Abstract:
A turf cleaning machine includes a bowed plate swept by a cylindrical plate. The bowed plate, when successively swept by a cylindrical brush, catches waste not ejected by the brush into a collecting pan to ensure collection of the waste. The waste is picked up a second time for ejection from the brush into the pan.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns a cleaning apparatus, in particular for cleaning turfed ground. 
     It is applicable to the field of green spaces, such as golf courses, football fields or others. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     French patent application filed in the applicant&#39;s name on Sep. 7, 2007 under number 07 57 429 describes an apparatus for cleaning turfed ground comprising a chassis on which are arranged a rear roller than can roll on the turfed ground and a front cylindrical brush parallel to the roller, rotatably mounted in the opposite direction of rotation from the roller and making it possible to pick up the waste present on the turfed ground to project it into a collecting pan integral with the chassis behind it. 
     The cylindrical brush is in contact with the rear roller to clean the latter by ridding it of the waste deposited on the perimeter of the roller and that is projected by the brush into the collecting pan. 
     This cleaning apparatus thus makes it possible to clean both the ground and the roller situated downstream of the cylindrical brush in relation to the direction of movement of the apparatus. 
     However, it happens that with the relatively high rotational speed of the cylindrical brush, some of the waste taken from the ground and/or on the rear roller is retained by the brush bristles and is not ejected by the centrifugal force into the collecting pan, and is therefore projected on the ground downstream of the rear roller. In this way, the ground is not totally rid of all refuse. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention aims to offset the aforementioned drawback of the applicant&#39;s cleaning apparatus. 
     To that end, the invention proposes a cleaning apparatus particularly for turfed ground and that is characterized in that it comprises a chassis on which are arranged, in relation to the direction of movement of the apparatus, a front roller able to roll on the turfed ground and a rear cylindrical brush parallel to the roller, rotatably mounted in the opposite direction of rotation from the roller and making it possible to pick up waste present on the turfed ground to project it into a collecting pan integral with the chassis and situated behind the cylindrical brush, in that the cylindrical brush is in contact with the front roller to clean the latter part by ridding it of the waste deposited on the roller and projected by the brush into the collecting pan, in that it also comprises, integral with the chassis, a bowed plate with the concavity thereof facing the cylindrical brush behind the latter part extending substantially over the entire width of the cylindrical brush and in that the bowed plate can be swept by the cylindrical brush and is capable, during the successive sweepings by the cylindrical brush, of picking up waste not ejected by the cylindrical brush into the collecting pan and ensuring the transfer thereof by the cylindrical brush toward the bottom of the bowed plate so that it is then picked up and ejected by the brush into the collecting pan. 
     Preferably, the bowed plate is mounted freely pivoting in relation to the chassis around the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical brush so as to continuously rest on the ground by gravity. 
     Advantageously, the bowed plate is in the form of a cylindrical cap concentric to the cylindrical brush. 
     The lower portion of the bowed plate is curved substantially in an elongated V whereof the lower free branch extending behind the bowed plate includes an upwardly curved end portion such that the bowed plate rests on the ground by the rounded connecting edge between the lower branch and the end portion curved toward the top of the bowed plate. 
     The bowed plate extends over a height from the ground such that its upper edge is situated approximately below the lower edge of the opening of the collecting pan through which the waste is ejected. 
     The bowed plate includes two side end walls pivotably mounted to the chassis around the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical brush. 
     The cylindrical brush can be adjusted to a working height relative to the chassis along a bowed trajectory whereof the center is situated on the longitudinal axis of the front roller. 
     The front roller and the rear cylindrical brush extend transversely to the direction of movement of the apparatus. 
     The bowed plate and its side walls are made of sheet metal. 
     The cleaning apparatus is hitched to the rear of a driving tractor or a ground dethatching or coring machine itself hitched to the rear of a driving tractor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES 
       The invention will be better understood, and other aims, features, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the explanatory description that follows in reference to the appended diagrammatic drawings provided solely as examples illustrating an embodiment of the invention and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cleaning apparatus for turfed ground according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view along arrow II of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view along line III-III of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective bottom view along arrow IV of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged side view along arrow V of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view along arrow VI of  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view along arrow VII of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In reference to the Figures, the apparatus of the invention making it possible to clean in particular turfed ground comprises a chassis  1  on which are arranged, in relation to the direction of travel or work F 1  of the apparatus, a front or upstream roller  2  able to roll on the turfed ground to serve as support on the ground for the apparatus and a rear or downstream cylindrical brush  3  parallel to the roller  2  extending transversely to the direction of travel F 1  of the apparatus. 
     The cylindrical brush  3  is rotatably mounted on the chassis  1  in the opposite direction of rotation from the roller  2 . This brush makes it possible to pick up waste present on the turfed ground to project it rearward by the centrifugal force into a recovery or collecting pan for waste  4  integral with the chassis behind the cylindrical brush  3 . 
     The cylindrical brush  3  is in continuous contact with the front roller  2  to constantly clean the perimeter of that roller by ridding it of the waste deposited on the roller and that is projected by the brush  3  into the collecting pan  4 . The cylindrical brush  3  can be adjusted to a working height relative to the ground along a bowed trajectory whereof the center A is situated on the longitudinal axis of the roller  2  as symbolized by the double arrow F 2  in  FIG. 3 . This working height of the brush  3  depends on the height relative to the ground of the lawn to be cleaned such that the bristles  3   a  of the brush  3  can penetrate the lawn without touching the ground. 
     In operation, the cylindrical brush  3  picks up, by brushing, the waste D present in the lawn between the roller  2  and the brush  3  and, at the same time, the brush  2  continuously cleans the front roller  2  to prevent any deposition of waste on the perimeter of said roller, thereby optimizing the picking up of the waste because the working height of the brush  3  relative to the ground is kept constant. The waste D picked up off the ground and on the roller  2  is projected by the bristles  3   a  of the brush  3  upward and rearward by the centrifugal force to be ejected into the collecting pan  4 . 
     The cleaning apparatus can be hitched to the rear of a machine M designed to dethatch the ground, itself hitched to the rear of a driving tractor, not shown, but it is understood that this apparatus can be hitched to the rear of any other machine for working the ground, such as, for example, a ground coring machine, or simply to the rear of a driving tractor by a traditional three-point fastening. 
     The chassis  1  of the cleaning apparatus comprises two rigid side flanges  6  arranged parallel to the direction of travel F 1  of the assembly formed by the machine M and the cleaning apparatus and are fastened respectively to the inner faces of two side walls  7  integral with the chassis of the machine M behind it. 
     One flange  6  and one side wall  7  situated on a same side are twinned in their upper portions to form a rigid arm  8  extending upward behind the cleaning apparatus. The collecting pan  4  is removably fastened to the two side arms  8 . Each arm  8  is provided on the outer face of the corresponding side wall  7  with a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder  9  able to be actuated to tilt the collecting pan  4  in relation to the chassis  1  of the cleaning apparatus in order to empty the waste D collected in that pan. 
     The front roller  2  is mounted freely rotating around its longitudinal axis between the two side flanges  6 . More specifically, each of the ends of the roller  2  is rotatably mounted in at least one ball or needle type bearing, not shown, fastened in a bearing support  10  in the form of a substantially diamond-shaped plate fastened by fastening screws  11  to the inner face of a support plate  12  of the rear cylindrical brush  3  and that can pivot around the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the roller  2 . 
     The heads  13  of the two fastening screws  11  of the bearing support  10  to the support plate  12  of the cylindrical brush  3  are housed in two bowed lumens  14 , respectively, made through each rigid flange  6 . The centers of the radii of curvature of the two bowed lumens  14  are situated on the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the roller  2 , which extends perpendicular to the flanges  6 , and are symmetrical to said axis. 
     Each bearing support  10  includes a bush  15  coaxial to the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the roller  2 , passing through the support plate  12  of the brush  3  and the corresponding flange  6  such that the assembly formed by the bearing support  10  and the plate  12  can turn by a determined angular value relative to the flange  6  around the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ when the working height of the cylindrical brush  3  is adjusted. 
     Each of the support plates  12  of the cylindrical brush  3  is normally fastened to the corresponding flange  6  via two fastening bolts  16  respectively passing through two piercings of the plate  12  and two bowed lumens  17  formed through the corresponding flanges  6  and only one of which is partially visible in  FIG. 5 . The two lumens  17  are situated on a same circumference and the centers of their radii of curvature are situated on the axis Y-Y′ of the roller  2 . 
     A plate  18  is fastened to the outer face of a portion of each flange  6 , not covered by the corresponding wall  7 , by the two bolts  16  passing respectively through two piercings of the plate  18  that can be blocked with the plate  12  at the flange  6  by tightening the nuts  19  of the bolts  16  in a determined position of the two bowed lumens  17 . 
     A means  20  is fastened to each of the plates  18  and enables the adjustment of the working height of the cylindrical brush  3 . 
     Each adjusting means  20  comprises a sleeve  21  with an inner tapping fastened, for example by welding, to the outer face of the corresponding plate  18 , and a screw  22  passing through the sleeve  21  and whereof the end opposite its head  23  bears on a stop plate  24  integral with the chassis  1  of the cleaning apparatus. 
     Each plate  18  comprises a plurality of graduations  25  formed by small windows that can be formed selectively opposite a fixed reference point, not shown, integral with the outer face of the corresponding flange  6  and so as to indicate the working height of the cylindrical brush  3 . 
     The two plates  12  include two parallel arms  12   a  extending behind the roller  2  toward the collecting pan  4  and between which the cylindrical brush  3  is rotatably mounted, which is thus situated opposite a knife  28  rotor  27  for dethatching the ground of the machine M. 
     The cylindrical brush  3  is driven in rotation by an electric or hydraulic engine  29  fastened by bolts  29   a  to the outer face of one of the support arms  12   a  of the brush  3  coaxially to the longitudinal axis thereof so as to drive the brush  3  in the opposite direction of rotation from that of the roller  2  during movement of the machine M along the direction F 1 . 
     To adjust the working height of the cylinder brush  3 , an operator first loosens both nuts  19  of the fastening bolts  16  then, using a key, acts on each screw  22  head  23  to drive each of the screws  22  in one direction or the other to move the bolts  16  in their respective curvilinear lumens  17  in the corresponding direction so as to simultaneously move each plate  18  and each support plate  12  of the cylindrical brush  3  around the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the roller  2 . In this way, the cylindrical brush  3  is moved in relation to the flanges  6  and, as a result, to the roller  2 , along the curved path symbolized by the double arrow F 2  in  FIG. 3  and center path situated on the Y-Y′ of the roller  2 . 
     It should be noted that during pivoting of the cylindrical brush  3  around the axis Y-Y′, the heads  13  of the fastening screws  11  move in their respective curvilinear lumens  14  of the flanges  6  with concomitant pivoting of the bearing supports  10  relative to the flanges  6  via bushes  15 . 
     The pivoting of the cylindrical brush  3  around the axis Y-Y′ therefore makes it possible to position that brush at a working height depending on the height of the lawn to be cleaned. 
     Once the adjustment is done with the visual indication of the working height of the brush  3  by the graduations  25 , the operator again tightens the two nuts  19  to lock the pairs of plates  18 ,  12  to their respective flanges  6  and, as a result, lock the cylindrical brush  3  at its working height. 
     The pivoting of the cylindrical brush  3  around the axis Y-Y′ of the roller  2  makes it possible to keep the distance or frictional pressure of the bristles  3   a  of the brush  3  constant on the roller  2  to ensure cleaning thereof, regardless of the working height of the brush  3  relative to the ground. 
     The cleaning apparatus also comprises, integral with the chassis  1 , a bowed plate  30  with the concavity thereof facing the cylindrical brush  3  behind the latter part and extending substantially over the entire width of the cylindrical brush  3 . 
     The bowed plate  30  is in the form of a cylindrical cap concentric to the cylindrical brush  3 , i.e. the radius of curvature of the cylindrical cap is centered on the longitudinal axis X-X′ of the cylindrical brush  3 . 
     The bowed plate  30  has a lower portion  31  that is curved substantially in an elongated or horizontal V whereof one  32  of the walls forming branches is an extension of the bowed plate  30  and the other lower free branch  33 , which extends behind the bowed plate  30 , comprises an upwardly curved end portion  34  such that an outwardly rounded edge  35 , extending transversely to the direction of travel F 1  of the machine M, is defined between the branch  33  and the curved portion  34 . This rounded edge  35  is designed to bear continuously on the ground during the movement of the machine M. 
     The bowed plate  30  has an upper portion opposite the lower branch  33  extended by a wall  36  curved upwardly behind the bowed plate  30  and the assembly formed by the bowed plate  30  and the curved walls  31 ,  36  extend from the ground by a height such that the free edge of the curved wall  36  is situated approximately below and overhanging the lower edge  4   a  defining the inlet opening of the waste D into the collecting pan  4 . 
     The bowed plate  30  and its curved walls  31 ,  36  include two end side walls  37  mounted freely pivoting, at their ends opposite the bowed plate  30 , relative to the chassis  1  around the longitudinal axis X-X′ of the cylindrical brush  3  so as to rest continuously by gravity on the ground by the rounded connecting edge  35  between the curved walls  33 ,  34 . 
     More precisely, and as will better emerge from  FIG. 7 , each side wall  37  includes a piercing  37   a  concentric to a cylindrical sleeve  38  integral with the inner face of the corresponding support plate  12  of the cylindrical brush  3  such that the side wall  37  can pivot freely around the sleeve  38 . The side plate  37  is axially maintained on the sleeve  38  by an outer stop ring  39  such as a circlips. 
     The bowed plate  30  is arranged relative to the cylindrical brush  3  such that the end of the bristles  3   a  of the brush  3  successively sweep, during operation, the bowed inner face facing the brush of the plate  30 . 
     The bowed plate  30  and its curved walls  31 ,  36  as well as the side walls  37  can be made of sheet metal. 
     The role of the bowed plate  30 , during successive sweepings by the bristles  3   a  of the cylindrical brush  3 , is to pick up waste D not previously ejected by the cylindrical brush  3  in the collecting pan  4  and ensure the transfer of the waste D by the bristles  3   a  of the brush  3  toward the bottom of the bowed plate  30  so that it can then be picked up by the bristles  3   a  with other waste present on the ground in order to eject the waste as well as that picked up by the bristles  3  of the brush  3  on the roller  2 , into the collecting pan  4 .  FIG. 3  thus shows waste D present on a row of bristles  3   a  just upstream of the curved wall  36  of the bowed plate  30  considering the clockwise direction of rotation F 3  of the brush  3  and that was not able to be ejected into the collecting pan  4  due to the relatively high speed of said brush. Thus, when the row of bristles  3   a  including the residual waste D comes into sweeping contact with the bowed plate  30 , the latter part prevents the residual waste D from escaping radially from the row of bristles  3   a  to prevent it from being propelled onto the ground behind the brush  3  and said plate from retaining the residual waste D up to its lower edge from which the row of bristles  3   a , through the relatively high rotational speed of the brush  3 , can keep the residual waste D until it is ejected upwardly and rearwardly into the collecting pan  4  by the centrifugal force. 
     The bowed upper wall  36  being situated approximately below the lower edge  4   a  of the inlet opening of the waste ejected D by the brush  3 , it prevents the passage of residual waste not ejected into the pan  4  between the upper edge of the wall  36  and the opposite wall  4   b  of the pan  4  comprising the lower edge  4   a  of the inlet opening of the waste in the pan. 
     The bowed plate  30  thus participates in an effective and complete cleaning of the ground while allowing the bristles  3   a  of the brush  3  to pick up all of the waste present on the ground just upstream of the lower portion of the bowed plate  30 . 
     The bristles  3   a  of the cylindrical brush  3 , instead of being arranged in a line or row as shown in the Figures, can be made up of several circular portions parallel to each other along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder or be arranged helically along that cylinder. The bristles  3   a  of the brush  3  can be formed by sections of bristles in lines alternating along the brush  3 , i.e. regularly angularly staggered along the latter. Alternatively, the bristles  3   a  of the brush  3  can be arranged in a chevron pattern.