Patent Application
20200222733
Forest fires appear to have become more common in recent years, and more disastrous when they do strike. Dried undergrowth provides fuel for fires, and is partly to blame. The number and severity of forest fires can be reduced by maintaining healthy ecosystems, to alleviate and reduce hazardous fuel sources through mitigation pertaining to forest fires. However, many areas are difficult to manage with heavy equipment, and therefore go largely unmanaged.
The traditional method of clearing ground fuels and litter is to use a typical garden or leaf rake. The problem with using a typical garden or leaf rake for this task is that it can clog up very quickly with leaves, pine needles, pine cones, and other small matter. This necessitates clearing by hand every few minutes in order to continue working.
In an example, the mitigation device disclosed herein may be implemented as an effective management tool to maintain the health of various ecosystems, to alleviate and reduce hazardous ground fuels and litter that feed wildfires through mitigation pertaining to forest fires, while simultaneously aerating the soil in areas that are difficult to manage with other hand tools or with larger equipment. The mitigation device does not clog with pine needles, leaves, twigs, cones or other ground duff, and thus can be implemented to remove ground fuels faster and more efficiently than tools currently on the market.
The mitigation device is suitable for professional firefighting and forestry uses, but can also be used by the homeowner (e.g., for gardening and lawn care). There is no limited as to end-use or end-user. The example mitigation device is a utility tool that can be used by homeowners, residents, schools, rural and urban parks, trails and by environmental and conservation groups, State, Federal and Tribal agencies for open space and wildland/urban interface areas, to name a few example end-users of the device. The mitigation device can be used in grassland, marshes, watershed restoration, savannas, palm forests, sagebrush, desert lands, shrub lands, boreal, tropical and temperate forests, to name only a few examples.
Before continuing, it is noted that as used herein, the terms “includes” and “including” mean, but is not limited to, “includes” or “including” and “includes at least” or “including at least.” The term “based on” means “based on” and “based at least in part on.”
An example of the mitigation device 10 includes a spine 12, and a plurality of linear tines 14 extending in two opposite directions from the spine 12. The mitigation device 10 also includes a socket 16 on the spine 12 to receive a handle 18. In an example, the handle has a diameter of about one and one-eighth inch, and is about 60 inches long.
In the example shown, the mitigation device 10 has six tines 14 with three tines 14 on each side of the socket 16. In another example, the mitigation device 10 has ten tines 14 with five tines 14 on each side of the socket 16. However, the mitigation device 10 is not limited to any number of tines 14, and can have more or less tines 14. In an example, the tines 14 are cold rolled steal having a diameter of about one-quarter to five-sixteenth of an inch. The tines 14 may be spaced about three inches part from one another on the spine. However, the tines may be spaced at other distances that are greater than or less than three inches.
In the example shown, each of the tines 14 extend about one-third the length of the tine 14 on a first side (e.g., top as shown in
In an example, the head of the mitigation device is configured to stand upright on its own; there is no need to lean it against a wall or other object. This is considered a built-in safety feature that allows the mitigation device to stand upright on its own. That is, when stored in the upright position, the tines do not create a tripping or falling hazard.
In an example, the tines 14 are substantially perpendicular to the socket 16 and the handle 18 and configured to support the handle 18 in a substantially upright position perpendicular to the ground when the tines are laid substantially flat on the ground. For example, the overall length and/or the proportion of the length of the tines 14 on either side of the spine 12 may be selected to balance the handle in the upright position. Likewise, the nose 17 of the socket may be substantially level with or recessed slightly relative to the spine 12 so that the tines lay substantially flat on the ground with the handle 18 in the upright position.
In an example, the spine 12 includes a first support 20 mounted on a first side (e.g., front as shown in
In an example, the first support 20 of the spine 12 is substantially rectangular with semicircular ends. For example, the rectangle may have a width of about one and three-quarters of an inch, and a length of about one foot and four-and-one-half inches. For example, the semicircular ends of the first support 20 may have a curvature radius of about five-eighths of an inch to about seven-eighths of an inch. The second support 22 of the spine 12 is also substantially rectangular with semicircular ends. For example, the semicircular ends of the second support 22 may have a curvature radius of between about five-eighths of an inch (e.g., inner diameter) and about seven-eighths of an inch (e.g., outer diameter).
In an example, the mitigation device 10 is inexpensive to produce. The mitigation device 10 is lightweight and can be readily transported to remote areas and used where heavy equipment may not be able to access. As such, the mitigation device 10 can be implemented in management and abatement of forest fire fuels and other natural disasters in various ecosystems by aiding in the removal of slash, debris, duff, and shed vegetation to effectively accomplish vegetation management, and the removal of float barriers on oil spills, to name only a few examples.
It is noted that the examples shown and described herein are provided for purposes of illustration, and are not intended to be limiting. Other devices and/or device configurations may be utilized to carry out the operations described herein.
In example operations, the components and connections depicted in the figures may be used. The operations described herein are provided to illustrate example implementations. It is noted that the operations are not limited to the ordering shown. Still other operations may also be implemented.
In use, the tool may be held at about a 45-degree angle relative to the ground, and lightly operated or “jiggled” in a front-to-back motion. The ground debris begins to gather together into a cluster that rolls upon itself. As the user steps backward and continues the motion, the bundle of debris gathers together in a pile. There is no need to apply pressure or use a traditional “raking” movement.
The mitigation device can be implemented to effectively remove litter as small as pine needles and as large as fallen tree branches with little physical effort. The piles of debris gathered by mitigation device can be lifted into a receptacle using the long tines, eliminating the need for a second tool like a shovel.
The unique design also enables aerating the soil simultaneously while it is gathering ground materials. The mitigation device may also be implemented to remove dead plants from the ground without harming living plants in the work area so that it can be used over and around living plants without harming them. This makes the mitigation device effective for clearing weeds, rocks, and other unwanted debris from garden beds and under or around bushes and larger plants.
It is noted that the examples shown and described are provided for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting. Still other examples are also contemplated.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/790,562 filed Jan. 10, 2019 for “Mitigation Device” of William Link, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as though fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62790562 | Jan 2019 | US |
