Patent Application
20240417934
The present invention relates to an infill material for synthetic turfs and “hybrid” synthetic-natural turfs based on organic material of vegetable origin, as well as to turfs thus obtained.
As well known, a synthetic turf essentially consists of a mat made of plastic material to which blades of synthetic material are connected in order to simulate a natural turf. The blades of synthetic material are knitted to the mat by means of known processes, in order to provide rows of blades, which are close to each other according to the needs. All around the blades of synthetic material a loose material usually distributed, usually called infill, for example a layer of sand followed by a layer of granular synthetic, or natural, material or a mixture thereof.
According to the kind of sports, for example soccer, hockey, cricket, rugby, etc., and of the destination of the synthetic turf, a suitable type of infill material is chosen (see for example Italian patent applications No. PI2001A000049 and PI2003A000036, in the name of the same applicant).
In particular, the infill material provides a draining action by adjusting the drainage of rainwater or of irrigation water, protects the mat conferring to the synthetic turf a high duration, and especially gives to the turf mechanical, physic and technologic features typical of the natural turf.
Such features are, for example: the elasticity of the ground for the user, the rebound of the ball, or other sports equipment, capacity of absorption of the hits when falling down, tensile and torque resistance to the force caused by the shoe, resistance against the compression and to the penetration of external bodies, as well as capacity of absorption and drainage of water in case of meteorological and environmental events.
For this reason the infill material of known type comprises a predetermined amount of sand that is necessary in order to have an effective drainage of the synthetic turf and a predetermined amount of rubber material, usually granular-shaped, which confers to the synthetic turf the necessary physical and mechanical properties above described, and, in particular, a high elasticity.
However, the rubber that is used in the above described infill material mainly consists of waste material, such as ground spent tyres, or in any case of a mixture of synthetic selected elastomers, and therefore it has a high content of toxic substances and potentially noxious both for the environment and for the people, such as heavy metals and volatile substances of various type.
Alternatively, granules of freshly prepared rubber are used in various chemical compositions, which are more expensive and in any case difficult to dispose of at the end of the life of the turf in addition to high costs.
The presence of such noxious substances in the rubber used as infill material represents, furthermore, an obstacle to dispose the spent synthetic turfs and to change the same with a new synthetic turf.
Furthermore, the elastomeric materials cannot retain much water and do accumulate heat, whereby in the hot seasons they create much more discomfort for the players than the natural turfs. In order to overcome this drawback solutions have been proposed that provide the use of predetermined organic material. However, the solutions that have been proposed up to now have the problem that the organic material indicated as infill material alternative to the elastomeric materials are subject to a quick degradation owing to the microbial attack to which they are inevitably exposed.
A solution to this technical problem is described, for example, in US2010/055461. This document provides, in particular, the use of an infill material for synthetic turfs which comprises organic particles, each of which coated with an antimicrobial agent. The antimicrobial agent is a chemical substance that is sprayed on the organic particles up to completely line them as a “coating”, conferring them a round shape. In this way, the decomposition of the organic particles slows down.
However, the substance used as antimicrobial, in particular based on AEGIS Microbe Shield®, is a toxic material for the human beings and, therefore it is not indicated for use as infill of turfs for recreational or sports use.
Furthermore, the fragments, or particles, of material coated by the film of the used chemical substance are not able to interact with the surrounding environment, i.e. to take actively part in the processes that involve the infill and the turf, and to exercise their properties.
In addition to the above, the particles of organic material coated with such a substance have a high environmental impact. Therefore, when the synthetic turf has to be disposed of, or replaced, it is necessary to discharge the infill material in controlled dumps.
Another example of synthetic turf of known type is disclosed in WO2011/024066. In this case, the infill material comprises at least one layer consisting of a mixture of a predetermined amount of husks of cereal with at least one de-fibered wooden material that is resistant to microbial digestions. The use of cereal husks confers to the infill material a high elasticity owing to the properties of the husks and therefore allows to reduce, or to eliminate the use of rubber in the infill material.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide an infill material for synthetic turfs, or for “hybrid” synthetic-natural turfs, which is highly performance and slowly biodegradable.
It is a particular feature of the present invention to provide an infill material for synthetic turfs or “hybrid” synthetic-natural turfs that is completely formed of natural vegetable material which is resistant to microbial attack.
It is also a feature of the present invention to provide an infill material for synthetic turfs and “hybrid” synthetic-natural turfs that can provide an effective drainage action.
These and other features are accomplished with one exemplary infill material, according to the invention, for synthetic turfs, or hybrid synthetic-natural turfs, whose main feature is to provide:
According to an embodiment of the invention, the infill material consists f the vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer, or film, of material.
In particular, the vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer, or film, of material can be dried or substantially dried with a moisture content less than 50%, advantageously less than 40%, preferably less than 30%, more preferably less than 20%, for example less than 10%. With the expression “with a moisture content” is to be understood as the moisture content of the rachis of cereal ear at the moment when it is used as infill material.
In particular, the dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material can be obtained by subjecting to a drying step, preferably carried out into a silo, a vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material with an initial moisture content greater than 50%, advantageously greater than 40%, preferably greater than 30%.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereal ear is rounded by preliminarily subjecting the vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereal ear to a rounding step. This latter can be, for example, carried out by a rotary drum sieve.
The infill material, according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material has a bulk density comprised between 0.3 kg/dm3 and 0.5 kg/dm3.
According to another aspect of the invention, a synthetic or hybrid synthetic-natural turf for sports or recreational or ornamental uses comprises:
In particular, the aforementioned infill material, furthermore, comprises at least a second layer arranged above the layer consisting of rachis of cereal ear that is not coated by a layer or film of material. More in particular, the second layer can consist of:
According to another embodiment of the invention, the synthetic or hybrid synthetic-natural turf for sports or recreational or ornamental uses comprises:
In still another embodiment of the invention the infill material furthermore comprises a predetermined percentage by volume of a ligninic and/or resinous material of vegetable origin, i.e. having a high content of lignin and/or resin, in such a way to be highly resistant to the attack of microorganisms. The presence of the ligninic and/or resinous material, in fact, allows to avoid the use of chemical substances for avoiding the degradation of the vegetable material allowing to provide an infill for synthetic turfs, or hybrid synthetic-natural, that is slowly biodegradable.
In particular, the material consisting of rachis of cereal ear, preferably of maize cob, produces an effective drainage action and allows therefore to reduce, or in particular to completely avoid, the use of sand in the infill material. This provides an infill material that is completely biodegradable.
Furthermore, the present invention allows the material consisting of rachis of cereal ear to fully exercise important properties. In particular, the material consisting rachis of cereal ear has a high porosity and is subjected to alternating cycles of expansion, or swelling, and of compression, or in any case of reducing in size. Therefore, the system is subject to a continuous action of auto-decompacting that allows to keep the infill tilled, i.e. with a high porosity and preserving substantially intact in the time the physical properties of the infill.
In addition, the material consisting of rachis of cereal ear, in particular maize cob, can absorb a high amount of humidity, for example when it rains and during irrigation operations, and to release then gradually the above described humidity, balancing the heat irradiated by the turf in the hotter seasons. For example, the maize cob has a water absorption capacity that is about 138%. Such properties avoid excessive heating of the infill material during the hotter seasons and, in particular in case of mixed synthetic and natural turfs, makes it possible to obtain optimal conditions for the growth of the plant species that are present in it.
Advantageously, the percentage by volume of said material consisting of rachis of cereal ear in said filling material is set between 5% and 95%, in particular between 5% and 90%, preferably between 60% and 90%.
Preferably, the vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereal ear is maize cob, i.e. rachis of maize. Such solution is particularly advantageous because the maize cob, i.e. the rachis of the maize, has a size that is normally higher than the size of the rachis of other cereals and has then better physical properties with respect to the other cereals.
Advantageously, the vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereals, in particular maize cob, has granulometry set between 0.3 mm and 5.0 mm.
In an exemplary embodiment, infill material provides a single layer comprising a mixture of a predetermined percentage by volume of said vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereal ear which is not coated by a layer or film of material with a predetermined percentage by volume of at least a material selected among: cereal husks, a loose final product from raw material based on ground cork, a ligninic and/or resinous material of vegetable origin, sand.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the infill material comprises a layer consisting of a mixture of a predetermined percentage by volume of sand and a predetermined percentage by volume of the material consisting of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of material. For example, the infill material consists of a mixture of a predetermined percentage by volume of sand and a predetermined percentage by volume of the material consisting of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of material.
In particular, with the term “sand” it is to be understood a material having a mineralogical composition, for example siliceous sand, sand of pumice, sand of lapillus, zeolite, vermiculite, etc.
Advantageously, the ligninic and/or resinous material of vegetable origin is selected from the group consisting of:
In case the vegetable ligninic and/or resinous material is a loose product obtained from a raw material based on ground coconut, said loose product preferably comprises the sole granular and fibrous part of the raw material based on ground coconut. More in detail, the sole granular and fibrous part is obtained undergoing the raw material based on ground coconut to a separation step, for example carried out by sieving, of the granular and fibrous part of the powder part in it present.
The infill material for synthetic turfs, according to the present invention, it is therefore completely biodegradable since it is exclusively made up of organic material. This avoids to dispose the infill material in controlled dump when the synthetic turf is abandoned and to avoid problems to the athletes who play the sports activities on the synthetic turf. Furthermore, the cob is highly hygroscopic and it is therefore able to absorb a high amount of humidity that then can release to the surrounding environment. Therefore, the presence of cob in the upper layer carries out a thermic regulation of the synthetic turf allowing to cool the surrounding air in the hot seasons and to absorb the humidity in the raining seasons, or in case of plenty irrigations.
In particular, the cereal husks, or chaff, is a by-product deriving from the work of the cereals and is formed by the whole of the bracts, or glumelle, which encircle the kernel.
Advantageously, the cereal husks is selected from the group consisting of:
In a particularly advantageous exemplary embodiment, the cereal husks is rice husks.
In particular, the loose product obtained from a raw material based on ground coconut comprises the sole granular and fibrous part contained in the starting raw material based on coconut. For example, the granular and fibrous part can be obtained undergoing the starting raw material to a separation step of the granular and fibrous part from the powder part that is present in it.
Advantageously, the granular and fibrous part has the following granulometry:
According to another aspect of the invention, a structure of hybrid synthetic-natural turf comprises:
According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for making a synthetic turf, or mixed synthetic-natural, comprises the steps of:
In a possible exemplary embodiment, the turf comprises:
In an exemplary embodiment, the blades of synthetic material can comprise smooth blades alternating to wavy, or curled blades.
Advantageously, the living vegetable material is selected from the group consisting of: monocotyledonous plant species, dicotyledonous plant species, propagable by seeds, or by a part of a plant.
In particular, the support can be provided with drainage holes having sizes such that they allow the drainage of the infill material, i.e. the outflow of the water below the support same, but at the same time to avoid the passage of the roots. This way, mat that can be rolled up is obtained that is able to simplify both the removal step, and the transport step, and the following installation step of the mat on the surface that has to receive it.
In an exemplary embodiment, the support may have a reticular structure, or having meshes of predetermined sizes.
The invention will be now shown with the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings in which:
With reference to
As described in detail hereinafter, the infill material, according to the present invention, can be used both for synthetic turfs, i.e. comprising exclusively blades of synthetic material, and for “hybrid” turfs, i.e. comprising both blades of synthetic material and a living vegetable material.
According to the invention, the infill material 10 comprises a predetermined percentage by volume of a vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereal ear. In a possible exemplary embodiment the cereal can be maize and, therefore, the vegetable material is cob.
In the exemplary embodiment of
As shown in the exemplary embodiment of
In another embodiment according to the invention, the infill material 10 can comprise a layer consisting of a mixture of a predetermined percentage volume of rachis of cereal ear which is not coated by a layer or film of material with a predetermined percentage volume of at least another material selected among cereal husks, a loose final product from raw material based on ground cork, a ligninic and/or resinous material of vegetable origin, sand.
In particular, the infill material 10 can be a single layer consisting of a mixture of a predetermined percentage volume of rachis of cereal ear which is not coated by a layer or film of material with a predetermined percentage volume of at least another material selected among cereal husks, a loose final product from material based on ground cork, a ligninic and/or resinous material of vegetable origin, sand.
As anticipated above, according to an embodiment of the invention, the infill material 10 can comprise a predetermined percentage by volume of a vegetable ligninic and/or resinous material i.e. having a high content of lignin and/or resin. The high content of lignin and/or resin makes these material, and therefore the infill material 10 of the whole turf, highly resistant to the attacks of microorganisms and allows, then to avoid the use of antibacterial chemical substances as provided for the turfs of prior art (see for example US2010/055461).
The presence of the ligninic and/or resinous material of vegetable origin allows in any case a slow and graduated decomposition of the material consisting of rachis of cereal ear. This is desired and appreciated, because the presence of a certain amount of microorganisms allows to reproduce a normal activity of a natural turf and allows to regenerate the turf owing to the hygienizing action that causes the elimination of the pathogenic agents and to keep nutritive substances. In order to compensate the slow degradation of the material consisting of rachis of cereal ear it is sufficient to periodically reintegrate the turf with new material. Unlike other solutions of the prior art as for example described in US2010/055461, therefore, it is essential that the material consisting of rachis of cereal ear is not coated by a film of substances that completely inhibit its natural biological activities.
The ligninic and/or resinous material, if present, can be selected from the group consisting of: a loose material based on ground coconut, olive stones, teguments of the cracked pine-kernels, material obtained by de-fibring the cones, in particular cones of arboreous species of the Pinus type, common reed, or Arundo donax, ground into fragments, or particles of predetermined size, teguments of pistachio seeds, barley grain, in particular devitalized for avoiding germination, teguments of sunflower seeds, shells of dried fruits, fragments of banana plant parts, grape seeds and/or grape stalks of Vitis vinifera, Aloe fibres, or a combination thereof. As shown, as an example in
In case the vegetable material is a loose product obtained from a raw material based on ground coconut, preferably it comprises the sole granular and fibrous part contained in the raw material based on the starting coconut. For example, the granular and fibrous part can be obtained undergoing the starting raw material to a separation step of the granular and fibrous part from the powder part that is present in it, as described in detail in WO2008125895. The ligninic and/or resinous material can be mixed with a predetermined percentage by volume of a raw material based on ground cork.
In particular, the above described ligninic material in the presence of humidity form a three-dimensional reticular structure that keeps between its meshes the cereal husks, “trapping” it and so avoiding that it can raise from the turf and scatter in the surrounding environment. This makes it possible to fully exploit the physical properties of the cereal husks, in particular its high porosity and elasticity, and to avoid at the same time that it can hamper the action of the athletes during a sports event, in case it pile up on the surface.
The infill material 10 for synthetic turfs, or hybrid turfs, as described above, is completely, even if slowly, biodegradable because it consists exclusively of organic material. This allows to avoid the disposal of the infill material in controlled dump when the synthetic turf is abandoned.
In the further exemplary embodiment, diagrammatically shown in
In the
The infill material 10 can have the same compositions of the synthetic turfs described with reference to
In this case, the above described property of the cob, as well as generally of the spine of other cereals, provides an auto-regulation of the heat of the turf obtaining ideal environmental conditions for the development of the living vegetable material 100.
The support 2 can provide drainage holes 4, having sizes such that it allows the outflow of the percolated obtained by the drainage action of the infill material, but at the same time to avoid the passage of the roots.
In particular, the aforementioned vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material, can be obtained dried or substantially dried. More in particular, the dried or substantially dried material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material can have a moisture content less than 50%, advantageously less than 40%, preferably less than 30%, more preferably less than 20%.
It is suitable to note that the aforementioned vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material with a moisture content less than 50% has been tested in laboratory for measuring its water absorption capacity. More precisely, an amount of 50 grams of dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated, in an oven up to obtain a vegetable material with a moisture content less than 50%, precisely about 49.5%, has been introduced into a container having a diameter of 5.7 cm. Water has been added into the container giving the vegetable material the time of absorbing the same, the total weight of the added and absorbed water has been measured, and, therefore, the ratio between the weight of the vegetable material, precisely corncob, i.e. 50 g, and the weight of the added and absorbed water equal to about 98 g, i.e. the total weight of the swollen sample is 148 g. This way, the water absorption capacity of the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material dried or substantially dried, has been measured showing to be about 196%, which is significantly greater than 138% of the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material with a moisture content of about 65-70% as indicated above. Repeating the test for the same sample of dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer of film of material but with a moisture content of about 30%, the water absorption capacity calculated was about 220%.
The dried or substantially dried material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material as above described can be obtained by subjecting to an “ensilage” process a determined amount of vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear which is not coated by a film or layer of coating material.
In the embodiment according to the invention, which is diagrammatically shown in
Advantageously, as diagrammatically shown in
Advantageously, the aforementioned dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material, at the end of the aforementioned treatment has a pH≤5, advantageously a pH≤4.5, preferably a pH≤4.
More in particular, a reduction of pH up to a value comprised between 4 and 5, i.e. 45 pH≤5, can occur, in particular following an acetic aerobics fermentation. The acidification of the environment internal to the silo leads to the development of lactic bacteria which operate the lactic fermentation, bringing the pH to values even less than 4.
In particular, the aforementioned vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material dried or substantially dried, can be used for obtaining at least a performance infill of a turf.
In an embodiment of the invention, at least 70% in volume, advantageously at least 80% in volume, of the infill material 10 can be formed by the aforementioned dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear which is not coated by a layer or film of coating material. In an embodiment of the invention, the infill material can 10 be formed only by the aforementioned dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material, as described above.
In particular, with reference again to
The stabilizing infill 11 can be a layer of sand, in particular siliceous sand. In an alternative embodiment according to the invention, the stabilizing infill 11 can be a layer comprising a mix of sand and dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material. For example, the aforementioned mix of the stabilizing infill can comprise between 20% and 80% in volume of sand, and between 20% and 80% in volume of dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear which is not coated by a layer or film of coating material.
The combined use of sand and dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material, allows to obtain a turf 1 which is highly draining and because of the properties of the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear to prevent the sand which is present in the stabilizing infill from becoming compact and, therefore, the synthetic turf owing to water irrigation or rain from flooding. In other words, the presence of the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear guarantees the maintenance, over time, of the effectiveness of the drainage action of the layer of sand.
Furthermore, as shown in detail in
As shown in
The dried or substantially dried vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material, as describe above can be used as infill material 10 of a turf 1 of synthetic type (
According to the invention, the vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereal ear can be, advantageously, rounded by subjecting the vegetable material consisting of rachis of cereal ear to a rounding treatment. As diagrammatically shown in the figures from 10 to 12, the rounding treatment can be carried out by a device for carrying out the rounding treatment. For example, the aforementioned device for carrying out the rounding treatment can be a rotary drum, in particular a rotary drum sieve 300. In this latter case, the same device can carry out both a granulometry selection in order to have a material with a size comprised between 0.3 mm and 5.0 mm, by using a sieve with meshes of predetermined size, and the rounding of the treated material in order to have a rounded material. In other embodiments according to the invention, however, the selection treatment, in particular a sieving treatment, can be carried out by a first apparatus, for example a sieve, in order to select the vegetable material having a size greater than 0.3 mm, which is used in the infill material 10, and to discharge, instead, the vegetable material with a smaller size. In this case, the rounding treatment can be carried out by a second apparatus different from the first apparatus used for the selection treatment.
In the case of a rotary drum sieve 300, this can be provided with a container body 301 within which the starting aforementioned vegetable material can be introduced, for example by a loading hopper 303 guiding the same towards an inlet 304 of which the container body 301 is provided with. Within the rotary drum sieve 300, a moving device 305, for example an Archimedean screw, or an endless screw, or an element provided with a plurality of blades, can be mounted. More in detail, the moving device 305 moves the worked vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material 5 and pushes the same against a perforated sieve 306 arranged around the same. The perforated sieve 306, for example cylindrical, or substantially cylindrical, or conical, or however tubular, shape, is provided with holes of predetermined size. During the treatment within the rotary drum sieve 300, the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material 5 is rounded as a result of the impact of the same against the internal wall of the sieve 306 and of the displacement caused by the moving device 305. In this way, the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material 5 reduces its size up to pass through the aforementioned holes 307 having predetermined size. The rounded vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material and with reduced size 5′, in particular less than the size of the holes 307, passes through the sieve 306 and exits the containing body 301 through a discharge aperture 308. The rotary drum sieve 300 can be provided with a first motor 311 adapted to cause by a first motion transmission element 312, for example a first transmission belt, the rotation about a rotational axis 310, of the displacement member 305. Furthermore, a second motor 313 can be provided configured to cause the sieve 306 to rotate about the rotation axis 310 by a second motion transmission element 314, for example a second transmission belt.
The rotary drum sieve 300 can be, furthermore, provided with an outlet, not shown in the figure for simplicity, positioned at the end portion opposite with respect to the inlet 304 and through which the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material 5 which is still larger than those of the holes 307 of the sieve 306 is discharged to be subjected again to a treatment. In particular, the aforementioned holes 307 of the sieve 306 can have a size comprised between 0.5 mm and 5.0 mm, advantageously comprised between 0.6 mm and 4 mm, preferably between 0.7 mm and 3.6 mm.
At the end of the rounding treatment, and, in case, at the contemporary sieving treatment, the aforementioned rounded vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material is obtained (an enlargement of which is shown in
As diagrammatically shown in
In particular, the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material, advantageously rounded, has a bulk density comprised between 0.3 kg/dm3 and 0.5 kg/dm3, preferably between 0.35 kg/dm3 and 0.55 kg/dm3.
The dried or at least partly dried and rounded vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear, to be precise corn cob, not coated by a film or layer of coating material 6, has been tested in laboratory by using a container, where a quantity of about 50 grams of dried or substantially dried and rounded vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material 6, with an initial moisture, or moisture content, less than 50% and precisely about 49.6%, has been introduced. Adding water into the container and giving the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear 6 the time of absorbing the same, the total weight of the absorbed water has been resulted to be equal to 128 g, i.e. the total weight of the swollen sample was 178 g and, therefore, the water absorption capacity of this vegetable material 6 is greater than 256%. Repeating the test for a moisture content less than 30%, and precisely about 29.5%, the total weight of the absorbed water has been resulted to be equal to 152 g, i.e. the total weight of the swollen sample was 202 g and, therefore, the calculated water absorption capacity of this vegetable material 6 was about 304%. It has, therefore, been concluded that the vegetable material 6 obtained at the end of the rounding process described above has a water absorption capacity significatively higher than that of the dried or substantially dried vegetable material 6 described above with the same moisture content (about 50% and about 30%) but not rounded.
The vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material dried or partly dried and rounded 6 obtained by subjecting the material both to the rounding treatment and to the drying treatment as described above, can be introduced within the bags 60. In particular, the vegetable material of rachis of cereal ear not coated by a layer or film of coating material, in case rounded and/or dried or substantially dried, contained within the bag 60 remains at the same, or substantially the same, predetermined moisture content indicated above, for example less than 50%, in particular less than 40%, advantageously less than 30%, preferably less than 20%, more preferably less than 10%, during its transportation from the production site up to its distribution on the second face of the mat 2 for obtaining the turf 1 at the use site.
The foregoing description of an embodiment of the method and of the apparatus according to the invention will so fully reveal the invention according to the conceptual point of view so that other, by applying current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt in various applications this specific embodiment without further research and without parting from the invention, and, accordingly, it is meant that such adaptations and modifications will have to be considered as equivalent to the exemplified specific embodiment. The means and the materials to realise the different functions described herein could have a different nature without, for this reason, departing from the field of the invention. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology that is employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PI2012A000099 | Sep 2012 | IT | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14431381 | Mar 2015 | US |
| Child | 17038374 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17038374 | Sep 2020 | US |
| Child | 18818985 | US |
