Patent Application
20090226259
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to landscape maintenance equipment and more specifically to a roller for ground leveling.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Landscaping can be found around and in all developed areas. While landscaping can include a variety of flower beds and clumps of shrubs, trees, and other greenery, one aspect of landscaping is central to almost every development, a well maintained lawn or turf. Areas of well groomed turf provide a pleasant area on which people can walk or recreate to enjoy a variety of activities, and for many, a soft, cool, green turf improves their physical and emotional health. Many sports such as golf, baseball, soccer, football and others are played on fields of natural turf. In many cases these areas are expansive and subject to very hard use and extreme weather. In order to maintain beauty and functionality, the turf must be maintained and repaired on a frequent and regular schedule.
Turf management is both a fine art and a complex science. Planning and daily care are required from the very inception of the area on which the turf is to be maintained. The variety of grass must be chosen based on the projected use, light conditions, and climate among other factors. Irrigation is often utilized to maintain a healthy green growth. And, while a well established turf provides a firm but relatively resilient foundation on which to recreate, environment effects such as weather and the freeze-thaw cycle, as well as heavy use, can have very severe and detrimental effects on the turf. In particular, sports fields can become torn up and bumpy after just one game, particularly if the ground is saturated from heavy rain. For example, a smooth football field can be quickly damaged and transformed into a surface of ridges, dips, holes, and bumps during the course of a game. When the turf's original condition becomes untenable it can present a danger to athletes in subsequent games, particularly if the ground freezes after becoming damaged with holes, bumps and ridges.
One turf maintenance procedure utilized by grounds keepers is turf rolling. Rolling turf is not a new concept, and has been in known use since the late 1920's. Manual drum rollers are usually a single hollow drum mounted to a handle for pulling or pushing across a surface. Triplex attachment rollers are designed to be mounted on triplex mowers in place of the reels and have a similar weight resulting in light compaction. Dedicated greens rollers are self-propelled and can be fitted with various roller attachments that are smooth, grooved, or have a different configuration for specialized applications. Finally, rollers can be mounted on high-quality mowing units to increase mowing quality.
Rolling was originally practiced as an aid to establish turf and to smooth minor disruptions in the turf surface. As an establishment aid, rolling is irreplaceable. After cultivation and prior to turf seeding or planting of other vegetation, rolling helps the soil settle and identifies low spots not otherwise evident. After planting, rolling helps creating critical seed-to-soil contact, or if the turf is sodded to remove any air pockets that would cause the turf roots to dry out. Surface disruption in the turf can have multiple causes. Insects, earthworms and burrowing animals such as moles, can all be detrimental to the integrity of the turf surface. Further, in northern climates frost occurring as a result of the winter freeze-thaw cycles can seriously disrupt the turf surface, and leaves the surface of the turf uneven and in need of smoothing.
Many of the turf or ground rollers in use are relatively small for use on smaller areas of turf such as the greens of a golf course, and are not efficient when used on larger areas. Other ground rollers in use do not allow for easy adjustment in ground pressure or compacting force by changing the weight of the roller. Thus what is desired is a roller that can be attached to a tractor and is efficient for use on large areas of ground or turf.
The present invention is directed to a ground roller that satisfies the need for a roller attachable to a tractor for large area rolling. The ground roller for compacting and leveling ground includes a frame having a front and a rear. At least one and preferably a plurality of roller supports are affixed to and extend from a bottom of the frame. One or more cylindrical rollers are rotatably journaled to the roller supports. A hitch structure is affixed to the front of the frame for connecting to tractor.
Other aspects of the present invention include a bed for carrying additional weight to increase the compacting force delivered by the ground roller. The bed can be partially constructed of a metal mesh to permit particulates to fall through thereby preventing the buildup of dirt and other undesired material on the bed. A roller brush can be pivotally mounted to the frame proximate to each roller for removing soil adhering to said cylindrical roller during operation. Further, the hitch can be configured to attach to a standard three point hitch system on a tractor.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following written specification, claims and appended drawings.
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
Turning to the drawings,
The strength and rigidity of chassis 30 is enhanced with a bracing system 40. Bracing system 40 includes a series of members such as front lateral braces 46, rear vertical brace 43 and rear lateral braces 44, and upper longitudinal brace 42 extending between lateral braces 44 and 46. Braces 42, 43, 44, and 46 are exemplary and can assume various configurations well known in the art to provide the strength and rigidity desired for chassis 30.
Now referring to
As illustrated in
Roller 80 includes a drum 82 of a sufficient diameter such that its outer surface contacts the ground during the compacting process. Drum 82 can be fabricated of a solid metal bar or other solid material. Drum 82 has an axle stub 83 extending from each end. Axle stub 83 is journaled in bearing 85 of bearing housing 84. Each bearing housing 84 is affixed to a rear bearing flange 39 at the bottom of rear roller support 38. In the most preferred configuration, bearing housing 84 is bolted to bearing flange 39 using bolts extending through holes 87.
Roller brush 90 includes a brush support 96 including a laterally oriented pivot pin 97 and is affixed to the rear of each roller support 38 using fasteners through holes 98. Each brush support 96 is mounted to its respective roller support 38 such that opposing pivot pins 97 are oriented one facing to the other. A brush pivot 94 having an aperture 25 is sleeved over each pivot pin 97 and is pivotal thereon. A brush 92 extends between and is affixed to each brush pivot 94. In the most preferred embodiment, and as shown in
Referring now to
The above description is considered that of the preferred embodiments only. Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.
