Patent Application
20070044668
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for forming straight edge wattle and straight edge wattle formed thereby.
2. Description of Related Art
Wattles are tubes of straw encased within a plastic netting or burlap which are affixed to a slope or other landscape to provide erosion control, sediment control and storm water runoff control. A typical wattle may be 8-9 inches diameter and about 25 feet long, though the diameter and length may vary. Wattles help to stabilize slopes by slowing, spreading and filtering overland water flow. Wattles also capture sediment, enabling seeds to settle and germinate, while preventing sediment from polluting lakes and waterways. Wattles are also used on flat ground projects such as constriction sites.
Conventional wattles are formed from straw bales which is pulverized and/or shredded, and then fed into a hopper. From the hopper, the pulverized straw is forced by an auger or other means through a chute in the hopper into a length of netting to form a wattle of desired length. Of significance, the pulverized straw has no inherent shape to it. The netting is generally cylindrical, and the finished wattle is cylindrical. As such, the wattle will roll or move unless properly staked, and, of the circular cross-sectional diameter, a small portion of the wattle actually lies in contact with the ground.
The present invention relates in general to a method of forming a straight edge wattle, and a straight edge wattle formed thereby. In embodiments, a wattle is formed with one or more straight edges, and may have a square cross-section. Wattles according to the present invention may be formed from a conventional hay bale by sawing the hay bales into wattles. Sawing the hay into wattles, instead of first pulverizing the hay and then forcing it into the netting, allows the wattles to have a predetermined cross-sectional shape.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to
According to embodiments of the present invention, the wattle 100 is formed with one or more straight edges. In embodiments, the wattle may have a square cross section, as shown in the top and side views of
Wattle 100 may be formed from a conventional hay bale 110 (
Hay bales 110 are sawed into wattles 100. Sawing the hay into wattles, instead of first pulverizing the hay and then forcing it into the netting, allows the wattles to have a predetermined cross-sectional shape. The bales 110 may be sawed into a variety of sizes and shapes. For example, a 16×24 square inch bale may be sawed into four sections of 16×6 (
An apparatus and process for forming the wattles of these and other dimensions is disclosed in
Once the sections are cut, a scissor lift 140 then lifts each of the cut sections upward successively. Once a section reaches a conveyor 145 at elevation 150, it is pushed forward by a plunger 160. Thus, where hay bale 110 is cut into three sections, the first section is raised upward until it reaches conveyor 145 at elevation 150, where plunger 160 pushes the first section forward; the second section is raised until it reaches elevation 150, where plunger 160 pushes the second section forward; and the third section is raised until it reaches elevation 150, where plunger 160 pushes the third section forward.
In embodiments, the hay bale may be further cut parallel to a plane including the height and length of the bale to form the original bale into six sections. In such embodiments, the plunger 160 pushes the sections forward to be cut by one or more saws 170 along a dimension substantially perpendicular to the first cuts. It is understood that the second cut need not be perpendicular to the first cuts and may be a variety of oblique angles.
In embodiments where the sections are cut by saw 170, the sections are then pushed into netting 180 which is bunched up on the ends of conveyor 145. Successive sections of cut bale are pushed into netting 180 to form wattles of any desired length. The wattle may be sealed at its front end by a tie 190. When a wattle is made to the desired length, it may be sealed at its rear end by a second tie 195.
Having one or more flat edges, the wattle may lie flat against the ground. Thus, the wattle does not roll or otherwise move, even when positioned on a slope. Moreover, having a flat surface in contact with the ground, a lot more of the wattle lies in contact with the ground in comparison to a conventional cylindrical wattle. Moreover, conventional wattles collapse relatively quickly because the hay fibers have no uniform orientation within the wattle and therefore impart relatively poor strength to the wattles. However, in the present invention, the hay may align in a uniform orientation, thereby imparting superior strength and longevity to the wattles according to the present invention.
While wattles 100 may be formed from hay, for example, rice hay, it is understood that other vegetation and materials may be used to form wattles 100 in alternative embodiments.
The foregoing detailed description of the inventive system has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the inventive system to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the inventive system and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the inventive system in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the inventive system be defined by the claims appended hereto.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/710,434 filed on Aug. 23, 2005.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60710434 | Aug 2005 | US |
