US 12,268,110 B2
Turf aerator
Joseph W. Pogatchnik, III, Waconia, MN (US); Scott A. Thomson, Maple Grove, MN (US); Keith A. Goetz, New Prague, MN (US); Thomas R. Pfingsten, Savage, MN (US); Brian R. Hendrickson, Minneapolis, MN (US); John R. Kess, Bloomington, MN (US); and Kelly S. Meemken, Savage, MN (US)
Assigned to The Toro Company, Bloomington, MN (US)
Filed by The Toro Company, Bloomington, MN (US)
Filed on Jul. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/390,023.
Prior Publication US 2023/0036607 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. A01B 45/02 (2006.01); A01B 63/00 (2006.01); A01B 69/00 (2006.01); A01B 79/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01B 45/023 (2013.01) [A01B 63/008 (2013.01); A01B 69/007 (2013.01); A01B 79/005 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aerator for a turf surface, which comprises:
(a) a frame capable of movement over the turf surface;
(b) a plurality of tine assemblies movable into and out of the turf surface at different times from one another during each cycle of operation in a plurality of repeating cycles of operation for creating aeration holes in the turf surface;
(c) a tine head mounted on the frame for carrying the tine assemblies, the tine head being vertically movable on the frame between a raised, non-operational position in which the tine assemblies are not aerating the turf surface and a lowered operational position in which the tine assemblies are aerating the turf surface;
(d) at least one tine assembly sensor for providing tine assembly data comprising an operational speed of the tine assemblies and positions of the tine assemblies relative to the tine head; and
(e) a microprocessor based controller which receives and uses the tine assembly data to automatically lower the tine head from its non-operational position in a manner that causes a first tine assembly to move into the turf surface to penetrate the turf surface to a preselected hole depth.