Harvesters – Hand rakes – Rotary or endless
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-19
2003-11-04
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Hand rakes
Rotary or endless
C015S149000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06640532
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lawn sweeper adapted to be connected to the draw bar of a lawn implement (e.g., a tractor, mower, or all-terrain vehicle) for sweeping yard clippings and/or debris into a hamper.
Various lawn sweepers have been developed and exist in the prior art. A typical lawn sweeper generally includes a plurality of rotating brushes, blades, or similar mechanical means to sweep yard clippings and/or other debris from the underlying ground surface into a hamper that is secured behind the rotating brushes, blades, or similar mechanical means. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,018 issued to Hajdu describes one such prior art lawn sweeper. Perhaps more importantly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,018 provides some description of the wide variety of lawn sweepers that exist in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,018 is thus incorporated herein by this reference.
Nevertheless, there still are problems associated with prior art lawn sweepers for which no solutions have been proposed. One problem with prior art lawn sweepers relates to their adaptability. Specifically, a typical lawn sweeper has a tow bar that is selectively connected to the draw bar of a lawn implement, such as a tractor, mower, or all-terrain vehicle; the brush housing is operably secured to the tow bar, with the hamper secured behind the brush housing. If the height of the draw bar and tow bar with respect to the underlying ground surface (i.e., the lawn) are not the same, the resulting non-parallel relationship between the lawn sweeper and the lawn may adversely affect the efficiency of the sweeping function. In other words, the brushes of the lawn sweeper may not properly contact the lawn, or the hamper may drag along the lawn, causing damage or wear to the hamper and/or causing stress to the structural members of the lawn sweeper. Furthermore, various attachments have been developed for lawn sweepers. One such attachment is a dethatcher for the removal of lawn thatch. Since a dethatcher normally uses spring-loaded tines to penetrate the turf and pull thatch out, it is very important that the tow bar of the lawn sweeper remain relatively level and parallel to the underlying ground surface so as to ensure the proper spatial relationship between the tines and the ground surface.
Another problem with prior art lawn sweepers relates to their size. Specifically, prior art lawn sweepers have a substantial “footprint” which prevents them from being easily stored in a small space, such as a garage or a shed.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lawn sweeper that can be readily and easily connected to the draw bar of a lawn implement at various heights to ensure that the tow bar is maintained in a plane that is substantially parallel to the underlying ground surface.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a lawn sweeper that can be manipulated into an upright storage position, dramatically decreasing its footprint.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following description and appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a lawn sweeper adapted to be connected to the draw bar of a lawn implement (e.g., a tractor, mower, or all-terrain vehicle) for sweeping yard clippings and/or other debris into a hamper. A preferred lawn sweeper made in accordance with the present invention generally comprises a tow bar adapted to be connected to a draw bar of a lawn implement, a brush housing containing a plurality of brushes mounted for rotation, and a hamper assembly secured behind the brush housing. As with common lawn sweepers, rotation of the brushes contained within said brush housing sweeps yard clippings and/or other debris into said hamper assembly.
In accordance with teachings of the present invention, a hitch clevis assembly is used to secure the tow bar of the lawn sweeper to the draw bar of a lawn implement. This hitch clevis assembly is adjustable in that it allows for attachment at multiple discrete height settings.
Furthermore, the preferred lawn sweeper can be easily and rapidly manipulated into an upright storage position. In this regard, the hamper assembly can be detached from the brush housing and tow bar by removing a pair of pins. A user can then grasp the tow bar and rotate the combination tow bar and brush housing to an upright position. The hamper assembly may also be collapsed for storage and be stored on and against the upright tow bar and brush housing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3591883 (1971-07-01), Armstrong et al.
patent: 3597786 (1971-08-01), Ruhl
patent: 3664686 (1972-05-01), Anderson
patent: 5934698 (1999-08-01), Despain
patent: 6421997 (2002-07-01), Mann
Bogart Bruce E.
Scobee James D.
Thomas Bruce A.
Brinly-Hardy Company
Nagle, Jr. David W.
Pezzuto Robert E.
Stites & Harbison PLLC
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