Device for inserting artificial grass strands into the ground
AssigneeSisgrass B.V.
InventorsThomas Schuurman, George Mullan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for inserting artificial grass strands in the ground is described herein. In some embodiments, the device may comprise a frame, a plurality of spools with artificial grass strands wound thereon, a drum rotatably mounted on the frame and having clamps that rotate with the drum. The clamps may hold artificial grass strands and may rotate with rotation of the drum, a cutting device may cut the grass strands, and an insertion device may insert the grass strands into the ground via use of insertion pins.
Claims15
A device for inserting artificial grass strand parts in the ground, the device comprising:
- a frame which is configured to support the various parts of the device,
- a plurality of spools with artificial grass strands wound thereon,
- at least one drum which is mounted rotatably on the frame and rotates about a substantially horizontal rotation axis, wherein the drum is configured to receive a plurality of artificial grass strands which are unwound from the spools and to rotate these artificial grass strands with the movement of the drum, wherein the drum comprises a plurality of clamps which, viewed in side view, are arranged around the rotation axis, wherein the clamps rotate with the drum, wherein the clamps are configured to hold an artificial grass strand part of each artificial grass strand clamped between a front clamp and a rear clamp, viewed in the direction of rotation, and to allow the artificial grass strand parts to rotate with the drum,
- at least one cutting device for cutting through the artificial grass strands, so that the clamped artificial grass strand parts are cut off from the rest of the respective artificial grass strands,
- at least one insertion device which comprises a plurality of insertion pins and at least one actuator, wherein the actuator inserts the insertion pins into the ground over a depth,
- characterized in that the drum is configured to rotate the series of artificial grass strand parts to below the insertion device, wherein the insertion device is configured to insert the artificial grass strand parts which have been rotated to below the insertion device into the ground.
A method for inserting artificial grass strands in a ground, the method comprising:
- moving a drum, which is rotatably mounted on a frame and configured to rotate about a substantially horizontal rotation axis, to a location;
- clamping each of a plurality of artificial grass strands, which are respectively unwound from a plurality of spools each having artificial grass wound thereon, between a corresponding front clamp located on the drum and a corresponding rear clamp located on the drum;
- bringing the artificial grass strands to below an insertion device by rotation of the drum, wherein the rotation of the drum also causes rotation of the clamps and rotation of the artificial grass strands;
- cutting, using a cutting device, the artificial grass strands off from remainders of the artificial grass on the spools;
- and
- inserting the artificial grass strands into the ground by extending the insertion device downward to press the artificial grass strands into the ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.