Patent Application
20060179596
The present inventive subject matter relates generally to tools for athletic field maintenance, and, more particularly, to an athletic surface water removing apparatus.
Many sports, such as baseball, are played on substantially level surfaces that inevitably include low spots, or depressions in the turf. These low spots collect water, forming puddles, when rain is received, or even during irrigation. Drying these puddles is a common, time-consuming task for field maintenance personnel. Some tools exist to assist in this drying task, but each have shortfalls.
One tool is an absorbent pillow that is placed in a puddle to absorb water. The pillow must then be wrung out before it can be used again. This can be a time consuming process when puddles are large and numerous.
Another tool is a roller for pushing water in the rolling direction. The roller is often made of a closed-cell rubber that forms a seal with the surface being dried to create a moving seal. This type of tool operates as a rolling squeegee to move the water. However, this tool works best on a hard surface with low porosity, such as a concrete or asphalt surfaced tennis court. When such a tool is used on soil, the soil is often unacceptably disrupted. Further, in operation, water is often moved out of one low spot to another. Thus, although one puddle may be removed, another forms.
Yet another roller tool is a large rolling drum having an absorbent material around its circumference. In operation, the drum is pushed or pulled through a puddle and the absorbent material absorbs water from the puddle. The absorbent material, as the drum is moved, rotates around the circumference of the drum to a pressure roller that applies a force to the absorbent material causing water to be discharged inside of the drum. Thus, as water is collected, the weight of the drum increases. Some such drums include six gallon and fourteen gallon tanks. The weight of the drum as it fills makes this tool difficult to maneuver around an athletic field and difficult to drain.
The present subject matter includes various arrangements of a water removing apparatus for collecting and dispensing water from athletic playing surfaces. These arrangements provide an apparatus that provides minimal disruption to the surface and allows for quick removal of standing water. This apparatus also provides for the relocation of water to another area.
Some embodiments provide an apparatus comprising a handle, a frame connectable to the handle, and an absorbent material on a roller, the roller installable in the frame on its longest axis, wherein the absorbent material is capable of absorbing a liquid and discharging the liquid when rotated quickly about its axis. In some embodiments, the absorbent material is lambs wool. The apparatus allows for quick removal of water from puddles on athletic fields and relocating that water to adjacent and less water-soaked areas of the field.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the present subject matter may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. And it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and that minimal structural and logical changes may be proposed and incorporated without departing from the scope of the inventive subject matter. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to, individually and/or collectively, herein by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept, if more than one is in fact disclosed.
The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense, and the scope of the inventive subject matter is defined by the appended claims.
The absorbent material 202 is a material capable of absorbing liquid, such as water, and discharging the absorbed liquid when the roller portion 101 is quickly rotated about its axis 106 (as shown in
In some embodiments, the absorbent material 202 is lambs wool. In other embodiments, the absorbent material 202 is a synthetic material, such as a synthetic sponge or polyester nap. The length of the nap, in some embodiments, is ⅜ of an inch. In other embodiments, the nap is one inch to two inches long, or virtually any other length where the absorbent material substantially retains water when removed from a puddle, and can centrifugally dispense absorbed liquid when rolled quickly in a less saturated area or dispense absorbed liquid when pressure is applied.
The substrate 204 is made from a water resistant material, such as a plastic or other polymer, such as polyvinyl chloride. In some embodiments, the substrate is made from a natural fiber, such as a cellulosic fiber, and includes a water resistant or waterproof coating.
The roller 103, in some embodiments, is rigid and provides support for the roller cover 102 when pressure is applied during use. The rigidity of the roller 103 prevents the roller cover 102 from collapsing under the pressure. In some embodiments, the roller 103 is of a length allowing for multiple roller covers 102 to be installed on the roller 103.
In the embodiment illustrated in
The width 304 of the roller cover 102 in some embodiments is nine inches. In other embodiments, the roller cover 102 is twelve inches, twenty-four inches, thirty-six inches, or virtually any other length. In some embodiments, the width of the roller 103, not including the ends 302, is nine inches. In other embodiments, the width of the roller, not including the ends 302, is twelve inches, twenty-four inches, thirty-six inches, or virtually any other length. The roller 103 is capable of receiving one or more roller covers 103, the sum of the roller cover 102 widths being less than or equal to the width of the roller 103.
It is emphasized that the Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b) requiring an Abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
In the foregoing Detailed Description, some features are grouped together in a single embodiment to streamline the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments of the invention require more features than are expressly recited in each claim.
It will be readily understood to those skilled in the art that various other changes in the details, material, and arrangements of the parts and method stages which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this inventive subject matter may be made without departing from the principles and scope of the inventive subject matter as expressed in the subjoined claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/653,402 filed Feb. 16, 2005, which application is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60653402 | Feb 2005 | US |
