Core processor

Details Core processor Core processor

1999-12-14

2001-02-27

Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)

Earth working

Lawn aerator or perforator, or plug remover

Earth removing

C241S101763

Reexamination Certificate

active

06192991

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to a machine that shreds soil aeration cores into top dressing and finely chopped thatch and returns the shredded soil aeration cores back to the turf and more particularly to a machine that attaches to a utility vehicle and takes the cores from the core harvester and grinds them into top dressing and finely chopped thatch and returns them to the turf.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One of the ways to enhance the growth and beauty of a grassy area or lawn is to aerate the turf. To aerate the turf, one usually takes small cores out of the turf which are basically round pieces of soil and root. This process has been used for years in the aeration of large grassy areas and golf courses. There have been a great number of special devices designed to take the cores out of the turf. These devices have been called Aerifers. Aerifers basically take small pieces of grass, soil and root from the turf and create small openings within the turf. These small pieces of turf are called cores. These cores are then harvested by a machine called a core harvester. The present core harvesters on the market basically pick up the cores from the turf and then discharge them into a bed of a utility vehicle. Once the capacity of the utility vehicle has been reached the cores are carried away and disposed of. This invention fits in the rear of the utility vehicle and instead of the cores being discharged into a utility vehicle, the core harvester discharges the cores into this invention and this invention grinds the cores into top dressing and finely chopped thatch and returns them to the turf.
Thus, the objective of this invention is to take the cores created by the aerification process and picked up by the core harvester, and grind them into top dressing and finely chopped thatch that can be used by the soil. This invention has many advantages. First, for the individuals who are doing the aeration of the turf, this invention eliminates the need to carry away and dispose of the cores. In aerification of a golf course the utility vehicle would have to be emptied many times. Thus the invention saves a large amount of time and labor and ultimately money. Secondly, this invention has a great value to the turf and the soil. By returning the cores back to the turf and soil one is able to enrich the soil. In the prior art there are two methods of disposing of the cores by returning them to the soil. The first is to drag a chain link fence over the cores and gradually destroy the cores. This method is not used often since it does significant damage to the turf and is very labor intensive. The second method is to use a mower to grind up the cores. This method does not grind the cores well and is even more labor intensive than the use of the fence. Thus the invention has many advantages to the individuals doing the aerification and it saves them money and time as well as making a better turf. Lastly, this invention benefits society in that it eliminates a waste product that is only dumped into a dump and creates more problems of disposal in the dump and also takes up more area of land. Thus, this invention is of great value to the user, the soil and turf, and society as a whole.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is designed to fit in the rear of a utility vehicle. An Aerifier takes aerification cores out of the turf and leaves them on the ground. A core harvester and this invention is attached to a utility vehicle. The core harvester harvests the aeration cores from turf and discharges them into the invention. The invention then takes these aerification cores and grinds them into top dressing and finely chopped thatch for the turf. The cores are dumped by the core harvester down a chute in the invention, the core processor. The cores fall from the chute on to a set of rotation blades that chops the cores into top dressing and finely chopped thatch. The top dressing and finely chopped thatch then fall upon a rotating conveyor belt which takes the top dressing and finely chopped thatch to the discharge area of the invention. The top dressing and finely chopped thatch is discharged to the soil below by a rotating cylindrical brush which brushes the top dressing and finely chopped thatch from the conveyor belt onto the turf.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3868063 (1975-02-01), Slaker
patent: 4632189 (1986-12-01), Rizzo
patent: 4905460 (1990-03-01), Toman
patent: 5816336 (1998-10-01), Underhill

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