Abstract:
A portable device for evacuating liquids from areas where pooling occurs, or for places where pooled spilled liquids require removal, which can be mounted to a vehicle, and is operable by a single person, and which is characterized by a novel pump housing and novel straining means. An example for the use of the present invention is the removal of standing water from a sand trap on a golf course.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from provisional patent applications 60/665,750 entitled, “Device For Removing Water From Sand Traps” filed on Mar. 28, 2005, and 60/749,216 entitled, “Device for Evacuating Liquids” filed on Dec. 9, 2005. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention is generally directed to a device for evacuating liquids from areas where pooling can occur, or for places where pooled spilled liquids require removal. The present invention is designed to be portable, can be mounted to a vehicle, and is operable by a single person. An example for the use of the present invention is the removal of standing water from a sand trap on a golf course. 
       BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0003]    The sport of golf has undergone tremendous growth and increased popularity as a participatory and spectator event in recent years. The demand for tee times and green fees has increased as well. Green fees exceeding one hundred dollars for a round of golf are not uncommon with tee times five to ten minutes apart for most courses. Real estate values have also increased with the value of course land and commensurate taxes increasing as well. Therefore it is imperative for golf courses to maximize their time of operation. However, golf is an outdoor game and is subject to the constraints of the weather. Precipitation of as little as three quarters of an inch can flood a course and disrupt play. 
         [0004]    Historically, golf courses throughout the industry have struggled with water standing in sand traps that are also known as bunkers. A typical course can have upwards of one hundred and forty bunkers. Bunker design and bunker drainage techniques have been employed to alleviate the problem of standing water in sand traps. Despite these techniques, the problem of flooded sand traps still persists. The flooding of thirty to forty sand traps can close a course for the day. Needless to say, the course closure results in an economic loss for the owners and employees and disappointed golfers. 
         [0005]    Existing techniques employed to remove water from the sand traps include siphoning water from the traps using hoses; scooping and removing the water using buckets; and employing trash and diaphragm pumps powered by gas powered generators. Use of these methods is time consuming and often requires several man hours to remove the water from the sand traps. When using pumps in connection with gas powered generators, often two or three individuals are required to move the heavy equipment around the course. The methods currently employed are burdensome and time consuming and therefore delay the readiness of the course for play. Indeed, current methods require between forty five to ninety minutes per bunker with two to four people on a crew. Therefore, there is a need for a time efficient and user friendly solution to remove water from flooded sand traps and to minimize golf course downtime and maximize course play. 
         [0006]    Irrigation devices proposed by Hundeby (U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,832) and Tofin et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,274) have the ability to distribute a body of water to a surrounding area. The agricultural water canon presented by Hundeby has a suction pod mounted on a elongated wheeled extension boom designed to be used with a tractor. The Hundeby device is optimized for a farming environment, and is not suited for use on the contours generally found on an athletic field or golf course. In addition, the Hundeby device is not designed to be used with maintenance equipment that is generally found at athletic facilities and golf courses, and lacks the compactness of the present invention. The portable irrigation apparatus presented by Tofin et al. has a more compact design and is intended for use on sports fields and golf courses, however, it is not designed for clearing sand trap bunkers of water. The Tofin et al. device is mounted on a trailer and lacks the ability of quick changing only the pumping device and it has no strainer and deflection plate to keep out sand and debris from the pump during operation. In addition, the Tofin et al. device relies on a hose to supply the source of water to the pump, and requires the operator to dismount from a transporter and stretch out and collect the hose from the water source, a step previously stated as the common practice. 
         [0007]    The present invention provides a compact and portable sand trap maintenance device which can be easily transported to a sand trap, and has a housing that can be readily and quickly mounted to a carrier commonly found on bunker rake or similar vehicles that are used by course maintenance crews. A single operator can transport and lower the device into the sand trap for removal of the water from the bunker. The time required to evacuate the water from a bunker with the present invention has been reduced to usually less than five minutes. 
         [0008]    Additional embodiments and applications of the present portable pump device include the evacuation of liquids from athletic fields, construction sites, roadways, and areas where pooled liquids are required to be cleared. The portable pump device overcomes the problems presented in the prior art and provides additional advantages over the prior art. Such advantages will become clear upon a reading of the attached specification in combination with a study of the drawings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention addresses the difficulties and defects that are encountered with existing devices and methods for evacuating liquids. The invention provides for a compact device and method for evacuating liquids from areas where pooling can occur, or for places where pooled spilled liquids require removal. The present invention is portable, can be quickly and easily mounted to a transport vehicle, and is operable by a single person. The present invention is comprised of a pump contained in a novel light weight single piece pump housing that supports a drive source or motor, a discharge pipe, and provides connection points to a carrier for attachment to a transport vehicle. The device may be attached to a hydraulic lift assembly provided by the transport vehicle to raise and lower the portable pump device embodying the invention. The pump housing also includes a pump chamber to accommodate an impeller. The impeller is attached to the drive shaft of the drive source. The drive source may take the form of a combustion engine or electric or hydraulic motor. The drive source may obtain its fuel or energy supply from an independent fuel supply tank or independent battery or draw off from the transport vehicle fuel tank or battery. In the case of a hydraulic motor the transport vehicle hydraulic system can be employed to run the portable pump device embodying the invention. The use of quick connect connectors generally available on vehicles with hydraulic systems serve as connection points for hydraulic lines that power the hydraulic motor of the device embodying the invention. 
         [0010]    In order to avoid sucking in large particles, rocks or sand that may damage the invention, and also to avoid distributing the particles, rocks, and sand on the playing or course surface, a specially designed guard plate and strainer are located in the pumps intake area. The guard plate is of a larger diameter than that of the strainer and pump chamber. The larger diameter of the guard plate deflects unwanted matter from entering or clogging the strainer, as liquid is drawn in from above the guard plate area. 
         [0011]    A directional nozzle assembly is connected at the output of the discharge pipe to control and direct the stream of liquid that is being evacuated from the target source of liquid. 
         [0012]    A typical application of the present invention provides for a sand trap maintenance device which can be easily transported to a sand trap using a bunker rake or similar vehicle. The device may be adapted for attachment to the hydraulic lift assembly of the vehicle in place of the rake equipment. A single operator can transport and lower the device into the sand trap for removal of the water from the bunker. In operation, as liquid is drawn in by the invention, it is expelled through the discharge pipe and the directional nozzle assembly as a high pressure liquid stream away from the sand trap. The operator is able to direct the high pressure liquid stream by adjusting the directional nozzle assembly in both the horizontal and vertical planes. Upon completion of evacuating the water from the bunker, the device is raised up, and the vehicle is driven to the next bunker to repeat the process. 
         [0013]    In various embodiments of the present invention, the device can be mounted to the front, rear, sides or undercarriage of the transport vehicle. In a further embodiment rake attachments are adapted for connection to the device for a single integrated sand trap clearing and surface conditioning maintenance solution 
       OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    It is the object of the present invention to provide a device that can evacuate liquids from a standing pool, concavity, or improperly sloped drainage area. 
         [0015]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that is relatively light weight and portable and easy to handle, install and remove. 
         [0016]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that is easily and quickly mountable to a vehicle and transportable to the area from which liquids are to be evacuated. 
         [0017]    Another object is to provide a device that can be powered by a power source that is available from the vehicle the device is mounted to. 
         [0018]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can be easily operated by a single operator. 
         [0019]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a device that can be operated without demounting the vehicle. 
         [0020]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a device to remove liquids, in general, water, from athletic fields and golf course sand traps in an efficient manner. 
         [0021]    Another object is to provide pump apparatus for draining sand traps and the lift which includes a novel housing member forming a part of the device and allows for efficient support of the apparatus components. 
         [0022]    Another object is to provide novel straining members for pump apparatus used in draining sand traps and the like. 
         [0023]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a carrier which is a hydraulic lift arm assembly for mounting a device embodying the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a partial perspective rear view of a maintenance vehicle with the carrier of  FIG. 1  and hitch receptacle attached. 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the liquid evacuating apparatus embodying the present invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of the liquid evacuating apparatus shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the liquid evacuating apparatus shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the liquid evacuating apparatus 
           [0030]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the left side of a rake attachment designed to be connected to the left side (hidden side) of the liquid evacuating apparatus shown in  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0031]      FIG. 1  illustrates a typical hydraulic lift assembly  2  with a hydraulic cylinder  10  employed for raising and lowering various implements and accessories such as rakes and tillers (not shown) as well as the pumping apparatus embodying the present invention.  FIG. 2  shows the rear portion of a standard maintenance vehicle  1  with the hydraulic lift assembly  2  attached, a hitch receptacle  8 , fuel tank  12 , and quick connect hydraulic junction  14  visible. The liquid evacuating device  100  ( FIGS. 3-6 ) is designed to be mounted to such a standard maintenance vehicle  1 . The universal adapter bracket  114  of the liquid evacuating device  100  is secured to the maintenance vehicle  1  via the hitch receptacle  8 . In addition, hang chains  115  and  116  are secured to hooks  4  and  6  of the hydraulic lift assembly  2 , respectively. Pivot pin  126  facilitates the vertical motion of the liquid evacuating device  100  in response to the upward or downward motion of the hydraulic lift assembly  2 . 
         [0032]    The liquid evacuating device  100  has a novel single piece cast pump housing  110 . The pump housing  110  supports the pump drive source or motor  120 , the discharge pipe  122 , and provides engagement points  112 ,  113 , and pivot  126 . The engagement points  112  and  113  serve as connection points for hang chains  115  and  116  respectively, while pivot pin  126  serves as a hinge connection to the universal adapter bracket  114 . 
         [0033]    As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the pump housing  110  also has a pump chamber  108  to accommodate an impeller  106 . The impeller  106  is attached to the drive shaft  118  of the pump drive source or motor  120 . The pump drive source or motor  120  may take the form of a combustion engine or electric or hydraulic motor. The pump drive source or motor  120  may obtain its fuel or energy supply from an independent fuel supply tank  128  or independent battery or draw off from the vehicle fuel tank  12  or battery. In the case of a hydraulic motor the vehicles hydraulic system can be employed to run the liquid evacuating device  100 . The use of a quick connect hydraulic junction  14  generally available on vehicles with hydraulic systems serve as connection points for hydraulic lines (not shown) that would power the hydraulic motor of the liquid evacuating device  100 . 
         [0034]    In order to avoid sucking in large particles, rocks, or sand that may damage the liquid evacuating device  100 , and also distributing the particles, rocks, and sand on the playing or course surface, a specially designed guard plate  102  and strainer  104  are located at the intake. The guard plate  102  is of a larger diameter than that of the strainer  104  and pump chamber  108 . The larger diameter of the guard plate  102  acts to deflect the unwanted matter from entering or clogging the strainer  104  as liquid is drawn in by the liquid evacuating device  100  from above the guard plate  102  area. 
         [0035]    In operation, as liquid is drawn in by the liquid evacuating device  100 , it is expelled through the discharge pipe  122  and the directional nozzle assembly  124  as a high pressure liquid stream. The operator is able to direct the high pressure liquid stream by adjusting the directional nozzle assembly  124  in both the horizontal and vertical plane. The directional nozzle assembly  124  may also control the intensity of the dispersed liquid stream, and the directional nozzle assembly  124  can be made to oscillate during operation. The nozzle assembly  124  can be an impulse type sprayer that can be programmed to oscillate and spray a complete circle or any part thereof. Nozzles of this type (“Rain Bird” (trademark), Rain Gun 250G impact sprinkler or a Nelson “P200 Big Gun” (trademark)) are known and consequently the nozzle assembly  124  will not be described in greater detail. 
         [0036]    If the liquid evacuating device  100  is used in the context of sand trap maintenance, the operating procedure is as follows. Upon locating a bunker that is filled with water, the operator drives the maintenance vehicle  1  to the bunker so as to place the evacuating device  100  over the water. Using the hydraulic system provided on maintenance vehicle  1 , the evacuating device  100  is lowered such that the pump intake ( 102 ,  104 ) is positioned within the water. Using the directional nozzle assembly  124 , the operator then directs the nozzle assembly  124  in the direction to which the water is to be displaced. Upon activation of the evacuating device  100 , water is drawn in through the strainer  104  by action of the impeller  106  in the pump chamber  108 , and the water is expelled through the discharge pipe  122  and the directional nozzle assembly  124 . The evacuating device  100  is incrementally lowered to keep the strainer  104  and guard plate  102  below the water line as the level of water decreases. Activation of evacuating device  100  continues until the water is removed from the sand trap. Upon completion, the operator raises the evacuating device  100 , and drives the maintenance vehicle  1  to the next bunker to be cleared. 
         [0037]    In a second embodiment of the preferred invention a set of rake attachments for connection to the evacuating device  100  provide for a single integrated sand trap clearing and surface conditioning maintenance solution.  FIG. 7  shows the left side rake attachment  130  designed to be connected to the left side of the pump housing  110 . In a similar fashion a rightside rake attachment (not shown) is connected to the right side of the pump housing  110 . With the second embodiment of the present invention, the operator can rake out the surface of the sand trap upon completion of the water removal, thereby eliminating the need for a separate maintenance machine (or changing out the evacuation device  100  with a rake attachment) to visit the sand trap. 
         [0038]    The device for evacuating liquids maybe mounted anywhere on the vehicle, including on the undercarriage. 
         [0039]    While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in considerable detail, variations based on the inventive features disclosed may be made within the spirit of the invention, and the scope of the invention should not be limited by the examples or to the exact construction shown or described.