Method for displacing bees in vegetation subject to mowing or cutting

• US 9,713,301 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kevin Michael Muffie
• Original Assignee: Kevin Michael Muffie
• Inventors: Muffie, Kevin Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Fbin-Kovcs, rpd
• Application Number:
  US15/273,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20170006778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 15405, 153404
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/001 Accessories not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/00 Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing A01D37/00, A01D39/00, A01D41/00, take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/02 with rakes
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/20 Devices for protecting men or animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/00 Devices for taming animals, e.g. nose-rings or hobbles; Devices for overturning animals in general; Training or exercising equipment; Covering boxes
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 55/00 Bee-smokers; Bee-keepers' accessories, e.g. veils

Abstract

A method for displacing bees from vegetation subject to cutting by a mowing machine having a cutting deck and using a blower assembly affixed to the mowing machine. The assembly is provided as a fan or motorized blower affixed to a funnel. In operation, the fan or motorized blower creates then forces a concentrated air stream into the funnel that then directs the concentrated air stream to an area of vegetation immediately in front of the cutting deck, displacing bees in the area of vegetation prior to cutting. A funnel mouth is oriented so that the emitted air stream is at least as wide as the cutting deck, and multiple blower assemblies or larger funnel attachments may be used to accommodate larger cutting decks. The method includes selective actuation of the blower while operating the mowing machine.

Claims

1. A method of displacing bees in an area of vegetation subject to cutting by a mowing machine, the method comprising the steps of:

powering a mowing machine blower assembly comprised of a riding mowing machine and a blower assembly;

positioning a mouth of the blower assembly in an operational position; and

actuating a plurality of cutting blades of the riding mowing machine and a fan of the blower assembly immediately prior to cutting the area of vegetation with the plurality of cutting blades;

wherein the step of positioning the mouth in an operational position is further comprised of orienting the mouth such that a stream of air created by the actuated blower assembly and emitted out the mouth contacts the area of vegetation directly in front of the cutting deck as a horizontal stream of air parallel to a ground surface and a vertical distance from the ground surface no higher than a vertical height of vegetation in the area of vegetation;

wherein the stream of air created by the blower assembly blows on a width dimension of the area of vegetation in front of a cutting deck of the mowing machine that is about a same width dimension as the cutting deck;

wherein the step of actuating the blower assembly agitates the area of vegetation immediately in front of the cutting deck with the stream of air emitted out the mouth; and

wherein the method is performed by the mowing machine blower assembly comprising;

the riding mowing machine, comprising;

a plurality of wheels;

a frame body supported by the plurality of wheels;

wherein the frame body is further comprised of a drive unit housing and a cutting deck upon which a belt drive system is mounted, the belt drive system comprising a drive pulley and two additional pulleys rotatably coupled to the drive pulley by a belt;

the plurality of cutting blades housed under the cutting deck rotatably coupled to the belt drive system;

a drive unit housed inside the drive unit housing, the drive unit comprising a drive shaft and a the motor, the motor mounted to the drive shaft;

wherein the drive pulley is directly mounted to the drive shaft; and

wherein the motor supplies drive power to the plurality of wheels and to the plurality of cutting blades by turning the drive shaft; and

the blower assembly, comprising;

the fan;

a fan drive shaft; and

a fan housing having an interior space sized and shaped to house the fan, and a pair of through holes sized and shaped to receive the drive shaft;

wherein the fan housing is mounted to the frame body such that it is positioned below the drive unit and above the cutting deck;

wherein the fan drive shaft and the drive shaft of the drive unit are a same drive shaft;

wherein the fan is directly mounted on the drive shaft, with the fan positioned on the drive shaft below the motor and above the drive pulley;

wherein the fan housing is formed with an opening disposed as a funnel terminating in a mouth; and

wherein the mouth is oriented and the funnel is sized and shaped such that a stream of air from the fan being turned directly by the motor turning the drive shaft is collected and concentrated by the funnel and forced out of the mouth onto a quantity of vegetation immediately in front of the cutting deck and prior to cutting the quantity of vegetation by the plurality of cutting blades.