Land Clearing Blade For A Machine

Abstract

A clearing blade adapted to be attached to a machine. The clearing blade includes a moldboard having a curved structure, a pair of stingers extending forwardly of the moldboard and arranged in a spaced apart arrangement from opposing lateral ends of the clearing blade. Each stinger includes a penetration portion adapted to penetrate and form a vertical cut. The clearing blade further includes a center blade arranged centrally to the moldboard, and an angled side blade extending inwardly from each of the pair of stingers towards the center blade. Each angled side blade is arranged in a substantially horizontal plane and is arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the center blade. Moreover, the clearing blade includes a plurality of attachment members such as, for example, a plurality of trunnion balls for engaging the clearing blade with the machine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blade assembly configured to be mounted to a machine for use in cutting, moving and clearing cut matter from an area of land when the machine moves in a travel direction F, the blade assembly comprising:
 a body having:
 a moldboard providing a front surface; 
 a rear surface that is opposite the front surface; 
 an upper end; 
 an opposing lower end; 
 a first lateral end; and 
 an opposing second lateral end 
   a center blade positioned at the lower end of the body and extending forwardly away from the front surface;   a cutting edge provided at a leading edge of the center blade, wherein the cutting edge extends laterally across and parallel with at least a portion of the front surface of the body; and   mounts for enabling the blade assembly to be mounted to the machine.   
     
     
         2 . The blade assembly of  claim 1  further comprising at least one penetrating stinger attached to one of the lateral ends of the body, wherein the at least one penetrating stinger extends forwardly in a longitudinal direction away from the front surface of the body and terminates with a sharpened piercing tip configured to penetrate cut material. 
     
     
         3 . The blade assembly of  claim 2  further comprising a side mounted plate disposed on the one lateral end of the body, wherein the at least one penetrating stinger is formed as an extension of the side mounted plate. 
     
     
         4 . The blade assembly of  claim 3  further comprising a sharpened forward edge formed at a front end of the side mounted plate. 
     
     
         5 . The blade assembly of  claim 4  wherein the sharpened forward edge curves downwards in the longitudinal direction away from the front surface of the moldboard and towards the sharpened piercing tip of the at least one penetrating stinger. 
     
     
         6 . The blade assembly of  claim 3  further comprising:
 an angled side blade joined to a lateral edge of the center blade such that the angled side blade is located on a lateral side of the center blade, wherein the angled side blade is positioned at the lower end of the body and extends forwardly away from the front surface of the moldboard; 
 a cutting edge provided at a leading edge of the angled side blade that is angled with respect to the cutting edge of the center blade. 
 
     
     
         7 . The blade assembly of  claim 6  wherein the cutting edge of the angled side blade abuts the cutting edge of the center blade to form a combined cutting edge. 
     
     
         8 . The blade assembly of  claim 2 :
 wherein the sharpened piercing tip is provided on a leading end of the at least one penetrating stinger;   wherein the at least one stinger includes a bottom surface; and   wherein the leading end is angled with respect to the bottom surface of the at least one stinger such that the piercing tip is angled rearwards.   
     
     
         9 . The blade assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a penetrating stinger attached to each of the lateral ends of the body, wherein each penetrating stinger extends forwardly in a longitudinal direction away from the front surface of the body and terminates with a sharpened piercing tip configured to penetrate cut material. 
     
     
         10 . The blade assembly of  claim 9  further comprising a side mounted plate disposed at each of the lateral ends of the body, wherein each penetrating stinger is formed as an extension of one of the side mounted plates. 
     
     
         11 . The blade assembly of  claim 10  further comprising a sharpened forward edge formed at a front end of each of the side mounted plates. 
     
     
         12 . The blade assembly of  claim 11  wherein the sharpened forward edge of each of the side mounted plates curves downwards in the longitudinal direction away from the front surface of the moldboard and towards the sharpened piercing tip of the penetrating stinger. 
     
     
         13 . The blade assembly of  claim 10  further comprising:
 a separate angled side blade joined to each opposing lateral edge of the center blade such that the angled side blades are located on opposing lateral ends of the center blade, wherein the angled side blades are each positioned at the lower end of the body and extend forwardly away from the front surface of the moldboard; 
 a cutting edge provided at a leading edge of each of the angled side blades, wherein each cutting edge is angled with respect to the cutting edge of the center blade. 
 
     
     
         14 . The blade assembly of  claim 13  wherein the cutting edge of each of the angled side blades abuts the cutting edge of the center blade to form a combined cutting edge. 
     
     
         15 . The blade assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a pusher bar connected to the upper end of the body via a plurality of supports mounted between the body and the pusher bar, wherein the pusher bar is configured to contact cut material located above the upper end of the body. 
     
     
         16 . The blade assembly of  claim 15  wherein the plurality of supports position the pusher bar vertically above the body and at least partially in front of the front surface of the moldboard. 
     
     
         17 . The blade assembly of  claim 15  further comprising a pusher plate located above the body and connecting the pusher bar to the body. 
     
     
         18 . A land-clearing machine and blade combination comprising:
 a land-clearing machine having a pair of independently operable mounting members, each mounting member configured to removably mount to a portion of a blade assembly disposed at an end of the land-clearing machine and to manipulate a position and orientation of the blade assembly;   a blade assembly configured to be removably mounted to the land-clearing machine and configured for use in cutting, moving and clearing cut matter from an area of land when the land-clearing machine moves in a travel direction F, the blade assembly comprising:
 a body having:
 a moldboard providing a front surface; 
 a rear surface that is opposite the front surface; 
 an upper end; 
 an opposing lower end; 
 a first lateral end; and 
 an opposing second lateral end 
 
 a center blade positioned at the lower end of the body and extending forwardly away from the front surface; 
 a cutting edge provided at a leading edge of the center blade, wherein the cutting edge extends laterally across and parallel with at least a portion of the front surface of the body; 
 a pair of mounts disposed on the body, wherein each mount is removably mounted to one of the pair of independently operable mounting members of the land-clearing machine 
 a penetrating stinger attached to each of the lateral ends of the body, wherein each penetrating stinger extends forwardly in a longitudinal direction away from the front surface of the body and terminates with a sharpened piercing tip configured to penetrate cut material. 
   
     
     
         19 . The combination of  claim 18  wherein the independently operable mounting members of the land-clearing machine are push arms or power tilt cylinders. 
     
     
         20 . The combination of  claim 18  wherein the independently operable mounting members of the land-clearing machine are configured to allow the land-clearing machine to travel and the blade assembly to cut, move and clear cut material while the blade assembly is tilted such that one of the stingers is located at a first elevation while the other stinger is located at a second and different elevation.