GB2326580A

GB2326580A - Manually-guided machine with changeable tools

Info

Publication number: GB2326580A
Application number: GB9813077A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jonathan William Hargreaves; George Edward Hobbs
Original assignee: Sisis Equipment; Sisis Equipment Macclesfield Ltd
Current assignee: Sisis Equipment; Sisis Equipment Macclesfield Ltd
Priority date: 1997-06-26
Filing date: 1998-06-18
Publication date: 1998-12-30
Also published as: GB9713415D0; GB9813077D0

Description

GROUND TREATMENT APPARATUS THIS INVENTION concerns ground treatment apparatus of the kind comprising a pedestrian-operated, motor driven, groundengaging carriage and one or more ground treatment implements attached thereto. Such apparatus is especially though not exclusively used on turf and the implements may consist, for example, of a rake, a brush, a spiked aerator, a distributor for top dressing materials, a scarifier, a lute and many other devices used for grooming or otherwise treating the surface of, for example, sports grounds and the like.

Such apparatus conventionally comprises a complete individual motorised machine for each kind of treatment thus requiring considerable expenditure to equip a sports ground fully. Also, multiple machines require considerable storage space.

According to the present invention there is provided ground treatment apparatus comprising a pedestrian-operated, motordriven, ground-engaging carriage, and a plurality of interchangeable independently ground supported ground-engaging treatment implements engageable selectively therewith by a releasable coupling.

Preferably, the releasable coupling includes a driven shaft for the transmission of rotational drive to an engaged treatment implement.

The coupling may comprise a two-part drive coupling, one part being mounted on the carriage, the other part being mounted individually on each treatment implement.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 illustrates ground treatment apparatus made in accordance with the invention and incorporating a driven carriage and a scarifying implement attachable thereto; Fig. 2 illustrates the same assembly with the implement connected to the carriage; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the carriage and a part of the implement, showing a two-part releasable coupling by which the implement is connected to the carriage; and Figs. 4 to 10 illustrate further examples of a number of interchangeable implements individually attached to the carriage.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises a pedestrian-operated, motor-driven carriage 10 supported on a single roller or pair of wheels 11. A scarifying implement 12 has a rotationally driven scarifying blade 13, a support roller 14 and a grass collecting box 15.

On the carriage 10 is a first (female) part 16 of a twopart coupling, the other (male) part 17 being mounted on the scarifying implement. As can be seen from Fig. 2 and as will be further described in relation to Fig. 3, the scarifying implement 12 may be connected to the carriage 10 by locating the part 17 within the part 16.

Referring now to Fig. 3 on the carriage 10 there is provided a gear box 20 having an output shaft 21 driven from the motor on the carriage. The coupling part 16 has a spring-loaded self locating mechanism including a locating pin 22 which may be raised to permit engagement and disengagement of the part 17 and the part 16. The part 17 on the implement carries a driven shaft 23 engageable by a ratchet clutch with the shaft 21 in part 16. When the two parts become interengaged drive transmission is established from the gear box 20 through to the blades 13 of the scarifying implement. It will seen that the pin 22 is located in an annular slot 24 on the part 17 which is thus rotatable about the driven axis with respect to the part 16. Thus, the scarifying implement 12 is pivotable with respect to the carriage about the generally horizontal axis of the coupling between the carriage and the implement, which thus may remain in contact across its full width with the ground and is not constrained to a certain attitude by the carriage 10.

In the usual way, the carriage 10 is equipped with throttle and clutch controls for the operator, there being, preferably, a separate clutch to enable the scarifying blades to be held stationary while the carriage 10 is driven to a desired location.

Referring now Fig. 4, in this example the drive gear box 20 may be omitted from the carriage 10 since the implement comprises a support wheel or roller 30 and a treatment tool such as a wire rake 31, both mounted on a frame 32 which is removably connected to the carriage 10 by the coupling 16, 17 but does not require the transmission of drive to the implement. However, the frame 32 is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the coupling thus, again, to permit the support roller 30 to remain in contact with the ground across its width.

In Fig. 5 the rake 31 is shown replaced by a brush 35.

In Figs. 6 and 7 respectively a spiked aerator 36 and rake 37 are provided whilst in Fig. 8 a rotatable spiked aerator 38 is suspended upon a bracket 39 which carries also a telescopically extending arm 40 upon which is suspended the support wheel roller 30.

In Fig. 9 a distributor 31 for seed or top dressing material is mounted on a bracket 32 and includes a feed hopper 33 and support rollers 34 and 35.

Fig. 10 illustrates the provision of, in this case two implements consisting of a rake 37 and a spiked aerator 38. It will be seen that the provision of a two-part coupling on the wheeled carriage enables the attachment of a variety of interchangeable ground-engaging treatment implements which may be driven through the coupling from the carriage motor or may simply engage the ground as the carriage is advanced.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a separate pedestrian-operated power unit with handles and controls, and a range of interchangeable implements which may be pushed or wheel-driven or powered from the carriage motor. The quick release two-part coupling enables ground staff rapidly and easily to change from one implement to another, requiring minimal storage space for housing a complete range of ground treatment devices. The carriage may be of sufficient mass to act independently as a ground roller with no further implement attached, but if necessary the carriage may include provision for additional ballast attachable, if required, to the coupling 16.

Claims

1. Ground treatment apparatus comprising a pedestrianoperated, motor-driven, ground-engaging carriage, and a plurality of interchangeable ground-engaging treatment implements engageable selectively therewith by a releasable coupling.

2. A ground treatment apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein each said implement is ground-supported independently of the carriage by a wheel or roller.

3. Ground treatment apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein each said treatment implement is pivotable with respect to the carriage about the generally horizontal axis of the coupling between the carriage and the implement.

4. Ground treatment apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the releasable coupling includes a driven shaft for the transmission of rotational drive from the ground-engaging carriage to an engaged treatment implement.

5. Ground treatment apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the releasable coupling comprises a two-part drive coupling one part being mounted on the carriage, the other being mounted individually on each treatment implement.

6. Ground treatment apparatus according to Claim 5, including, on the carriage a gearbox having an output shaft driven from the motor drive of the carriage.

7. Ground treatment apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the releasable coupling includes a spring-loaded selflocated mechanism including means to permit engagement and disengagement of the carriage and an implement.

8. Ground treatment apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the drive coupling part on each implement carries a driven shaft engageable by a ratchet clutch with a driven shaft on the carriage coupling part.

9. Ground treatment apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the carriage includes throttle and clutch controls for the operator and a separate clutch control to enable a driven implement part to be held stationary while the carriage is driven to a desired location.

10. Ground treatment apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein at least one treatment implement includes a support wheel or roller mounted on an extendible arm, means being provided for attachment to the implement of a ground treatment tool to be located between said wheel or roller and the carriage.

11. Ground treatment apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the various embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.