U.S. patent application number 10/939743 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-06 for turf maintenance device for aeration and vertical cutting of soil.
This patent application is currently assigned to American-Iowa Manufacturing, Inc.. Invention is credited to Gary Knepper, Steve Leytem, Shane D. Simon.
Application Number | 20060070749 10/939743 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36124396 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060070749 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Simon; Shane D. ; et
al. |
April 6, 2006 |
Turf maintenance device for aeration and vertical cutting of
soil
Abstract
A turf maintenance device for the aeration and vertical cutting
of soil, including a conventional aerator, a vertical cutting
device mounted to the aerator, operatively connected to a power
source such that the aerator and vertical cutting device may be
operated independently and/or simultaneously.
Inventors: |
Simon; Shane D.; (Cascade,
IA) ; Leytem; Steve; (Cascade, IA) ; Knepper;
Gary; (Cascade, IA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ZARLEY LAW FIRM P.L.C.
CAPITAL SQUARE
400 LOCUST, SUITE 200
DES MOINES
IA
50309-2350
US
|
Assignee: |
American-Iowa Manufacturing,
Inc.
Cascade
IA
|
Family ID: |
36124396 |
Appl. No.: |
10/939743 |
Filed: |
September 13, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
172/21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01B 45/02 20130101;
A01B 45/023 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
172/021 |
International
Class: |
A01B 45/02 20060101
A01B045/02 |
Claims
1. A turf maintenance device comprising: an aerator having a
tubular tine wherein the tine is adapted to intermittently puncture
ground; and a vertical cutting unit mounted to the aerator, the
vertical cutting unit adapted to make a series of vertical cuts in
the ground.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the vertical cutting unit is
operatively connected to the aerator.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the vertical cutting unit is
operatively connected to the aerator by a pulley assembly.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the vertical cutting unit operates
independently of the aerator.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein the vertical cutting unit operates
independently of the aerator.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the vertical cutting unit is
raised and lowered in relation to the aerator.
7. A turf maintenance device comprising: an aerator having a
pivotably mounted tine wherein the tine is adapted to puncture
ground; and a vertical cutting unit mounted to the aerator, the
vertical cutting unit adapted to make a series of vertical cuts in
the ground.
8. A turf maintenance device comprising: a housing; an aerator
having a drive shaft rotatably mounted within the housing and a
plurality of tines adapted to puncture the ground operatively
connected to the drive shaft; a vertical cutting device having a
drive shaft connected to the housing and adapted to make a series
of vertical cuts in the ground; and a pulley assembly operatively
connected to the drive shaft of the aerator and the drive shat of
the vertical cutting device.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a turf maintenance device
and, more specifically, a combination aerator and verticutting
device.
[0002] Aerators are well known in the art. An example of a
conventional aerator device is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,909
to McDermott et al. and is incorporated by reference herein.
Aerators typically include a plurality of tines operatively
connected to a driveshaft and are independently powered or coupled
to a power take-off shaft of a tractor or the like. As the
driveshaft turns, the tines alternately puncture the surface of the
ground and remove plugs or cores of soil, which helps to improve
the quality of the turf covering the ground. Aerators are expensive
and because of their function can be limited in use to one to two
applications per year.
[0003] Vertical cutting devices, often referred to as
"verticutters" in the trade, also are well known. An example of a
conventional verticutting device is set forth in U.S. Pat. No.
6,393,814 to Gorey. Verticutting devices typically include a
plurality of blades radially connected to a driveshaft. As the
driveshaft turns, the vertical blades make a series of small
vertical cuts in the ground, cutting runners in the turf and
removing thatch and other dead foliage from the surface. When
attached to a mower, the verticutter can usually only penetrate the
ground surface at shallow depths because it is under powered to
accomplish deeper, more desirable depths.
[0004] Depending on the situation, there are times when aeration is
preferred over verticutting and vice versa. Also, there are
situations where it is desirable to use the verticutter to process
cores removed by the aerator. Presently, there is no device that
incorporates an aerator and a verticutter into a single unit.
Therefore, one must continually switch back and forth between an
aerator device and a verticutter, which is time consuming and
creates inefficiencies. As such, there remains a need in the art
for a device that can perform both aeration and vertical
cutting.
[0005] It is therefore a principal object of this invention to
provide a turf maintenance device that allows for both aeration and
vertical cutting of the soil in a single device.
[0006] A further object of this invention is to provide a turf
maintenance device that is more efficient.
[0007] Still a further object of this invention is to provide a
verticutting device that can be adapted for use in conjunction with
existing aerator devices.
[0008] These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in
the art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is directed towards a turf maintenance
device for the aeration and vertical cutting of soil. The device
includes a conventional aerator, a vertical cutting device mounted
to the aerator, and a pulley assembly operatively mounted to a
power source such that the aerator and vertical cutting device may
be operated independently and/or simultaneously.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combination aerator and
verticutting device of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention; and
[0012] FIG. 3 is a rear plan view of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0013] With reference to the figures, the device 10 of the present
invention includes an aerator 12 with a vertical cutting unit or
verticutter 14 mounted thereto.
[0014] The aerator 12 may be of any conventional design and is not
in itself the focus of the present invention. The aerator 12 is
designed to be pulled by a tractor and operatively connected to a
power take-off shaft, or alternatively is a self-powered device
such as the device disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,290 to Banks,
which is incorporated by reference herein. Generally, the aerator
12 has a driveshaft 16 that extends between the sidewalls 17 of a
housing 19 and is operatively connected to a power source 18. As
one example, a belt from an engine is connected to the driveshaft
16 in a self-powered aerator. Mounted on the drive shaft 16 are a
plurality of flywheels or crankshafts 20 that are connected to a
linkage assembly 24. The lower end of the linkage assembly carries
a set of tines 22 such that as the flywheel 20 is rotated, the
linkage assembly 24 is driven in a circular path while maintaining
a substantially vertical orientation to drive the tines 22 in and
out of the ground.
[0015] The vertical cutting device or verticutter 14 is mounted to
the aerator 12. A pair of support arms 28 are connected to the
outer surface of the sidewalls 17 of the aerator housing 19 and
extend downwardly below the housing 12. The verticutter 14 includes
a driveshaft 30 rotatably mounted to and extending between the arms
28. Radially disposed on the driveshaft 30 are a plurality of
blades 34 that are positioned to make vertical cuts in the ground.
To assist in supporting the verticutter 14 and prevent the
verticutter from damaging the ground when traversing over an uneven
area, a pair of wheels 33 are mounted to wheel mount 32.
[0016] A pulley assembly 36 operatively connects the verticutter 14
to the aerator 12. Specifically, drive pulleys 38 and 40 are
secured to driveshafts 16 and 30, respectively. In an alternative
embodiment, drive pulley 38 is secured to a drive shaft that is
separate and apart from driveshaft 16 of aerator 12. A drive belt
42 connects drive pulleys 38 and 40 such that drive pulley 38,
which is secured to and driven by driveshaft 16, drives pulley 40
and therefore driveshaft 30 via the drive belt 42. In this
arrangement, power source 18 simultaneously drives the aerator 12
and the verticutter 14. Guide pulleys 44 are positioned about the
housing 19 to direct the path of drive belt 42 and tension idler 46
maintains the appropriate amount of tension on the drive belt
42.
[0017] Alternatively, the flywheels 20 of the aerator 12 may be
disengaged such that the verticutter 14 operates independently of
the aerator 12. Likewise, when operatively connected to a drive
shaft other than drive shaft 16, the verticutter 14 operates
independently of the aerator 12.
[0018] In operation, power source 18, which is operatively
connected to drive shaft 16, rotates flywheels 20 which raise and
lower tines 22 to remove plugs from the ground. The verticutter 14
is raised off the ground via the aerator housing 19 and the
pivoting of side arms 28. The depth of the cut of the blades 34 of
the verticutter 14 are controlled by the guide wheels 33. When the
aerator housing 19 is lowered toward the ground the guide wheels 33
control the depth at which the blades 34 engage the ground. In this
manner, the device 10 performs the conventional function of
aerating the ground.
[0019] When desired, the flywheels 20 are disengaged such that they
do not rotate in relation to drive shaft 16 and the verticutter 14
is lowered to engage the ground via the aerator housing 19 and the
pivoting of side arms 28. In this situation, the power source 18
rotates drive shaft 16, which causes drive wheel 38 to operatively
rotate drive wheel 40 through pulley assembly 36. Drive wheel 40
rotates drive shaft 30 to rotate blades 34 to make vertical cuts in
the ground. Alternatively, the verticutting device is operatively
connected to a drive shaft other than drive shaft 16 and is rotated
in relation thereto. Through these methods, the verticutter 14
operates independently from the aerator 12 to perform the function
of a verticutting device.
[0020] Finally, both the aerator 12 and the verticutter 14 are
operated simultaneously either by drive shaft 16 or separate drive
shafts. In this operation, the verticutter 14 cutting depth is
raised via adjusting the height adjustment wheels 33 to a position
slightly off the ground such that as the aerator 12 pulls plugs or
cores from the ground the cores engage the blades 34 of the
verticutter 14. In this manner, the device performs the functions
of aeration and core processing.
[0021] It is therefore seen that by the use of a verticutting
device operatively connected to a conventional aerator, this
invention permits both the aeration and vertical cutting of soil by
a single device.
* * * * *