Method and apparatus for harvesting and dewatering peat moss material
AssigneeJohnson & Johnson
InventorsRichard Nolin, John Dery
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An attachment mounted to an articulated boom of a carrier vehicle for harvesting and dewatering peat moss material. The attachment comprises an apertured bucket for digging peat moss material and a ram movable with relation to the bucket between an extended position and a retracted position. The ram and the bucket define a variable volume press chamber which is contractible in response to movement of the ram member toward the extended position for expressing water from the load of peat moss material gathered in the bucket. The invention also extends to a novel method for harvesting and dewatering peat moss material.
Claims23
An apparatus for harvesting and dewatering peat moss, the apparatus comprising;
- a carrier vehicle;
- a movable boom mounted to the carrier vehicle;
- an attachment for harvesting and dewatering peat moss mounted to the boom, the attachment comprising:
- a frame connected to the boom;
- and
- an apertured container mounted to the frame and defining a variable volume press chamber, the apertured container further comprising a bucket member and a ram member which form cooperating opposing blades;
- the bucket member further comprising a horizontal bottom wall, upstanding and parallel side walls, a vertical rear wall, and a front entry opening, said bucket member being stationary with relation to the frame;
- the ram member further comprising a horizontal pressure plate, which forms a horizontal top wall to said bucket member, and a vertical gate depending from a front edge of the horizontal pressure plate forming an inverted L-shaped structure;
- the ram member being movable vertically within the variable volume press chamber of the apertured container;
- the apertured container having an expanded position and a contracted position in the expanded position the apertured container being in an opened condition allowing ingress of peat moss in the press chamber, in the contracted position the apertured container being in a substantially closed condition preventing egress of the peat moss from the press chamber and the press chamber having significantly smaller volume than when the apertured container is in the expanded position, whereby the boom moves the apertured container relative to a peat moss bed causing peat moss to enter into the apertured container through the front entry opening in the bucket member when the apertured container is in the opened condition, consequent movement of the container toward the contracted position causing a significant volume reduction of the press chamber for expressing water from the peat moss therein, which is drained from the press chamber through apertures on the apertured container.
A device for harvesting and dewatering peat moss, the device comprising:
- a supporting structure capable of movement;
- an apertured container mounted to said supporting structure and which further comprises a bucket member and a ram member which form cooperating opposing blades;
- the bucket member further comprising a horizontal bottom wall, upstanding and parallel side walls, a vertical rear wall, and a front entry opening, said bucket member being stationary with relation to the supporting structure;
- the ram member further comprising a horizontal pressure plate, which forms a horizontal top wall to said bucket member, and a vertical gate depending from a front edge of the horizontal pressure plate forming an inverted L-shaped structure;
- the ram member being movable vertically to define a variable volume press chamber which is capable of assuming an expanded position and a contracted position;
- in the expanded position the apertured container is in an opened condition allowing ingress of peat moss in the press chamber through the front entry opening of the bucket member;
- in the contracted position, the apertured container is in a substantially closed condition preventing peat moss from egressing the press chamber, the opposing blades formed from the bucket member and the ram member shearing the peat moss extending across the front entry opening of the bucket member and the horizontal pressure plate compressing the peat moss in the press chamber to express water from the peat moss through the apertures in the apertured container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.