Abstract:
The invention relates to a cleaning device particularly for grassed areas. The cleaning device includes a cylindrical brush in contact with a rear roller to clean the roller. The brush can be adjusted to a working height relative to the chassis of the device, along an arcuate path having a center situated on the longitudinal axis of the roller.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cleaning device notably for a turfed area. The invention finds application in the field of green spaces, such as golf courses, football pitches, or other fields. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1-3  schematically illustrate a known device for cleaning a turfed area. 
     This device comprises a chassis, not shown, on which are positioned, relative to the working or moving direction of the device, symbolized by the arrow F, a rear roller  1 , which may roll on the turfed area, and a front cylindrical brush  2  parallel to the roller, the latter and the cylindrical brush  2  being positioned transverse to the working direction F of the device. 
     The cylindrical brush  2  is driven by a hydraulic, electric or other motor, not shown, driving the brush in the opposite direction to the rotation of the roller  1 . Thus, the cylindrical brush  2  allows collection of debris D present on the turfed area in front of the brush and their projection into a rear recovery or collecting bin  3  secured to the chassis of the device. 
     Such a device may be hitched to the rear of a tractor-drawn ground working machine, such as a machine for dethatching or coring the ground. 
     However, this known device has the drawback that the debris left behind the ground working machine is not all projected by the cylindrical brush  2  into the recovery bin  3 , and debris escaping from the action of the cylindrical brush  2 , reach the rear roller as illustrated in  FIG. 2  and accumulate around the roller and form a layer increasing the diameter of the roller  1  all along the forward movement of the device, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     This accumulation of debris around the rear roller  1  perturbs proper picking-up of the debris by the cylindrical brush  2  because the latter has a height adjusted relative to the ground which increases gradually as the diameter of the rear roller  1  increases, a height which may be such that the cylindrical brush no longer acts on the turfed area and can no longer recover the debris for transferring it into the recovery bin  3 . 
     In order to solve this problem, attempts were made to use a scraping tool  4 , such as a blade, for cleaning the rear roller  1  during the movement of the device, but such a solution has the drawback that the debris or residue detached from the roller  1  by the scraping tool  4  fall behind the roller thereby leaving residue on the ground. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks of known devices for cleaning a turfed area. 
     For this purpose, the invention provides a device for cleaning a turfed area, comprising a chassis on which are positioned a rear roller, which may roll on the turfed area, and a front cylindrical brush parallel to the roller, mounted to rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation of the roller, and with which debris present on the turfed area may be picked up in order to project it into a recovery bin secured to the chassis, and which is characterized in that the cylindrical brush is in contact with the rear roller in order to clean the latter and may be adjusted to a working height relative to the chassis according to an arc path, the centre of which is located on the longitudinal axis of the rear roller. 
     Advantageously, the chassis comprises two rigid side flanges between which the rear roller is rotatably mounted and a plate adjacent to each side flange, which may pivot under the action of at least one adjustment means, relative to the side flange around the longitudinal axis of the rear roller to a position of adjustment of the cylindrical brush to its working height at which the adjacent plate is attached to the side flange, both adjacent plates supporting together the cylindrical brush in front of the rear roller. 
     The cylindrical brush is driven by a motor, such as an electric or hydraulic motor, secured to one of the plates supporting this brush, outside this plate and in front of the rear roller. 
     The adjustment means comprises a screw passing through a sheath connected to the supporting plate of the cylindrical brush and the end of which bears upon an abutment portion secured to the corresponding side flange. 
     The sheath is secured to an external plate adjacent to the corresponding flange opposite the internal supporting plate of the cylindrical brush and connected to the internal supporting plate by the fixing bolt passing through a bore of the external plate. 
     The external plate includes graduations which may face a fixed mark of the corresponding flange in order to indicate the working height of the cylindrical brush. 
     Each supporting plate of the cylindrical brush is attached by two screws to two bearing supports of the corresponding end of the rear roller; the heads of the fixing screws are respectively housed in two arched lumens of the corresponding side flange concentric with the longitudinal axis of the rear roller. 
     The bearing support is pivotally mounted in the corresponding flange with a bushing secured to this support. 
     The device comprises two means for respectively pivoting and adjusting both supporting plates of the cylindrical brush. 
     The rear roller and the cylindrical brush extend transverse to the working direction of the device which is hitched to the rear of a drawing tractor or of a machine for dethatching or coring the ground, itself hitched to the rear of a drawing tractor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       The invention will be better understood, and other objects, characteristics, details and advantages thereof will become more clearly apparent in the explanatory description which follows, made with reference to the appended drawings only given as an example illustrating an embodiment of the invention and wherein: 
         FIGS. 1-3  schematically illustrate a device from the prior art for cleaning turfed areas; 
         FIG. 4  schematically illustrates, in a side view, a device for cleaning a turfed area according to the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the cleaning device of the invention hitched to a machine for de-thatching the ground; 
         FIG. 6  is a rear perspective view of three quarters of the assembly of  FIG. 5  without the recovery bin of the cleaning device; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged side view along the arrow VII of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial perspective view along the arrow VIII of  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIGS. 9-11  illustrate alternative configurations of the bristles of a brush of the device of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 4  schematically illustrates a device according to the invention with which in particular turfed areas may be cleaned. 
     This device comprises a chassis, which will be specifically defined in  FIGS. 5-8 , on which are positioned a roller  1  located rearwards relative to the forward movement or working direction F of the device and which may roll on the turfed area in order to be used as a ground support for the device, and a front cylindrical brush  2  parallel to the roller  1  while extending transverse to the forward movement direction F of the device. 
     The cylindrical brush  2  is rotatably mounted on the chassis to rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation of the roller  1 . This brush allows debris present on the turfed area to be picked up in order to project it rearwards with centrifugal force into a bin for recovering or picking up debris  3 , secured to the chassis. In an alternative not shown, the debris may be projected on a conveyor belt, which deposits the debris in a trailer of a tractor, following the device of the invention. 
     According to the invention, the cylindrical brush  2  is in contact with the rear roller  1  in order to continuously clean the latter and may be adjusted to a working height h relative to the chassis and, therefore to the ground, following an arc path, the centre A of which is located on the longitudinal axis of the rear roller  1 . 
       FIG. 4  schematically shows the connection between each of the ends of the cylindrical brush  2  and of the rear roller  1  by means of an arm or a pivoting plate B allowing the brush  2  to pivot around the longitudinal axis of the roller  1  upwards or downwards upon adjusting the brush to its working height h. This working height depends on the height relative to the ground of the grass to be cleaned so that the bristles  2   a  of the brush may penetrate into the grass without touching the ground. 
     In operation, the cylindrical brush  2 , by brushing, picks up the debris present in the grass in front of the brush in order to project it upwards and rearwards into the recovery bin  3  and, at the same time, the brush  2  permanently cleans the rear roller  1  in order to avoid any deposit of debris on the perimeter of this roller, thereby optimizing the picking-up of debris because the working height of the brush relative to the ground is maintained constant. 
       FIGS. 5-8  illustrate a preferred embodiment of the cleaning device of the invention, the operating principle of which corresponding to that of the cleaning device described in  FIG. 4 . 
     The cleaning device of  FIGS. 5-8  will be described as being hitched to the rear of a machine M for dethatching the ground, itself hitched to the rear of a drawing tractor, not shown, but it is well understood that this device may be hitched to the rear of any other ground working machine, such as, for example, a machine for coring the ground, or quite simply to the rear of a drawing tractor with a standard three point attachment. 
     The cleaning device comprises a chassis  5  comprising two rigid side flanges  6  positioned parallel to the forward movement direction F of the assembly formed by the machine M and the cleaning device and which are respectively attached to the internal faces of two sidewalls  7  secured to the chassis of the machine M behind the latter. 
     Each of the two flanges  6  includes at its upper portion a rigid arm  8  extending rearwards from this flange. The recovery bin  3  is removably attached to two rear arms  8  of the chassis  5 . 
     The rear roller  1  is mounted to freely rotate between both side flanges  6 . More specifically, each of the ends of this roller is rotatably mounted in at least one bearing of the ball or needle type, not shown, attached in a bearing support  9  as a substantially lozenge-shaped plate attached by two fixing screws  10  to the internal face of a supporting plate  11  of the front cylindrical brush  2  and which may pivot around the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the roller  1  as this will be seen later on. 
     The heads  12  of both screws  10  for attaching the bearing support  9  to the supporting plate  11  of the cylindrical brush  2  are respectively housed in two arched lumens  13  made through each rigid flange  6 . Both arched lumens  13  have their centre of radius of curvature located on the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the roller  1  extending perpendicularly to the flanges  6  and are symmetrical to this axis. 
     Each bearing support  9  includes a bushing  14  coaxial with the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the roller  1 , passing through the supporting plate  11  of the roller  2  and the corresponding flange  6  so that the assembly formed by the bearing support  9  and the plate  11  may rotate, by a determined angular value, relative to the flange  6  around the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ upon adjusting the working height of the cylindrical brush  2 . 
     Each of the supporting plates  11  of the cylindrical brush  2  is normally attached to the corresponding flange  6  via two fixing bolts  15 , respectively, passing through two bores of the plate  11  and two arched lumens  16  made through the corresponding flange  6 , both lumens  16  being located on the same circumference and with a centre of a radius of curvature located on the axis Y-Y′ of the roller  1 . 
     A plate  17  is attached to the external face of each flange  6  opposite the internal face of this flange on which the corresponding plate  11  for supporting the cylindrical brush  2  is attached by two bolts  15 , the screws of which respectively pass through two bores of the plate  17  which may therefore be blocked with the plate  11  to the flange  6  by tightening the nuts  18  of the bolts  15 , in a determined position of two arched lumens  16 . 
     A means  19  is attached to each of the plates  17  and allows adjustment of the working height of the cylindrical brush  2 . 
     Each adjustment means  19  comprises an internally tapped sheath  20 , attached for example by welding, to the external face of the corresponding plate  17 , and a screw  21  passing through the sheath  20  and the end of which, opposite its head  22 , bears upon an abutment plate  23  secured to the flange  6  or to the chassis  5  of the cleaning device. 
     Each plate  17  comprises a plurality of graduations  24  consisting of small windows which may be selectively brought to face a fixed mark R secured to the external face of the corresponding flange  6  so as to indicate the working height of the cylindrical brush  2 . 
     Both plates  11  include two parallel arms  11   a  extending in front of the roller  1  towards the machine M and between which is rotatably mounted the cylindrical brush  2  which is thus positioned between the roller  1  and a roller  26  for supporting blades  27  for dethatching the ground, of the machine M. 
     The cylindrical brush  2  is driven into rotation by an electric or hydraulic motor  28  attached to the external face of one of the arms  11   a  for supporting the brush  2  coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the latter to drive the brush  2  in the direction of rotation opposite to that of the roller  1  during the movement of the machine M in the F direction. 
     A cylindrical bar  29  may be attached between both flanges  6  behind the roller  1  in order to ensure their stiffening. 
     The adjustment of the working height of the cylindrical brush  2  already emerges from the preceding description and will now be explained. 
     The operator first of all loosens both nuts  18  of the fixing bolts  15  and then by means of a wrench acts on each screw  21  head  22  in order to drive each of the screws  21  in one direction or in the other in order to move the screws of the bolts  15  in their respective curvilinear lumens  16  in the corresponding direction in order to simultaneously displace each plate  17  and each plate  11  supporting the cylindrical brush  2  around the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the roller  1 . In this way, the cylindrical brush  2  is displaced relative to the flanges  6  and, therefore, relative to the roller  1 , following a curved trajectory symbolized by the double arrow T in  FIG. 7  and with a centre located on the Y-Y′ axis of the roller  1 . 
     It should be noted that during the pivoting of the cylindrical brush  2  around the Y-Y′ axis, the heads  12  of the fixing screws  10  move in their respective curvilinear lumens  13  of the flanges  6  with concomitant pivoting of the bearing supports  9  relative to the flanges  6  via the bushings  14 . 
     The pivoting of the cylindrical brush  2  around the axis Y-Y′ therefore allows positioning of this brush at a working height depending on the height of the grass to be cleaned. 
     Once this adjustment has been carried out with visual indication of the working height of the brush  2  by the graduations  24 , the operator again tightens both nuts  18  in order to block the pairs of plates  17 ,  11  to their respective flanges  6  and, consequently, to block the cylindrical brush  2  at its working height. 
     By pivoting the cylindrical brush  2  around the axis Y-Y′ of the roller  1 , it is possible to maintain constant the distance or friction pressure of the bristles of the brush  2  on the roller  1  for cleaning the latter. 
     The cleaning device of the invention allows both cleaning of the ground and of the following roller, and the debris removed from the roller  1  by the bristles of the brush  2  may be almost completely transported by the brush  2  into the recovery bin  3 , thereby avoiding the presence of debris behind the roller  1 . Further, the adjustment of the working height of the cylindrical brush is extremely simple and may be carried out very easily. 
     The bristles  2   a  of the cylindrical brush  2  instead of being positioned in-line as illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , may consist of several circular portions parallel to each other along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder or be helically positioned along this cylinder as illustrated in  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 10  shows that the bristles  2   a  of the brush  2  consist of sections of in-line bristles alternately positioned along the brush  2 , i.e. angularly shifted regularly along the latter. According to  FIG. 11 , the bristles  2   a  of the brush  2  are positioned forming a herringbone pattern.