Pneumatic pliers for shoot regulation or cutting into woody plants

Abstract

Device (1) for cutting branches and / or shoots of plants, comprising a cutting device (3) and a handle device (5), wherein the cutting device (3) is designed in two parts and has a first cutting head (7) and a second cutting head (9), and where the first cutting head (7) is arranged at a first distance from a handle (5) of the device and the second cutting head (9) is arranged at a second distance from the handle (5) is arranged, wherein the distance between the first and the second cutting head (7, 9) is variable, characterized in that an actuator (17) is included which is connected directly or by means of a connecting element to the first and / or the second cutting head (7, 9) such that the first distance of the first cutting head (7) and / or the second distance of the second cutting head (9) to the handle device (5) is variable, wherein the first cutting head (7) comprises n knife holders (23) and the second cutting head (9) comprises n-1 knife holders (25), with n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 and the knife holders (23,25) of the first and second cutting heads (7,9) are arranged offset from each other.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for cutting branches and / or shoots of plants, in particular to regulate the growth of annual shoots.

[0002] The growth of trees is characterized by growth in length and growth in thickness, with length growth in particular being controlled by the meristem at the outermost end of the shoot tips of the main shoot.

[0003] Christmas trees are a special type of tree that holds great economic significance. Unlike other trees, they are not cultivated to produce as much timber as possible; rather, the selling price and thus the economic success of Christmas trees is determined by their appearance. Even a smaller tree, if perceived as particularly beautiful, can fetch top prices and be significantly more expensive than a much larger but less visually appealing Christmas tree.

[0004] To be considered visually appealing, Christmas trees should have tiers that are as close together as possible. Experts define a tier of a Christmas tree as an arrangement of branches around the trunk. A uniformly grown Christmas tree with regular and dense tiers achieves the best possible selling price, across all age groups and sizes.

[0005] The gold standard for Christmas trees is identical worldwide; it is the customer-preferred tree shape that is the goal.

[0006] If a tree grows quickly, i.e., if the main shoot in particular exhibits excessive length growth, this leads to sparse trees, as the tiers considered visually appealing are not formed at the desired intervals.

[0007] Furthermore, in certain tree species, small, unbranched shoots may increasingly form between the tiers, which are undesirable for visual reasons.

[0008] It is therefore desirable to regulate a tree's growth to form regular tiers. This can be achieved by controlling the terminal shoot to prevent excessive vertical growth.

[0009] Since growth regulation significantly determines the appearance, and the appearance in turn determines the selling price, there is great interest in targeted growth regulation in order to breed Christmas trees as close as possible to the gold standard.

[0010] Various methods have been developed for this purpose in the prior art. One method, which is not without controversy, involves applying chemicals to the bark of old shoots to inhibit the flow of sap to the tip and thus hinder growth.

[0011] An example of such a method is described in DE 699 14 825 T2. According to the teaching described therein, stem elongation is regulated by applying 1-naphthaleneacetic acid to the main shoot. For this purpose, the 1-naphthaleneacetic acid is applied using rollers.

[0012] Because this involves a chemical process, this method of growth regulation is viewed with increasing skepticism. Furthermore, the proportion of trees with so-called "organic" certification, which allows for an additional premium on the sales price, has been rising for years.

[0013] In addition to the chemical methods described, mechanical methods are known from the prior art. One method known to those skilled in the art is based on inhibiting longitudinal growth by mechanically damaging the bark of a tree to such an extent that the supply of nutrients to the tip is restricted.

[0014] For example, such mechanical damage can be caused using a tool described in EP 1 100 306 B1, the so-called "top-stop pliers". The top-stop pliers consist of several opposing profile blades. The main shoot of the tree is cut at one or more points in such a way that the cuts are on opposite sides of the trunk, restricting but not interrupting the flow of nutrients towards the tip of the main shoot.

[0015] Although solutions for cutting shoots or branches are known in the state of the art, they all have the disadvantage that manual labor is required.

[0016] Pruning branches is a highly repetitive task that can quickly lead to fatigue, injuries, or inflammation in the body.

[0017] Another problem is that it would be particularly desirable to always work with an adjustable target force – ideally one that is reproducible. This is not reliably guaranteed with manual operation due to varying angles when applying the pliers, fatigue, lapses in concentration, etc.

[0018] If the pliers are handled improperly by applying too much pressure, irreversible damage can occur to the heartwood of the shoot, leading to weak points that can easily cause the tips of a tree to break off during later harvesting.

[0019] One solution is described in DE 20 2011 104 137 U1, which discloses a clamp-like pliers that are pre-tensioned by a spring element, so that the resulting pressure automatically adjusts the cutting depth to the constantly changing shoot diameter. The spiral cutting of the bark with a blade arranged obliquely to the shoot axis is achieved by a rotary motion.

[0020] Thus, this device solves one problem, namely avoiding excessively deep cuts, but the fundamental problem is not solved by this device, as a permanent manual effort by the user is still necessary.

[0021] DE 11 82 893 describes a multi-purpose tool for agricultural work such as cutting, picking, and spraying. It is attached to a long pole, easily interchangeable, and compatible with various tool heads. The drive is powered by two separately controllable valves with different pressure levels, thus optimizing air consumption and adjusting the working force. The tool heads are designed for quick changeovers without additional couplings, enabling efficient work in hard-to-reach areas such as tree canopies.

[0022] The object of the present invention disclosure is now to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to provide a device for cutting branches and / or shoots of plants that relieves the user and leads to a reproducible cutting result.

[0023] This problem is solved by a device for cutting branches and / or shoots of plants, comprising a cutting device and a handle device, wherein the cutting device is divided into two parts and has a first cutting head and a second cutting head, and wherein the first cutting head is arranged at a first distance from a handle device of the device and the second cutting head is arranged at a second distance from the handle device, wherein the distance between the first and the second cutting head is variable, and wherein an actuator is included which is connected directly or by means of a connecting element to the first and / or the second cutting head, such that the first distance of the first cutting head and / or the second distance of the second cutting head to the handle device is variable.

[0024] The present invention is based on the surprising finding that integrating an actuator enables reproducible cutting results while minimizing the manually required force and thus reducing the strain on the user. This leads to fewer injuries, more cuts, and more precise work results.

[0025] An actuator within the meaning of the present invention is understood to be an active actuator element that does not require manual force generation for pre-tensioning or the like. Rather, the distance between the first and second cutting heads is automatically changed by the actuator with a desired force, and the actuator is supplied with energy by an external source.

[0026] The essential idea of ​​the invention is that, compared to the prior art, the cutting heads no longer need to be moved manually towards each other; instead, the user only needs to activate a trigger. Thus, the cutting movement is decoupled from manual force.

[0027] According to advantageous embodiments of the invention, this leads to the possibility of completely new geometries of cutting devices, which, for example, due to telescopically shaped elements, enable cutting at great heights even without ladders and aids, or allow for easy and quick repositioning in the case of very dense growth of trees and bushes.

[0028] The trigger for the cutting action can be designed in almost any way imaginable. According to one embodiment, it has proven advantageous to design it as a trigger lever in the form of a pistol trigger. This has the advantage of ensuring protection against unintentional triggering. However, any other configuration is also conceivable.

[0029] Because the user does not become fatigued with a device according to the invention, the number of trees treated per unit of time can be increased and the user's health is protected.

[0030] In comparison to scissor solutions on the market for other applications which are driven by actuators (pneumatic scissors, etc.), the device according to the invention is also very simple and reliable in its construction and of low weight.

[0031] It has proven advantageous that the first cutting head is arranged at a fixed distance from the handle by means of a boom, and that the distance of the second cutting head can be changed by means of the actuator.

[0032] This has the particular advantage that complex mechanics can be omitted. If, as is particularly preferred, the actuator is designed in the form of a linear actuator, especially in the form of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, very few mechanical components are necessary to provide a device according to the invention. In particular, no joints for rotary movements are required; instead, the necessary movements are provided by the piston of the cylinder.

[0033] In this case, for example, the first cutting head can be fixed in place and the second cutting head moves towards it. This results in a relatively simple mechanical design according to the invention, which effectively allows for a defined cutting action.

[0034] According to the invention, it can also be provided that the distance of the first cutting head from the handle is adjustable before each commissioning. For this purpose, it can be provided, for example, that the boom can be attached to the handle or to another element of the device according to the invention at various attachment points.

[0035] Here, it has proven particularly advantageous for the actuator to be designed in the form of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. In this case, the linear movement of the cylinder's piston is directly converted into the linear movement of opening and closing the cutting device, in which the cutting heads are moved towards each other.

[0036] According to the invention, it may be preferred that the movement path of the actuator is limited by means of a guide for the piston and / or the second cutting head in rails. It may be particularly preferred that the movement path is adjustable by attaching the rails in different positions on the device, especially on the handle.

[0037] According to this embodiment, it is therefore possible to first adjust the distance of the first cutting head which is stationary during operation and also to adjust the path of movement of the second cutting head which is moved by the actuator.

[0038] It may also be preferred according to the invention that the actuator is designed in the form of an electric motor, in particular an electric motor that is operatively connected to a gearbox to generate a linear movement.

[0039] Of course, according to a further embodiment of the present invention, it is also conceivable that the actuator is designed in the form of an electric motor. Linear motors have proven particularly advantageous here for providing the necessary stroke motion.

[0040] Furthermore, it may be provided that the boom of the first cutting head is arranged parallel to the linear movement path of the actuator and the movement path of the second cutting head.

[0041] In this embodiment, the arm of the first cutting head is arranged parallel to the actuator's path of movement, with the first cutting head being positioned further away from the gripping device than the second cutting head. This has the advantage that the stationary first cutting head can be attached to a stable arm, while the movable second cutting head is attached directly to the actuator's piston or via an extension.

[0042] The resulting embodiment is inexpensive, stable and lightweight, ensuring good handling and high operational reliability.

[0043] Furthermore, the handle assembly may include a trigger to operate the actuator, and in particular an adjustment device may be provided to adjust the contact pressure of the first cutting head against the second cutting head.

[0044] An adjusting device according to the present invention can, for example, be in the form of a rotary knob. However, various types of adjusting devices are known to those skilled in the art. In the case of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, it has proven particularly advantageous if the adjusting device is a pressure regulator or is connected to one.

[0045] Furthermore, according to the invention, it can be provided that the distance between the knife holders and thus between the knives is adjustable.

[0046] According to one embodiment, it may be preferred that the device includes a carrying device for a compressed air reservoir, wherein the compressed air reservoir can be connected to or is connected to the pneumatic cylinder by means of hoses.

[0047] Such a compressed air reservoir can, for example, be transported ergonomically and safely in a backpack. However, for shorter deployments, compressed air cylinders on belt holders are a known technology.

[0048] Furthermore, it is preferred that the first cutting head comprises n knife holders and the second cutting head comprises n-1 knife holders (17), with n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10.

[0049] It is particularly preferred that the knife holders of the first and second cutting heads are arranged offset from each other.

[0050] According to one embodiment of the invention, two knife holders on the left side and three knife holders on the right side are particularly suitable for solving the technical problem of reducing the flow of liquids in the drive. However, other variants of knife holders may also be particularly advantageous for certain applications.

[0051] However, in general, a different number of blade holders on the right and left cutting heads has proven effective.

[0052] It can be particularly advantageous to have a knife holder at each lateral end of the left and right bridge.

[0053] According to the invention, it may be preferred that the knife holders are arranged laterally offset from each other on the right and left webs. In order to make the device as space- and material-saving as possible, it is advantageous to place the knife holders at the outer ends of the webs and, if necessary, at regular intervals between the outer ends.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the left bridge may have a greater length in a perpendicular direction to the closing direction of the jaw arms than the right bridge.

[0055] This is particularly the case if the left bridge has at least one more knife holder than the right bridge.

[0056] It may be preferred that the length of the bridges is proportional to the number of respective knife holders, so that the knife holders, in particular on the left bridge and the right bridge, have the same distance from each other.

[0057] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous that the distance between the knife holders of the bridges is the same, whereby in the closed state of the device a knife holder of the left bridge is alternately followed at the same distance by a knife holder of the right bridge.

[0058] Such an arrangement is advantageous because it leads, on the one hand, to regular cuts in the shoot, and on the other hand, to an approximately equal distribution of the acting forces.

[0059] When the knife holders are spaced regularly apart, it has proven particularly suitable that the distance between the knife holders of the respective cutting head and / or the opposing knife holders of the respective cutting heads is in a range of 2 mm to 30 mm.

[0060] It can also be provided according to the invention that the knife holders are designed as holders for interchangeable blades and, in particular, that the knives are attached to the knife holders by means of knife holder screws.

[0061] It may be provided that the interchangeable blades are concave in shape.

[0062] The present invention also provides a use of a device according to the invention for cutting Christmas trees during the shoot and growth phase, wherein in particular side shoots can be grasped in order to regulate the growth of the terminal shoot of a tree.

[0063] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which an embodiment of the invention is explained by way of example with reference to a schematic drawing, without thereby limiting the invention.

[0064] This shows: Fig. 1: A device according to the invention in perspective view.

[0065] In Fig. 1 is an inventive device 1 for cutting branches and / or shoots of plants, illustrated by way of an exemplary embodiment.

[0066] The device 1 comprises a cutting device 3 and a handle device 5. The design of the cutting device 3 and the handle device 5 is obviously to be understood as purely abstract and exemplary; a wide variety of designs are conceivable.

[0067] The cutting device 3 is designed as a two-part structure, as shown, comprising a first cutting head 7 and a second cutting head 9. The first cutting head 7 is arranged at a first distance from the handle 5 of the device, and the second cutting head 9 is arranged at a second distance from the handle 5. In the embodiment shown, the first cutting head 7 is located further away from the handle 3 than the second cutting head 9.

[0068] The distance between the first cutting head 7 and the handle 5 is adjustable by means of fastening elements 11 that engage in recesses 13. According to the invention, these are arranged in the area of ​​the handle 5, to which the extension arm 15, the distance of which can be adjusted relative to the handle 5, is attached.

[0069] Furthermore, two rails 10, 12 are included, which limit the movement of the second cutting head 9, in which the cutting head 9 is guided. The rails 10, 12 can be arranged at different positions on the handle assembly 5.

[0070] Thus, before using the device 1, the distance of the first cutting head 7 from the handle 3 can first be adjusted using the fastening elements 11, and the movement path of the second cutting head 9 can be limited by a selected fastening of the rails 10, 12 to the handle 5.

[0071] According to the invention, the distance between the first and second cutting heads 7, 9 is variable during operation of the device, wherein the actuator 17 comprises a pneumatic cylinder that is directly connected to the second cutting head 9. More precisely, a piston 19 of the cylinder is connected to the cutting head 9.

[0072] Thus, the cutting head 9 can be moved towards and away from the cutting head 7, with the movement being linear and parallel to a boom 115 that connects the first cutting head 7 to the handle device 5.

[0073] The handle 5 has a trigger 21 for operating the actuator 17, and an adjusting device 23 is provided for adjusting the contact pressure of the first cutting head 7 against the second cutting head 9. The knife holders 23, 25 are arranged offset from each other as shown.

[0074] The embodiment shown in the figure is easy to use, robust and ensures a safe transmission of force from the cutting heads 7, 9 to a plant to be treated.

[0075] The features of the invention disclosed in the preceding description, the claims and the drawings may be essential for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments, both individually and in any combination.

Claims

[1] Device (1) for cutting branches and / or shoots of plants, comprising a cutting device (3) and a handle device (5), wherein the cutting device (3) is designed in two parts and has a first cutting head (7) and a second cutting head (9), and where the first cutting head (7) is arranged at a first distance from a handle (5) of the device and the second cutting head (9) is arranged at a second distance from the handle (5) is arranged, wherein the distance between the first and second cutting heads (7, 9) is variable, characterized by , that an actuator (17) is included which is connected directly or by means of a connecting element to the first and / or the second cutting head (7, 9) such that the first distance of the first cutting head (7) and / or the second distance of the second cutting head (9) to the handle device (5) is variable, wherein the first cutting head (7) comprises n knife holders (23) and the second cutting head (9) comprises n-1 knife holders (25), with n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 and the knife holders (23,25) of the first and second cutting heads (7,9) are arranged offset from each other. [2] Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the first cutting head (7) is arranged at a fixed distance from the handle (5) by means of a boom (11) and the second distance of the second cutting head (9) can be changed by means of the actuator (17). [3] Device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by , that the actuator (17) is designed in the form of a linear actuator (17), in particular in the form of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. [4] Device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by, that the actuator (17) is designed in the form of an electric motor, in particular an electric motor which is in operative connection with a gearbox to generate a linear motion. [5] Device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized by , that the boom (15) of the first cutting head (7) is arranged parallel to the linear path of movement of the actuator and the path of movement of the second cutting head (9). [6] Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the handle device (5) includes a trigger (21) to operate the actuator, wherein in particular an adjustment device (23) may be provided to adjust the contact pressure of the first cutting head (7) against the second cutting head (9). [7] Device according to claim 6, characterized by , that the adjusting device (23) is designed in the form of a pressure regulator. [8] Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that a carrying device for a compressed air reservoir is included, wherein the compressed air reservoir can be connected to or is connected to the pneumatic cylinder by means of hoses. [9] Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the knife holders (23, 25) are designed and configured to accommodate various shapes of cutting tools. [10] Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the first and second knife holders (23, 25) are parallel opposite each other and also move parallel towards each other. [11] Use of a device according to the preceding claims for cutting Christmas trees during the shoot and growth phase, wherein in particular side shoots can be grasped.

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