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Self Propelled, All-Hydraulic Rock Picker
"As far as we know, there is no other commerially available self-propelled rock picker in the world," says Paul Jorgensen, Coulee City, Wash., inventor of this new self-propelled picker that Jorgensen began building "to get away from trailing rockpickers that I had to turn to see and that were awkward to maneuver."
"The picker uses forks with a row of fingers that go below the dirt to scoop up rocks and lift them into a dump bucket. The driver sits to the side of where the rocks are being scooped up so he can see what he's doing all the time, without having to turn around. This helps combat driver fatigue," Jorgensen points out.
The unit has three wheels, the front one being an offset free-wheeling "crazy" wheel. The two larger back wheels are driven by a hydrostatic drive system. There is one hydraulic motor for each rear wheel. The motors are run by a conventional gasoline engine. One control lever is used for controlling forward and backward motion, and turning left and right. There is no clutch, brake, steeringwheel or gearshift. When the controlling "joystick" is moved to the left, oil feeds to the right rear wheel, moving the machine to the left, and vice versa for turning right. Since both wheels operate from one control, it can go from forward to backward instantaneously.
The picker will pick up rocks from a few inches in diameter up to as large as 2 by 3 ft. Jorgensen also uses it for digging out partially buried rocks and for removing small rockpiles. Total load capacity is about 6 cu. yards. A larger model is on the drawing board.
There is a road-grading attachment for the picker - it bolts to the pickup fingers - for doing light grading and landscaping work. It can be attached so that the angle of the blade changes hydraulically. A tow bar that attaches to the front wheel is available for moving the machine long distances.
Jorgensen has applied for patents and is looking for a manufacturer.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul Jorgensen, Star Route, Coulee City, Wash.


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1982 - Volume #6, Issue #4