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Title: Aquatic weed cutting apparatus
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus for use in a body of water having a surface, which body of water may include banks and obstacles, the apparatus comprising: (a) flotation means having a front end, a back end, a horizontal deck, a central axis extending from said front end to said back end, and a pair of lateral sides extending from said front end to said back end; (b) said flotation means having a lower side for submersion and an upper side for disposition above the surface of the body of water; (c) an elongated cutter bar having a relatively stationary portion and a portion movable relative to said stationary portion; (d) means for supporting said cutter bar with respect to said flotation means in a position entirely outwardly of one of said lateral sides of said flotation means in transverse relationship with respect to said central axis and spaced from said front and back ends of said flotation means, said supporting means itself also being spaced from said front and back ends of said flotation means, said cutter bar having a first end nearest said flotation means and a second end remote therefrom; (e) said supporting means including: (i) means for changing the angular disposition of said cutter bar with respect to the surface of the water by moving said cutter bar about a horizontal axis parallel to the central axis of said flotation means and thereby moving said second end of said cutter bar relative to said first end thereof, said changing means facilitating cutting along submerged banks and around obstacles in the body of water, and; (ii) means for elevating the entire cutter bar with respect to said flotation means to raise or lower said cutter bar from or into the water; and (f) means extending between said flotation means and said cutter bar for driving said movable cutter bar portion with respect to said stationary cutter bar portion to effect a cutting action; (g) said changing means including a crescent-shaped shoe having a convex side, a concave side, and opposite ends, said shoe being pivotally mounted adjacent one of its ends to said stationary portion of said cutter bar adjacent said first end thereof, said changing means also including means, extending between said shoe and said flotation means and attached to the other end of said shoe, to pivotally move said shoe under the control of a human operator on the flotation means, said changing means also including a protrusion on said stationary portion of said cutter bar, said protrusion being located adjacent said shoe on said convex side thereof, said protrusion including a concave portion on the side thereof facing said second end of said cutter bar, said convex side of said shoe being cooperatively engageable with said concave side of said protrusion to effect movement of said second end of said cutter bar relative to said first end thereof in response to movement of said shoe moving means. 2. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said elevating means includes a support member having a first end disposed in the region of flotation means and pivotally mounted with respect thereto and a second end coupled with said first end of cutter car, said changing means further including crank means mounted on said support member, said crank means including a crank element which is pivotable about a pivot point with respect to said support member, said crank element including a first end, a second end, a first connection point adjacent said first end and a second connection point adjacent said second end, said changing means further including an elongated link extending between one end of said crank element and said upper end of said shoe, said elongated link extending generally in the same direction as said support member, said changing means further including an adjusting cable connected to the other end of said crank element, said adjusting cable extending from said crank element to said flotation means to pivotally move said crank under the control of a human operator on the flotation means. 3. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said crank element has a crescent configuration with a concave side facing generally downwardly, said pivot point being located generally midway between said first and second ends, said pivot point being displaced from a line extending between said first and second connection points. 4. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 2 including a crane on said upper side of said flotation means, said crane including a generally horizontally extending boom spaced above said deck and a plurality of crane legs extending between said flotation means and said boom to support said boom, said changing means and said elevating means being operatively coupled with said crane. 5. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 4 including a mounting stirrup pivotally coupling said first end of said cutter bar to said support member and wherein said elevating means includes an elevating cable attached to said other end of said stirrup of said changing means. 6. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said adjusting cable and said elevating cable are coupled with said crane. 7. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said crane includes a first winch on which said adjusting cable is wound and a second winch on which said elevating cable is wound. 8. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said boom includes an anchored end disposed above said flotation means and a free end disposed outwardly of said flotation means, wherein said legs of said crane include a rear leg assembly at said anchored end and a forward leg assembly spaced from said rear leg assembly in the direction of said free end of said boom, said rear leg assembly including a pair of generally upright channel-shaped pieces joined to each other and to said boom at said anchored end of said boom, said channel-shaped pieces diverging from each other in a downward direction to form a passage therebetween, each of said channel-shaped pieces having a pair of spaced side pieces and a web extending therebetween, said channel-shaped pieces being disposed in back-to-back relationship such that said side pieces of said channel-shaped pieces are disposed in first and second common planes, said first and second winches being engagingly clamped to said side pieces by means extending through said passage between said channel-shaped pieces. 9. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said boom is an elongated cylindrical member with an elongated cylindrical hole extending entirely therethrough, the diameter of said cylindrical hole being less than one-half the diameter of said elongated cylindrical member. 10. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the diameter of said cylindrical hole is approximately one-fourth the diameter of said cylindrical member. 11. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus for use in a body of water having a surface, which body of water may include banks and obstacles, the apparatus comprising: (a) a flotation means having a front end, a back end, a horizontal deck, a central axis extending from said from end to said back end, and a pair of lateral sides extending from said from end to said back end; (b) said flotation means having a lower side for submersion and an upper side for disposition above the surface of the body of water; (c) an elongated cutter bar having a relatively stationary portion and a portion movable relative to said stationary portion; (d) means for supporting said cutter bar with respect to said flotation means in a position entirely outwardly of one of said lateral sides of said flotation means in transverse relationship with respect to said central axis and spaced from said front and back ends of said flotation means, said supporting means itself also being spaced from said front and back ends of said flotation means, said cutter bar having a first end nearest said flotation means and a second end remote therefrom; (e) said supporting means including: (i) means for changing the angular disposition of said cutter bar with respect to the surface of the water by moving said cutter bar about a horizontal axis parallel to the central axis of said flotation means and thereby moving said second end of said cutter bar relative to said first end thereof, said changing means facilitating cutting along submerged banks and around obstacles in the body of water, and; (ii) means for elevating the entire cutter bar with respect to said flotation means to raise or lower said cutter bar from or into the water; (f) means extending between said flotation means and said cutter bar for driving said movable cutter bar portion with respect to said stationary cutter bar portion to effect a cutting action; (g) said elevating means including a support member having a first end disposed in the region of the flotation means and mounted with respect thereto for pivotal movement about a pivot axis and a second end coupled with said first end of said cutter bar, said driving means including a rotatably driven element on said flotation means and a plurality of linkage arms drivingly connected between said rotatably driven element and said first end of said cutter bar to translate rotary movement of said rotatably driven element into reciprocating movement of said cutter bar; and (h) a member which extends lengthwise of said flotation means, which member is disposed outwardly of said flotation means, which member is spaced from said flotation means, and which member is coupled therewith, said lengthwise extending member partially defining a well at one lateral side of said flotation means, said well being in the form of a laterally enclosed interior space which is open from above and which provides access from above to an area below said horizontal deck of said flotation means, said pivot axis of said support member being disposed inwardly of said lengthwise extending member and located in the region of said well, said well including mounting means having a lower portion disposed substantially below the level of said horizontal deck, said mounting means extending across said interior space of said well, said rotatably driven element being mounted on said lower portion of said mounting means. 12. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said linkage arms of said elevating means include a transverse arm mounted on said support member for movement about a pivot axis, said transverse arm extending generally transversely of said support member and having portions extending to either side of said pivot axis, a first driving arm extending between said rotatably driven element and an upper end of said transverse arm, said first driving arm being connected such that rotation of said rotatably driven element imparts reciprocating movement thereto and such that reciprocating movement of said first arm imparts pivoting movement to said transverse arm, a second driving arm connected between a lower end of said transverse arm and said first end of said cutter bar, said second driving arm being so connected that pivoting movement to said transverse arm imparts reciprocating movement to said second driving arm to in turn impart reciprocating movement to said movable cutter bar portion, whereby movement of said first driving arm in one direction is accompanied by movement of said second driving arm in the opposite direction to contribute to balancing of forces in operation. 13. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said first and second driving arms are of equal length and wherein said portion of said transverse arm extending to either side of said pivot axis are both of equal lengths. 14. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus as defined in claim 12 including a mounting stirrup pivotally coupled with said first end of said cutter bar for mounting said cutter bar on said support member, said mounting stirrup including a top element and a pair of spaced upstanding leg elements extending between said cutter bar and said top element, said leg elements of said mounting stirrup defining an opening through said mounting stirrup, said support member joining said mounting stirrup in the region of said top element of said mounting stirrup, said second arm of said driving means being moveable through said opening in said mounting stirrup irrespective of the angular disposition of the cutter bar and irrespective of the cutting height adjustment thereof. 15. An aquatic weed cutting apparatus for use in a body of water having a surface, the apparatus comprising: (a) a hull having a front end, a back end, a horizontal deck, a central axis extending from said front end to said back end, and a pair of lateral sides extending from said front end to said back end; (b) said hull having a lower side for submersion and an upper side for disposition above the surface of the body of water; (c) a separate base removably coupled with said hull by coupling means; (d) said hull including a recess at said upper side thereof, said recess providing access to a portion of said hull substantially below the level of said horizontal deck, said recess being spaced from said front and back ends of said hull; said recess extending entirely across said hull in a direction perpendicular to said central axis; said recess being configured to receive said base, said base being removably disposed within said recess and held there by said coupling means; (e) said removable base having mounted thereon: (i) an elongated cutter bar having a relatively stationary portion and a portion movable relative to said stationary portion; (ii) means for supporting said cutter bar with respect to said base; (iii) said supporting means including: means for changing the angular disposition of said cutter bar with respect to the surface of the water by moving said cutter bar about a horizontal axis parallel to the central axis of said hull and thereby moving said second end of said cutter bar relative to said first end thereof, said changing means facilitating cutting along submerged banks and around obstacles in the body of water; and means for elevating the entire cutter bar with respect to said base to raise or lower said cutter bar from or into the water; and (iv) means extending between said hull and said cutter bar for driving said movable cutter bar portion with respect to said stationary cutter bar portion to effect a cutting action. Other info: Inventors: McClure, James R. (Bridgewater, VA, US) Application Number: 930242 Filing Date: 1978-08-02 Publication_date: 1980-06-03 Assignee: Primary Class(es): 56/8 56/16.2 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Eskovitz, Jay N. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Schwartz, Jeffery, Schwaab, Mack, Blumenthal & Koch |
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