AU622862B2 - Turf - Google Patents

Description

A. TATLOCK ASSOCIATES The Commissioner of Patents 622862 C T r C C f C ftC APPLICANT: GABRIEL (BILL) CASIMATY NUMB ER: FILING DATE: Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLEDt

TURF

The following statem~ent is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to fie/us: -1- This invention relates to turf and, in particular, to the production of turf in lengths or blocks, which turf can be transported and located at required positions.

Such turf is well known and, generally, does provide a s;.tisfactory way of grassing prepared surfaces rapidly and efficiently but there have been certain disadvantages in the use of turf for this purpose.

The turf is normally cut from a grown area and rolled or otherwise prepared for transport and, generally, this turf includes the root mass and c I the soil embedded therein.

When this turf is located on the required position, this can cause problems I CC in that there can be undesirable junctions between the soil in the root mass C C c and the soil on which the turf is located. For some applications, for example race tracks, heavy usage can result in a shearing of the turf from the base soil at the point where the turf soil meets the base soil, even after C C 'C the turf has been established for a considerable period, even up to a number t t cof years.

Further, there can be problems of poor hydraulic conductivity at the interface. This can occur where there is a variation in the particle size composition of the two soils. Under such circumstances, water tends to pass to the interface and then to flow along the interface.

A further problem can occur if the turf is to be located on a sand surface, it is undesirable that soil be incorporated into the sand as this can often cause filling of the interstices in the sand and thus problems with drainage.

In order to overcome these problems, it has been recognised as being I -2- Casimaty/6/Jul88, 3 desirable to remove the soil from the turf.

It is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus which can economically and efficiently remove the soil from the root mass of turf, to provide a method of so removing and to provide turf which had the soil removed.

The invention, in its broad sense, comprises an apparatus for removing soil from turf where the turf is presented to the apparatus comprising a conveyor upon which the turf is adapted to be located, and at least one high pressure spray unit extending across the width of the conveyor and above the path of the turf whereby soil can be removed from the turf by operation f of the high pressure spray unit and means whereby the conveyor can be driven, wherein calendering or squeeze rollers are provided adjacent the end of the conveyor so that excess moisture can be removed from the turf from which the soil has been removed.

ct It is preferred that there are a number of spray nozzles at spaced distances along the conveyor so that the removal of the soil occurs at different positions along the length of movement.

The invention also includes a method of removing soil from turf comprising delivering the turf in strips or blocks of a predetermined width and applying water under pressure to the root side or the grass side of the turf to remove the soil there±lnm.

4d_ ,'4i 4- 51\spec\Casimaty\l1 February 1992 L( i- i :R~s I 3a The method can also include the step of passing the turf from which the soil has been removed through pinch rollers or the like, whereby excess moisture is removed therefrom.

.44 4 ft 4 44 444444 4 4 WP51\spec\Casimaty\ll February 1992 I I -~-a3L The invention also includes turf.

C C( In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practice, we shall describe, in relation to the accompanying drawings, one particular form of apparatus made in accordance with the invention and its operation.

In these drawings:- Fig. I is a plan view of the apparatus of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, Figs. i and 2 being broken; Fi. 3 is a section a.ong line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 4 is a section along line 4-4 of Fig. I looking in the direction and the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a view of completed product folded for transport.

The apparatus may be built around a conveyor JO0, which may preferably be an open mesh stainless steel conveyor, through which water may pass.

The conveyor may be of any required length and the length may depend upon the number of washing steps, which will be described, which are applied to the turf.

The conveyor may be driven in any required manner but it is preferred that -4- Ju188 Cas imaty/64/; i,.

a r~ the driving by effected by an hydraulic motor 15 and the source of hydraulic fluid for this motor can, if required, be obtained from a tractor or the like or, alternatively, some other form of hydraulic pump can be used.

Mounted above the conveyor and at spaced distances along the length of the conveyor there can be a number of spray nozzles 12.

These nozzles may preferably be located transversely to the width of the conveyor and may be connected to delivery pipes 11 each having a number of nozzles 12 which extend across the width so that water under pressure can be applied effectively evenly across the total width of the conveyor.

Water to the delivery pipes 11 can be supplied by a plenum or the like 13 which is in connection with an input pipe 14 which, in turn, can have water under pressure provided by a pump.

The nozzles 12 are located above the conveyor by a distance somewhat greater than the thickness of the turf to be treated and the optimum distance will depend upon the form of nozzle, the spray pattern and the available water pressure.

At the input end of the conveyor 10 there can be a cradle 30 to which a roll 31 of turf can be located and from which it is passed to the conveyor This cradle 30 may have a number of rollers 32 which permit rotation of the turf 31.

Adjacent the delivery end of the conveyor, there may be one or more pairs of calendering or pinch rollers 20 which may driven or which may be idler rollers and the turf to be treated is arranged to pass through these rollers Casimaty/64/Jul88 i h.'.sRI~~ to effectively remove excess water therefrom.

Away from these rollers, the conveyor may extend or may be associated with a delivery table 25 at which the turf is prepared for delivery either by rolling or, as shown, by folding.

The folding may be done by folding each end of the length of turf towards r ,the centre or may be done by folding the length of turf as it is delivered in three and, in each case, the folding may be done so that the grass is directed outwardly or inwardly, but it is preferred that it is outwardly t c directed.

In operation, the strip of turf to be treated is fed on to the end of the S* conveyor 10 from a roll 31 located in the cradle 30. Preferably the root I C mass and embedded soil is upwardly directed although, for some applications, this could be downwardly directed. The turf is carried along the conveyor by the movement of the conveyor.

The turf passes under the first of the delivery pipes 11 and the associated high pressure nozzles 12, which may be continuously operating or which could be actuated by the approach of the turf on the conveyor and the high pressure water stream commences to wash the soil which is embedded in the root mass from the root mass to waste over the sides of the conveyor and, to a certain extent, through the conveyor itself.

The turf continues to pass under subsequent pipes and their nozzles, under each of which more of the soil is removed, until, by the time it passes under the last of the pipes and nozzles, the whole of the soil has been removed from the turf.

-6- Cas imaty/64/3ul88 i I 'Po 'ow o o- vo' Because turf for these purposes is normally relatively heavily planted, the root mass of the turf is entwined and, as such, the removal of the soil does not cause the turf mass to disintegrate and it is still relatively easy to handle without damage.

The washed turf may then be passed through one or more sets of calendering or pinch rollers 20, whereby excess moisture is passed S therefrom, and delivered to the packing table 25 at which it is prepared for t cc transport, normally by either folding each length of turf into thirds by two f C c consecutive folds in the same direction, as illustrated in Fig. 5, or into S halves by folding each end towards the centre.

t h These folded portions of turf, or blocks if the turf is treated in blocks, can S c then be stacked for transport.

iIf the water used to remove the soil is cool and the turf is packed relatively quickly after the soil has been removed therefrom, I have found that the turf produced by the invention has a life which is at least as good, if not better than more conventionally prepared turf, and it is believed that this is because the tendency for bacteria growth is reduced in the relatively low temperature conditions.

In order to assist this, I may provide a refrigerated plate to cool the watering water and, if required, this could be recirculated. Alternatively, the folded turf could be placed into a cooler to lower its temperature before delivery.

I have found that the turf of the invention does permit better results in use than previously known turfs for two reasons.

-7-Casimaty/64/Jul88 Casimaty/64/Ju188 .4 i i i i if; Cci Tt I L( The first is that, as there is no soil, there is no tendency for any clogging of a sand base if the turf is to be located on a sand base, no, if the turf is to be on ground, is there any tendency tcr the formation of any junction between the soil of the turf and the soil on which the turf is being laid which can prevent proper drainage.

Secondly, we have found that the turf of the present invention has a speed of root development when transplanted which is substantially higher than previously known turfs and this provides the turf of the invention with a higher likelihood of being successfully transferred and a surface which consolidates more quickly than would otherwise be the case.

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Cas imaty/64/Jul88

Claims (7)

1. An apparatus for removing soil from turf where the turf is presented to the apparatus in the forms of blocks or strips having a predetermined width, the apparatus comprising a conveyor upon which the turf is adapted to be located, and at least one high pressure spray unit extending across the width of the conveyor and above the path of the turf whereby soil can be removed from the turf by operation of the high pressure spray unit and means whereby the conveyor can be driven, wherein calendering or squeeze rollers are provided adjacent the end of the conveyor so that excess moisture can be removed from the turf from which the soil has been removed. iii' Ci

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are a number of spray nozzles at spaced distances along the ,conveyor so that the removal of the soil occurs at different positions along the length of movement. t: 3. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 2 where there is a 1 4cradle at the input end of the conveyor onto which the turf can be located and from which it can be delivered to the conveyor.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a chiller is provided to cool water passing to the spray unit. imaty\ll February 1992 An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein there is a cool chamber at the end of the conveyor into which the turf can pass.

6. An apparatus for removing soil from turf as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A method of removing soil from turf comprising delivering the turf in strips or blocks of a predetermined width to an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and applying water under pressure to the root side or the grass side of the turf to remove the soil therefrom. S8. A method as claimed in claim 7 which includes the step of I passing the turf from which the soil has been removed through pinch rollers, whereby excess moisture is removed therefrom. 4

9. A method as claimed in either 7 or claim 8 wherein the turf is cooled either by cooling the water before it is applied thereto or by passing the turf into a cool chamber. A method of removing soil from turf as claimed in claim 7 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. P5-\s ec\Casimaty\13 January 1992 P;

11. Washed turf produced by use of the apparatus of "any one claims 1 to 6 or by the method of any one of claims 7 to DATED this 14th day of January ,1992 GABRIEL (BILL) CASIMATY By His Patent Attorneys TATLOCKA& ASSOCIATES I ill C it I C I I I C CII C I kit II (iii I I I ii (1141 I lit C U I C C CCCI CII C Cii (Ii WP51\spec\Casimaty\13 January 1992