Turf Blade Lifting Assembly
OwnerRodney Hineinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turf blade lifting assembly comprising a flexible mat composed of, for example, artificial or synthetic turf, the fibers of which are of relatively short height and are configured to comingle with natural turf; and an attachment apparatus for mounting the mat on the front of a mowing machine which mat is thereby positioned to be dragged along the turf surface prior to cutting as a means of achieving the upright orientation of the turf blades to create a thick and uniform result for the subject area.
Claims18
A turf blade lifting assembly for a mowing apparatus having a rotatable cutting blade, said assembly comprising in combination:
- A. a flexible mat attachable to said mowing apparatus, said mat of a width approximately equal to the width of cut of said mowing apparatus, said mat comprised of a flexible back and a plurality of flexible fibers attached thereto, said fibers of a height between one-quarter and one and one-half inches, said fibers of a stiffness and distribution density configured to comingle with the blades of said turf;
- and
- B. mat attachment means for transversely attaching said mat to said mowing apparatus forward of said blade at a height enabling a transverse portion of the fiber side of said mat to be dragged along the surface of said turf as said mowing apparatus is propelled forward during a mowing operation
- whereby the weight of said mat results in the comingling of said fibers and said turf thereby lifting said turf blades to an upright position for shearing by said cutting blade.
A mowing machine for sports playing field turf maintenance comprising:
- A. a frame;
- B. a rotational support attached to said frame for moving said machine over said turf;
- C. a powered rotatable cutting blade disposed on said frame;
- D. a grass catching receptacle disposed forward of said cutting blade:
- and
- E. a turf blade lifting assembly attached to said grass catching receptacle, said assembly comprising in combination:
- i. a flexible mat, said mat of a width approximately equal to the width of cut of said mowing apparatus, said mat comprised of a flexible back and a plurality of flexible fibers attached thereto, said fibers of a height between one-quarter and one and one-half inches, said fibers of a stiffness and distribution density configured to comingle with the blades of said turf;
- and
- ii. mat attachment means for transversely attaching said mat to said receptacle at a height enabling a transverse portion of the fiber side of said mat to be dragged along the surface of said turf underneath said receptacle as said mowing machine is propelled forward during a maintenance operation
- whereby the weight of said mat results in the comingling of said fibers and said turf thereby lifting said turf blades to an upright position for shearing by said cutting blade.
A turf blade lifting method employable in sports field turf maintenance for lifting turf blades to an upright position prior to cutting with a mowing machine, said method comprising in combination:
- A. providing a mowing machine for sports playing field turf maintenance comprising:
- i. a frame;
- ii. a rotational support attached to said frame for moving said machine over said turf;
- iii. a powered rotatable cutting blade disposed on said frame;
- and
- B. providing a turf blade lifting assembly comprising:
- i. a flexible mat attachable to said mowing machine, said mat of a width approximately equal to the width of cut of said mowing machine, said mat comprised of a flexible back and a plurality of flexible fibers attached thereto, said fibers of a height between one-half and one and one-half inches,
- said fibers of a stiffness and distribution density configured to comingle with the blades of said turf;
- and
- ii. mat attachment means for transversely attaching said mat to said mowing machine forward of said blade;
- C. attaching said turf blade lifting assembly to said mowing machine forward of said blade at a height enabling a transverse portion of the fiber side of said mat to be dragged along the surface of said turf as said mowing machine is propelled forward during a mowing operation;
- and
- D. Propelling said mowing forward to achieve the lifting of said turf blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.