Collector and separator apparatus for lawn and garden

• US 20050217234A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bestrake, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bestrake, LLC
• Inventors: Dunning, Charles Everett, Saathoff, Richard Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 7,354,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/400.10
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 20/47 Vacuum or blower devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 13/04 with beaters hinged to the rotor; Hammer mills
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 13/282 Shape or inner surface of mill-housings
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/06 with rotating knives
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/14 within horizontal containers B02C18/062, B02C18/065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 2201/066 for garden waste

Abstract

An apparatus for collection and reduction of twig-containing yard debris combining a frontally facing twig breaker with a chipper-shredder-blower unit to induce airflow for entraining debris collected at the vacuum pick up; reduce the entrained debris to a more manageable volume; impel the reduced debris to a free-flow-separator device for removing the debris from the air in which it is entrained; and deposit the debris in a detachable accumulator for subsequent dumping.

Claims

1-51. -51. (canceled)

52. An apparatus for collecting yard debris disposed on a surface comprising:

a. a chassis frame;

b. a blower unit mounted on said chassis frame and adapted to induce entraining air flow;

c. a collector-rotor means rotatably mounted on said chassis frame adapted to;

i. engage said surface and said yard debris thereupon, and

ii. impel said yard debris toward said blower unit;

d. conduit means for conducting said yard debris in said entraining air flow from said collector-rotor means to said blower unit;

e. an air-solids separator means operatively connected to said blower unit for separating said entraining air flow into a debris-enriched stream and a debris-depleted stream; and

f. a detachable accumulation means adapted to receive said debris-enriched stream from said air-solids separator means;

said detachable accumulation means having at least one attached roller means adapted to support said accumulation means upon detachment of said accumulation means from said frame.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said detachable accumulation means has a generally polyhedral shape.

54. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said detachable accumulation means is detachably sealed to said air-solids separator means.

71. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said roller means attached to said detachable accumulation means does not bear against said surface when said detachable accumulation means is not detached from said apparatus.

72. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said roller means attached to said detachable accumulation means is spaced from said surface when said detachable accumulation means is not detached from said apparatus.

73. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said separator means separates entrained yard debris into a debris-enriched stream and a debris-depleted stream by action of body forces thereupon.

74. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said debris-depleted stream exhausted from said air-solids separator means is directed against said surface forward of said collector-rotor means.

55. An apparatus for collecting yard debris disposed on a surface comprising:

a. a chassis frame;

b. a blower unit mounted on said chassis frame and adapted to;

i. induce air flow adjacent said surface, and

ii. entrain said yard debris disposed on said surface in an entraining air stream;

c. conduit means for conducting said yard debris in said entraining air stream from said surface to said blower unit;

d. an air-solids separator means operatively connected to said blower unit for separating said entraining air flow into a debris-enriched stream and a debris-depleted stream, said air-solids separator means comprising a free-flow apparatus for separating said entraining air flow into said debris-enriched stream and said debris-depleted stream by action of body forces thereupon; and

e. a detachable accumulation means adapted to receive said debris-enriched stream from said air-solids separator means;

said detachable accumulation means having at least one attached roller means adapted to support said accumulation means.

75. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein said detachable accumulation means has a generally polyhedral shape.

76. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein said detachable accumulation means is detachably sealed to said air-solids separator means and wherein said roller means is adapted to support said accumulation means upon detachment of said accumulation means from said chassis frame.

77. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein said roller means attached to said detachable accumulation means does not bear against said surface when said detachable accumulation means is not detached from said apparatus.

78. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein said roller means attached to said detachable accumulation means is spaced from said surface when said detachable accumulation means is not detached from said apparatus.

79. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein said detachable accumulation means and said air-solids separator means have matching tongue-and-groove means enabling said detachable accumulation means to be slidably sealed to and supported by said air-solids separator means.

56-68. -68. (canceled)

69. An apparatus for collecting yard debris disposed on a surface comprising:

a. a chassis frame;

b. a blower unit mounted on said chassis frame and adapted to;

i. induce air flow adjacent a surface, and

ii. entrain said yard debris disposed on said surface in an entraining air stream;

c. conduit means having a conduit entrance and adapted for conducting said yard debris in said entraining air stream from said surface to said blower unit;

d. an air-solids separator means operatively connected to said blower unit for separating said entraining air flow into a debris-enriched stream and a debris-depleted stream;

e. an accumulation means adapted to receive said debris-enriched stream from said air-solids separator means; and

f. a passage having a passage entrance and a passage exit, wherein;

i. said passage entrance is operatively connected to and adapted to receive said debris-depleted stream from said air solids separator,

ii. said passage is adapted to conduct said debris-depleted stream along its length, and

iii. said passage exit is adapted to direct said debris-depleted stream toward said conduit entrance.

70. The apparatus of claim 69 wherein said passage exit is adapted to direct said debris-depleted stream to a location proximate said conduit entrance.

80. An apparatus for collecting yard debris adapted to be disposed on a surface, said apparatus for collecting yard debris comprising:

a. a frame;

b. a blower unit mounted on said frame adapted to induce entraining air flow adjacent said surface and collect said yard debris in said entraining air flow;

c. means for conducting said yard debris in said entraining air flow through said blower;

d. an air-solids separator means operatively connected to said blower unit for separating said yard debris in said entraining air flow into a debris-enriched stream and a debris-depleted stream, said air-solids separator means comprising a free-flow apparatus for separating said yard debris in said entraining air flow into said debris-enriched stream and said debris-depleted stream by action of body forces thereupon; and

e. a detachable accumulation means adapted to receive said debris-enriched stream from said air-solids separator means;

said detachable accumulation means being generally impervious to air and being adapted to be detachably sealed to said air-solids separator means.

81. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein said detachable accumulation means is chosen from the group consisting of polymeric containers, polymeric bags, paper bags and generally air-impervious fabric bags.

82. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said detachable accumulation means has at least one attached roller means adapted to support said accumulation means.

83. The apparatus in claim 80 wherein said air-solids separator means further comprises:

a. a separation chamber having an outer chamber wall, a roof, and an opening means for receiving said stream of entrained lawn debris, said roof having defined therethrough a substantially centrally located passage with a passage entrance and a passage exit;

b. a duct having a duct entrance, an outer duct wall, and a duct exit connected to said opening means, said duct entrance being operatively connected to said blower, and said duct being adapted for;

i. accepting said yard debris in said entraining air flow from said blower unit,

ii. conducting said yard debris in said entraining air flow from said duct entrance to said opening means in said separation chamber, and

iii. directing said yard debris in said entraining air flow into said separation chamber in a direction primarily tangential to said outer chamber wall;

c. said separation chamber being adapted to separate said yard debris in said entraining air flow into an outerly located debris-enriched stream and an innerly located debris-depleted stream;

d. said substantially centrally located passage being adapted to exhaust said debris-depleted stream from said separation chamber into the atmosphere;

e. said detachable accumulation means being adapted for receiving said debris-enriched stream; and

f. a baffle means being disposed between said separation chamber and said detachable accumulation means, said baffle means being adapted for inhibiting secondary flow from said detachable accumulation means into said separation chamber and impeding re-entrainment of fine particulates from said detachable accumulation means into said debris-depleted stream, said separation chamber having means providing an opening around said baffle into said detachable accumulation means for permitting passage of said outerly located debris-enriched stream from said separation chamber into said detachable accumulation means.

84. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said detachable accumulation means has a generally polyhedral shape.

85. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said detachable accumulation means has a generally hexahedral shape.

86. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said detachable accumulation means has a generally heptahedral shape.

87. The apparatus of claim 82 wherein said detachable accumulation means is detachably sealed to said air-solids separator means and wherein said roller means is adapted to support said accumulation means.

88. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said apparatus for collecting said yard debris further comprises ramp means for raising said detachable accumulation means from said surface as said detachable accumulation means is being attached to said apparatus.

89. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said apparatus for collecting said yard debris further comprises ramp means for raising said detachable accumulation means from said surface as said detachable accumulation means is being pushed forward into attachment with said apparatus.

90. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said detachable accumulation means and said air-solids separator means have matching tongue-and-groove means enabling said detachable accumulation means to be slidably sealed to said air-solids separator means in supporting engagement therewith.

91. The apparatus of claim 90 wherein the entrance ends of grooves on said air-solids separator means are downwardly flared to facilitate engagement of tongue rails on said accumulation means with said grooves.

92. The apparatus of claim 80 further comprising a fastener adapted for securing said detachable accumulation means in sealed engagement with said air-solids separator means.

93. The apparatus of claim 80 further comprising a mechanical-advantage fastener adapted for securing said detachable accumulation means in sealed engagement with said air-solids separator means.

94. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said detachable accumulation means is releasably secured to said air-solids separator means.

95. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said air-solids separator means has sidewalls inclined upwardly and inwardly at from about 5 degrees to about 25 degrees from the vertical.

96. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said debris-depleted stream from said air-solids separator means is exhausted into the atmosphere frontwardly.

97. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said debris-depleted stream from said air-solids separator means is exhausted into the atmosphere sidewardly.

98. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said detachable accumulation means has a perimetral frame detachably sealed to, and pivotably mounted to, said air-solids separator means.

99. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said detachable accumulation means is pivotably mounted to said frame and is adapted to be sealingly secured to said air-solids separator means.

100. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said detachable accumulation means and said frame have matching tongue-and-groove means enabling said detachable accumulation means to be slidably sealed to and supported by said frame.

101. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein a maneuvering handle is attached to said detachable accumulation means.

102. The apparatus of claim 80 further comprising at least one auxiliary handle means attached to said detachable accumulation means for lifting said detachable accumulation means.

103. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said accumulation means has one or more observation panels affording observation of the debris level within said accumulation means.

104. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said accumulation means has one or more adjustable leg means suitable for supporting one end of said accumulation means.

105. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said blower unit is operatively connected to said air-solids separator via a duct extending between said blower unit and said air-solids separator means.

106. The apparatus of claim 105 further comprising an adjustable flow-restricting device disposed within said duct extending between said blower unit and said air-solids separator.

107. The apparatus of claim 106 wherein said adjustable flow-restricting device is a pivotable damper.

108. The apparatus of claim 106 wherein said adjustable flow-restricting device is a sliding-gate device.

109. The apparatus of claim 80 further comprising an adjustable flow-restricting device disposed within said means for conducting said yard debris in said entraining air flow through said blower.

110. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said blower unit comprises a shredder/rotor.

111. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein said blower unit comprises a chipper/shredder.