Abstract:
The device is a scoop for use with an aeration machine for collecting debris lying on the ground. The scoop including a frame and a plurality of debris pick-up plates, where each plate is mounted on the frame. Each plate also has a biasing mechanism for urging a leading edge of the plate downwardly as it is drawn across the ground.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority benefit of Irish Short Term Patent Application No. S2007/0165, filed in Ireland on Mar. 13, 2007, and which application is hereby incorporated by reference. 
       FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a scoop for collecting debris lying on the ground, and in particular for collecting plugs of earth extracted from golf greens. 
         [0003]    To assist drainage and alleviate compaction, plugs of earth are removed from golf greens and the holes left behind are backfilled with sharp sand. Aeration apparatus is available for mounting on the three point linkage of a tractor, having a number of hollow tines which are inserted into the green and then extracted in a repeating reciprocal motion and plugs of earth removed by the tines discarded onto the surface of the green. Removing these plugs of earth from the surface of the green is a time consuming and labor intensive task. The present invention is directed towards overcoming these problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    According to the invention, there is provided a scoop for collecting debris lying on the ground, the scoop including a debris pick-up plate, said plate being pivotally mounted on a support for drawing the plate across the ground to collect the debris, and bias means for urging a leading edge of the plate downwardly, as it is drawn across the ground. 
         [0005]    In a preferred embodiment, the bias means comprises a post upstanding on the plate and means for applying a force to said post in the direction of travel of the plate to urge a leading edge of the plate downwardly. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment, the plate is mounted on the support by a trailing arm connected between the support and the post, said trailing arm being pivotally mounted to the support and to the post. 
         [0007]    In a further embodiment, the post is mounted at a front end of the plate adjacent the leading edge. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, a counterbalance weight is provided at a rear end of the plate to resist lifting of a rear end of the plate. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, a skid is mounted on an underside of the plate. Preferable, the skid is wedge shaped, being deeper at a rear end than at a front end of the skid. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, a plurality of juxtaposed plates are provided on the support, said plates being arranged in a row side-by-side forming a continuous composite scoop plate assembly. 
         [0011]    In another embodiment, side edges of adjacent plates are hingedly interconnected. 
         [0012]    In a further embodiment, the plates are hingedly interconnected by straps extending between the plates and secured to each plate. 
         [0013]    In another embodiment, stops are provided on the plates to prevent the pates sliding over each other in use. 
         [0014]    In a preferred embodiment, the stops comprise upstanding stop lugs at a front end of each plate at side edges of the plate and associated downwardly depending stop lugs at a rear end of each plate at side edges of the plate. 
         [0015]    In another embodiment, outermost plates in the row of plates have upturned outer side walls. 
         [0016]    In another embodiment, side flaps are provided on the support at each side of the row of plates for retaining material on the plates. 
         [0017]    In another embodiment, each side flap is hingedly mounted on the support frame. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0018]    The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a scoop according to the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a detail side elevational view showing a debris pick-up plate arrangement for the scoop. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a row of plates forming portion of the scoop. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is an underneath plan view of the row of plates shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a detail plan view showing portion of adjoining plates. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a detail end elevation view showing portions of adjoining plates. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a detail plan view showing a plate lifting mechanism forming portion of the scoop. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a detail perspective view showing a side of the scoop. 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is a side view showing the scoop in use. 
           [0028]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the scoop, in use. 
           [0029]      FIG. 11  is a side view showing the scoop, in use, mounted on a tractor. 
           [0030]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the scoop. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0031]    Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a scoop for collecting debris according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral  1 . The scoop  1  comprises a support frame  2 . A set  3  of juxtaposed debris pick-up plates  4  is pivotally mounted on the support  2 . Each pick-up plate  4  is mounted on the support frame  2  by a trailing arm  6  connected between a front crossbar  7  of the support frame  2  and an upstanding post  8  located centrally on the plate  4  adjacent a leading edge  9  of the plate  4 . Each trailing arm  6  is pivotally mounted to the cross member  7  by a pivot bolt  10  at a front end of the arm  6  and pivotally mounted to the post  8  by a pivot bolt  11  at a rear end of the arm  6 . Thus, for example, as the support frame  2  is drawn behind a tractor vehicle, the trailing arm  6  pulls the plate  4  along the ground. As the trailing arm  6  pulls on the post  8 , it tends to urge a leading edge  9  of the plate  4  downwardly to keep it in engagement with the surface of the ground, over which the plate  4  is being drawn. 
         [0032]    A counterbalance weight  14  is mounted on an underside of the plate  4  at a rear end  15  of the plate  4 . A skid  16  is also centrally mounted on an underside of the plate  4 . This skid  16  is wedge-shaped being deeper at a rear end  17  than at a front end  18  of the skid  16 . 
         [0033]    All of the plates  4  in the set  3  of plates  4  are hingedly interconnected. Straps  20  span between adjacent plates  4  between top surfaces  21  of the plates  4  to which they are attached by metal plates  22  secured by fasteners  23  to each plate  4 . 
         [0034]    Stop lugs  28  are upstanding at a front end of each plate  4  at side edges of the plate  4  and similar stop lugs (not shown) are provided downwardly depending from a rear end of each plate  4  at side edges of the plate  4  to prevent the plates  4  sliding over each other in use. It will be noted that the plates  4  can hinge together to accommodate uneven ground, while not overriding each other. 
         [0035]    Referring in particular to  FIG. 8 , side flaps  30  are provided on the support  2  at each side of the row  3  of plates  4  for retaining material on the plates  4 . Each side flap  30  is hingedly attached by a pivot  31  at a rear lower edge of the side flap  30  to the frame  2 . A skid  32  is provided along a lower edge of each flap  30  for allowing the flap  30  to travel over the ground without digging into the ground. These side flaps may be directly attached to the outer two plates and hence pivot with the plates. As described these side flaps are side means pivotably connected to the frame to retain scooped material on said plates. 
         [0036]    Referring now in particular to  FIGS. 7 and 12 , a plate lifting assembly, indicated generally by the reference numeral  40  is shown. The lifter  40  comprises an elongate bar  41  rotatably mounted in associated bushings  42  on the support frame  2 . 
         [0037]    Rearwardly projecting arms  44  have chains  45  at their outer end. These chains  45  attach to posts  8  on some of the plates  4 . An upwardly extending actuating lever arm  48  is centrally mounted on the bar  41 . This lever arm  48  is connected by a link arm  49  with a pivoting arm  50  at a rear of the support frame  2 . A chain  52  connected to the arm  50  extends forwardly to a tractor vehicle for pivoting the arm  50  and hence through links  49  and  48  the bar  41  to raise the plates  4 . 
         [0038]    In use, the scoop  1  is mounted behind a tractor  60 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . Conveniently, as shown, it can be mounted behind apparatus  61  having tines for extracting plugs of material from the green  62 , said apparatus being mounted on the three point linkage of the tractor  60 . Thus, as the apparatus  61  throws plugs onto the surface of the green  62 , the scoop  1  picks up the waste plugs  63  from the surface of the green  62 . As the plates  4  are pulled along the surface of the green  62 , the trailing arms  6  pull the posts  8 , thus urging the leading edge  9  of each plate  4  downwardly against the surface of the green  62 . Thus, the plugs  63  are picked up and collected on top of the plates  4 . The tractor  60  then drives off the green to a suitable location for dumping the plugs  63 . By raising the three point linkage on the tractor  60 , the plates  4  will pivot downwardly, as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , dropping the plugs  63  onto the ground. 
         [0039]    The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.