Hand-held wild-seed reaping apparatus and method

A hand-held wild-seed reaping apparatus and method having a motor mounted on a frame for driving a cutting mechanism which is surrounded by a containment box with an open front and rear end. A cutting collector attached to the open rear end of the containment box is provided to retain cut seed which has been selected by the user for harvesting and which is removably attached to the frame of the invention. As a result, users can harvest seed wherever walking is possible, even in steep, rocky or brushy territory. Further, they are enabled to be very selective in cutting, therefore harvesting only selected species and avoiding unwanted species.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an improved hand-held wild-seed reaping and 
cutting collecting apparatus and method for the harvesting and collection 
of wild-grown seed. 
There are two main methods for harvesting wild seed in existence today. The 
first method, and the one most widely used, is hand harvesting. When the 
seed to be harvested is plentiful, adequate amounts of seed can be 
harvested in a reasonable amount of time. The disadvantage of this method 
is that the work is tedious and can subject the harvester to back soreness 
from stooping and cut hands from the harvesting itself. Further, hand 
harvesting is only an adequate solution for the small to very small size 
projects. 
The second method for harvesting wild seed is through the utilization of 
machinery. In wide, flat areas free of large rocks, brush, and non-native 
plants, farm equipment has been used for wild-seed harvesting. An example 
of a farm harvesting machine is disclosed in Bodine U.S. Pat. No. 
3,597,906 which discloses a threshing device whereby grain is removed from 
the stock by means of sonic vibrations. 
Another technique utilizing machinery that is useful in harvesting flat 
areas is a "bumper gatherer" which is a modified bag attached to the front 
bumper of a pickup truck. The truck is simply driven across the field and 
wild seed is hopefully deposited in the bag attached to the front bumper. 
Obviously, a lawn mower with a grass catcher attached to it would also be 
useful in flat, obstruction-free areas for the few species that are only 
several inches high. 
Unfortunately, almost all of the flat lands of the United States have been 
farmed, whether they be by wide mesas or river bottoms or elsewhere. 
Abandoned farm land is usually dominated by pest species such as Johnson, 
Bermuda and exotic brome grasses. Further, most flat remnants of high 
quality native prairie habitat discovered in the United States are 
probably significant enough that they have been acquired for protection. 
In any event, it is obvious that the usefulness of farm equipment or 
typical mechanical means for harvesting wild seed is severely limited. The 
other drawback is that previous devices, other than hand harvesting, do 
not provide for selectivity in harvesting nor enable the operator to 
travel to steep, rocky or brushy territory to harvest seeds appropriate 
for those particular types of landscapes or to simply obtain seeds in 
these locations that have been spared harvesting by simpler methods. 
Thus, there is a need in the art for providing a hand-held wild-seed 
reaping device which effectively gathers wild seed in areas where wild 
seed is most prominently available. It, therefore, is an object of this 
invention to provide an improved hand-held wild-seed reaping device that 
enables the user to harvest seed wherever walking is possible, even in 
steep, rocky or brushy territory. Further, it is an object of this 
invention to provide a means whereby harvesting of only especially desired 
or specifically selected species is enabled and avoidance of unwanted 
species is provided. Still further, it is an object of this invention to 
provide an efficient means for harvesting of single species in large 
colonies. A further object of this invention is to provide a device with 
the capacity to harvest a wide assortment of seed so that, when used in a 
diverse habitat, the harvest can emulate the variety of species which are 
producing seed at a specific time of year. Further, this device can be 
utilized during traditional household and landscape uses of string line 
cutters to catch and gather the cuttings during operation. 
SHORT STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, the hand-held wild-seed reaping device of the present 
invention includes a frame having a motor mounted on the frame, either 
electric or, more usefully, gasoline or some other fuel source such as 
gasoline, for powering a cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism may be 
of any acceptable variety such as a blade or a monofilament "string" 
cutter, as it is commonly known in the art. A containment means is 
attached around the cutting blade and provides an open-ended entrance for 
cut seed and clippings to enter the device. The containment means has an 
open back end around which is attached a removably attachable cutting 
collector in the form of a cloth bag or sack. The cloth bag has an open 
end to receive cut seed from the back of the containment means and a 
closeable end closed with a draw string which is suspended from the frame 
of the device. 
As a result, a light weight, versatile, infinitely variable wild-seed 
reaping device is provided.

Referring to FIG. 1, device 10 is shown composed of a frame 12, a motor 14 
(shown in FIG. 2) mounted on one end of frame 12 and a cutting means 16 
attached to the opposite end of frame 12. Containment means 18 is attached 
to frame 12 by bolts 20 or any other conventional means. Containment means 
18 has openings in the front end 22 and the rear end 24. 
FIG. 1 also shows removably attachable cutting collector 26, attached to 
and covering rear open end 24 of containment means 18. Also shown are 
support handle 28 and string trimmer 30. 
FIGS. 1 and 2 also demonstrate the components of containment means 18 
comprised of flat bottom section 32, short perpendicular side 34 attached 
by conventional means to flat bottom section 32, long perpendicular side 
36 similarly attached to flat bottom section 32 and multi-level top 
section 38 connecting both short and long perpendicular sides 34 and 36. 
Multi-level top section 38 is comprised of lower level 40, transition 
section 42 and upper level 44. 
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, strength member 46 is attached to the 
forward edge of the front open end 22 of containment means 18. Raised 
retention rails 48 are attached to the rear open end 24 of containment 
means 18 so that said retention rails 48 provide a means for receiving and 
retaining cutting collector 26. Removably attachable cutting collector 26 
may incorporate an elastic drawstring, not shown, for placement around the 
rear open end 24 so that the open end of the cutting collector 26 can be 
attached to and held in place by the combination of raised retention rails 
48 and the elastic drawstring means. As clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, 
removably attachable cutting collector 26 has an open end 50 which is 
attached around raised retention rails 48. Also, cutting collector 26 has 
a closeable end closed with a drawstring (not shown) 52 to which one end 
of attaching means 54 is connected. The other end of attaching means 54 is 
removably attachable to frame 12 by use of hook 56 and eyelet 58 wherein 
eyelet 58 is attached permanently to frame 12. 
In operation, device 10 is utilized by grasping support handle 28, starting 
motor 14, a gasoline, electric or any other conventional powering means, 
and directing cutting means 16 so that string trimmer 30 comes into 
contact with and subsequently cuts the desired plant parts containing wild 
seeds at the direction of the user. Containment means 18 ensures that a 
wide scope of wild seeds may be introduced to the mouth of device 10. 
Strength member 46 ensures that the device can withstand the shoving and 
pushing necessary to force the device into contact with the seeds to be 
collected without deforming containment means 18. The unique multi-level 
top section 38 ensures that a large opening is provided on the side of the 
device where the wild seeds would be thrown once cut while a small side is 
provided on the side prior to cutting. Frame 12 is simply and securely 
connected to containment means 18 by means of connecting bolts 20 as shown 
in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. As a result of this simple means for connection, the 
device may be dis-assembled for transport, repair or replacement simply 
and easily. 
Raised retention rails 48 are provided to the rear open end 24 of 
containment means 18 and provide a dual purpose. They add rigidity similar 
to the strength members 46 while at the same time providing a secure 
grasping means for the open end 50 of removable attachable cutting 
collector 26. Cutting collector open end 50 is, in the preferred 
embodiment, equipped with an elastic retention means which can be drawn 
over raised retention rails 48 and allowed to retract to a more closed 
position so that cutting collector 26 has its open end 50 held securely in 
place onto containment means 18. As a result, seeds which are collected 
and cut are passed through containment means 18 and into the wide opening 
of cutting collector 26. 
As disclosed, cutting collector 26 has an opposite closeable end closed 
with a drawstring 52 to which is attached attaching means 54. Closeable 
end 52 of cutting collector 26 is opened with a drawstring to empty, and 
kept closed during operation. The front end of the cutting collector 26 
can be attached semi-permanently to containment means 18. Attaching means 
54 is also attached at its opposite end by means of hook 56 and eyelet 58 
on frame 12 to frame 12. As a result, when in use, cutting collector 26 is 
supported by frame 12 and is not allowed to drape or scuff along on the 
ground. Once cutting collector 26 is sufficiently full, hook 56 may be 
removed from eyelet 58. Then, as previously stated, detachable closeable 
end 52 of cutting collector 26 is opened by loosening the drawstring. The 
contents are then dumped into a container while front end of cutting 
collector 26 is still attached to containment means 18. If necessary, 
attaching means 54, in the form of a nylon cord or chain or some other 
suitable connector, can be utilized to wrap around open end 50 so that 
cutting collector 26 can be carried by hand to the deposit site for the 
seeds. 
As a result, device 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, enables an 
individual to go where typical farm harvesting machines are unable to go 
for the collection of a wide variety and quantity of wild seeds. The 
device is portable, lightweight, easily assembled and dis-assembled and 
provides a quantum leap in the art of wild seed collecting and, as a 
result, in the enhanced ability for providing wild seed replacements in 
areas disturbed by man or nature.