Solid material comminution or disintegration – Apparatus – Comminuting elements
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-10
2001-11-06
Rosenbaum, Mark (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Apparatus
Comminuting elements
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311911
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to plants generally, and more specifically to a multi-purpose device for suppressing weeds and enhancing plant growth.
Crops, plants, trees and vegetables growing on commercial farms or in municipal and household gardens must constantly battle weeds for survival. Undesired growth of weeds, grass and the like in the region immediately adjacent the stems or trunks of plants and trees is both unsightly and difficult to control because ordinary mowers and other cutting devices cannot efficiently cut such undesired growth.
Although there are existing chemicals that can be used to preferentially kill the weeds, these chemicals are typically harmful to the environment. Other methods of suppressing weeds, such as positioning plastic or cloth weed guards as barriers around plants and crops, are expensive and they also can be harmful to the environment because plastic and cloth are generally not biodegradable. Less harmful or biodegradable weed barriers, such as newspaper or cardboard, are typically swept away by the wind or a heavy rainfall.
Another problem faced by farmers is disposing of the waste byproducts that result from growing food products on farms. For example, almond growers must destroy massive quantities of wood pruned from their trees every year. Burning the wood is harmful to the environment and cogeneration plants have become too expensive. What is needed is a relatively inexpensive method of discarding farm waste products, such as almond wood chips, without harming the environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an agricultural growth control device for suppressing weeds and enhancing plant growth. The growth control device will effectively inhibit the growth of ground cover, such as weeds and grass, around the base of plants, trees or other vegetation. In addition, the device will enhance the growth of the plant by collecting rainwater and gradually introducing nutrients or fertilizers into the soil around the plant. The device of the present invention also provides a relatively inexpensive method of discarding farm waste products, such as almond wood chips, without harming the environment.
The agricultural growth control device includes an impermeable sheet containing at least one hole and an organic, biodegradable layer affixed to the top side of the impermeable sheet. The growth control device has at least one hole cut through the impermeable sheet to allow growth of a plant therethrough while suppressing the growth of weeds or grass around the hole. The impermeable sheet preferably formed from a slurry of cellulosic fiber, such as newspaper or cardboard, and water. The organic/acetic top layer is preferably formed from a slurry of paper, water and finely chopped organic material, such as straw, manure, leaves or almond wood chips.
One of the advantages of the present invention is that the fiber and chopped organic material provide a semi-rigid mulch cover for suppressing weeds around the plant. The mulch cover is easily positioned around the plant and, once it is so disposed, will be relatively impervious to severe weather, such as heavy rainfall and winds. The chopped organic material, particularly almond wood chips, enhance the appearance of the mulch cover. In addition, the entire device will eventually (within a few months) decompose into the soil, thereby providing an easy, non-harmful method of disposing of these wood chips.
The present invention also provides a unique method for manufacturing the agricultural growth control device. The impermeable sheet is formed by grinding a secondary cellulosic fiber, such as paper, into water to form a slurry. The paper slurry is then drained, rolled and pressed on a belt to remove as much of the moisture as possible, forming a semi-rigid first layer. The organic layer is formed by mixing the chopped up almond wood chips (or other organic material) with paper into a second slurry. This second slurry is applied to the first layer and the combination is pressed to eliminate moisture and then baked to create the final semi-rigid product. The paper helps the wood chips stick together and helps the second layer stick to the first layer.
The semi-rigid product can be individually tailored for large farms or for individual trees, plants or vegetables. For example, a square or rectangular piece with a relief or hole in the center may be placed onto the ground over a seed so that a plant can grow through the mulch cover, but weeds cannot. In addition, a curvature can be formed in the mulch cover to cause rainwater to flow towards the plant, rather than into the soil, thereby conserving the water. The impermeable sheet may also include soil nutrients, chemical fertilizers or other water soluble soil-conditioning agents imbedded therein. These agents will gradually seep into the adjacent soil to enhance the growth of the plant.
In a specific configuration, the almond wood chips and fiber are chopped into fine pieces by a chip cutter before they are mixed with the water to form a slurry. The chip cutter comprises an axle shaft connected to a cylindrical base assembly made of a plurality of pipes extending through circumferentially spaced holes in annular spacer disks. A plurality of cutting blades are slidably and rotatably mounted to the pipes. The cutting blades are mounted between the spacer disks along each pipe and extend in both the circumferential and longitudinal directions. The axle shaft is coupled to a motor for rotating the base assembly and the cutting blades around the longitudinal axis. The organic material and/or newspaper can then be fed into the rotating blades and cut into finely chopped pieces.
The above is a brief description of some deficiencies in the prior art and advantages of the present invention. Other features, advantages and embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1348751 (1920-08-01), Searby
patent: 2881815 (1959-04-01), Crumley
patent: 3331417 (1967-07-01), Romer
patent: 4000859 (1977-01-01), Whitney
patent: 4060961 (1977-12-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 4403743 (1983-09-01), Ducasse
patent: 2458211 (1981-02-01), None
patent: 1192084 (1970-05-01), None
Rosenbaum Mark
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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