Mobile turf instrument apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11320261-B2
Application number	US-201816474295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2018
Priority date	Jan 12, 2017
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A probe assembly for measuring a synthetic turf infill profile having a probe, a turf surface contact assembly and a sensor. The probe is configured to extend down through the turf infill profile until a tip of the probe contacts a lower boundary of the turf infill profile. The surface contact assembly is vertically movable relative to the probe while the probe is being moved downwardly into the turf infill profile, wherein the surface contact assembly has a contact area with the turf surface that is large enough to retain the surface contact assembly resting atop an upper boundary of the turf infill profile when the lowermost tip of the at least one probe has contacted the lower boundary of the turf infill profile. The sensor reads the distance between the upper and lower boundaries of the turf infill profile at a sampled location in the turf surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile turf instrument apparatus for measuring a turf infill profile of an infill particulate material lying on a backing material of a synthetic turf surface and for adding infill particulate material to low spots in the turf infill profile, which comprises:
(a) a probe assembly for measuring the turf infill profile at a plurality of sampled locations on the synthetic turf surface, the probe assembly being movable over the synthetic turf surface, the probe assembly comprising:
(i) at least one probe that is configured to extend down through the turf infill profile until a lowermost tip of the at least one probe contacts a backing material comprising a lower boundary of the turf infill profile;
(ii) a turf surface contact assembly which is vertically movable relative to the at least one probe while the at least one probe is being moved downwardly into the turf infill profile, wherein the turf surface contact assembly is vertically movable relative to the lowermost tip of the at least one probe and has a contact area with the turf surface that is large enough to retain the turf surface contact assembly resting atop an upper boundary of the turf infill profile when the lowermost tip of the at least one probe has contacted the lower boundary of the turf infill profile, and
(iii) a first sensor for reading the distance between the upper and lower boundaries of the turf infill profile at the sampled locations in the turf surface to determine if low spots exist in the turf infill profile at the sampled locations;

(b) a top dresser that carries a supply of infill particulate material and that applies additional infill particulate material to the synthetic turf surface when the top dresser is activated, the top dresser being operatively coupled for movement in concert with the probe assembly such that the top dresser and the probe assembly are movable simultaneously over the synthetic turf surface; and
(c) a control system that is coupled to the first sensor and the top dresser for activating the top dresser to dispense additional infill particulate material to the sampled locations at which the sensor has determined that low spots exist in the turf infill profile.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one probe comprises a probe wheel having a plurality of generally radially extending probes along its outer diameter with each probe terminating in a tip, the probe wheel being rotatable about a substantially horizontal rotational axis to sequentially engage the probe tips with the backing material of the synthetic turf surface as the probe wheel rotates.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further including a second sensor for sending a tip engagement output signal to the control system when the probe tip on any of the probes on the probe wheel is in engagement with the backing material, the control system upon receipt of the tip engagement output signal sampling the first sensor to determine if a low spot exists in the turf infill profile at the sampled location.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the probe wheel is downwardly biased to increase probe tip pressure against the backing material.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the probe wheel is journaled for rotation on a support member with the support member pivoting on a frame about a substantially horizontal pivot axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the turf surface contact assembly includes at least one roller that rotates about a substantially horizontal rotational axis, wherein a lower arcuate portion of a circumference of the at least one roller rolls on the upper boundary of the turf infill profile to form the contact area of the turf surface contact assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the at least one roller comprises a pair of rollers that are spaced apart in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to forward motion of the probe assembly over the synthetic turf surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a self-propelled motive device operatively coupled to the probe assembly and the top dresser for simultaneously moving the probe assembly and the top dresser over the synthetic turf surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the probe assembly and the top dresser are carried on a common wheeled frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the probe assembly is carried on a frame that is movable over the synthetic turf surface, the frame having an arm that rotates about a first substantially horizontal axis of rotation with the arm having repeating cycles of rotation about the first axis of rotation as the frame is moved over the synthetic turf surface, the probe assembly being carried on the arm for rotation about a second substantially horizontal axis of rotation, the probe assembly rotating in a direction that is opposite to a direction in which the arm is rotating such that the assembly is self-leveling on the arm, and the probe assembly being configured to engage with the synthetic turf surface during each cycle of rotation of the arm.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control system includes an input device to permit a user to set a desired or nominal vertical height of the turf infill profile, the desired or nominal vertical height being used by the control system as a reference for determining when a low spot is present in the turf infill profile at any given sampled location.

12. A probe assembly for measuring a turf infill profile at a plurality of sampled locations in a synthetic turf surface, which comprises:
(a) a probe wheel having a plurality of generally radially extending probes along its outer diameter with each probe terminating in a tip, the probe wheel being rotatable about a substantially horizontal rotational axis to sequentially engage the probe tips with a backing material comprising a lower boundary of the turf infill profile;
(b) a turf surface contact assembly which is vertically movable relative to the probe wheel, wherein the turf surface contact assembly has a contact area with the turf surface that is large enough to retain the turf surface contact assembly resting atop an upper boundary of the turf infill profile when the tips of the probe wheel contact the lower boundary of the turf infill profile, and
(c) a first sensor for reading the distance between the upper and lower boundaries of the turf infill profile at the sampled locations.

13. The probe assembly of claim 12 , further including:
(a) a frame that is supported for movement over the synthetic turf surface;
(b) a support member pivoting on the frame about a substantially horizontal pivot axis; and
(c) the probe wheel being journaled to the support member for rotation about the substantially horizontal rotational axis of the probe wheel with the substantially horizontal rotational axis of the probe wheel being offset from the substantially horizontal pivot axis of the support member in a fore-and-aft direction of the frame.

14. The probe assembly of claim 13 , further including:
(a) a first linkage having a first end pivotally connected to the support member by a first pivot;
(b) a second linkage having a first end pivotally connected to the turf surface contact assembly by a second pivot; and
(c) the first and second linkages having second ends which are pivotally connected to one another by a third pivot, the linkages and pivots being arranged such that the turf surface contact assembly has substantially straight line vertical motion relative to the first pivot.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , further including a second sensor for sending a tip engagement output signal to the con

Assignees

• The Toro Co

Inventors

• Carson Troy D
• Wadzinski Chris A
• Gust Jackie R

Classifications

• A01B39/12

  for special purposes {, e.g. for special culture} · CPC title

• G01B5/18

  for measuring depth · CPC title

• G01B5/20

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• E01C23/07

  Apparatus combining measurement of the surface configuration of paving with application of material in proportion to the measured irregularities (measuring means only E01C23/01 {G01B}) · CPC title

• G01B3/12

  Measuring wheels · CPC title