NZ579024A - Handheld bud remover brush using wire bristles that form a contiuous curved bristle surface - Google Patents

Abstract

A bud removal tool for use on vines is disclosed. The tool has a handle (103) that is between 1.2 and 1.6 metres in length, a head (105) attached to one end of the handle and a bristles (203). The bristles are segmented into two or more replaceable bristle sections (201A, 201B, 201C) that are attached to the head and together form a curved and continuous bristle surface. The bristle surface is used to removing buds from a trunk. An object of the present invention is to provide a vine bud removal tool that can remove newly grown vine buds with relative ease and with minimal effort by the user.

Description

Our Ref: CAG001NZ Patents Form No. 5 PATENTS ACT 1953 Complete after Provisional Nos. 579024 and 579894 Filed 13 August 2009 and 24 September 2009 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION BUD REMOVAL TOOL i, Carson Reginald Green, a New Zealand citizen of 402 Park Road South, Akina 4122, Hastings, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 1 Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 1 BUD REMOVAL TOOL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a bud removal tool. In particular, the present invention relates to a bud removal tool with a curved and continuous bristle surface for use on vines.

BACKGROUND In order to prepare vines each year to produce a crop of grapes suitable for making wine (or such like) it is necessary for the vineyard to remove the new buds (or shoots) that appear on the vine trunks near the ground. It is important to remove these newly grown buds at an early stage as removal after the buds have 15 had time to settle can become increasingly difficult.

One method for removing such buds is for a worker to wear a pair of gloves that have a rough surface palm side and to manually rub the vine trunk to manually remove the newly grown buds. This technique sometimes requires the worker to 20 repeat the process several times in a season in order to remove all the newly grown buds around the circumference of the trunk. Further, in order to carry out this method, the worker needs to repeatedly bend over to reach the bottom of the trunk in order to remove the buds from all the vines. This can be particularly hard work causing strain on the worker's back.

Other methods devised require the use of a tool, such as a modified hoe. For example, the tool may be a hoe where the edges have been ground down to form an edge which acts as a blunt blade. This edge is used to rub up against one side of a vine trunk in order to remove the newly grown buds. The tool enables a 30 worker to remove the buds that have grown on the vine trunk without the need to bend down. However, the tool blade is made from solid metal, which can cause damage to the vine trunk if not used carefully. Also, as vine trunks do not grow in a vertically straight line, applying a solid metal blade on a curved trunk to remove buds can be problematic and awkward. The user is required to move the tool up 35 and down in a vertical plane many times at different circumferential points in order to remove the buds all around the circumference of the trunk.

Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 2 A further method devised uses a tool (www.budbrush.co.nz) that includes a handle with two opposing surfaces attached to one end of the handle, where each of the opposing surfaces has soft nylon bristles attached. The tool is 5 generally used as a one handed tool that rubs off the newly grown buds on the vine trunks. However, the nylon bristles do not provide a satisfactory level of bud removal. In addition, the two opposing bristle sections are positioned such that they only rub up against the vine trunk at opposing sides of the trunk without covering a continuous circumferential portion of the trunk. Also, the opening 10 defined by the opposing bristle sections for receiving the vine trunks has a fixed width so is not suitable for all vine trunks of various widths. Further, the handle of the tool is made from a flexible plastic material which requires the user to exert more force and use more energy during use. Therefore, the user is required to move the tool up and down in a vertical plane several times at different 15 circumferential points in order to remove the buds all around the circumference of the trunk.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vine bud removal tool that can remove newly grown vine buds with relative ease and with minimal effort by the 20 user.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a vine bud removal tool that can remove newly grown vine buds from above and below the surface of the vine trunk.

Each object is to be read disjunctively with the object of at least providing the public with a useful choice.

The present invention aims to overcome, or at least alleviate, some or all of the 30 afore-mentioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect, the present invention provides a bud removal tool for 35 use on vines including a handle portion that is between 1.2 and 1.6 metres in length, a head portion attached to one end of the handle portion and a bristle portion, wherein the bristle portion includes two or more bristle sections that are semi-permanently attached to the head portion, Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 3 and together form a curved and continuous bristle surface for removing buds from a trunk.

Preferably the handle portion is substantially inflexible.

More preferably the handle portion is either made from solid wood material or metal.

Preferably the bristle surface is formed by a plurality of metal wire bristles.

Alternatively the bristle surface is formed by a plurality of plastic wire bristles. Preferably the plastic is polypropylene.

Preferably the bristle surface includes at least a portion of bristles that overlap 15 with other bristles.

Preferably in use, the bristle surface contacts a continuous portion of a circumference of a vine trunk.

Preferably the bristle surface is a substantially concave surface for receiving a 20 vine trunk.

Preferably the each bristle section includes a plurality of bristles.

More preferably the bristle sections are fixed to the head portion using a bolt, screw or snap fit connection.

Preferably the bristle portion includes first, second and third bristle sections.

More preferably each of the bristle sections is a separate piece attached to the head portion.

Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 4 More preferably the first, second and third bristle sections are integrated into one piece.

More preferably the first and third bristle sections are angled towards each other 5 at an angle of substantially 20 to 40 degrees from the second bristle section.

More preferably the second bristle section is inline with the handle portion.

Preferably the handle portion and head portion are a single integrated piece.

Preferably the head portion is detachable from the handle portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a reverse view of a bud removal tool according to an 20 embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a close up perspective view of a head portion of the bud removal tool of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 3 shows a plan view of the head portion of the bud removal tool of Figure 1 and 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION First Embodiment The following described embodiment describes one example of a handheld tool for removing shoots or buds from the trunks of grapevines. It will be understood that the tool described herein may also be used to remove buds from trunks, stems or stalks of other plant or tree varieties and is not limited to use on vine trunks.

Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 Figure 1 shows a full length view of the tool 101 from the reverse. The tool 101 includes a handle portion in the form of a solid wooden handle 103 which is substantially 1.2 to 1.6, preferably 1.3 to 1.4, metres in length. The handle is designed so as to be substantially inflexible to avoid the handle flexing during 5 use.

Attached to a distal end of the handle 103 is a head portion 105, which is attached to the handle by way of screw or bolt connections 107 such as 6mm coach bolts. The head portion in this embodiment is made from 20 x 10mm mild 10 steel flat (zinc plated) to provide strength. The zinc plating protects the head portion from rusting. The head portion may be detachable from the handle portion for the purposes of cleaning or replacement.

The head portion 105 includes a bristle portion attached thereto (as shown in 15 figures 2 and 3). The bristle portion includes a curved and continuous bristle surface for removing vine buds from a vine trunk, as will be explained in more detail below.

Referring to figure 2, a close up perspective view of the head portion 105 of the 20 bud removal tool is shown.

The head portion 105 includes a bristle portion which includes a first bristle section 201 A, a second bristle section 201B and a third bristle section 201C.

Each of these three bristle sections include a base made of a plastic material and 25 has a plurality of bristles 203 attached thereto which emanate from the base.

According to this embodiment, bristles are arranged into a plurality of groups where each group of bristles is substantially evenly positioned and spaced evenly over the base surface. The bristles are made from a metal wire, preferably steel 30 wire. The diameter of each bristle may be around 0.35mm. The bristles may be formed in varied clusters. A total of around 24 individual clusters in each head may be suitable. The exposed length of the bristles/clusters may be around 30mm.

According to this embodiment, the three bristle sections (201 A, 201B and 201C) are separate pieces and are attached to the head portion. The bristle sections Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 are semi-permanently fixed to the head portion using a bolt or screw connection 205 to allow replacement of the bristle sections. The bristle sections may be held on with 5mm cap screws which are secured with nylon insert lock nuts (nyloc). The nyloc nuts prevent the bristle sections becoming loose at any stage during 5 use. When the bristle sections become worn or damaged, spare bristle sections may be attached to the head portion using the bolts & nyloc nuts as required.

The second bristle section 201B is positioned so that it is inline with the handle portion. The first and third bristle sections (201A, 201C) are angled towards each 10 other at an angle of substantially 20 to 40 degrees, preferably around 30 degrees, from the second bristle section 201B. This angle is marked '0' in Figure 3. The angle of the first and third bristle sections is defined by the form of the head portion as explained below and creates a continuous bristle surface.

Referring to figure 3, the head portion is formed so as to provide three elements (301 A, 301B and 301C) upon which the three bristle sections can be located. A central element 301B is used to locate the second bristle section 201B, and two side elements (301 A, 301C) on either side of the central element are used to locate the first and third bristle sections (201 A, 201C) respectively. The side 20 elements are angled towards each other at substantially 20 to 40 degrees from the central element.

The angle of the head portion elements and therefore the bristle sections creates a substantially curved and continuous bristle surface 303. That is, a continuous 25 bristle surface 303 is formed substantially in the shape of a half circle or concave surface to receive a vine trunk. The curved surface may be formed from a number of straight intersecting surfaces, i.e. the word "curved" does not mean a continuous curve. This surface can therefore receive a wide variety of different sized and angled vine trunks and in each case is arranged to encompass a 30 continuous portion of the circumference of the vine trunk during use.

A portion of the bristles in each of the first and second bristle sections (201 A, 201B) are arranged to overlap due to the angle of the head portion surfaces. The overlapping of the bristles improves the strength of the tool.

Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 7 The tool weighs approximately 1 kg and is designed to be operated using two hands in order to provide increased control and manoeuvrability.

In order to use the tool, the user holds onto the handle of the tool and rubs the 5 wire bristles up and down the trunk of the vine to remove the newly grown buds. Due to the sturdiness and inflexible nature of the handle and wire bristles the newly grown buds are easily removed. It will be understood that the wire bristles may slightly penetrate the bark of the vine trunk but will not cause any permanent damage to the vine.

Further, newly grown buds that have not yet penetrated the surface of the vine trunk may also be removed due to the wire bristles penetrating the surface of the vine trunk. This therefore reduces the amount of re-growth and so in turn means the vines do not need to be rubbed as often when compared to prior known 15 methods.

Further, due to the length of the tool the user is not required to bend over at all to complete the task and so injury and back pain is avoided. The length of the handle also allows the user to control the tool using two hands. This results in 20 faster bud removal and less strain on the user's arms.

The tool may be used over a number of years due to the replaceable nature of the bristle portions.

Further Embodiments It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention described herein are by way of example only, and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of invention.

Further, it will be understood that the bristle portion may include one or more bristle sections that attach to the head portion, where each bristle section includes a plurality of bristles. For example, the bristle section may be a single unitary piece formed from a moulded plastic base with bristles attached to the 35 base surface, where the moulded base is formed to locate against the formed Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 8 head portion. There may be any number of bristle portions, for example one, two, three, four or more.

Further, it will be understood that the handle portion and head portion may be a 5 single integrated piece.

Further, it will be understood that the second bristle section may not be positioned in line with the handle portion. That is, the head section and bristle sections may be placed in a skewed manner so that the handle portion does not 10 protrude from the head portion at a central location. For example, referring to the first embodiment described, the head portion may be adapted so that the handle portion protrudes from the first or third bristle sections.

Further, it will be understood that the bristle sections may be fixed to the head 15 portion using a snap fit connection. That is, the head portion may include a recess, and the bristle sections may include a protrusion that snap fits into the recess of the head portion.

Further, it will be understood that the handle portion may be made from other 20 suitable inflexible materials such as metal for example. Further, the handle portion may be of any other suitable length other than 1.2 to 1.6 metres but still of a suitable length such that a user is able to hold on to and control the tool to remove buds from a vine trunk, preferably with two hands controlling the tool.

Further, it will be understood that the bristle surface may be made from a plurality of wire bristles made from a material other than metal to provide suitable durability and effective friction. For example, bristles made from plastic with suitable stiffness may be used. Bristles made from polypropylene with a diameter around 1 to 3 mm, preferably around 1.5 to 2.5 mm, ideally around 2 30 mm have been found suitable.

Further, it will be understood that the bristle surface may be formed from bristles that do not overlap with other bristles.

Further, it will be understood that the length of the bristles may be varied to create the curved and continuous bristle surface. For example, the head portion Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 9 may include a flat surface upon which the bristle sections are attached, and the bristle sections may include a plurality of bristles of different lengths so as to form a curved continuous surface when attached to the head portion.

Further, it will be understood that the bristles may be evenly spaced other than in groups across the base surface of the bristle sections.

Further, it will be understood that the first and third bristle sections may be angled towards each other at an angle other than 20 to 40 degrees from the second 10 bristle section. That is, the angle may be created such that the bristle surface is open enough to receive a number of different width vine trunks, but also angled to provide a concave continuous surface for rubbing up against a sufficient amount of the surface area of the vine trunk.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader 20 aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of the Applicant's general inventive concept.

Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012

Claims (22)

1. I. A bud removal tool for use on vines including a handle portion that is between 1.2 and 1.6 metres in length, a head portion attached to one end of the 5 handle portion and a bristle portion, wherein the bristle portion includes two or more bristle sections that are semi-permanently attached to the head portion and together form a curved and continuous bristle surface for removing buds from a trunk. 10
2. 2. The tool of claim 1 wherein the handle portion is substantially inflexible.
3. 3. The tool of claim 2 wherein the handle portion is made from solid wood material. 15
4. 4. The tool of claim 2 wherein the handle portion is made from metal.
5. 5. The tool of any preceding claim wherein the bristle surface is formed by a plurality of metal wire bristles. 20
6. 6. The tool of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the bristle surface is formed by a plurality of plastic wire bristles.
7. 7. The tool of claim 6 wherein the plastic is polypropylene. 25
8. 8. The tool of any preceding claim wherein the bristle surface includes at least a portion of bristles that overlap with other bristles.
9. 9. The tool of any preceding claim wherein, in use, the bristle surface contacts a continuous portion of a circumference of a vine trunk. 30
10. 10. The tool of any preceding claim wherein the bristle surface is a substantially concave surface for receiving a vine trunk.
11. II. The tool of any preceding claim wherein each bristle section includes a 35 plurality of bristles.
12. 12. The tool of claim 11 wherein the bristle sections are fixed to the head portion using a bolt or screw connection. Received at IPONZ 28 February 2012 11
13. 13. The tool of claim 11 wherein the bristle sections are fixed to the head portion using a snap fit connection. 5
14. 14. The tool of any one of claims 11 to 13 wherein the bristle portion includes first, second and third bristle sections.
15. 15. The tool of claim 14 wherein each of the bristle sections is a separate piece attached to the head portion. 10
16. 16. The tool of claim 14 wherein the first, second and third bristle sections are integrated into one piece.
17. 17. The tool of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the first and third bristle 15 sections are angled towards each other at an angle of substantially 20 to 40 degrees from the second bristle section.
18. 18. The tool of any one of claims 14 to 17 wherein the second bristle section is inline with the handle portion. 20
19. 19. The tool of any preceding claim wherein the handle portion and head portion are a single integrated piece.
20. 20. The tool of any one of claims 1 to 18 wherein the head portion is 25 detachable from the handle portion.
21. 21. The tool of claim 1 substantially as herein described.
22. 22. A vine bud removal tool substantially as herein described with reference to 30 the accompanying figures. Carson Reginald Green 35 By his attorneys ELLIS TERRY