Method and system for high pressure liquid injection of turf seed

• US 6,722,298 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Textron Inc
• Original Assignee: Textron Inc
• Inventors: Kenworthy, Kevin E., Engelke, Milton C., Jones, Laurence B.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US10/217,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 111/118, 111/129, 111/127, 111/200, 111/85-87, 111/149, 239/726, 239/727, 239/728, 222/61, 222/397, 222/400.5
• US Class Current: 111/127
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/028 Contactless injection into the soil
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/004 using liquid seeding techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/008 Sod or grassland seeding A01C7/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A turf care system and method uses simultaneously fired pulses of high-pressure liquid jets of the mixture shot toward the ground. The liquid is mixed with dry grass seed shortly before being delivered to a high-pressure liquid/seed pumping system, which uses an accumulator and sequencing valve to produce at regular repetitive intervals pulses of the liquid/seed mixture under high pressure. The pulses are delivered to an elongated hydraulic manifold having multiple nozzles pointed downwardly, which are spaced from one another and the ground by predetermined distances. The momentum of the high-pressure jet of liquid/seed mixture issuing from each nozzle cuts through overlying vegetation to deposit the seeds into the crown of the soil at predetermined desired depth. Spray patterns are determined by nozzle orifice shape, and are preferably selected to provide a shallow knife slit-like opening or trench in the crown of the turf.

Claims

1. The mechanism for injecting a liquid-seed mixture into soil having:

a nozzle;

an accumulator for storing the liquid-seed mixture under pressure coupled to the nozzle;

a pump for increasing the pressure of the liquid-seed mixture; and

a regulator for regulating the flow of the liquid-seed mixture from accumulator through the nozzle, wherein the nozzle is configured to inject the liquid-seed mixture into the soil.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 further comprising:

a fluid supply; and

a seed supplier for mixing the seed with liquid stored within the fluid supply.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 further containing an agitator for mixing the seed within the liquid.

4. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein the accumulator has a volume from about 5 to about 20 cubic inches.

5. The mechanism of claim 4 wherein the accumulator has a volume from about 6 to about 12 cubic inches.

6. The mechanism of claim 5 wherein the accumulator has a volume of about 6 cubic inches.

7. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein the nozzle discharges the liquid-seed combination in a fan pattern.

8. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein the nozzle is disposed from about 4 to about 6 inches above the ground.

9. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein the liquid is water.

10. The mechanism of claim 9 wherein the liquid further contains a dissolved fertilizer solution.

11. The mechanism of claim 9 wherein the liquid further contains a dissolved polymer material.

12. The mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a metering mechanism for controlling the amount of seed-fluid mixture discharged by the nozzle.

13. A mechanism for injecting a seed-liquid mixture into a turf grass bearing medium comprising:

a support frame having at least one rotatable wheel;

an injection nozzle for directing periodic amounts of a seed-liquid mixture into the turf grass bearing medium;

a liquid supply system coupled to the support frame, said supply system configured to provide pressurized liquid to the injection nozzle;

a seed supply system for introducing seed into a liquid before the injection nozzle;

a metering mechanism for controlling the amount of liquid discharged by the nozzle; and

a controller being operatively coupled with the metering mechanism and to the wheel, said controller configured to control the amount of fluid being discharged as a function of rotation of the wheel.

14. The mechanism of claim 13 wherein the liquid supply system contains an accumulator for accumulating the pressurized liquid having a volume from about 5 to about 20 cubic inches.

15. The mechanism of claim 13 wherein the liquid supply system further includes a pump for pressurizing the seed-liquid mixture and transporting the seed-liquid mixture to the accumulator system.