Title: Blade means for row crop thinning machine

Abstract: A cutting blade is carried on a shaft rotatable about an axis positioned adjacent a row crop. The blade extends across the longitudinal centerline of the row and cuts plants as the machine moves forward until a sensing means registering on forwardly positioned plants actuates the knife and causes it to rotate rearwardly along the row and away from the next plant in the row to be retained. The rotation continues until a knife portion is now positioned on the front side of the plant to be retained and a portion of the knife extends rearwardly along the side opposite the axis of rotation of the blade. The machine continuing to move forward will again clear plants from the row until the sensing means actuates the blade to rotate again thereby causing predetermined plants to be retained while plants inbetween are thinned out.

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Inventors: Orthman, Henry K. (Lexington, NB)

Application Number: 569301
Filing Date: 1975-04-17
Publication_date: 1977-07-05
Assignee: Orthman Manufacturing, Inc. (Lexington, NB)
Primary Class(es): 172/61 47/1.43, 172/6, 172/59, 172/82, 172/106, 172/111, 172/522, 172/900
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

315400	Apr, 1885	Fowler	172/111.
952826	Mar, 1910	Ludwick	172/111.
2610559	Sep, 1952	Peel	172/106.
2706437	Apr, 1955	Sanders	172/106.
2713816	Jul, 1955	Berg	172/61.
2758530	Aug, 1956	Gerbracht	172/6.
2920708	Jan, 1960	Berg	172/111.
3095045	Jun, 1963	Ennis et al.	172/38.
3458952	Aug, 1969	Ts Chud, Jr.	172/6.
3512587	May, 1970	Shader	172/6.
3525403	Aug, 1970	Cayton et al.	172/6.
3533474	Oct, 1970	Weeks	172/6.
3776316	Dec, 1973	Eberhart	172/6.

Other Refs: 110,458967,149984,37331,176,9111,243,447687,641264,277

Sep, 1964	CS
Oct, 1950	FR
Jul, 1951	FR
Aug, 1964	DT
Jun, 1967	DT
Feb, 1953	UK
Feb, 1970	SU

Primary Examiner: Burr, Edgar S.
Assistant Examiner: Bratlie, Steven A.
Attorney: Zarley, McKee, Thomte & Voorhees