Abstract:
A material moving system has a separation tank for separating loose material entering the tank with a stream of air, from the stream of air, the separation tank comprising an inlet port and a vacuum port and an open lower end, a vacuum generation unit coupled to the vacuum port for evacuating air from the separation tank to create a partial vacuum, and a collection apparatus connected to the inlet port for collecting the loose material in a stream or air pulled into the collection apparatus by virtue of the partial vacuum in the separation tank. The system is characterized in that the separation tank is configured to rest on the ground at the lower extremity, the ground serving to substantially close the open lower extremity, such that the loose material separated falls to the ground within the separation tank.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is in the area of equipment and systems for moving dirt and other material and pertains more particularly to systems for collecting debris and moving dirt, gravel and sand.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Manufacturers and developers have been active in the field of equipment for homeowners for performing maintenance tasks around the home and farm, and many functional systems are commercially available. There are however, problems and unmet needs, and improvement is always desirable.  
           [0003]    There are a number of problems in the art which have never been adequately solved, for example, when one digs in the earth for whatever reason, there is always a problem of removing loosened soil from the developing hole. Further materials such as gravel, topsoil, sand and the like are typically delivered by such as dump trucks, and left in piles on the ground. When one needs to use these materials, they have to be shoveled into a wheelbarrow or other conveyance to be moved and spread  
           [0004]    In light of the state of the art and the shortcomings described above, what is clearly needed is a vacuum-aided device that can be used to remove loosened soil from holes, to load loose materials from the ground into conveyances, and to clean up debris loose on the ground.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 a  is an elevation view of a vacuum-aided material moving system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 b  is a plan view of the system of FIG. 1 a , to better illustrate some of the details and features of the system.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a tool in use in a hole in the ground, as an example of a use for the system of FIG. 1.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a special vacuuming tool for landscaping use in a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another tool useful with the apparatus of the invention in preferred embodiments.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 illustrates a tool with sled runners at least at the ends in an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of yet another tool for use with apparatus according to embodiments of the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 a  is an elevation view of a split tank in an embodiment of the invention configured so one may place and fill lawn bags with collected debris.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 b  is an elevation view of the tank of FIG. 7 a  with the upper portion rotated on the hinge assembly to open the tank.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 c  is a partial section of the lower portion of the tank of FIG. 7 a  in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is an elevation view of a system combining a special wheelbarrow and a collection tank. 
     
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a material moving system is provided, comprising a separation tank for separating loose material entering the tank with a stream of air, from the stream of air, the separation tank comprising an inlet port and a vacuum port and an open lower end, a vacuum generation unit coupled to the vacuum port for evacuating air from the separation tank to create a partial vacuum, and a collection apparatus connected to the inlet port for collecting the loose material in a stream or air pulled into the collection apparatus by virtue of the partial vacuum in the separation tank. The system is characterized in that the separation tank is configured to rest on the ground at the open lower end, the ground serving to substantially close the open lower extremity, such that the loose material separated falls to the ground within the separation tank.  
         [0017]    In a preferred embodiment of this system the open lower end is coupled to a conformal skirt that conforms to the ground, and aids in sealing the lower end of the separation tank in use. Also in a preferred embodiment there is a throttle configured for selectively limiting the evacuation rate of the separation tank to limit the size and weight of loose material that will be entrained with an incoming air stream. In preferred embodiments the vacuum generation unit is coupled to the vacuum port by a vacuum line, and the throttle is located in the vacuum line.  
         [0018]    In some preferred embodiments there is a wheeled trolley and a handle on one side of the separation tank, configured for a user to tip the tank by the handle onto the wheels of the trolley, to be moved from one position to another. In some embodiments the vacuum generation unit is a powered centrifugal blower coupled to the vacuum port at the inlet to the blower. Also in some embodiments the separation tank has a substantially circular cross section, and the inlet port enters the separation tank substantially tangentially, aiding in separation of the loose material from the air stream. In many cases the vacuum port enters the separation tank substantially at the center of an otherwise closed top end of the tank. Further, there may be a filter between the tank and the vacuum generation unit for filtering dust and debris from the air before the vacuum generation unit.  
         [0019]    In some embodiments the collection apparatus comprises a tubing section coupled to a flexible line in turn coupled to the inlet port. In many cases the tubing section comprises handles for a user to grasp for manipulation. There may be two linear portions of the tubing section joined at an angle. In some cases the tubing section, at an end opposite the end coupled to the flexible line, is configured for loosening soil for ingestion by the tubing section. Also in many cases, the tubing section ends, opposite the end coupled to the flexible line, in an interface joinable to any one of several collection nozzles.  
         [0020]    Some available nozzles have rake teeth for loosening soil to be collected by the nozzle. Others have wheels for spacing an inlet portion of the nozzle from a surface, to create space for ingesting air to entrain loose material. Still others have sled runners for spacing an inlet portion of the nozzle from a surface, to create space for ingesting air to entrain loose material. Still others have blades for cutting vegetation to be collected by the nozzle.  
         [0021]    In another aspect of the invention a separation tank for a material moving system is provided, comprising an upper portion separable from a lower portion at an interface, the separation tank for separating loose material entering the tank with a stream of air, from the stream of air, the separation tank comprising an inlet port configured to couple to one or more collection tools and a vacuum port configured to couple to a vacuum source, both ports in the upper portion, characterized in that the lower portion is configured to contain and retain open a bag, the upper portion sealing to the lower portion at the interface in a manner that collected and separated material falls into the bag.  
         [0022]    In preferred embodiments of the tank the upper portion is hinged to the lower portion such that open, the bag is retrievable by a user, the bag holding collected loose material. Also in preferred embodiments the lower portion has a bottom, at least one vertical wall, and an upper flange, and the bag is configured to sit in the lower portion with an upper part of the bag folded over the upper flange, such that the upper portion closes on the portion of the bag folded over the upper flange. Still further in preferred embodiments one or both of the bottom and at least one vertical wall comprise internal channels and openings coupled to a vacuum source in a manner that the pressure between the bottom or wall and the bag is less than the pressure in the separation tank, to retain the bag open in use for material collection.  
         [0023]    In yet another aspect of the invention a material moving system is provided, comprising a separation tank for separating loose material entering the tank with a stream of air, from the stream of air, an inlet port for coupling to collection tools, a vacuum port for coupling to a vacuum source, and an open lower end configured to connect to an interface to a wheelbarrow in a manner that the vacuum source may create a partial vacuum in the separation tank and the wheelbarrow.  
         [0024]    In embodiments of the invention described in enabling detail below, for the first time a material moving system is provided wherein loose material may be efficiently collected and moved without the excessive use of shovels and the like.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    [0025]FIG. 1 a is an elevation view of a vacuum-aided material moving system  101  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 b  is a plan view of the same system. In this embodiment there are three main parts. A central vacuum tank  103  having an inlet  107  is connected by a flexible hose  105  to a vacuum tool  102  configured for collecting debris from the ground (in this example), much like a tool for a household vacuum sweeper. Vacuum is provided in this embodiment by a stand-alone centrifugal blower  104  connected to tank  103  by a connector  108  to a suction pipe  109  that enters tank  103  at the center of the top of the tank. The system is very much like a large, high-powered shop vac, except for some unique features.  
         [0026]    One of the unique features of system  101  is that central vacuum collection tank  103  is completely open at the bottom. In this embodiment a canvas skirt  111  attaches to a flange  110  at the bottom of tank  103 . In this configuration, tank  103  can sit directly on the ground, skirt  111  provides a conformal seal to the ground, which may be uneven, so blower  104  can provide vacuum in the tank, and materials vacuumed up through tool  102  and entering tank  103  will be deposited on the ground instead of being collected in the tank as would be the case for a closed tank, as is typical for closed-tank systems in the prior art.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a tool  201  in use in a hole  205  in the ground, as an example of a use for the system of FIG. 1. Tool  202  is configured essentially as a metal tube cut at an angle on end  204  in this example. Two handles  202  and  203  are affixed to tool  201  for use in grasping and maneuvering the tool. Handle  202  is vertical and handle  203  is horizontal, and a user grasps the tool much as one grasps a scythe.  
         [0028]    In some cases, for example where the earth is soft and loose, the tool may be used to create the hole as well as to remove loose dirt. The angle cut on the business end of tool  201  aids in this respect, and may be used in the manner of the edge of a shovel for the purpose. In some embodiments attachments (not shown in FIG. 2) to the business end, such as rakes and claws, may be used as well. In other cases, other tools may be used to loosen dirt in the hole, and tool  201  may be used to remove the loosened dirt. In the latter case, for simple removal of otherwise loosened dirt, the end of tool  201  may be at right angles to the axis of the tube. In some embodiments the end of the tube forming the body of tool  201  is reduced in area over the cross-section elsewhere, which performs a dual function. Firstly, the size of rocks ore other chunks that may enter will always be smaller than the diameter of the conveyance (tube and hose) to tank  103 , and the entering air velocity at the end of the tube will be increased, aiding in acquiring debris for transport.  
         [0029]    In either case above it is not necessary to lift dirt from the hole with a shovel. This operation has particular merit for such as clearing dirt around lateral roots of stumps so the laterals may be cut with a saw in a stump-removal process.  
         [0030]    The inventor is aware that it is well-known in the art to use a vacuum wand to remove dirt from a hole as shown in FIG. 2. A significant and non-obvious difference in the system of FIG. 1 however, is that the dirt removed is deposited directly on the ground because of the open bottom of tank  103 . Referring again to FIG. 1, tank  103  has a wheeled trolley  112  attached to one side of the tank and a handle  113 . There is also in a preferred embodiment a transparent port such as port  115  in FIG. 1 for indicating to a user when collected material has reached such a height in the tank that the tank should be moved.  
         [0031]    When the user has decided for whatever reason that the collection at one point for tank  103  is sufficient, such as because the level of debris in the tank has reached a maximum, the user may discontinue the collection operation and move the tank, leaving the pile of dirt or debris collected on the ground where the tank previously stood. To move the tank and leave behind a pole of debris or dirt, the user simply grasps handle  113  and tips the tank up on the wheels of wheeled trolley  112 , leaving the collected material on the ground. The user then wheels the tank to a new position and repeats the process.  
         [0032]    There are some interesting ramifications to the operation just described. Consider, for example, the operation of removing dirt around laterals of a stump so the laterals may be conveniently cut by a chain saw. If the system described is used, one may pile the removed dirt right beside the hole that the stump will leave when the laterals are cut and the stump is pulled from the hole. The dirt may then nearly effortlessly be replaced in the hole. In another aspect, the user may place the tank over the hole, if the hole is small enough in diameter, or in the hole in a manner that the canvas skirt can seal, and then use the tool  201  to collect the dirt from the pile and return it to the hole.  
         [0033]    There are of course many variations of the system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 that may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the size of tank  103  may vary widely in different embodiments. The tank may be made of a variety of materials, such as metal or reinforced plastic, such as fiberglass material. Preferably inlet  107  to the tank enters tank  103  tangentially, as is shown in FIG. 1 b . This causes debris to be separated by centrifugal force, and to fall more readily to the ground. But this entry configuration is not limiting.  
         [0034]    In preferred embodiments a filter is used between tank  103  and blower  104  to avoid damaging the blower. The filter may take any one of several forms, such as a folded cylindrical filter as well-known in the art for such as shop vacs and water filters. In this case the filter may be disposed in the tank, as is done in shop vacs, outside the tank with access provided for changing, or somewhere in the suction line to the blower.  
         [0035]    In other embodiments other sorts of filtering material may be used, such as porous panels and the like. Filters may be selected and used according to the kind of material to be moved with the system. For example, when moving clean gravel, one may select a very porous filter to maximize vacuum capability for the system.  
         [0036]    Further to the above, blower  104  may be implemented on the tank itself. Stand-alone implementation as shown in FIG. 1 is preferable for large and high-powered blowers, however. Still further, flexible line  105  from inlet  107  to tool  102  or  201  may take any one of many forms as well, such as a wire reinforced plastic or rubber hose, a heavy-duty reinforced canvas hose, a metal flexible tubing, and any one of several other options.  
         [0037]    Still further a variety of ends elements may be provided for tools  102  or  201 . Some have already been described, such as digging aids as shown in FIG. 2 and vacuuming nozzles as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a special vacuuming tool  301  made to fit on the business end of tool  102  for landscaping use. Tool  301  has a body  302  much like that of a carpet nozzle for a household vacuum, but larger. In some cases width W will be as much as three feet. There is an attachment interface for the tube of a tool  102 , which has handles as shown for a user to grasp to maneuver the apparatus. Tool  301  also comprises at least one row of teeth such as tooth  304 , providing a combination rake and vacuum collection apparatus. In preferred embodiments there is a like row of teeth on the backside of body  302  as shown, and there may be teeth on ends as well, and in some cases more than one row of teeth side-by-side.  
         [0038]    A principle of tool  301  is in leveling ground areas. By resting the teeth on the surface of an area and working the tool back and forth over a larger area, high spots are leveled and excess material is collected and transferred to tank  103 .  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another tool  401  useful with the apparatus of the invention. Tool  401  has a body  402  and an interface  403  equivalent to the similar elements of tool  301  of FIG. 3. Tool  401 , however, has no teeth. It has instead a wheeled carriage  404  implemented on each end so a user may apply the tool to surfaces to be cleaned, and the wheels will keep the tool at a fixed a predetermined height above the surface.  
         [0040]    In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 5 a tool  501  with a body  502  and an interface  503  has sled runners  504  at least at the ends, and in some cases in the center or other places, to space the tool above a surface to be swept. The sled runners in many cases are more durable than wheels and less vulnerable to jamming and damage.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of yet another tool  601  for use with apparatus according to embodiments of the invention. Tool  601  has similar elements to tools  301 ,  401  and  501  but also has cutting blades  605  implemented under the tool for cutting grass and weeds, which are then swept away by the vacuum sweeper apparatus into tank  103 . Blades as shown preferably run the full length of the tool (Width W of FIG. 3), but may in some embodiments be shorter and staggered. There may be one or more blades, and the blades may face in either forward or reverse direction, or both.  
         [0042]    There is another unique feature of system  101 , which is particularly useful with surface tools such as those shown in FIGS. 3 through 6. This is a throttle valve, or damper,  114  implemented in line  109  from tank  103  to blower  104 . A user may adjust this throttle to vary the vacuum level in tank  103  to particular conditions and for special purposes. One may wish, for example, to collect leaves and trash from a gravel driveway. One may adjust throttle  114  such that the system will pick up the leaves and other debris, but not the gravel of the driveway. One may also use this feature to separate gravel and other materials into piles of various size aggregates. By adjusting  114  to a low vac level for a pile of gravel and stones of various sizes, one may collect only the smallest, then somewhat larger, and then larger still, and so on.  
         [0043]    A Collector for Filling Trash Bags  
         [0044]    In another aspect of the invention a collector is provided that fills trash bags. FIG. 7 a  is an elevation view of a split tank  701  configured so one may place and fill lawn bags with collected debris, rather than depositing the debris on the ground as described above. Tank  701  has an upper portion  702  and a lower portion  703  joined by a hinge assembly  705 . Lower portion  703  is closed on the bottom, unlike tank  103  of FIG. 1, but open at the top, having a flange  707 . Portion  702  has most of the elements described for tank  103 , and is open at the bottom, but in most cases foreshortened from the height of tank  103 . Portion  702  has a flange  706  at its open bottom, matching flange  707  of lower portion  703 .  
         [0045]    Portions  702  sits atop portion  703 , joined by hinge assembly  705 , with flanges  706  and  707  in contact, providing thereby a closed tank for drawing a vacuum by action of a blower equivalent to blower  104  of FIG. 1, but not shown in FIG. 7 a , attaching to suction pipe  709 . With the portions joined as shown a tank equivalent to tank  103  of FIG. 1 is provided, by which one can collect dirt and debris just as described above for embodiments using tank  103 .  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 7 b  is an elevation view of tank  701  of FIG. 7 a  with the upper portion  702  rotated on hinge assembly  705  to open the tank at the interface of flanges  706  and  707 . By closing damper  704  or by turning off the blower providing vacuum in the tank, vacuum level is removed in the tank, and it may be easily opened as shown in FIG. 7 b . The skilled artisan will recognize that upper portion  702  may be opened far enough to rest on the ground, or a support may be provided either separately or as a part of the tank to support the upper portion when opened. Further, the direction of attachment of the inlet and outlet have been changed in direction to allow the flexible connectors to rotate when the tank is opened. Alternatively, the collection tool ( 102 ,  201 ) and the blower ( 104 ) may be disconnected to open the tank.  
         [0047]    An object of the openable tank is to allow a lawn or leaf bag to be placed inside the lower portion, lining the inside of the lower portion and extending over flange  707 , such that the bag is held open when upper portion  702  is rotated back upright and the tank is thus closed. With the tank closed a portion of the lawn or leaf bag (not shown) will be trapped between flanges  706  and  707 . In some cases there will be a resilient sealing element, such as an o-ring, between the flanges when closed to help seal the tank against leaks.  
         [0048]    With the bag in place and the tank closed, vacuum may be drawn on the tank, and dirt and debris may be collected, which, by falling to the bottom of the tank will fall into the bag. Then when the tank is again opened, a user my grasp the bag and lift it from lower portion  703 , close the top of the bag and set it aside to be discarded. An empty bag is then put in place in lower portion  703 .  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 7 c  is a partial section of lower portion  703  of tank  701  in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Portion  703  in this embodiment has a cylindrical side part  710  and a flat bottom part  711 . An arrangement of passages  712  are provided throughout the cylindrical side part and the bottom part, all interconnected to a suction port  713  which communicates with vacuum pipe  709  (FIG. 7 a ). The internal passages open to the inside of tank portion  703  in a plurality of locations on the inside wall and bottom. With a bag  714  in place, port  713  and passages  712  provide a higher vacuum in a volume behind bag  714  than is attainable in the tank generally. This is because vacuum pipe  709  is acted upon directly by blower  104 , and evacuates tank  701  through a filter. There is a pressure drop across the filter, and the tank is open to tools  201  or  102 , or other tools. The net effect is that a plastic bag  714 , or other conformal bag, is held in place against the inside of tank portion  703  in operation. Port  713  may be implemented in a number of different ways, and will, in most cases, have a flexible line in the connection to pipe  709 , to allow for tank  701  to be opened to remove bags of debris and to install empty bags.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 8 is an elevation view of a system  801  combining a special wheelbarrow  803  and a collection tank  802  of the general sort described in other embodiments above. In this embodiment tank  802  is foreshortened much like the upper portion  702  of the hinged tank  701  described above with reference to FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b . The lower portion in this particular case is the wheelbarrow itself, which has a top  807  configured to mate with a flange  806  at the lower part of tank  802 . In some cases the mating of flange  806  to wheelbarrow top  807  is secured by clamps  805 , which may be implemented in a number of different ways known in the art. There are an inlet  808 , a vacuum line  809 , and a throttle valve  804 , as in the other embodiments described above.  
         [0051]    System  801  is particularly applicable to loading loose materials from piles on the ground into a wheelbarrow for movement and distribution at other places. Typically, for example, when one buys a yard of topsoil, or gravel, or sand, the selling party delivers the material in a dump truck and dumps it on the ground. Then when the user wants to use the stuff, he/she must load the wheelbarrow with a shovel. With the system of FIG. 8, one may use a hose and tool connected to inlet  808 , or just a hose, to ingest the loose material from a pile on the ground, and to place it in the wheelbarrow. Tank  802  in this embodiment need not have a relatively large volume, as no material is retained in the tank, and tank  802  serves simply as a separation device for separating a stream of loose material from the incoming hose and drooping it in the wheelbarrow.  
         [0052]    It will be apparent to the skilled artisan that there are a variety of changes that may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, tanks can be implemented in a variety of materials and sizes, and with different combinations of features. Many different sorts of tools may be devised and used with such a vacuum system, and many other variations may be made. The invention is to be accorded the breadth of the claims below.