Patent US3565982A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent CA696358A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3736619A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Water removal machine for artificial turf
Assignee: Frank J Zamboni and Co Inc
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Filing: 1971-11-04
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Granted: 1973-06-05
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Expires: 1991-11-04
Abstract
Abstract A machine for removing standing water from artificial turf, comprising an automotive vehicle carrying air and water pumps, air/water separation tank, nozzles, and associated equipment, and having a transverse water pick-up device including a roller that rolls on the turf and piles up a wave of water ahead of it. The roller is enclosed within a narrow, elongated housing having top, front and rear walls, and end plates, The bottom edge of the front wall just clears the turf and forms a narrow gap through which the piled up water flows into the housing ahead of the roller, where it is picked up by the vacuum suction and carried through a plurality of hoses to the tank. Here, the water is separated from the air and is pumped in a high-velocity jet to one side of the machine or the other, so that on successive passes over the turf, the machine moves all of the water to one side of the playing field where it can be drained off. The bottom edge of the rear housing wall extends slightly down into the turf and bends the pile forwardly, then releases it to flip droplets of water into the air behind the rear wall, where they are picked up by the air stream and carried through openings in the rear wall into the housing and thence through the hoses into the tank. An apron extends rearwardly from the rear wall, forming a confined space behind the housing, into which water droplets are flipped up by the turf. The trailing bottom edge of the apron rests lightly on the top of the turf, causing air to be sucked under the bottom edge of the apron and through the turf, to help pick up any remaining water.
Inventors
- 👤 F Zamboni
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 00:14
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47L; A47L7/00; A47L7/0004; A47L7/0009; A47L7/0023; A47L7/0028; A47L7/0042; E; E01; E01H; E01H1/00; E01H1/10; E01H1/108
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
264 words
Apparatus for removing standing water from an artificial turf playing field, comprising: an automotive vehicle having an engine, an air/water separation tank, a blower having its intake connected to the upper portion of said tank, a water pump having its intake connected to the bottom of said tank, a vacuum pickup head, conduit means connecting said vacuum pickup head to said tank, means for driving said blower and water pump, and discharge nozzle means connected to the outlet of said water pump for throwing a stream of water to one side of the machine; said vacuum pickup head comprising an elongated housing disposed in close proximity to said turf and extending transverse to the direction of forward travel, said housing having front and rear walls, a top plate, and end plates; means within said housing pressing downwardly against said turf and pushing a wave of water ahead of it as the machine moves forwardly; said front housing wall having its bottom edge raised slightly above the surface of the turf so that the water is able to pass under it and into the housing, the vacuum in said housing due to suction of said blower causing the water to be carried up through said conduit means to said tank; said rear housing wall having its bottom edge extending down at least to said turf, and having openings through which air passes into said housing and is drawn up said conduit means to said tank and thence to said blower; and said end plates confining said wave of water at the ends of said housing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
264 words
Apparatus for removing standing water from an artificial turf playing field, comprising: an automotive vehicle having an engine, an air/water separation tank, a blower having its intake connected to the upper portion of said tank, a water pump having its intake connected to the bottom of said tank, a vacuum pickup head, conduit means connecting said vacuum pickup head to said tank, means for driving said blower and water pump, and discharge nozzle means connected to the outlet of said water pump for throwing a stream of water to one side of the machine; said vacuum pickup head comprising an elongated housing disposed in close proximity to said turf and extending transverse to the direction of forward travel, said housing having front and rear walls, a top plate, and end plates; means within said housing pressing downwardly against said turf and pushing a wave of water ahead of it as the machine moves forwardly; said front housing wall having its bottom edge raised slightly above the surface of the turf so that the water is able to pass under it and into the housing, the vacuum in said housing due to suction of said blower causing the water to be carried up through said conduit means to said tank; said rear housing wall having its bottom edge extending down at least to said turf, and having openings through which air passes into said housing and is drawn up said conduit means to said tank and thence to said blower; and said end plates confining said wave of water at the ends of said housing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1, in which said means within said housing comprises a roller that bears downwardly against the turf and rolls forwardly thereon as the apparatus advances.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rear housing wall includes means just touching the top of the turf and causing the air that is drawn into said housing to pass horizontally through the turf before entering the housing, so as to pick up moisture clinging to the strands of the turf.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rear housing wall has its bottom edge projecting down into the turf so as to bend the strands forwardly and then release them as the apparatus advances, causing water droplets to be flipped into the air behind the housing, said rear wall having openings provided therein through which air anD droplets are drawn into the housing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
115 words
The apparatus of claim 4, which is further characterized by an apron fixed to the back side of said rear wall at a distance up from the bottom edge thereof, said apron projecting rearwardly and having a foot portion extending down to and just touching the turf, so as to cause the air that is drawn into said housing to pass under said foot portion and horizontally through the turf before entering the housing, thereby picking up moisture clinging to the strands of turf, said apron cooperating with said rear wall to define an enclosure into which said droplets of water are flung by the turf as the latter is released by said rear wall.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vacuum pickup head is pivotally connected to said automotive vehicle for rocking movement about a transverse axis, and means for adjusting the angular position of said pickup unit about said axis so as to raise the bottom edge of said front wall of the housing and lower the bottom edge of said rear wall with respect to the turf.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said discharge nozzle means comprises a manifold pipe connected to the outlet of said water pump, a pair of laterally directed nozzles connected to said manifold, said nozzles being located on opposite sides of said vehicle, and valve means for directing the flow of water in said manifold pipe to one of said nozzles or the other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said conduit means comprises a plurality of flexible hoses, the sum total of the cross-sectional areas of said hoses being substantially the same as the cross-sectional areas of the intake for said blower, whereby a high velocity airflow through said hoses is obtained so as to carry the water into said tank.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-06-04 | 1976-12-04 | 1977-06-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-06-04 | 1980-12-04 | 1981-06-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-06-04 | 1984-12-04 | 1985-06-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |