AU7217500A - Management of synthetic playing surfaces - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: SYNTHETIC GRASS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS PTY LTD

INTELLPRO

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 7, Reserve Bank Building 102 Adelaide Street BRISBANE, QLD, 4000 (GPO Box 1339, BRISBANE, 4001) MANAGEMENT OF SYNTHETIC PLAYING SURFACES Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Application(s) No(s): Australian Patent Application No. PQ4607 filed 10 December 1999.

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: MANAGEMENT OF SYNTHETIC PLAYING SURFACES TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to managementof synthetic playing surfaces such as are used in tennis courts, hockey fields and so on.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Modern synthetic playing surfaces of the aforementioned type employ a pile having finely divided material such as sand distributed through the pile as part of the surface. As the surface is used there is an accumulation of unwanted material such as organic material, grime, material washed or blown onto the surface such as dust that can build up and effectively clog the pile reducing the effectiveness of the surface. The surface has to be cleaned from time to time to remove the detritus, organic build up, grime and other materials not intended to be part of the surface.

Cleaning is made more difficult because the sand has to either be replenished or 15 returned to the surface after being separated from the unwanted material. Machines with various arrangements, brushes, beating hammers and the like are employed for this purpose. Unfortunately, many of the known machines fail to remove deep seated material which remains firmly embedded in the pile. In order to achieve the highest level of cleaning, it is not unusual for owners to resort to sand blasting or 20 water blasting of the surface for the purpose of breaking up the deep seated material and afterwards to go over the surface with one of the known machines.

oo*0 OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION In one preferred aspect the invention resides in a brush unit used for dislodging material prior to removal of the material from an artificial playing surface, the artificial playing surface having a pile, the brush unit including brushes and spring steel blades, the spring steel blades having multiple fingers with the fingers biassed to a substantially vertical orientation but upon application to the pile the blades act with a scarifying action to substantially disturb the pile and break up material within the pile.

In another preferred aspect the invention resides in an apparatus for dislodging material prior to removal of the material from an artificial playing surface, the apparatus having a number of contra-rotating brush assemblies that have radially extending circumferentially spaced brush units set for inter-digital contra-rotation by a drive assembly, the brush units including brushes and spring steel blades, the blades having multiple fingers with the fingers biassed to a 15 substantially vertical orientation but upon application to the pile the blades act with a scarifying action to substantially disturb the pile and break up material within the pile. Preferably, the brushes trail behind the blades. Preferably, the brush assemblies are tiltable.

It is a an object of one preferred embodiment of the present invention to 20 provide an alternative to the sand blasting or water blasting options by providing a two step process for treating an artificial playing surface, the first step being to scrub the surface using a rotary brush assembly having brushes rotating about a scrub the surface using a rotary brush assembly having brushes rotating about a r 4 substantially vertical axis to break up and dislodge matter held in the pile and the second step, utilising a rotary brush assembly having brushes rotating about a substantially horizontal axis to sweep material dislodged in the first step up and enable its collection.

Accordingly, in a further more preferred aspect the present invention resides in a process for treating an artificial playing surface having a pile, the process including at least two steps, the first step being to scrub the surface using a rotary brush assembly having brushes rotating about a substantially vertical axis to break up and dislodge matter held in the pile and the second step, utilising a rotary brush assembly having brushes rotating about a substantially horizontal axis to sweep material dislodged in the first step up and enable its collection.

Preferably the first step and second step utilise two separate machines operated sequentially.

Preferably the brush assemblies are positioned in seriatim in a single S 15 machine.

In another aspect the invention resides in an apparatus for performing the above process wherein the first step involves a number of contra-rotating brushes oooo that have radially extending circumferential ly spaced brush units set for inter-digital oo o contra-rotation by a drive assembly.

20 Preferably the apparatus for performing the process is configured so that the first step involves a number of contra-rotating brushes that have radially extending "i circumferentially spaced brush units set for inter-digital contra-rotation by a drive assembly, the brush units including brushes and spring steel blades, the blades having multiple fingers with the fingers biassed to a substantially vertical orientation but upon application to the pile the blades act with a scarifying action to substantially disturb the pile and break up material within the pile.

Preferably, the apparatus for performing the process is configured so that the first step involves a number of contra-rotating brushes that have radially extending circumferentially spaced brush units set for inter-digital contra-rotation by a drive assembly, the brush units having brushes and spring steel blades adjacent the brushes, the blades having multiple fingers with the fingers biassed to a substantially vertical orientation but upon application to the pile the blades act with a scarifying action to substantially disturb the pile and break up material within the pile, while the brushes immediately follow the blades to engage with the broken up material to spread it fairly high into the pile so that it can be easily collected during the second step.

15 Preferably the process has the initial scarifying stage followed by a heating stage followed by the collecting stage followed bya separation stage, a return stage and a sweeping stage whereby returned sand material is swept over the surface to o be evenly distributed.

Preferably, the apparatus for performing the process is configured so that the 20 first step involves a number of contra-rotating brushes that have radially extending circumferentially spaced brush units set for inter-digital contra-rotation by a drive assembly, the brushes being mounted to rotate abouta tiltable substantially vertical 6 axis so that the axis can be tilted forward or backward so the front or rear of the brushes can be selected to engage the pile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention can be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 illustrated two typical machines; Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the two types of brush assemblies employed; Figures 4 and 5 illustrate typical spring steel blades; and Figure 6 illustrates a typical pulley and belt assembly for driving the brushes of the first machine of Figures 1 and 2.

METHOD OF PERFORMANCE Referring to the drawings and initially to Figure 1 there is illustrated two machines that are utilised in the present invention. The first machine 10 has a 15 petrol driven motor 11, a front cowling 12 which houses, in this case, two sets of S°brushes which are more easily seen in Figure 2 and a pulley system (Figure 6) for driving the brushes in contra-rotation fashion as illustrated in Figure 2. The pulley **assembly typically includes an arrangement for varying the speed of rotation of the brushes and the machine also includes a hand crank illustrated generally at 13 to 20 enable the front of the unit at 14 to be tilted so that the brushes can either be tilted down at the rear or down at the front depending upon the type of effect that the ooouoe :'°°ioperator prefers to use to clean the surface. This effectively means that the adjustment can be in effect a heel and toe effect either lowering the back of the brushes relative to the front or the front of the brushes relative to the back. This is a much more simple arrangement that utilising complete vertical movement of the brushes. The applicant has also found that this heel and toe effect is more effective in dislodging material from the surface as the depth of entry can be increased without high friction loading on the brushes and the treatment is deeper an more localised. The machine can be followed by a machine 15 which utilises an arrangement of brushes as depicted generally in Figure 3. These brushes rotate about horizontal axes and sweep up the material, the brush cowling at 16 being part of a suction inlet and there is a collection and storage similar to a normal vacuum cleaner at 17 but equipped with gravity or cyclonic separation, lighter particles being stored in the machine whereas heavier particles that constitute the sand to be returned to the surface are separated and fall back onto the ground :surface where it is spread using a brush spreader 18. The unit can be equipped C6 *@o 15 with a heater that has an outlet funnel unit at 19, the heater being within the main o *housing at 20 and the funnel directing heat onto the surface.

oo** Prior art units that utilised hammers in conjunction with the brushes of the '699general type illustrated in Figure 3 are rendered obsolete by this particular invention tU 6f, and the hammers are no longer required and a simple brushing action to sweep Mae 20 material up to be collected by the vacuum is all that is required. The longevity of the surface is improved.

S

6 0 *8 Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the underside of the unit 10 is illustrated, only the front portion in relation to the cowling 12 being shown. In this case there are two brush assemblies 21 and 22, each of which has four radially extending brushes 23, each being equipped on their leading side with a spring steel metal comb 24, the prongs of which engage the surfaces in conjunction with the brushes immediately following each of the spring steel combs 24 and serve to effectively dislodge embedded material from the pile. That pile is then swept up by the brushes 26 in the unit 15 which brushes 26 include four sets of brushes 27 mounted on rotary shafts driven by suitable pulley arrangements.

The blades 24 referred to in Figure 2 are preferably made of two general types which are illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. The blades in Figures 4 and 5 are illustrated to actual size. The brush fibres are preferably undulating in shape to improve resilience.

Figure 6 illustrates a typical pulley arrangement and drive for the machine 15 10 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. This is a view from above with the cowling and drive motor removed. As can be seen, a main drive is located at 30 with a drive pulley 31 driving a second pulley 32 with the main drive belt 33 being controlled i :by a control wheel 34 mounted on a lever 35 controlled by a control cable 36.

S"Two gears are employed at 37 and 38 with the gear 38 being mounted 20 underneath a drive pulley 39 and the idler gear being in mesh with the gear 38 so that the gears are mounted for contra-rotation.

09 Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as herein set out in the appended claims.

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Claims (12)

1. A process for treating an artificial playing surface having a pile, the process including at least two steps, the first step being to scrub the surface using a rotary brush assembly having brushes rotating about a substantially vertical axis to break up and dislodge matter held in the pile and the second step, utilising a rotary brush assembly having brushes rotating about a substantially horizontal axis to sweep material dislodged in the first step up and enable its collection.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the first step and second step utilise two separate machines operated sequentially.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the brush assemblies are positioned in seriatim in a single machine.

4. Apparatus for performing the process according to claim 1, wherein the first step involves a number of contra-rotating brushes that have radially extending eeeee S: circumferentially spaced brush units set for inter-digital contra-rotation by a drive 15 assembly.

Apparatus for performing the process according to claim 1, wherein the first step involves a number of contra-rotating brushes that have radially extending .i circumferentially spaced brush units set for inter-digital contra-rotation by a drive °•eee assembly, the brushes including spring steel blades, the blades having multiple i 20 fingers with the fingers biassed to a substantially vertical orientation but upon application to the pile the blades act with a scarifying action to substantially disturb the pile and break up material within the pile. 0i 1 1

6. Apparatus for performing the process according to claim 1, wherein the first step involves a number of contra-rotating brushes that have radially extending circumferentially spaced brush units set for inter-digital contra-rotation by a drive assembly, the brush units having brushes and spring steel blades adjacent the brushes, the blades having multiple fingers with the fingers biassed to a substantially vertical orientation but upon application to the pile the blades act with a scarifying action to substantially disturb the pile and break up material within the pile, while the brushes immediately follow the blades to engage with the broken up material to spread it fairly high into the pile so that it can be easily collected during the second step.

7. The method according to claim 1 having the initial scarifying stage followed by a heating stage followed by the collecting stage followed by a separation stage, a return stage and a sweeping stage whereby returned sand material is swept over the surface to be evenly distributed. 15

8. Apparatus for performing the process according to claim 1, wherein the first step involves a number of contra-rotating brushes that have radially extending circumferentially spaced brush units set for inter-digital contra-rotation by a drive :assembly, the brushes being mounted to rotate abouta tiltable substantially vertical axis so that the axis can be tilted forward or backward so the front or rear of the 20 brushes can be selected to engage the pile.

9. A brush unit used for dislodging material prior to removal of the material from an artificial playing surface, the artificial playing surface having a pile, the O 12 brush unit including brushes and spring steel blades, the spring steel blades having multiple fingers with the fingers biassed to a substantially vertical orientation but upon application to the pile the blades act with a scarifying action to substantially disturb the pile and break up material within the pile.

10. An apparatus for dislodging material prior to removal of the material from an artificial playing surface, the apparatus having a number of contra-rotating brush assemblies that have radially extending circumferentially spaced brush units set for inter-digital contra-rotation by a drive assembly, the brush units including brushes and spring steel blades, the blades having multiple fingers with the fingers biassed to a substantially vertical orientation but upon application to the pile the blades act with a scarifying action to substantially disturb the pile and break up material within the pile.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the brushes trail behind the :oooo blades. 00 15

12. An apparatus according to claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the brush assemblies are tiltable. DATED this 8th day of December 2000 SYNTHETIC GRASS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys o INTELLPRO o*ooo