WO1999051077A2

WO1999051077A2 - Device for removing plants

Info

Publication number: WO1999051077A2
Application number: PCT/AT1999/000084
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johann Seiger
Original assignee: Johann Seiger
Priority date: 1998-04-03
Filing date: 1999-03-31
Publication date: 1999-10-14
Also published as: AT2500U1; WO1999051077A3; EP1032252A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for removing plants, especially deep-rooted plants, such as weeds, from the soil. The plant to be removed can be accommodated in a tubular extracting sleeve provided for digging the plant out. According to the invention, a carrying sleeve (6) which is aligned with the extracting sleeve (1) is connected to the same. The carrying sleeve has an inner cross-section which is larger than that of the extracting sleeve (1). In addition, the carrying sleeve (6) is configured with an removal opening (11) on the end of the carrying sleeve which faces away from the extracting sleeve (1). A collecting receptacle (10) is provided in the vicinity of the removal opening (11). The invention makes it possible to easily remove and accommodate a plurality of plants which are to be removed from the soil without interrupting work after each extraction operation.

Description

DEVICE FOR REMOVING PLANTS

The invention relates to a device for removing plants, in particular deep-rooted plants, like weeds from the soil, wherein the designating to entfer ^¬ plant is receivable in a tubular Ausstechhülse. Especially in lawn care, it is necessary to remove deep-rooted and disturbing weed plants, such as dandelions, thistles, etc., from the soil, as these are considered worthless wild plants in gardens, parks, lawns and on sports fields. Furthermore, weeds impair the light, air and nutrient absorption of other plants.

From DE 41 15 871 A1 a device is known in which an ejector is provided which has to be actuated after each cutting operation in order to remove the cut material. According to a simplified embodiment of this device, the removal of the punched-out soil core after each work process is only possible through an opening in the piercing sleeve which forms a continuous window.

US Pat. No. 2,686,690 shows a device with a spherical handle, a cut-out tube designed at the lower end at an angle of 90 ° to the longitudinal axis and with tongues flat on the inside of the tube. Furthermore, an opening with a rigidly attached, straight guide for the exit of the plant root is arranged in the area of the cutting sleeve in such a way that the cut root material must be removed by hand from the cutting tube in the bent state and disposed of individually.

Furthermore, from DE 37 17 335 A1 a weed drill with a drill bit is known, which receives a double spiral drilling element dimensioned for grasping weed roots. With this device, too, every work process must be interrupted in order to remove the root material individually.

In addition, WO 94/28701 shows a lawn and garden tool which provides a hand-operated ejection device in the middle of a cross bar designed as a handle. In this embodiment, too, it is not possible to work efficiently, since the cut material, as in DE 41 15 871 A1, has to be disposed of individually after actuating the ejection device.

Furthermore, US-A 4 179 147 shows a device in which a weed root is held in place with claws arranged on the cutter. Such devices are also no longer up to date. In addition, embodiments of devices for removing plants are known from a large number of literature references, wherein the plants to be removed are gripped by means of hook-like or gripper-like tools or by means of gripping tools similar to corkscrews, reference being made, for example, to US Pat. No. 3,333,881, US -A 4,400,029, US-A 4,822,088, DE-A 4219 995 or CH-A 670353.

Since the known devices only take up the weed roots individually, each operation must be interrupted after a single cut-out in order to remove and dispose of the plants which have been cut out or pulled out of the ground individually, mechanically or manually.

With all known devices, more than one plant root can never be picked up in the course of a work process. Only after removing this is it possible to cut out again. In addition, the removal of plant roots with these devices is associated with great effort when working for a long time, since vertical extension is only possible with the crossbar.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a device with which a large number of plants, in particular weeds, with deep-rooted roots can be removed from the soil, in particular from lawn areas, in a rational manner and without any great effort, without any Cutting process to remove the plant from having to interrupt the work.

To achieve this object, the device according to the invention is essentially characterized in that a transport sleeve aligned with the cutting sleeve with a larger cross-section than the clear cross-section of the cutting sleeve connects to the cutting sleeve and that the transport sleeve is formed with a discharge opening at its end facing away from the cutting sleeve is, a collecting container being provided in the region of the discharge opening.

The transport sleeve adjoining the cutting sleeve with an enlarged clear cross-section ensures that, after cutting out, the material located in the cutting sleeve can freely enter the region of the transport sleeve during a further cutting process and is transported further in the transport sleeve by corresponding subsequent cutting operations until it is Dispensing opening passes through which cut material with the taken plants is picked up directly in a collecting container provided on the device. Removal by cutting out a soil core from plants containing the plant in question or its root is thus simple and effective.

In addition, the device is simple in its construction and user-friendly in its handling.

Novelty and a significant advantage of the invention is that from the workflow rational work in that the individual work processes no longer have to be interrupted in order to remove each of the cut plants individually, mechanically or by hand from the device. In contrast to the known inventions, in this advantageous embodiment the removal of weed roots can be carried out without interruption and without great effort until the collecting container is full for emptying.

According to the invention, neither an actuating device nor a gripping device is required in this novel design. It is also no longer necessary to grasp the cut material by hand. This is particularly advantageous for weeds such as thistles, which can cause skin irritation.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, it is provided that the cutting sleeve and the transport sleeve have a substantially circular cross-section and that the inside diameter of the transport sleeve exceeds the inside diameter of the cutting sleeve by at least 10%, so that after proper absorption of the material to be cut out or the plants to be cut out can be easily transported through the transport sleeve to the discharge opening.

According to a further preferred embodiment, for a simple and targeted cutting process, it is provided that the cutting sleeve is formed at its free end with a cutting edge which runs obliquely to its longitudinal axis.

For a secure reception of the plant to be cut out or removed in the interior of the cutting sleeve, it is also preferably provided that the cutting sleeve is formed on its inner surface with, in particular, sharp-edged elevations. This particularly sharp-edged surveys ensures that during and after removal of the device from the soil, the plant picked up in the area of the piercing sleeve is securely held in the piercing sleeve and does not remain in the soil.

According to a further preferred embodiment it is provided that the cutting sleeve is formed on its outer surface with in particular sharp-edged elevations, loosening of the surrounding soil can be achieved by such elevations on the outer surface of the cutting sleeve, in particular when the entire device rotates when removed from the ground .

Both for a proper anchoring of the plant to be removed or of the material that is simultaneously taken up therewith in the interior of the cutting sleeve as well as for achieving a corresponding loosening process of the surrounding soil, it is also proposed that the elevations taper downwards in the longitudinal direction of the cutting sleeve and upwards raised, elongated and with a freely selectable cutting angle cut diagonally, symmetrically or asymmetrically arranged pyramids are formed, as this corresponds to a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention.

For a simple removal of the material accommodated in the transport sleeve and the removed plants, so as not to have to worry about clogging or laying of the flush cross sections or sleeves aligned with one another, it is proposed according to a further preferred embodiment that the transport sleeve in the region of the discharge opening is formed with a deflection element for dispensing the cut material or with a curved wall surface.

The collecting container provided on the device can be emptied after a corresponding number of cutting operations, in which connection it is particularly preferably proposed that the collecting container be detachably attached to the device, so that the process of emptying the collecting container is further simplified.

For proper and reliable collection of the cut plants in the collection container, it is also preferably provided that the collection container is attached to the transport sleeve below the discharge opening. In order to avoid excessive weakening of the transport sleeve in the area of the discharge opening, it is also proposed that a reinforcing element for the transport sleeve is provided in the area of the discharge opening, as corresponds to a further preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention.

For simple handling and also for working on possibly hard soils, it is furthermore preferably proposed that the device be equipped with a handle element and, if appropriate, with a step bracket, whereby for simple removal or removal of the device according to the invention after a plant has been cut out a further preferred embodiment it is proposed that the device is formed with an additional handle arranged at a distance from the handle element below the same.

The invention is described below with reference to the figures using an exemplary embodiment. In this show:

1 shows a simplified representation of a device for removing deep-rooted plants according to the invention;

2 shows an enlarged detail view of the front view of the lower end of the device according to FIG. 1;

3 shows an enlarged detailed illustration of the piercing sleeve of the device according to the invention according to FIG. 1;

4 shows a cross section through the piercing sleeve;

Fig. 5 in an enlarged detail the ejection opening with a

Stabilization and a closing part with a clamping ring according to FIG. 1; and

Fig. 6 in an enlarged detail the lower curved part of the

Transport sleeve with a direct ejection opening and the upper pipe element. Basically, a very simple and therefore inexpensive solution is to manufacture the entire device preferably from metal. Parts such as the closing part 12 or the collecting container 10 can also be made of plastic. Realizing the piercing sleeve 1 and the transport sleeve 6 with at least two different inner diameters and so-called cross-sectional difference 7 results in significant advantages, which are described in more detail below.

Furthermore, in the area of the transport sleeve 6 there are at least one kick bar 8, an ejection opening 11 with a stabilization 14, a collecting container 10 and a handle 18, which enables the vertical to be pulled out smoothly from the ground without great effort. The collecting container 10 can be attached in a removable or in a rigidly connected embodiment radially to the transport sleeve, as shown in Fig.1 and Fig.4.

The device forms a continuous hollow body from the cylindrical piercing opening 2 to the discharging opening 11. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this hollow body can be designed with at least two or more different inner diameters with a so-called cross-sectional difference 7. In principle, there is also the possibility of realizing this continuous hollow body from one part with a slightly conical shape from top to bottom.

The inside diameter of the cylindrical hollow body of the cutting sleeve 1 corresponds approximately to the upper diameter of a weed root and its length is at least the length of a weed root. Cut at its lower oval end at an angle to the longitudinal axis, viewed from the front, it is elliptical and has a knife-edge 3. This edge has an inner surface that runs like a truncated cone with an outer diameter that increases toward the edge, a cutting-like edge already being given by the oblique cut to the longitudinal axis.

The cylindrical piercing opening 2 can be arranged either partially or entirely to the side facing away from the user and also facing it. An advantageous embodiment for a better view of the user when piercing the soil results in a left-to-right or, as shown in FIG. 2, right-to-left piercing opening 2. The angular position of the piercing opening 2 with respect to the longitudinal axis is freely selectable, with an acute angle has a more advantageous effect, since after plunge-cutting, during the transverse-axis rotary movements and then pulling out the device the soil at the bottom of the plant root is not included.

The tapered, elliptical and cylindrical piercing opening 2 of the piercing sleeve 1 ensures unimpeded piercing into the ground and displaces stone material located in the immediate vicinity of the weed root due to this advantageous embodiment.

On the inner wall of the piercing sleeve 1, in a preferred embodiment, pyramids 4 are arranged symmetrically or asymmetrically and firmly attached in their longitudinal direction tapering downwards in the longitudinal direction and raised upwards, elongated and diagonally cut with a freely selectable cutting angle. Due to their clamping action, these ensure a secure grasping of the plant root, prevent it from slipping while the device is being pulled out of the ground and prevent the stuck plant root from falling out of the elliptical and cylindrical piercing opening 2 of the piercing sleeve 1 between the work processes.

Furthermore, this advantageous embodiment ensures the transport of the material only in the direction of the transport sleeve 6 and from there to the discharge or ejection opening 11. During each cutting process, the material located in the cutting sleeve 1 is pressed into the transport sleeve 6 by the compressive force of the material to come.

Due to the larger inner radius of the transport sleeve 6, the weed roots are loosened there with soil accumulating in small quantities and transported there by the pressure force of the new puncture upwards to the ejection opening 11, from where they automatically reach the collecting container 10 through the material to come. The cutting out process can be repeated without interruption until the collecting container 10 is full for emptying.

The cut-out creates a cylindrical hole in the ground the size of the outer diameter of the cut-out sleeve 1. On the outside of the cut-out sleeve 1, in the same design and arrangement as on the inside in their longitudinal direction, they taper downwards and are raised, elongated and elongated with a freely selectable cutting angle, diagonally cut pyramids 5, symmetrically or asymmetrically arranged and firmly attached. From above, Viewed from the user's point of view, these are, as shown in FIG. 4, triangles formed axially striving from the piercing sleeve 1.

Due to the outer pyramids 5, the soil around the outer surface of the cutting sleeve 1 is loosened on the one hand by the transverse-axis rotary movements of the entire device and on the other hand when the device is pulled out in such a way that the cavity created by the removal of the plant is largely closed again with the soil loosened thereby .

The transport sleeve 6 is a straight or curved cylindrical hollow body. It extends from the upper end of the cutting sleeve 1 to the cross member 19 and is designed with a larger inner radius than the cutting sleeve 1, which is of the same axis in the longitudinal axis. It is smooth on the inside and has an ejection opening 11 forming a continuous window on the side. This ejection opening 11 extends over half the cross section of the transport sleeve 6 and is variable in length.

In order to avoid an instability of the transport sleeve 6 resulting from this opening, a stabilization 14 is arranged such that it is located on the rear side of the ejection opening 11 close to the transport sleeve 6 on the outside and up and down in length the length of the Ejection opening 11 protrudes.

On the inside of the transport sleeve 6, running from the lowest point opposite the ejection opening 11 to the upper end of the ejection opening 11, it is closed with a curved and rigidly attached, or, as shown in FIG. 5, clampable closing part 12, 13.

Basically, an inexpensive solution consists in realizing the transport sleeve 6 from two parts, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the ejection opening 11 and the closing part 12 are omitted, since the curved lower transport sleeve 15 has a bend in the upper region of approximately between 30 ° and 70 °, through which the cut material reaches the collecting container 10 via the direct ejection opening 16. In such an embodiment, the second upper part is manufactured as a full or hollow cylindrical tubular element 17 and is placed rigidly on the lower part with the same axis.

On the outside of the transport sleeve, a collecting container 10 is rigidly attached in an axially bracing manner. This can be made in square or preferably rounded, freely selectable shape and size. To dispose of the waste container 10 cut material must be plunged vertically up to about 180 °. In the described embodiment, a stable position of the firmly connected collecting container 10 is ensured during the piercing, during the rotary movements and the subsequent pulling out of the device, and thus during the entire working process. In principle, there is also the possibility of producing and attaching the collecting container 10 as an independent, removable, screwable container or provided with a locking device.

An advantageous embodiment is the handle 18, which is firmly attached approximately in the upper region of the transport sleeve 6, struts from it axially at a variable angle and is directed toward the body of the user, and which allows the device to be pulled out of the ground easily by hand after the weed root has been cut out. This makes it possible to work with the device efficiently over a longer period of time and without great effort.

At the lower part of the transport sleeve 6, an axially striving, flat-running kick bar 8 is rigidly connected, and its shape can optionally also be formed from a tubular or rod-shaped element. With such a design, however, this is ribbed in its surface to prevent slipping with the foot when piercing.

At the upper end of the transport sleeve 6 is designed as a handle cross member 19 so that after the insertion of the device into the ground, the transverse axis rotary movements and the subsequent pulling out in connection with that for a hand of the user on the transport sleeve 6 axially towards the user firmly attached handle 18 can be done with little effort.

At both ends of the crossbar 19 are preferably made of handles 20 coated with soft material in order to be able to work comfortably with the device over a longer period. Handle covers 21, preferably made of plastic, are attached to both lateral ends of the cross member 19 to close the elliptical or circular cut openings.

To remove weed plants, the device is placed with the piercing sleeve 1 in the core area of the plant. By pressing with the foot on the step bracket 8 while holding the cross member 19, the piercing sleeve 1 is pressed into the ground. Subsequently, the device with the cross member 19 at least once rotated around its vertical axis in a freely selectable radius of action in order to loosen the soil in the lower part of the root. Then the device is pulled out vertically by pulling the crossbar 19 with one hand and the handle 18 with the second hand without great effort. When the device is pulled out, the pinched root remains in the cutter 1 and is conveyed further up to the discharge opening 11 after each cutter. The root is automatically ejected into the collecting container 10 by the compressive force of the coming material. Due to the advantageous embodiment of the piercing sleeve 1, a large part of the soil loosened in the lower area remains in the cylindrical cavity of the soil. The cutting operations can be continued without interruption until the collecting container 10 is filled and emptied.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Device for removing plants, in particular deep-rooted plants, such as weeds, from the ground, the plant to be removed being receivable in a tubular cut-out sleeve, characterized in that a transport sleeve (1) aligned with the cut-out sleeve (1) is attached to the cut-out sleeve (1). 6) with a larger cross-section than the clear cross-section of the cut-out sleeve (1) and that the transport sleeve (6) is formed with a discharge opening (11) at its end facing away from the cut-out sleeve (1), in the area of the discharge opening (11 ) a collecting container (10) is provided.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting sleeve (1) and the transport sleeve (6) have a substantially circular cross section and that the inner diameter of the transport sleeve (6) exceeds the inner diameter of the cutting sleeve (1) by at least 10%.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the piercing sleeve (1) is formed at its free end with an oblique to its longitudinal axis cutting edge (3).

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the cutting sleeve (1) is formed on its inner surface with in particular sharp-edged elevations (4).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the piercing sleeve (1) is formed on its outer surface with in particular sharp-edged elevations (5).

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the elevations (4, 5) of in the longitudinal direction of the piercing sleeve (1) tapering downwards and upwards upwards, elongated and cut diagonally with a freely selectable cutting angle, symmetrically or asymmetrically arranged pyramids are formed.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the transport sleeve (6) is formed in the region of the discharge opening (11) with a deflection element (12) for discharging the cut material or with a curved wall surface (15).

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the collecting container (10) is detachably attached to the device.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the collecting container is fixed below the discharge opening (11) on the transport sleeve (6).

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that in the region of the discharge opening (11) a reinforcing element (14) for the transport sleeve (6) is provided.

11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the device is equipped with a handle element (19) and optionally with a kick bar (8).

12. The device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the device is formed with an additional handle (18) arranged at a distance from the handle element (19) below it.