Golf green grooming machine
First Claim
1. A ground grooming machine comprising a mobile support structure movable along a path of travel, an air flow generating assembly mounted on said support structure, said assembly including fan means for generating a downward flow of air, a chamber supported by said support structure for receiving, confining and directing said flow of air, said chamber having a bottom with downwardly directed discharge apertures therein for the downwardly directed discharge of the air flow therethrough, said support structure supporting said chamber vertically above a ground surface, and flexible baffle means depending from and surrounding said chamber bottom for engagement with the ground surface, said baffle means extending around said openings in said chamber bottom and confining said air flow to the ground surface aligned below said chamber, a first brush assembly positioned forward of said air flow generating assembly along the path of travel, and a second brush assembly positioned rearward of said air flow generating assembly along the path of travel, and means for mounting said brush assemblies on said support structure for automatic vertical adjustment in response to the contours of an underlying ground surface over which the machine traverses.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A ground grooming machine including a mobile frame supporting a central elongate air flow assembly producing a downwardly directed pressurized flow of air within confining arcuate baffles. A brush assembly with two elongate floating brushes mount on the frame forward of the air flow assembly, and a single floating brush mounts on the frame in following relation to the air flow assembly.
42 Citations
10 Claims
- 1. A ground grooming machine comprising a mobile support structure movable along a path of travel, an air flow generating assembly mounted on said support structure, said assembly including fan means for generating a downward flow of air, a chamber supported by said support structure for receiving, confining and directing said flow of air, said chamber having a bottom with downwardly directed discharge apertures therein for the downwardly directed discharge of the air flow therethrough, said support structure supporting said chamber vertically above a ground surface, and flexible baffle means depending from and surrounding said chamber bottom for engagement with the ground surface, said baffle means extending around said openings in said chamber bottom and confining said air flow to the ground surface aligned below said chamber, a first brush assembly positioned forward of said air flow generating assembly along the path of travel, and a second brush assembly positioned rearward of said air flow generating assembly along the path of travel, and means for mounting said brush assemblies on said support structure for automatic vertical adjustment in response to the contours of an underlying ground surface over which the machine traverses.
- 7. A ground surface grooming machine comprising a mobile support structure movable along a path of travel, an elongate hood mounted on said structure transversely of the path of travel, said hood including an upper wall with a concave downwardly directed inner face, and a bottom wall, said walls defining an elongate hood chamber of arcuate cross section along at least a major portion of the length of said hood, air circulating fan mounted vertically over said upper wall and centrally communicating with said chamber, said bottom wall including an air flow positioned deflector longitudinally and centrally therealong, said deflector being transversely arcuate and generally conforming to the concave inner face of said upper wall in spaced relation therebelow, said bottom wall further including planar portions to each side of said deflector extending from said deflector to said upper wall, a plurality of air flow discharge openings within said bottom wall laterally to each side of said central deflector wherein air flow directed into said chamber by said air circulating fan is laterally deflected by said deflector and downwardly discharged through said bottom wall openings, and ground-engaging skirts fixed to said hood and depending therefrom around said bottom wall openings for confining and downwardly directing of a discharged air flow.
Specification