Apparatus for trimming and chemically treating trees

• US 6,990,770 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2003
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven J. Terrell & Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Steven J. Terrell & Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Terrell, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Valenti, Andrea M.
• Application Number:
  US10/679,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20050072042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 47/15, 47/575, 47/17, 47D/IG.11, 56/168, 144/4.1, 144/34.1, 144/24.12, 301/233, 301/234
• US Class Current: 47/1.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 3/08 Other tools for pruning, branching or delimbing standing trees
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 21/043 by chemicals

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an apparatus preferably coupled to a boom on a truck which can simultaneously trim and chemically treat trees or other vegetation with a herbicide. The apparatus, in addition to have a standard saw blade assembly with limb clamping jaws, includes a sprayer assembly. The sprayer assembly includes nozzles which administer herbicides or other chemical treatments adjacent to the saw blades, allowing herbicide to be precisely administered to the tree limbs as they are cut.

Claims

1. An apparatus for trimming and chemically treating vegetation, comprising:

a saw arm having a top, a bottom, sides and ends;

a plurality of parallel saw blades affixed along a side of the saw arm for trimming the vegetation, wherein the saw blades each have an axis of rotation perpendicular to the side of the saw arm; and

a plurality of nozzles affixed in or to the saw arm for spraying a chemical treatment on the vegetation in the proximity of the saw blades, wherein the plurality of nozzles direct the chemical treatment generally parallel with the saw blades, and wherein the chemical treatment is blocked in part by the saw blades so that some amount of the chemical treatment is sprayed onto the saw blades,

wherein the saw blades span above and below the top and bottom of the saw arm,

wherein the nozzles are formed on the top and bottom of the saw arm, and

wherein the nozzles are flush with the top and bottom of the saw arm.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one further nozzle formed perpendicularly to the plurality of nozzles.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is attachable to a boom along a first axis, and wherein the saw arm is rotatable around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is attachable to a boom along a first axis, and wherein the apparatus is rotatable around the first axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is attachable to a boom along a first axis, and wherein the apparatus is bendable at an angle with respect to the first axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is attachable to a boom along a first axis, and wherein

the saw arm is rotatable around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis,

the apparatus is rotatable around the first axis, and

the apparatus is bendable at an angle with respect to the first axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one jaw for grabbing the vegetation to be trimmed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the jaw is serrated.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nozzles spray the chemical treatment at a location where the saw blades trim the vegetation.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chemical treatment comprises a herbicide.

11. An apparatus for trimming and chemically treating vegetation, comprising:

an elongated saw arm having a top, bottom, sides, and ends;

a plurality of parallel saw blades, wherein the saw blades are coupled along a side of the elongated saw arm for trimming vegetation, wherein the saw blades each have an axis of rotation perpendicular to the side of the elongated saw arm; and

a sprayer assembly having a plurality of nozzles on the top and bottom of the elongated saw arm for spraying a chemical treatment on the vegetation, wherein the plurality of nozzles direct the chemical treatment generally parallel with the saw blades, and wherein the chemical treatment is blocked in part by the saw blades so that some amount of the chemical treatment is sprayed onto the saw blades,

wherein the saw blades span above and below the top and bottom of the elongated saw arm,

wherein the nozzles are flush with the top and bottom of the elongated saw arm.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sprayer assembly further comprises at least one second nozzle formed on a side of the elongated saw arm.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sprayer assembly further comprises two second nozzles formed on a side and proximate the ends of the elongated saw arm.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the saw blades appear on the same side of the elongated saw arm as do the second nozzles.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second nozzles pop up beyond the side of the elongated saw arm when activated.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the saw blades are located on one side of the elongated saw arm.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising at least one channel formed within the elongated saw arm to pass the chemical treatment to the sprayer assembly.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the elongated saw arm comprises two pieces with the channel formed or milled therein.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the elongated saw arm comprises a single piece of material and wherein the channel is milled thereinto.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sprayer assembly sprays the chemical treatment at a location where the at least one saw blade trims the vegetation.

21. A vehicle for trimming and chemically treating vegetation, comprising:

a boom attached to the vehicle;

a tank attached to the vehicle for holding a chemical treatment and

an apparatus attached to an end of the boom, the apparatus comprising;

a saw arm having a top, a bottom, sides and ends, a plurality of parallel saw blades affixed along a side of the saw arm for trimming the vegetation, wherein the saw blades each have an axis of rotation perpendicular to the side of the saw arm; and

a plurality of nozzles affixed in or to the saw arm, wherein the nozzles are coupled to the tank by a hose for spraying the chemical treatment on the vegetation, and wherein the plurality of nozzles direct the chemical treatment generally parallel with the saw blades, and wherein the chemical treatment is blocked in part by the saw blades so that some amount of the chemical treatment is sprayed onto the saw blades,

wherein the saw blades span above and below the top and bottom of the saw arm,

wherein the nozzles are formed on the top and bottom of the saw arm, and

wherein the nozzles are flush with the top and bottom of the saw arm.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is attached to the boom along a first axis, and wherein the saw arm is rotatable around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

23. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is attached to the boom along a first axis, and wherein the apparatus is rotatable around the first axis.

24. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is attached to the boom along a first axis, and wherein the apparatus is bendable at an angle with respect to the first axis.

25. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is attached to the boom along a first axis, and wherein

the saw arm is rotatable around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis,

the apparatus is rotatable around the first axis, and

the apparatus is bendable at an angle with respect to the first axis.

26. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one jaw for grabbing the vegetation to be trimmed.

27. The vehicle of claim 26, wherein the jaw is serrated.

28. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the nozzles spray the chemical treatment at a location where the saw blades trim the vegetation.

29. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the chemical treatment comprises a herbicide.

30. The vehicle of claim 21, further comprising at least one additional nozzle perpendicular to the plurality of nozzles.

31. A method for trimming and chemically treating vegetation using an apparatus, comprising:

trimming the vegetation with a plurality of parallel saw blades, wherein the saw blades reside in series along a saw arm having a top, a bottom, sides, and ends, wherein the saw blades each having an axis of rotation perpendicular to a side of the saw arm; and

simultaneously spraying with a plurality of nozzles a chemical treatment on the vegetation being trimmed in the proximity of the saw blades, wherein the plurality of nozzles direct the chemical treatment generally parallel with the saw blades, and wherein the chemical treatment is blocked in part by the saw blades so, that some amount of the chemical treatment is sprayed onto the saw blades,

wherein the saw blades span above and below the top and bottom of the saw arm,

wherein the nozzles are formed on the top and bottom of the saw arm, and

wherein the nozzles are flush with the top and bottom of the saw arm.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the saw blades and nozzles are formed on the apparatus.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the apparatus is attached to a boom along a first axis, and wherein the apparatus is rotatable around the first axis.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the apparatus is attached to a boom along a first axis, and wherein the apparatus is bendable at an angle with respect to the first axis.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the apparatus is affixed to a boom on a vehicle, and wherein the method further comprises driving to the location of the vegetation to be trimmed.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the vehicle comprises a tank affixed to the apparatus by a hose for storing the chemical treatment.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the nozzles are affixed in or to the saw arm.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the apparatus is attached to a boom along a first axis, and wherein the saw arm is rotatable around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the apparatus is attached to a boom along a first axis, and wherein

the saw arm is rotatable around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis,

the apparatus is rotatable around the first axis, and

the apparatus is bendable at an angle with respect to the first axis.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising clamping the vegetation to be trimmed with at least one jaw.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the jaw is serrated.

42. The method of claim 31, wherein spraying the chemical treatment comprises spraying at a location where the at least one saw blade trims the vegetation.

43. The method of claim 31, wherein the chemical treatment comprises a herbicide.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein the herbicide comprises Krenite.