US3596444A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Underwater weed cutter
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-02-05
•
Granted: 1971-08-03
•
Expires: 1989-02-05
Abstract
Abstract An underwater weed-cutting device comprising a longitudinally adjustable shaft for immersing in a body of water, a drive motor mounted at one end of the shaft and cutting blades mounted at the other end of the shaft. A submersible float is adjustably mounted on the shaft intermediate its ends and contains an independently driven chopper mechanism an a suction device adapted to suckup and finely chop the weeds cut off at the bottom of the body of water for disposal, the intermediate submersible float being provided to maintain balance of the cutting device, to adjustably raise or lower the cutting blades in relation to the various depths of the body of water, and to vary the height of the chopper mechanism relative to the height of the weeds.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph D Beattie
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:16
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01D; A01D44/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
Apparatus for cutting underwater vegetation comprising: a conveyance movable on the surface of a body of water, a vegetation collector carried by said conveyance, electrical power means and an air compressor carried by said conveyance, a longitudinal support member extending from said conveyance into said body of water and longitudinally movable relative thereto so as not to be affected by up and down movement of said conveyance, a cutting device rotatably attached to the lower end of said support member, and a submersible float means carried by said support member adapted to floatingly carry said support member and said cutting device in a submerged position within said body of water, said float means comprising an air chamber conneCted with said air compressor, said float means having an electric cutter driving means operably connected with said electrical power means, and suction means associated with said float means to extract said vegetation cutoff by said cutting device for disposal into said collector.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
Apparatus for cutting underwater vegetation comprising: a conveyance movable on the surface of a body of water, a vegetation collector carried by said conveyance, electrical power means and an air compressor carried by said conveyance, a longitudinal support member extending from said conveyance into said body of water and longitudinally movable relative thereto so as not to be affected by up and down movement of said conveyance, a cutting device rotatably attached to the lower end of said support member, and a submersible float means carried by said support member adapted to floatingly carry said support member and said cutting device in a submerged position within said body of water, said float means comprising an air chamber conneCted with said air compressor, said float means having an electric cutter driving means operably connected with said electrical power means, and suction means associated with said float means to extract said vegetation cutoff by said cutting device for disposal into said collector.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising control means associated with said compressor to control the amount of air within said air chamber of said float means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 2, in which said air chamber of said float means is perforated to allow the introduction of water thereinto and said control means is effective to vary the ratio of air to water in said air chamber for changing the depth of said float means within said body of water.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means to selectively lock said float means on said longitudinal support member at a preselected height above said cutting device, and said cutting device being provided with means to slow the descent of said cutting device upon release of said lock means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 4, in which said selective locking means is an air clutch connected with said compressor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said float means contains a chopping device having rotatable chopping blades coaxially disposed above said cutting device and means to drive said chopping device at a speed greater than the rotational speed of said cutting device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 6, in which said suction means is adapted to suck said vegetation cutoff by said cutting device into said chopping device for fine chopping of said vegetation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 6, in which said means to drive said chopping blades of said chopping device comprises an electric motor contained within said float means connected for operation to said electrical power means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 8, in which said suction means comprises a pump contained in said float means to be driven by said electric motor simultaneously with said chopping device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 9, in which said pump comprises an impeller driven by said electric motor and further comprising means to drive said impeller in a direction opposite from the rotational direction of said chopping blades of said chopping device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 10, in which said drive means comprises a reversing gear mechanism embodied in said float means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said suction means comprises a pump carried by said conveyance having a suction pipe connected to said float means and an ejection pipe connected to the outlet of said pump for disposal of said cut off vegetation into said collector.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said cutting device comprises a pair of superimposed cutting blades and drive means to rotate said pair of cutting blades in opposite directions.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 13, in which said drive means comprises a reversing gear mechanism drivingly connected to said pair of cutting blades.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said float means is connected to said conveyance by an extensible cable to counteract rotation of said float means around said longitudinal support member during operation of said apparatus.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 6, in which said float means if provided with an annular shield extending outwardly and downwardly towards said cutting device to effectively increase the suction of said suction means to guide said cut off vegetation into said chopping device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
123 words
An underwater weed cutting device comprising: a drive shaft, a cutting mechanism for cutting off vegetation and drivingly connected to said drive shaft for rotation thereby, a submersible, buoyant, balancing and positioning device supported around said drive shaft, chopping means carriEd by said balancing and positioning device, suction means connected with said chopping means for sucking said vegetation cut off by said cutting mechanism into said chopping means, power means to drive said cutting mechanism and said chopping means, said balancing and positioning device provided with means for varying the buoyancy thereof to selectively vary the submerged depth of said cutting mechanism, and means to selectively vary the distance between said balancing and positioning device and said cutting mechanism along said drive shaft.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
123 words
An underwater weed cutting device comprising: a drive shaft, a cutting mechanism for cutting off vegetation and drivingly connected to said drive shaft for rotation thereby, a submersible, buoyant, balancing and positioning device supported around said drive shaft, chopping means carriEd by said balancing and positioning device, suction means connected with said chopping means for sucking said vegetation cut off by said cutting mechanism into said chopping means, power means to drive said cutting mechanism and said chopping means, said balancing and positioning device provided with means for varying the buoyancy thereof to selectively vary the submerged depth of said cutting mechanism, and means to selectively vary the distance between said balancing and positioning device and said cutting mechanism along said drive shaft.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
79 words
In the device as defined in claim 17, said suction means comprising a closed chamber disposed within said balancing and positioning device in communication with said chopping means, said chamber having an outlet in communication with a suction pipe, said suction pipe being in communication with the inlet of a pump positioned remote from said balancing and positioning device and ejection means connected to the outlet of said pump for disposal of said vegetation cut off by said mechanism.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
58 words
In the device as defined in claim 17, adjustable locking means provided around said drive shaft to selectively retain said balancing and positioning device at a predetermined height around said drive shaft relative to said cutting mechanism, and means associated with said cutting mechanism to slow the descent of said cutting mechanism upon release of said locking means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
100 words
In combination with an underwater vegetation-cutting device attached to an elongated shaft, a buoyant float means supported on said shaft, said float means comprising: a hollow body adapted to be selectively filled with air to increase or decrease its buoyance, means to lock said float means onto said shaft at infinitely variable selected positions along at least a portion of the shaft to vary spacing from said cutting device, and control means to selectively vary the volume of air within said hollow body to raise or to lower said cutting device when said float means is locked on said shaft.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
100 words
In combination with an underwater vegetation-cutting device attached to an elongated shaft, a buoyant float means supported on said shaft, said float means comprising: a hollow body adapted to be selectively filled with air to increase or decrease its buoyance, means to lock said float means onto said shaft at infinitely variable selected positions along at least a portion of the shaft to vary spacing from said cutting device, and control means to selectively vary the volume of air within said hollow body to raise or to lower said cutting device when said float means is locked on said shaft.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
87 words
The combination as defined in claim 20, in which said means to lock said float means onto said shaft comprises an air clutch having a housing disposed around said shaft, an annular air chamber within said housing defined by an annular diaphragm having spaced walls, friction members secured to the outside of said spaced walls for frictional locking contact against said housing and said shaft upon the introduction of air into said air chamber, and means to selectively vary the volume of air within said air chamber.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
149 words
The combination as defined in claim 20, in which said means to selectively vary the volume of air within said hollow body and said air chamber of said air clutch comprises a source of compressed air, a control valve disposed between said source of compresses air and said hollow body and said air chamber, first conduit means connecting said control valve with said source of compressed air, second conduit means connecting said hollow body with said control valve and third conduit means connecting said air chamber of said air clutch with said control valve, said control valve being operable in a first position to selectively connect said third conduit with said first conduit to establish communication between said source of compressed air and said air chamber of said air clutch and operable in a second position to establish communication between said source of compressed air and said hollow body.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
162 words
The combination as defined in claim 22, in which said control valve comprises a rotatable valve member having a first passage adapted for communication between said first conduit and said third conduit in a first position of said valve member to apply said air clutch, a second passage in said valve member open to the atmosphere adapted for communication of said third conduit with the atmosphere in a second position of said valve member to release said air clutch, a third passage in said valve member adapted for communication beTween said first conduit and said second conduit in a third position of said valve member for introduction of air into said hollow body to cause it to rise, and a fourth passage in said valve member open to the atmosphere adapted for communication of said second conduit with the atmosphere in a fourth position of said valve member to release air from said hollow body to cause said hollow body to sink.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
87 words
The combination as defined in claim 20, in which said hollow body is provided with apertures to permit the entry of water into said hollow body in a submerged position of said hollow body and said control means being effective to vary the water to air ratio within said hollow body to cause said hollow body to be raised along said shaft upon the introduction of air into said hollow body and to be lowered along said shaft upon the introduction of water into said hollow body.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
75 words
The combination as defined in claim 20, in which said hollow body comprises a tank having an annular air chamber, a central chamber separate from said air chamber disposed around said shaft, said central chamber containing a fine chopping device and a suction means adapted to suck said vegetation cut off by said cutting device into said fine chopping device and means to drive said chopping device at a speed greater than said cutting device.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
73 words
An apparatus for cutting underwater vegetation, comprising: a longitudinal support member carrying a drive shaft, means at one end of said support member for driving said shaft, cutting means at the other end of said support member and driven by said shaft, a balancing and positioning device carried by and intermediate the ends of said support member, said device being submersible and variably buoyant to vary the underwater positioning of said cutting means.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
73 words
An apparatus for cutting underwater vegetation, comprising: a longitudinal support member carrying a drive shaft, means at one end of said support member for driving said shaft, cutting means at the other end of said support member and driven by said shaft, a balancing and positioning device carried by and intermediate the ends of said support member, said device being submersible and variably buoyant to vary the underwater positioning of said cutting means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 26 and in which said balancing and positioning device includes a vegetation collector and is variably longitudinally adjustable on said support member to vary its distance from said cutting means.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 27 and including means selectively locking said collector at variable positions on said support member.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 26 and including chopping means carried intermediate the ends of said support member to receive and further chop up vegetation cut by said cutting means.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 27 and in which said collector includes chopping means operable to further chop up vegetation cut by said cutting means.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 27 and in which said collector has means sucking thereinto vegetation cut by said cutting means.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus as defined in claim 31 and in which said collector contains therein means for chopping up vegetation sucked thereinto.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-02 | 1975-02-01 | 1975-08-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-02 | 1979-02-01 | 1979-08-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-02 | 1983-02-01 | 1983-08-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |