GB1057712A - Improved underwater weed-cutting and like apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,057,712. Cutting water-weeds. NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Nov. 26, 1963 [Sept. 6, 1962], No. 34231/62. Heading A1F. [Also in Division B7] Water-weed cutting apparatus (see also Division B7) comprises a cutter-frame 1 mounted on a floating hull 3, means for raising and lowering the frame at will, cutting means comprising flexible relatively-reciprocable juxtaposed toothed blades extending transversely across the frame and curving upwardly at the sides, a power-operated means for reciprocating the blades lengthwise to cut weed as the hull advances through the water. The frame includes a U-shaped member 1 suspended by pivoted arms 4 from lateral compartments 3a on the hull, the arms being suspended by cables 8 wound on a power-operated winch 9 within the hull. The ends of the frame 1 are bridged by a cross-member 2 terminating in brackets 2a through which the power-drive is transmitted to a pair of flexible blades 11 overlying a fixed cutter-bar secured to the frame-member 1. A transverse driving shaft 6 (Fig. 6) is mounted within a tubular housing extending across the hull and terminating in skew-bearings 18 to which are attached shafts 5 connected by universal joints 14 to stub-shafts 15 within the brackets 2a connected by arms 16 to the cutter blades 11. Continuous rotation of the shaft 6 is converted by each of the bearings 18 into oscillating motion of the respective shaft 5, through a pivoted yoke 19 clamped to a flange on the end of the shaft 5, the motion of the two shafts, and therefore the blades 11, being out of phase. The clamping means 20, 21 is a spring- loaded releasable clutch yieldable in the event of obstruction of the corresponding blade. The shaft 6 is driven through a belt by a motor 10 within the hull which is propelled by outboard motors 30, 31 fore and aft.