can be seen in FIG. 2 and partially in FIG. 3 each knife device 5 comprises a cutting function 22. The stems 8 of said vegetation 4 have in section different thickness 9 or diameters, such as coarser thickness 10 or diameters, which mainly form the weed 2 and/or the undesired crops/vegetation, said vegetation 4 also has smaller thickness 11 or diameters constituting desired crops 19. Each knife device 5 is formed as a long and narrow body 16 with elongated sides 24. The elongated sides 24 are provided next to each other in a greater number, more than 10 pieces, so that they form a comb-like arrangement 15 according to FIG. 1. The long and narrow body 16 has a narrower part 17 in its front end 20. A space 18 between the front ends 20 are larger than said distance 7. The cutting function 22 is constituted by knife blades 14, which, when moved through the vegetation 4, cut in a predetermined cutting angle 23 in relation to the moving direction 6.

[0011] As illustrated in FIG. 3 the knife devices 5 are arranged at fixing points 12 via braces 21, so that one end 26 of the braces 21 is provided in the supporting structure 13 and that its other end 27 constitutes fixing point 12 for the knife devices 5. Here the braces 21 are turnable only around their own axes 25.