GB2392075A

GB2392075A - Ground treatment apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2392075A
Application number: GB0319774A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie Neville Reeves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-08-23
Filing date: 2003-08-22
Publication date: 2004-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2023-08-22
Also published as: GB2392075B; GB0319774D0; GB0219658D0

Abstract

Ground treatment apparatus comprises a rideable tricycle which is foldable about a pivot for transport and storage, and includes a lawn aerating tool in the form of a set of spikes 117 carried on a rotor ring 116 and a carrier bracket 118 mounted on a drive shaft 115, which is disposed eccentrically with respect to the rotor ring 116, so that the spikes 117 are always directed vertically, and are raised and lowered as the bracket 118 and rotor 116 are rotated. The shaft 115 may be driven along with the tricycle by a pedal or motor drive, or from contact with a wheel mounted on the shaft with the ground.

Description

1 2392075

GROUND TREATMENT APPARATUS

The invention relates to ground treatment apparatus, in particular the treatment of lawns or other areas of grass such as sports grounds and golf courses.

5 Lawns and other areas of grass may be treated by techniques such as spiking to promote aeration of the soil, raking, top dressing with fertilizers and weedkillers, and mowing. It is well known that these tasks can be carried out manually, or with mechanical assistance particularly where relatively large areas are concerned, such as with sports grounds, 10 golf courses and public parks. Mowers for example can be motorized, electrically powered or provided as self propelled ridden vehicles.

In the case of ground aeration, the usual manual procedure is to spike the soil by driving a pitch fork into the soil at intervals, working the fork tines in the ground to enlarge the holes before withdrawing the tines.

15 It is also known in a larger scale to use spiked rollers or disc harrows for soil aeration. For the private gardener however with a medium to large lawn to care for, mechanized aeration devices are not appropriate but manual spiking with a pitchfork, or specially designed tool is a laborious task. 20 It is an object of the invention to provide ground treatment apparatus which can be used to treat for example a lawn by aeration which is silent or quiet running, and which can also in some embodiments provide for a form of healthy exercise for the user.

According to the invention ground treatment apparatus comprises a 25 rideable vehicle which includes a lawn treatment device mounted on said vehicle and arranged to be driven as the vehicle is propelled.

The vehicle is preferably a light-weight tricycle, which may have wheels featuring low pressure (i.e. large surface area) rims or tyres. The

tricycle may be fabricated from a lightweight metal construction such as tubular aluminium, or a robust plastics material such as high density polyethylene. The lawn treatment device mounted in the vehicle preferably 5 comprises a spiking device for use in aerating the lawn. Provision for a further device such as grass cutting blades, may be made as an optional fitting. The spiking device may comprise a plurality of tines each pivotally mounted on a carrier which is rotated as the vehicle moves, either by 10 being mounted on a rotating wheel, or being driven by the drive, or entrained by engagement with the ground. The manner of mounting of the spikes upon the carrier is preferably such as to cause the spikes to enter and leave the ground substantially vertically so that whilst the soil is penetrated and thereby aerated, the turf is not torn or otherwise damaged 15 by the spikes, Grass cutting blades also may be provided and may comprise horizontally disposed disc cutters with circular shields. The vehicle may be arranged to be pedal driven, or be motor driven or be pedal driven with an auxiliary motor to assist the pedal drive...DTD: 20 The tricycle frame may be arranged by provision of suitable pivots and clamps to be foldable for storage.

A preferred embodiment of ground treatment apparatus will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of ground 25 treatment apparatus according to the invention; showing the apparatus set up in working condition; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus showing a first stage in folding the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a similar side elevation showing a further more advanced stage of folding; Fig. 4 is a similar side elevation showing the apparatus fully folded for transport or storage; and S Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of a ground aerating device forming part of the apparatus.

Figs. 1 to 4 show a series of side elevation views of a preferred embodiment of ground treatment apparatus according to the invention which comprises a foldable tricycle. As shown, the apparatus is a lawn 10 aerator or spiker, 100.

A front part of the chassis is comprised by a front wheel 101, steering shaft 102, and handle 103 received in bearing 104 on front frame part 105. The front frame part 105 is connected to a mainframe part 106 by a catch 107 which is secured by a screw 108, and an arm IS 109 which is pivoted to a lower edge of the main frame part 106. The main frame part 106 carries a seat 110, and pedals 111 which drive, via a first sprocket 1 12, a chain 1 13 and a second sprocket 1 14, a shaft 1 15 which carries two aerators or spiking wheels 1 16, one on each side of the main frame part 106. The spikes 117 are arranged on a cruciform rotor 20 1 18 which is driven by shaft 1 15, and are arranged as in the first embodiment described above, to always be directed down into the ground. The tricycle device is propelled by the pulling action of the spikes 1 17 in the ground, and the rear wheels 1 19 of the tricycle are idler wheels which simply carry the frame at the required height.

25 In the folding sequence, catch 107 is detached from screw 108, and the front of main frame part 106 is lifted up, on the pivot of arm 109, disengaging the spikes 1 17 from the ground (Fig. 2).

l. The front part and rear part are further folded together through the Fig. 3 position, and the seat disengaged from the frame part to swing forward, as shown in Fig. 4 so that the folded tricycle device can be stored in a compact space. The device is deployed for use by following S the reverse procedure.

The axle 1 15 carries one or more spiking devices 118 each of which comprises a rotor ring 119 running by means of rollers in a stator ring 1 17. The rotor ring 1 19 has a plurality, for example four spikes 120 pivotally mounted thereon at their upper ends. The spikes 120 are 10 equally spaced about the rotor ring 119 and are also pivotally mounted at an intermediate point 121 along their length to a multi-armed, for example cruciform carrier bracket 122 which is rotatably mounted on the axle 115. The bracket 122 rotates on or with the axle 115, with the spikes 120 and the rotor ring 119. The two point pivoting of the spikes 120 1 5 keeps them generally vertical as the bracket 122 rotates so that they enter, leave and penetrate the soil substantially vertically. The bracket 122 may be driven from the axle from the pedal drive, or free wheel on the axle and be driven by ground contact of the rotor ring 119 as the wheels propel the vehicle. Two or more such spiking devices 1 18 may be 20 provided, mounted to the inner faces of the wheels, or to the outer sides of the frame, or located spaced there between.

The ground treatment apparatus can be solely pedal powered as shown, being economical to run and a useful provider of healthy exercise to the gardener. It can be particularly useful in medium sized gardens 25 which have lawns which are too large for hand mowers, but not so large as to justify a motorized ride-on mower. The apparatus can also however be motor powered, or motor assisted, by mounting a motor in relation to or in place of the pedal drive, with appropriate gearing. The spiking

device is also a useful and novel aid which can remove the tedium from an important but onerous lawn care task which is particularly tiresome and tiring if carried out manually with a pitch fork for example.

Claims

I. 6 CLAIMS

1. Ground treatment apparatus comprising a rideable vehicle which includes a lawn treatment device mounted on said vehicle and arranged to be driven as the vehicle is propelled.

5

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a

light-weight tricycle.

3. Apparatus according to Claims 1 or 2 wherein the lawn treatment device comprises a lawn aerator comprising a rotary spiking device, 10

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the rotary spiking device comprises a plurality of tines each pivotally mounted on a carrier which is rotated as the vehicle moves, in such a way as to cause the spikes to enter and leave the ground substantially vertically so that whilst the soil is penetrated and thereby aerated, the turf is 15 not torn or otherwise damaged by the spikes.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the rotary spiking device, comprises a fixed stator ring, and a rotatable rotor ring which has members which bear on said stator ring, carried upon said rotor ring, said tines being pivotally mounted on said rotor ring at the 20 first pivoting point of each tine, a drive shaft for said spiking device mounted displaced from the centre of said rotor ring, a carrier device mounted on and rotatable by the drive shaft, and providing a second pivot point of each tine, the tines being mounted to maintain a constant parallel orientation as the carrier 25 and the rotor ring are rotated by the shaft.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 4 and 5 wherein the carrier is rotated by pedal action.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 4, 5 or 6 wherein the pedal action is supplemented by an auxiliary motor.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 4 or 5 wherein the carrier is driven by a motor.

S

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the apparatus is adapted to be foldable for transport or storage.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 9 comprising a front wheel and steering apparatus connected to a rear part including drive means and the lawn treatment device.

10

11. Ground treatment apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.