	US 7,600,573 B2
	Tine holder for turf aerator
Thomas F. Langworthy, Henderson, Minn. (US); and Walter J. Petersen, Chaska, Minn. (US)
Assigned to The Toro Company, Bloomington, Minn. (US)
Filed on Jan. 08, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/8,091.
Prior Publication US 2009/0173508 A1, Jul. 09, 2009
Int. Cl. A01B 45/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 172—22

22 Claims

1. A tine supporting apparatus for use with a turf aerator, the tine supporting apparatus being driven by the turf aerator in repeating cycles of up and down motion relative to the ground with a tine carried by the tine supporting apparatus being punched down into the ground during the down part of each cycle to form an aeration hole and with the tine carried by the tine supporting apparatus being withdrawn from the ground during the up part of each cycle, wherein the tine used with the tine supporting apparatus has an upper mounting section, which comprises:

a) a tine holder having a substantially vertically extending bore;

b) a compressible collar for receiving the upper mounting section of the tine, wherein the compressible collar has an uncompressed state in which the upper mounting section of the tine can be concentrically inserted into the collar and a fully compressed state in which the upper mounting section of the tine is sufficiently tightly gripped by the collar to prevent removal of the tine from the collar under the forces encountered by the tine and the collar during operation of the aerator;

c) wherein the bore is shaped to compress the collar from the uncompressed state to the fully compressed state as the collar with the tine held therein is slid into the bore in a tine installation operation; and

d) a pivotal lever that can be operatively engaged with both the tine holder and with the collar holding the tine for applying leverage to the collar to force the collar further into the bore to at least finish moving the collar to the fully compressed state within the bore to thereby complete the tine installation operation.