Collector and separator apparatus for lawn and garden
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for collecting and reducing yard debris comprising:
- a. a frame adapted for movement in a principal direction upon a surface;
b. a converging duct mounted on said frame having an entrance and an exit;
c. a collector rotor assembly comprising;
i. a collector rotor body disposed at said entrance to said converging duct having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation generally normal to said principal direction, and ii. a plurality of impellers mounted on said collector rotor body comprising a plurality of flexible polymeric spikes mounted on said collector rotor body and projecting generally radially therefrom, said collector rotor assembly having an effective radius defined by rotation of the tips of said impellers about said horizontal axis, said collector rotor assembly being adapted to impel yard debris toward said entrance to said converging duct;
d. two bearings mounted on said frame, said collector rotor assembly rotatably mounted therebetween;
e. a pair of side plates, each mounted on said frame adjacent one of said bearings, the radial distance from its associated bearing to the periphery of the portion of each said side plate below and forward of its associated bearing not exceeding the effective radius of said collector rotor assembly by more than about 1 inch;
f. a pivotable hood mounted on said frame disposed above said collector rotor assembly, wherein said hood is pivotable between a lower and an upward position;
g. a second duct having an entrance and an exit, wherein said entrance of said second duct is in flow communication with said exit of said converging duct;
h. a blower unit adapted to induce flow of yard debris through said converging duct and said second duct;
i. a motor operatively connected to said blower unit and adapted to provide power to said blower unit;
j. a drive operatively connected to said collector rotor assembly and adapted to provide power to said collector rotor assembly; and
k. a wheel partially supporting said apparatus, forwardly mounted on said frame rearwardly of said collector rotor assembly, said frame and said collector rotor assembly being cantilevered forwardly thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for collection and reduction of yard debris combining a frontally facing rotor-assisted vacuum pick up having through-put-enhancing features with a 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 an accumulator for subsequent dumping.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. An apparatus for collecting and reducing yard debris comprising:
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a. a frame adapted for movement in a principal direction upon a surface;
b. a converging duct mounted on said frame having an entrance and an exit;
c. a collector rotor assembly comprising;
i. a collector rotor body disposed at said entrance to said converging duct having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation generally normal to said principal direction, and ii. a plurality of impellers mounted on said collector rotor body comprising a plurality of flexible polymeric spikes mounted on said collector rotor body and projecting generally radially therefrom, said collector rotor assembly having an effective radius defined by rotation of the tips of said impellers about said horizontal axis, said collector rotor assembly being adapted to impel yard debris toward said entrance to said converging duct;
d. two bearings mounted on said frame, said collector rotor assembly rotatably mounted therebetween;
e. a pair of side plates, each mounted on said frame adjacent one of said bearings, the radial distance from its associated bearing to the periphery of the portion of each said side plate below and forward of its associated bearing not exceeding the effective radius of said collector rotor assembly by more than about 1 inch;
f. a pivotable hood mounted on said frame disposed above said collector rotor assembly, wherein said hood is pivotable between a lower and an upward position;
g. a second duct having an entrance and an exit, wherein said entrance of said second duct is in flow communication with said exit of said converging duct;
h. a blower unit adapted to induce flow of yard debris through said converging duct and said second duct;
i. a motor operatively connected to said blower unit and adapted to provide power to said blower unit;
j. a drive operatively connected to said collector rotor assembly and adapted to provide power to said collector rotor assembly; and
k. a wheel partially supporting said apparatus, forwardly mounted on said frame rearwardly of said collector rotor assembly, said frame and said collector rotor assembly being cantilevered forwardly thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An apparatus for collecting and reducing yard debris comprising:
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a. a frame adapted for movement in a principal direction upon a surface;
b. a converging duct mounted on said frame having an entrance and an exit;
c. a collector rotor assembly comprising;
i. a collector rotor body disposed at the entrance to said converging duct having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation generally normal to said principal direction, and ii. a plurality of impellers mounted on said collector rotor body, said collector rotor assembly having an effective radius defined by rotation of the tips of said impellers about said horizontal axis, said collector rotor assembly being adapted to impel yard debris toward said entrance to said converging duct;
d. a second duct having an entrance and an exit, wherein said entrance of said second duct is in flow communication with said exit of said converging duct;
e. a blower unit adapted to induce flow of yard debris through said converging duct and said second duct;
f. a motor operatively connected to said blower unit and adapted to provide power to said blower unit;
g. a drive operatively connected to said collector rotor assembly and adapted to provide power to said collector rotor assembly; and
h. a wheel partially supporting said apparatus, forwardly mounted on said frame rearward of said collector rotor assembly, said frame and said collector rotor assembly being cantilevered forwardly thereof. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for collecting and reducing yard debris comprising:
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a. a frame adapted for movement in a principal direction upon a surface;
b. a converging duct mounted on said frame having an entrance and an exit;
c. a collector rotor assembly comprising;
i. a collector rotor body disposed at said entrance to said converging duct having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation generally normal to said principal direction, ii. a plurality of impellers mounted on said collector rotor body, said collector rotor assembly having an effective radius defined by rotation of the tips of said impellers about said horizontal axis, said collector rotor assembly being adapted to impel yard debris toward said entrance to said converging duct;
d. two bearings mounted on said frame, said collector rotor body rotatably mounted therebetween;
e. a pair of side plates, each mounted on said frame adjacent one of said bearings, the radial distance from its associated bearing to the periphery of the portion of each said side plate below and forward of its associated bearing not exceeding said effective radius of said collector rotor assembly by more than about 1 inch;
f. a second duct having an entrance and an exit, wherein said entrance of said second duct is in flow communication with said exit of said converging duct;
g. a blower unit adapted to induce flow of yard debris through said converging duct and said second duct;
h. a motor operatively connected to said blower unit and adapted to provide power to said blower unit; and
i. a drive operatively connected to said collector rotor assembly and adapted to provide power to said collector rotor assembly.
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22. An apparatus for collecting and reducing yard debris comprising:
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a. a frame adapted for movement in a principal direction upon a surface;
b. a converging duct mounted on said frame having an entrance and an exit;
c. a collector rotor assembly comprising;
i. a collector rotor body disposed at said entrance to said converging duct having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation generally normal to said principal direction, ii. a plurality of impellers mounted on said collector rotor body, said collector rotor assembly having an effective radius defined by rotation of the tips of said impellers about said horizontal axis, said collector rotor assembly being adapted to impel yard debris toward said entrance to said converging duct;
d. a pivotable hood mounted on said frame disposed above said collector rotor assembly, wherein said hood is pivotable between a lower position and an upward position;
e. a second duct having an entrance and an exit, wherein said entrance of said second duct is in flow communication with said exit of said converging duct;
f. a blower unit adapted to induce flow of yard debris through said converging duct and said second duct;
g. a motor operatively connected to said blower unit and adapted to provide power to said blower unit; and
h. a drive operatively connected to said collector rotor assembly and adapted to provide power to said collector rotor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for collecting and reducing yard debris comprising:
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a. a frame adapted for movement in a principal direction upon a surface;
b. a converging duct mounted on said frame having an entrance and an exit;
c. a collector rotor assembly having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation generally normal to said principal direction, said collector rotor assembly comprising;
i. a collector rotor body disposed at the entrance to said converging duct, and ii. a plurality of impellers mounted on said collector rotor body comprising a plurality of flexible polymeric spikes mounted on said collector rotor body and projecting generally radially therefrom, said collector rotor assembly being adapted to impel yard debris toward said entrance to said converging duct;
d. a second duct having an entrance and an exit, wherein said entrance of said second duct is in flow communication with said exit of said converging duct;
e. a blower unit adapted to induce flow of yard debris through said converging duct and said second duct;
f. a motor operatively connected to said blower unit and adapted to provide power to said blower unit; and
g. a drive operatively connected to said collector rotor assembly and adapted to provide power to said collector rotor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A container adapted for receiving, transporting and dumping yard debris, comprising:
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a. a frame;
b. a plurality of walls defining a cavity mounted on said frame including at least;
an outwardly displaceable wall; and
an opposing wall;
c. a duct mounted on said frame having an entrance and an exit;
d. a blower unit operatively connected to said duct and adapted to induce a flow of air-entrained yard debris into said entrance to said duct and through said duct;
e. an air-solids separator disposed on said frame in flow-receiving communication with said exit of said duct and adapted for separating said air-entrained debris into a debris-enriched stream directable into said cavity and a debris-depleted stream discharged to the atmosphere; and
f. a flexible dislodgement liner adapted to be disposed in an accumulation configuration extending between said displaceable wall and said opposing wall, said flexible dislodgement liner in said accumulation configuration generally spanning the interior of said container;
an upper portion of said flexible dislodgement liner being releasably secured adjacent an upper portion of said opposing wall and adapted to be urged toward said outwardly displaceable wall. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A container adapted for receiving, transporting and dumping yard debris, comprising:
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a. a frame;
b. a plurality of walls defining a upwardly opening cavity mounted on said frame including at least an outwardly displaceable wall and an opposing wall; and
c. an upwardly opening flexible plicating dislodgement liner adapted to be disposed in a receiving configuration generally spanning the interior of said cavity and extending at least between said displaceable wall and said opposing wall, a peripheral portion thereof being releasably secured adjacent an upper portion of said opposing wall and adapted to be urged toward said outwardly displaceable wall. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification