IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0731152
(2007-03-31)
|
등록번호 |
US-7510225
(2009-03-31)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Stinnett,Rosemarie
- Stein,Lee
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Stinnett,Rosemarie
- Stein,Lee
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
9 |
초록
▼
For conserving bedding material such as wood shavings when cleaning livestock environments such as horse stalls, a lightweight manure fork, specially configured with an open flat working region with relatively short tines, is combined with a highly efficient fan-type blower unit attached to the hand
For conserving bedding material such as wood shavings when cleaning livestock environments such as horse stalls, a lightweight manure fork, specially configured with an open flat working region with relatively short tines, is combined with a highly efficient fan-type blower unit attached to the handle. Delivering air-flow onto the tined working region in short blasts under finger control, the worker simply manipulates the fork in the normal manner to remove the manure; the loose bedding material is blown off the fork and back onto surrounding regions of the stall, thus saving a substantial portion of the usual replenishment costs. The invention thus accomplishes substantial overall cost savings and environmental conservation without requiring special supervision, unusual diligence, effort or skill on the part of the worker.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A combined manure fork and air blower, directed to conservation of bedding material in cleaning of livestock environments, comprising: a tined portion of the fork in an open configuration with a substantially flat main floor region of which a major portion is made solid and a
What is claimed is: 1. A combined manure fork and air blower, directed to conservation of bedding material in cleaning of livestock environments, comprising: a tined portion of the fork in an open configuration with a substantially flat main floor region of which a major portion is made solid and a minor portion extends forward therefrom as a row of tines; a handle attached to and extending from said tined portion; at least one fan-type air blower, attached to said handle near said tined portion, made and arranged to generate a sufficient flow of air directed in a manner to blow loose livestock bedding material off said tined portion, thus enabling a worker, manipulating the tined portion in a conventional manner for cleaning the livestock environments, to blow off and recycle the bedding material; said air blower comprising an electric motor, cylindrical in shape, having a rotational central shaft, and a fan having a plurality of fan blades affixed onto a hub secured onto the central shaft of said electric motor, the fan blades extending radially substantially beyond an outer diameter extent of said electric motor; a tubular inner sleeve closely surrounding and attached to said electric motor; a tubular outer shell, co-axially surrounding said motor, made, arranged and dimensioned internally to provide working clearance around said fan and to provide an annular passageway for air-flow associated therewith; sleeve-to-shell spacer means made and arranged to locate and support said inner sleeve co-axially relative to said outer shell in a manner that allows the air-flow through the annular passageway; and handle-mounting means made and arranged to attach said tubular outer shell to said handle in a location selected to direct the air-flow onto said tined portion in an optimal manner to remove bedding material. 2. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 1 wherein said motor is oriented so as to be located between said fan and said tined portion, and the blades of said fan are pitched so as to direct air-flow in a direction toward said tined portion. 3. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 2 further comprising a protective grill, located at an air-flow inlet end plane of said outer shell adjacent to said fan, made and arranged to allow air-flow into said outer shell while preventing access by human fingers. 4. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 3 wherein said fan is located on said central shaft of said motor at an end region thereof that faces away from said tined portion, such that airflow from said fan flows through said tubular outer shell, past said motor and thence onto the main floor region of said tined portion. 5. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 2 further comprising a pair of air-flow deflecting plates, located at an air-flow outlet end plane of said outer shell facing said tined portion, configured in an aerodynamically shape and oriented at an angle so as to direct portions of the air-flow from said outer shell onto said tined portion in directions that diverge sideways toward two opposite sides of said tined portion for enhanced action by blowing bedding materials off sideways from the tined portion. 6. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 5 wherein said pair of air-flow deflecting plates are mounted onto an annular flange made and arranged to fit over an outer shell end region proximal to said tined portion. 7. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 2 wherein said sleeve-to-shell spacer means comprises a plurality of spacer vanes, extending radially between outer surfaces of said inner sleeve and inner surfaces of said outer shell in a generally longitudinal axial direction. 8. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 7 comprising four of said spacer vanes disposed radially 90 degrees apart in a polar array. 9. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 7 wherein each of said spacer vanes is located at a predetermined uniform angle of rotation, relative to a central axis of said outer shell, chosen so as to impart a spiral component into the air-flow pattern with an associated centrifugal effect that tends to diverge the air-flow pattern for enhanced action, blowing bedding materials off sideways from the tined portion. 10. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 2 wherein: said inner sleeve, said spacer means, said outer shell and said handle-mounting means are molded together integrally of plastic as a single part; and said handle-mounting means comprises a tubular handle sleeve, made and arranged to fit around said handle and to be fastened thereto, adjoined to said outer shell by a radial strut plate that is configured in a wedge shape so as to provide a predetermined offset angle between central axes of said outer shell and said handle for purposes of optimal air flow direction onto said tined portion. 11. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 1 further comprising an onboard battery power supply providing electrical power to the motor. 12. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 11 wherein said onboard battery power supply is a rechargeable battery pack attached and connected by adaptor means located at an end of said handle opposite the end thereof attached to said tined portion. 13. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 12 wherein said adaptor means comprises a molded plastic combined hand grip and plug-in battery pack holder/connector fitted onto said handle and providing mounting for an on-off switch and providing connector means for readily disconnecting and removing the battery pack from the handle for recharging purposes. 14. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 1 further comprising a manually operable on-off switch, mounted in a predetermined location along said handle, made and arranged to permit a user to conveniently control operation of the motor. 15. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 1 wherein: said air blower comprises a blower housing having a tubular inner sleeve, a tubular outer shell co-axially surrounding the inner sleeve providing therebetween an annular passageway for air-flow, a plurality of spacer vanes constituting said sleeve-to-shell spacer means, extending radially between outer surfaces of said inner sleeve and inner surfaces of said outer shell in a generally longitudinal axial direction so as to not impede the air-flow but oriented at a slight angle to impart a spiral air-flow pattern, a cylindrical shaped electric motor secured in the inner sleeve, the blades of said fan being pitched so as to direct air-flow onto said tined portion; and said air blower further comprises a pair of air-flow deflecting plates, located at an air-flow outlet end plane of said outer shell facing said tined portion, configured in an aerodynamically shape and angularly oriented so as to direct portions of the air-flow from said outer shell onto said tined portion in directions that diverge sideways toward two opposite sides of said tined portion for enhanced action by blowing bedding materials off sideways from the main floor region of the tined portion. 16. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 15 wherein said spacer vanes are located at a predetermined uniform angle of rotation, relative to a central axis of said outer shell, chosen so as to impart a spiral component into the air-flow pattern with an associated centrifugal effect that tends to diverge the air-flow pattern for enhanced action, blowing bedding materials off sideways from the tined portion. 17. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 16 wherein: said inner sleeve, said spacer vanes, said outer shell and said handle-mounting means are molded together integrally of plastic as a single part; said handle-mounting means comprises a tubular handle sleeve, made and arranged to fit around said handle and to be fastened thereto, adjoined to said outer shell by a pair of strut plates that are each configured in a wedge shape so as to provide a predetermined offset angle between central axes of said outer shell and said handle for purposes of optimal air flow direction onto said tined portion. 18. The combined manure fork and air blower as defined in claim 17 further comprising: a handgrip, fitted onto an end of said handle opposite the end thereof attached to said tined portion, configured with a battery attachment panel made and arranged to provide battery support and electrical connection; an onboard rechargeable battery, for providing electrical power to the motor, removably attached to the battery attachment panel; and a momentary type on-off switch, mounted on said handgrip, made and arranged to permit a user to conveniently finger-control operation of the motor.
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