Harvesters – Motorized harvester – Having driven means for handling or treating crop
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-10
2004-03-09
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Motorized harvester
Having driven means for handling or treating crop
C056S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06701698
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to leaf grinding apparatus; and more particularly, to a portable composer that automatically picks-up lawn debris, pulverizes it into a fine compostable powder, and distributes it uniformly over the lawn to enhance the appearance thereof and improve soil fertility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Those responsible for maintenance of homes and commercial buildings have long struggled to devise a method and means for addressing the seemingly endless accumulation of garden refuse, such as leaves, sticks and debris on outside surfaces, including lawns, gardens, patios, walkways and the like. Numerous teachings relate to machinery adapted to pick up leaves and debris from outside surfaces, shred them into smaller particles, and redistribute the pulverized product into the soil. A wide variety of mechanisms feed garden refuse into the machinery, wherein it is reduced to small particles, bagged or otherwise disposed of.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,694 to Williams et al. discloses a leaf grinder apparatus comprising a vertical frame having a triangular base. An electric motor drives a pair of pulleys which turn a screw leaf feed and cutting blade mechanism. Leaves fed into a hopper are pushed against the screw feed, which delivers the leaves into a stationary-keyed disc. A plurality of arc-shaped apertures on the disc transport the leaves into cutting blades, which are driven by the electric motor. Leaves are fed manually into the hopper. An arc shaped leaf pusher feeds the leaves into the screw mechanism. The leaves pass once through a single cutting blade, which attempts to cut and shred them. Due to the manual feed and single cutting blade, particle size reduction of leaves and debris exiting the apparatus is oftentimes insufficient and non-uniform, causing uneven distribution thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,658,318 to Miller et al discloses a suction leaf pickup wherein a single cutting centrifugal impeller blade propels the shredded leaves against a perforated cylinder. The perforated cylinder is disposed in the path of the shredded leaves and generally perpendicular to the shaft, which rotates the centrifugal impeller. Due to the perforations only those pulverized leaves which are small enough in size to be discharged exit the device. The exiting leaves move generally sideways in a direction perpendicular to the motion of the device. A discharge orifice through which the leaves exit is located high above the device so that it projects the pulverized leaves over the lawn or soil. Inasmuch as the single cutting blade must also function as a suction device, particle size reduction of the leaves and debris exiting the apparatus is inefficient and non-uniform. Perforations in the cylinder become clogged by large leaf fragments. This problem is not avoided by use of an elevated, low velocity discharge. Distribution pulverized leaves and debris is not accomplished in an efficient, reliable manner. The shredded leaves are too large and non-uniform for proper fertilization of lawn and garden soil.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,372 to Blydenburgh discloses a leaf grinder having a disk type blade containing additional leaf beating members. An expanded metal cylinder
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is attached to the casting of the device. The beating members crush the leaves against the roughened portions or mesh produced by sharp edged multiple edges formed in the expanded metal. After being crushed the leaf particles pass out through the metal mesh. Pulverizing of dry leaves is solely accomplished by the leaf-beating and physical crushing against a sharp expanded metal rough surface forming a metal mesh in the sidewall casing through which the leaves pass. Leaf particles that are too large to pass through the metal mesh, become loosely attached thereto. The mesh becomes clogged, preventing proper discharge of ground leaf particles. Particle size reduction of leaves and debris is restricted and distribution of shredded garden refuse is non-uniform.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,961 to Judkins discloses a lawn cleaner and snow-clearing device. The device comprises a frame having a closed hood, a power source, a power supply support, a rotary drive shaft with a directly coupled cutting and suction blade and an orthogonal gear box with a blower fan blade. Grass is cut using a cutting and suction blade. The grass clipping and other lawn materials are drawn through the upper portion of the hood by the action of the suction blade. Lawn material is then drawn into the blower shaft by the blower fan. A blower shaft casing with perforations retains the lawn material in the blower shaft until the lawn material has been sufficiently pulverized by the blower fan. The pulverized lawn leaves exit the lawn cleaner through a blower outlet at the end of the blower shaft. In the Judkins device, leaves are drawn into the hood of the lawn cleaner by the grass-cutting blade. Pulverizing is accomplished by the interaction between a slowly rotating blower fan and a plurality of casing perforations, which retain and recycle larger uncut pieces of leaves. The blower outlet tends to become clogged by large fragments of uncut leaves. Garden refuse is discharged at low velocity from an elevated location, causing non-uniform distribution of shredded material over the lawn or soil.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,058,284 to Anderson discloses a lawn debris chopper comprising a mobile frame. Power is provided by a lawn mower gasoline engine connected to a cutting blade by direct drive. A drive belt is connected to a centrifugal blower and a chopper. The centrifugal blower receives an air stream carrying lawn material through a duct and passes it into a worm type feeding mechanism. Lawn material is extruded to a stationary perforated blade and a rotating cutting blade. Discharge of shredded lawn material is effected from a high location in a sideways direction generally perpendicular to the direction of motion of the lawn debris chopper. Due to the reduced speed of the cutting blade, cutting action is inefficient. Garden refuse is propelled at insufficient speed for uniform distribution. Stationary blade perforations arrange ground debris into a fine stream; but do not cut or chop the debris. Cutting is accomplished solely by the cutting blade, thereby limiting particle size reduction. The outlet port becomes clogged by oversize lawn debris from the suction blade. Distributed particles are often too large for proper lawn fertilization.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,479 to Martinson et al. discloses a leaf comminuting apparatus. The leaf commuting apparatus is connected to a lawn mower motor, which drives the cutting blades either by a direct connection or a belt drive. Cut blades of grass are drawn up, pulverized and discharged from an elevated location in a sideways direction generally perpendicular to the direction of lawn mower motion. The leaf commuting apparatus comprises a cylindrically shaped fan housing having an inlet opening and an outlet, a suction nozzle connected to the inlet opening, a fan mounted in the housing to provide suction at the inlet and a drive shaft connecting the fan to a motor. Commuting action is accomplished by close movement of movable blades affixed to the outer end of the blades of a fan, which interact with fixed blades attached to the walls the fan housing. A portion of the fan housing carries perforations through which an air stream passes. Finely chopped lawn clippings are carried away by the air stream, while pulverization of larger fragments is continued. Use of a suction fan to commute and transport the commuted lawn clippings causes clogging of the perforations. Suction is reduced and the apparatus can even stall when the device becomes completely plugged. Belt slippage is not infrequent. The elevated, low velocity air stream discharge results in non-uniform distribution of chopped clippings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,094 to Spicer discloses a mobile leaf pulverizer comprising a mobile pick-up housing having wheels, an elongated blade and a power source. A separate pulverizer is connected
Ndumele Eric S.
Nwosu Michael U.
Buff Ernest D.
Ernest D. Buff and Associates, LLC
Halvorson Mark J.
Petravick Meredith
Will Thomas B.
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