Patent Publication Number: US-2003226671-A1

Title: Turf comber

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of devices for dethatching grass and for raking of synthetic turf.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] There is a need to dethatch fields of grass including golf courses having t-boxes fairways and greens. Thus, there are various vehicles having downwardly extending spring biased tines that engage the grass as the vehicle is moved across a field. The tines are rods that extend into the grass and when moved comb the turf pulling up thatch and removing runners. The downwardly extending rods are integrally connected to spring biased coils mounted on horizontally extending rods across the width of the vehicle. Depending upon the type of the field and amount of thatch, it is necessary to adjust the tines relative to the angle of contact with the ground. Due to changing field conditions, it is desirable to provide suitable adjustment means to allow easy and quick adjustment of the angle between the tine and ground. A particular need is a row of tines having an infinite adjustment relative to the angle of contact with the ground allowing the tines to be set at varying degrees of aggressiveness. Disclosed herein is a turf comber having such adjustable tines.  
       [0005] Sports fields include both grass fields and synthetic turf. Some synthetic turf includes synthetic grass imbedded in synthetic field material. The base material must be groomed. In many cases, the grooming must occur not only in dry conditions but also in wet conditions. As in the case of grass fields, it is also necessary to provide tines that may be quickly and easily adjusted relative to the angle of ground contact in order to ensure a uniform level playing surface. It is also desirable to brush the fill material prior to combing and thus, the device disclosed herein includes a plurality of turf engaging brushes positioned forward of the tines. The tines may be mounted directly to the brush frame or to an auxiliary frame attached to the brush frame.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] One embodiment of the present invention is a turf conditioner including a frame having a first bracket and a second bracket. A first rod has a first end and an opposite second end movably mounted to and between the first bracket and the second bracket. Flexible tines are mounted to the rod and have downwardly extending bottom end portions for contacting and combing the ground at a predetermined angle. A mount is attached to the frame and the rod to allow adjustment and fixation of the predetermined angle.  
       [0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device for dethatching grass.  
       [0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for combing fill base material used with synthetic turf.  
       [0009] An additional object of the present invention is to provide a turf-combing device having a quick and easy adjustment to allow adjustment of the angle of contact between the combing tines and ground.  
       [0010] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a combined brushing and combing device for use on real and synthetic grass.  
       [0011] Related objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a turf-brushing device having mounted thereto a turf comber.  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a left end perspective view of the combing device of FIG. 1  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary right end perspective view of the combing device of FIG. 1.  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top view of brush device  10  and turf comber  30 .  
     [0016]FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.  
     [0017]FIG. 6 is an enlarged top view of the turf comber.  
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0018] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.  
     [0019] Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a turf-brushing device  10 , that is disclosed and claimed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,013 herein incorporated by reference. Device  10  includes a tow bar  15  attachable to the vehicle hitch  16  to be towed across a field. Device  10  includes a plurality of turf engaging brushes  17  fixedly mounted to a rectangular frame  18 . A pair of wheels  19  and  20  are rotatably mounted to wheel frame  21  pivotally mounted to frame  18  and movable downwardly by a crank/cable combination or a cylinder motor for transporting the device across ground when not in a brushing mode. The wheels are pivoted to the upward position as shown in FIG. 1 when the device is in use allowing the device to sit upon the ground being supported by the plurality of brushes  17 .  
     [0020] I have improved the brush device  10  by mounting to the aft end thereof a turf comber  30 . Comber  30  has a rectangular frame  31  removably mounted to the rear bar  32  (FIG. 4) of frame  18  by means of a pair of forwardly extending flanges  33  and  34  integrally mounted to frame  31  and removably connected by conventional fastening devices to a pair of rearwardly extending flanges  35  and  36  integrally mounted to bar  32 .  
     [0021] Turf comber frame  31  includes a rear wall  38  (FIG. 1) integrally attached to forward wall  39  by a pair of side walls  40  and  41 . A plurality of forwardly extending strengthening members  37  are connected to and extend between rear wall  38  and front wall  39 . An upwardly extending arm  40  is fixedly mounted to rear wall  38  and front wall  39  with the distal end  41  of arm  40  being fixedly secured by a conventional fastening device to an upwardly extending member  42 , in turn, having a bottom end fixedly mounted to rear wall  32  of frame  18 . Arm  40  along with flanges  33  and  34  therefore mount the turf comber  30  to the brush device  10  and position frame  31  above ground.  
     [0022] Three parallel and horizontally extending rods  50 ,  51  and  52  (FIG. 6) have opposite ends mounted to side walls  40  and  41 . The rods are rotatably mounted to walls  40  and  41  to allow adjustment of the downwardly extending tines mounted to the rods. While the description and the drawings disclose three rods  50 - 52 , it is to be understood the present invention includes a turf comber having less than or more than three such rods.  
     [0023] End wall  40  (FIG. 2) has three circular holes  53 ,  54  and  55  having rotatably mounted therein respectively three sleeves  56 ,  57  and  58 . The three ends  59 ,  60  and  61  of rods  50 ,  51  and  52  extend into respectively sleeves  56 ,  57  and  58 .  
     [0024] Sleeves  56 - 58  are welded respectively to tubes  50 ,  51  and  52  with each sleeve having a flange or arm positioned inwardly of wall  40  with the flange or arm receiving a carriage bolt that, in turn, extends through the arm into wall  40  allowing adjustment of the tine carrying rod. For example, sleeve  56  is fixed to end  59  of rod  50  by welds  62  (FIG. 5). Arm  63  is integrally and cantileverly mounted to sleeve  56  and is positioned inwardly of wall  40 . A carriage bolt  64  extends through arm  63  and then through wall  40  being secured thereto by a conventional fastening device, such as a nut. An arcuate slot  65  (FIG. 2) is provided in wall  40  allowing arm  63  to be pivoted about the longitudinal axis of rod  50  to the desired location along the length of slot  65  thereby positioning rod  50  and the tines that extend downwardly therefrom in the desired position. A similar mounting connection is provided at the opposite ends of the three rods. Each rod  50 - 52  has an end projecting through side wall  41  and into a collared flange.  
     [0025] The following description will apply to rod  50  it being understood that an identical description applies to rods  51  and  52 . Rod  50  includes an end  74  extending through collar  70  positioned outwardly of wall  41 . An arm or flange  71  is integrally connected to collar  70  and extends sideways thereof having a distal end through which a conventional carriage bolt  72  extends. An arcuate slot  73  similar to slot  65  is provided in wall  41  enabling the carriage bolt that extends therethrough to move along the length of the slot thereby positioning the distal end of flange  73  at the desired location along the length of the slot. A conventional fastening device  75  extends through collar  70  and end  74  of rod  50  thereby ensuring that collar  70  rotates with rod  50 . Collar  70  with its attached arm  71  are located outwardly of wall  41  whereas arm  63  attached to collar  56  is located inwardly of wall  40  and between side walls  40  and  41 . Each collar and arm has a longitudinal axis extending centrally through the collar and distal end of the arm. For example, axis  96  extends centrally through collar  70  (FIG. 3) and through the distal end of arm  71  intersecting the longitudinal axis of fastening device  72  and the longitudinal axis of rod  50 . Axis  96  is pivotable about the longitudinal axis of rod  50  and may be fixed relative to the horizontal about tube end  74 .  
     [0026] The spring-biased tines extending down from turf comber  30  are commercially available. The tines are arranged in pairs. For example, tine  80  and  81  are respectively attached to a pair of spring coils  82  and  83  through which rod  50  extends. Coils  82  and  83  are connected together. A conventional fastening device  84  extends over a portion of coils  82  and  83  and into rod  50  thereby securely mounting the coils and attached tines to the rod. The tines are produced from spring wire or rod.  
     [0027] Each tine has a downwardly extending portion arranged at an angle with respect to its bottom distal end portion. For example, tine  85  has a downwardly extending portion  86  arranged at angle  88  to its integrally connected distal end portion  87 . Distal end portion  87  is straight and arranged at angle  89  relative to vertical axis  90 . By rotating rods  50 - 52 , angle  89  may be adjusted over a range of approximately 30 degrees.  
     [0028] In the event aggressive combing of the grass or synthetic turf is desired, then the carriage bolts securing the arms of each collar are loosened and the rods are rotated until angle  89  is zero degrees thereby positioning the bottom end portions parallel to the vertical. For example, fastening device  72  and  64  are loosened thereby pivoting arms  71  and  63  along the length of respective slots  73  and  65  until rod  50  rotates sufficiently to align bottom end portion  87  of tine  85  with the vertical thereby decreasing angle  89  to 0. Fasteners  64  and  72  are then tightened locking the tines in place. The same procedure is followed for rods  51  and  52 .  
     [0029] In the event a less aggressive combing action is desired, then the tines are adjusted until angle  89  is at its maximum. In the case of the embodiment shown in the drawing, the maximum of angle  89  is 30 degrees thereby arranging bottom end portions  87  at an angle  92  of 60 degrees relative to the ground. In such a case, the carriage bolts  64  and  72  are again loosened with arms  63  and  71  being pivoted along the length of the arcuate slots until angle  89  is at 30 degrees, that is, angle  92  is 60 degrees.  
     [0030] The tines on rods  50 ,  51  and  52  are staggered with respect to each other across the length of the rods to provide maximum coverage. For example, the pair of tines  94  (FIG. 6) are located between but overlap the pair of tines  93  and the pair of tines  95 . Tines  95 , in turn, are located between and overlap the pair of tines  94  and the pair of tines  96 .  
     [0031] Turf comber  30  is shown in the drawings as an auxiliary unit mountable to the aft end of brushing device  10 . It is to be understood, however, that the turf comber  30  may be physically incorporated into brushing device  10  by mounting rods  50 - 52  with the associated tines in the same manner to the frame of brushing device  10  as described for frame  31 . Likewise, turf comber  10  may be utilized independent of brushing device  10 .  
     [0032] The method of treating turf comprises the steps of first providing a frame to be moved across turf with the frame including a plurality of rods rotatably mounted thereto. A plurality of spring tines are mounted to the rods and have bottom ends extending downwardly toward ground at an angle. The rods include outer ends with arms fixedly mounted thereto. The method includes the further step of selecting the desired angle  92  at the bottom ends  87  depending upon the amount of desired combing of turf, that is, aggressive or less aggressive. Next, the arms  63  and  71  attached to each rod are pivoted until the attached rod rotates to the desired position in order to position the bottom ends of the tines at the desired angle  92 . The arms are then fixed in place to fix angle  92  with the frame then being moved across the turf pulling the bottom ends across and against the turf. An optional step is to brush the turf prior to moving the tines thereacross causing the turf to stand upright prior to the combing thereof during the moving step.  
     [0033] In one embodiment, the turf comber included three rows of 28 tines spaced ⅞ inches apart for complete coverage. Each row of the tines is adjustable to the desired level of aggressiveness. The turf comber combs through the synthetic field material relieving compaction and assuring a soft level playing surface. The bottom end portions of the tines may be arranged from a first position perpendicular to the ground to a second position wherein the bottom end portions are at a sixty degree angle to the ground.  
     [0034] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.