The present invention relates to an apparatus and system for transporting a length of growth medium cut into pieces of suitable size into a propagation tray.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and system for transporting a length of growth medium cut into pieces of suitable size into a propagation tray.

A method determines a presence of a motor-driven tool inside a tool position region and/or a tool position of the tool. A transmitter is mechanically connected to the tool, wherein the transmitter wirelessly transmits a signal. The transmitted signal is attenuated by the tool and has an item of transmitter information for taking the attenuation into account. The method has the steps of: capturing a respective reception signal strength value of the transmitted signal at receivers, wherein the receivers are arranged at different receiver positions; and determining the presence of the tool inside the tool position region and/or the tool position of the tool on the basis of the captured reception signal strength values and the received transmitter information for taking the attenuation into account.

An apparatus has a trailer with one or more wheels and a connector that connects the trailer to an automotive machine that mobilizes the trailer from a first position to a second position within a field of one or more plants. Further, the apparatus has a branch trimming device operably positioned on the trailer. Additionally, the apparatus has a conveyer belt operably positioned on the trailer. The conveyer belt receives a trimmed plant that has one or more branches trimmed off by the branch trimming device. The apparatus also has one more cutting devices. Finally, the apparatus has a tumbler that receives the trimmed plant from the conveyer belt and rotates with respect to the one or more cutting devices to cut the trimmed plant into the one or more buds. A bottom portion of the tumbler is positioned in proximity to the one or more cutting devices.

The present concept is a plant trimming assembly for trimming materials from plants and includes a frame, and a cylindrical slotted drum rotationally mounted to the frame along a longitudinal axis. The slotted drum includes an exterior surface and a longitudinally oriented internal passageway for receiving plant material there through. It further includes a longitudinally oriented cutting assembly retainer which is also rotationally mounted to the frame about the longitudinal axis such that it rotates concentrically around the outside of the exterior surface and along the length of the slotted drum. A longitudinally oriented blade is mounted to a cutting assembly which in turn is mounted to the cutting assembly retainer. The cutting assembly rotates in unison with the retainer around the outside of the exterior surface of the slotted drum. The cutting assembly is configured to maintain a pre-selected stand-off gap between a cutting edge of the blade and a circumferential contour of the exterior surface of the drum such that plant material projecting through a slot and beyond the stand-off gap will be trimmed off by the rotating blade cutting edge.

The present concept is a plant trimming assembly for trimming materials from plants and includes a frame, and a cylindrical slotted drum rotationally mounted to the frame along a longitudinal axis. The slotted drum includes an exterior surface and a longitudinally oriented internal passageway for receiving plant material there through. It further includes a longitudinally oriented cutting assembly retainer which is also rotationally mounted to the frame about the longitudinal axis such that it rotates concentrically around the outside of the exterior surface and along the length of the slotted drum. A longitudinally oriented blade is mounted to a cutting assembly which in turn is mounted to the cutting assembly retainer. The cutting assembly rotates in unison with the retainer around the outside of the exterior surface of the slotted drum. The cutting assembly is configured to maintain a pre-selected stand-off gap between a cutting edge of the blade and a circumferential contour of the exterior surface of the drum such that plant material projecting through a slot and beyond the stand-off gap will be trimmed off by the rotating blade cutting edge.

A wood chipper having a rotatable drum configured to reduce the size of wood fed into the wood chipper; a sensor configured to sense a speed of rotation of the rotatable drum; and a controller operably connected to the sensor. The controller is configured to cut power to the rotatable drum when the speed of rotation of the rotatable drum drops below a pre-set threshold value. The controller is operably engaged with a centrifugal clutch that is engaged to enable the rotatable drum to be rotated. When the speed of drum rotation drops below the threshold value because debris is slowing down rotation of the drum, the centrifugal clutch is disengaged by dropping engine speed. Disengagement of the centrifugal clutch cuts power to the drum and rotation thereof ceases so that the debris may be cleared.

An inter-row machine, of the type used to work laterally to the travel path of the tractor by which it is towed or pushed, during the treatment of the land in espalier orchards or vineyards, having one or two working units, each preceded by a probe element which actuates, at each obstacle to be avoided, a known (hydraulic, pneumatic or electric) device for movement transversely to the travel path and to the row. The encounter of each probe with the obstacle to be avoided causes the rotation of the tool of the corresponding working unit—so that the translation of the latter, which is transverse to the travel path of the tractor, is directly proportional to the angular displacement performed by the tool and reported by an electromagnetic sensor to the electronic controller of the machine.

An inter-row machine, of the type used to work laterally to the travel path of the tractor by which it is towed or pushed, during the treatment of the land in espalier orchards or vineyards, having one or two working units, each preceded by a probe element which actuates, at each obstacle to be avoided, a known (hydraulic, pneumatic or electric) device for movement transversely to the travel path and to the row. The encounter of each probe with the obstacle to be avoided causes the rotation of the tool of the corresponding working unit—so that the translation of the latter, which is transverse to the travel path of the tractor, is directly proportional to the angular displacement performed by the tool and reported by an electromagnetic sensor to the electronic controller of the machine.

A winch boom system and method includes a frame, a shaft supported by the frame, and a winch drum attached to the shaft such that rotation of the shaft about a shaft axis rotates the winch drum. A boom is pivotably coupled to the frame, the boom defining a cavity in which the winch drum is positioned. A winch rope is wound about the winch drum, passing through the cavity of the boom, and extending from the boom at a point distal from the winch drum.