Soil conditioning device
AssigneeTerramanus Technologies LLC
InventorsKeith Ward, Charles Stephen Carr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A soil conditioning device having a series of peripheral ridge members having a leading and trailing prow shaped surface circumscribing a disc, wheel or drum. Optionally the prow shaped peripheral ridge members are joined by sub-ridge members forming a single ridge of varying heights circumscribing the disc, wheel or drum. The invention is also of a method for creating a permeable soil surface using the apparatus herein.
Claims43
A soil conditioning device, comprising a substantially hollow annular body, a plurality of substantially hollow peripheral ridge members extending from and in open communication with said substantially hollow annular body, said substantially hollow annular body and said plurality of substantially hollow peripheral ridge members being formed of a flexible lightweight material, each of said peripheral ridge members having a first surface and a second surface curved about a first horizontal axis and a second horizontal axis, said first and second side surfaces having thicknesses which vary from an upper edge of said peripheral ridge member to said substantially hollow annular body, said peripheral ridge member further having a leading prow shaped end and a trailing prow shaped end, said leading prow shaped end and said trailing prow shaped end each curved about two substantially perpendicular axes, said soil conditioning device being suitable for consolidating soil.
A soil conditioning device comprising a substantially hollow wheel member having an outer circumferential surface, a centrally disposed substantially hollow continuous flexible outer peripheral ridge extending radially from said circumferential surface, said substantially hollow peripheral ridge and said substantially hollow wheel being formed of lightweight flexible material and each in open communication with the other, said substantially hollow peripheral ridge varying between first and second heights about said substantially hollow wheel member's circumferential surface, said first height and said second height being above said circumferential surface, said first height being less than said second height, said peripheral ridges of said second height having first and second curved sidewalls curving from said upper edge of said peripheral ridge of said second height to said circumferential surface.
A device for creating a permeable soil surface having an increased surface area, comprising a substantially hollow round device having a plurality of substantially hollow peripheral ridge members, said round device and peripheral ridge members formed of lightweight flexible material, said substantially hollow round device and said substantially hollow peripheral ridge members being in open communication and each of said substantially hollow peripheral ridge members having a leading and trailing prow shaped surface positioned about said substantially hollow round device, each of said substantially hollow peripheral ridge members having a first side wall surface and a second side wall surface, each of said first side wall surface and said second side wall surface being curved from an upper edge of said peripheral ridge member to an peripheral surface of said substantially hollow round device, each of said side wall surfaces also curving inwardly forming a rounded leading edge where said leading edge curves downward from a top of said substantially hollow peripheral ridge member to said substantially hollow round device.
A soil consolidating device, comprising a substantially hollow wheel with a circumferential surface having a plurality of substantially hollow flexible ridge members each defined by a first side wall and a second side wall, said first side wall and said second side wall each having a thickness which varies through a height of each of said plurality of substantially flexible ridge members, said substantially hollow wheel being in open communication with said substantially hollow ridge members, said hollow wheel and said ridge members being formed of a lightweight flexible material, each of said substantially hollow ridge members further having a ridge including a rounded leading edge at one end of said substantially hollow ridge member and a rounded trailing edge at an opposite end of said substantially hollow ridge member, a longitudinal axis generally defined between said leading edge and trailing edge of each of said substantially hollow ridge members, said rounded leading edge curved about said longitudinal axis and from said ridge to said circumferential surface, said rounded trailing edge curved about said longitudinal axis and from said ridge to said circumferential surface, wherein said first side wall curves to said second side wall and said ridge curves from an uppermost height to said circumferential surface.
A soil conditioning device, comprising:
- a substantially hollow annular wheel member formed of a flexible lightweight material and having an outer surface;
- a plurality of substantially hollow peripheral ridge members formed of said flexible lightweight material extending from said outer surface, said substantially hollow annular wheel and said plurality of substantially hollow peripheral ridge members in open communication;
- each of said substantially hollow ridge members having a first surface and a second surface joining to form a ridge portion;
- said first surface and said second surface each having a thickness which varies between said ridge portion and said wheel member;
- said substantially hollow ridge members having a leading end curved from said outer surface to said ridge portion and from said first side to said second side;
- said substantially hollow ridge members having a trailing end curved from said outer surface to said ridge portion and from said first side to said second side.
A soil conditioning device suitable for creating a water permeable soil surface, comprising:
- a substantially hollow annular wheel having an outer surface;
- a plurality of substantially hollow peripheral ridge members extending from said outer surface;
- said wheel and said peripheral ridge members being formed of a lightweight flexible material;
- each of said substantially hollow ridge members having a first side surface joining with a second side surface forming a leading edge, an outer edge, and a trailing edge, said edges being rounded;
- said first side surface and said second side surface each having variation in thickness and being curved from said outer surface of said annular wheel to said outer edge of said hollow ridge member;
- said leading edge and said trailing edge each being curved from said outer edge to said outer surface of said substantially hollow annular wheel and from said first side surface to said second side surface.
A process for consolidating soil, comprising the steps of:
- carrying out a process on a soil from the group consisting of:
- a) post harvest processing;
- b) spring pre-plant processing;
- c) planting processing;
- and,
- d) cultivation processing;
- tilling said soil following at least one of said carrying out of said process;
- consolidating said soil at least once with a soil conditioning device to increase aeration, pore space and decrease bulk density, said soil conditioning device comprising:
- a substantially hollow annular body, a plurality of substantially hollow peripheral ridge members extending from and in open communication with said substantially hollow annular body, said substantially hollow annular body and said plurality of substantially hollow peripheral ridge members being formed of a flexible lightweight material, each of said peripheral ridge members having a first surface and a second surface curved about a first horizontal axis and a second horizontal axis, said first and second side surfaces having thicknesses which vary from an upper edge of said peripheral ridge member to said substantially hollow annular body, said peripheral ridge member further having a leading prow shaped end and a trailing prow shaped end, said leading prow shaped end and said trailing prow shaped end each curved about two substantially perpendicular axes, said soil conditioning device being suitable for consolidating soil.
A process for consolidating soil, comprising the steps of:
- conducting a first processing step on a soil from the group consisting of:
- a) post harvest processing;
- b) spring pre-plant processing;
- c) planting processing;
- and,
- d) cultivation processing;
- tilling said soil following said conducting of said first processing step;
- consolidating said soil with said soil conditioning device to decrease clod sizes in said soil with a soil conditioning device, said soil conditioning device decreasing bulk density and increasing pore space, said soil conditioning device comprising:
- a substantially hollow wheel member having an outer circumferential surface, a centrally disposed substantially hollow continuous flexible outer peripheral ridge extending radially from said circumferential surface, said substantially hollow peripheral ridge and said substantially hollow wheel being formed of lightweight flexible material and each in open communication with the other, said substantially hollow peripheral ridge varying between first and second heights about said substantially hollow wheel member's circumferential surface, said first height and said second height being above said circumferential surface, said first height being less than said second height, said peripheral ridges of said second height having first and second curved sidewalls curving from said upper edge of said peripheral ridge of said second height to said circumferential surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.