Ice grader having vertical rotary cutters

Claim 2

A GRADING MACHINE, COMPRISING A MOBILE SUPPORT HAVING UPPER AND UNDER SIDES AND FRONT AND REAR ENDS, A FRAME EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SUPPORT ADJACENT THE UPPER SIDE THEREOF, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE REAR END OF SAID FRAME TO SAID SUPPORT FOR VERTICAL SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE FRAME RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT, THE FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF THE FORWARD END OF SAID SUPPORT, A PLURALITY OF ROTARY CUTTERS ARRANGED BELOW SAID FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME WITH THEIR AXES OF ROTATION GENERALLY VERTICAL, MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID CUTTERS ON SAID FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CUTTERS IN ROTATION, A MEMBER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SUPPORT ADJACENT THE UNDER SIDE THEREOF, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE REAR END OF SAID MEMBER TO SAID SUPPORT FOR VERTICAL SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT, THE FORWARD END OF SAID MEMBER EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF THE FORWARD END OF SAID SUPPORT, A SKID ON THE FORWARD END OF SAID MEMBER FOR ENGAGING A SURFACE TO BE GRADED, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME ON SAID FORWARD END OF SAID MEMBER WITH THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID CUTTERS DISPOSED AT THE APPROXIMATE LEVEL OF THE UNDER SURFACE OF SAID SKID FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SURFACE TO BE GRADED, AND SAID CUTERS BEING OFFSET LATERALLY OF SAID SUPPORT TO CUT A PATH ALONG SAID SURFACE AT LEAST AS WIDE AS SAID SUPPORT.

Claim 3

A GRADING MACHINE, COMPRISING A MOBILE SUPPORT HAVING UPPER AND UNDER SIDES AND FRONT AND REAR ENDS, A FRAME EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SUPPORT ADJACENT THE UPPER SIDE THEREOF, MEANS MOUNTING SAID FRAME ON SAID SUPPORT, THE FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF THE FORWARD END OF SAID SUPPORT, THREE ROTARY CUTTERS ARRANGED BELOW SAID FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME WITH THEIR AXES VERTICAL AND WITH THEIR LOWER ENDS COPLANARLY DISPOSED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A SURFACE TO BE GRADED, ONE OF SAID CUTTERS BEING LOCATED APPROXIMATELY ON THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF SAID SUPPORT AND THE REMAINING TWO CUTTERS BEING LOCATED REARWARDLY OF SAID ONE CUTTER AND AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CENTER LINE SO AS TO CUT A PATH ALONG SAID SURFACE AT LEAST AS WIDE AS SAID SUPPORT, A CONDUIT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SUPPORT ALONG THE UNDER SIDE THEREOF APPROXIMATELY ON SAID CENTER LINE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CONDUIT ON SAID SUPPORT, THE FORWARD END OF SAID CONDUIT BEING LOCATED BETWEEN AND HAVING LATERAL OPENINGS FACING SAID REMAINING CUTTERS, THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID OPENINGS BEING LOCATED AT THE APPROXIMATE LEVEL OF THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID CUTTERS, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CUTTERS IN ROTATION IN SUCH MANNER THAT THE FORWARD SIDE OF EACH OF SAID REMAINING CUTTERS ROTATES TOWARD SAID CENTER LINE, WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID CUTTERS TENDS TO DISCHARGE MATERIAL REMOVED FROM THE SURFACE BEING GRADED INTO THE FORWARD END OF SAID CONDUIT THROUGH SAID OPENINGS THEREIN, CONVEYOR MEANS IN SAID CONDUIT FOR CONVEYING THE MATERIAL ENTERING THE CONDUIT REARWARDLY THROUGH THE LATTER, AND THE REAR END OF SAID CONDUIT BEING OPEN AND LOCATED AT THE REAR END OF SAID SUPPORT.

Claim 4

A GRADING MACHINE, COMPRISING A MOBILE SUPPORT HAVING UPPER AND UNDER SIDES AND FRONT AND REAR ENDS, A FRAME EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SUPPORT ADJACENT THE UPPER SIDE THEREOF, MEANS MOUNTING SAID FRAME ON SAID SUPPORT, THE FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF THE FORWARD END OF SAID SUPPORT, THREE ROTARY CUTTERS ARRANGED BELOW SAID FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME WITH THEIR AXES VERTICAL AND WITH THEIR LOWER ENDS COPLANARLY DISPOSED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A SURFACE TO BE GRADED, ONE OF SAID CUTTERS BEING LOCATED APPROXIMATELY ON THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF SAID SUPPORT AND THE REMAINING TWO CUTTERS BEING LOCATED REARWARDLY OF SAID ONE CUTTER AND AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CENTER LINE SO AS TO CUT A PATH ALONG SAID SURFACE AT LEAST AS WIDE AS SAID SUPPORT, A CONDUIT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SUPPORT ALONG THE UNDER SIDE THEREOF APPROXIMATELY ON SAID CENTER LINE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CONDUIT ON SAID SUPPORT, THE FORWARD END OF SAID CONDUIT BEING LOCATED BETWEEN AND HAVING LATERAL OPENINGS FACING SAID REMAINING CUTTERS, THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID OPENINGS BEING LOCATED AT THE APPROXIMATE LEVEL OF THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID CUTTERS, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CUTTERS IN ROTATION IN SUCH MANNER THAT THE FORWARD SIDE OF EACH OF SAID REMAINING CUTTERS ROTATES TOWARD SAID CENTER LINE, WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID CUTTERS TENDS TO DISCHARGE MATERIAL REMOVED FROM THE SURFACE BEING GRADED INTO THE FORWARD END OF SAID CONDUIT THROUGH SAID OPENINGS THEREIN, CONVEYOR MEANS IN SAID CONDUIT FOR CONVEYING THE MATERIAL ENTERING THE CONDUIT REARWARDLY THROUGH THE LATTER, AND THE REAR END OF SAID CONDUIT BEING OPEN AND LOCATED AT THE REAR END OF SAID SUPPORT.