This invention relates to removal of aquatic weeds from lakes and other bodies of water. In particular, it relates to equipment and methods for removal of roots of aquatic plants along with removal of the aquatic plants in order to minimize undesired aquatic regrowth.
As a result of particularly fast growth of plant life in lakes, there has long been a problem of removing aquatic plants to facilitate desired uses of lakes. Now with further increased rate of aquatic growth as a result of modern wastes that are highly fertilizing and, at the same time, increased use of lakes with increase in population, there is still greater need for efficient and effective removal of aquatic plants from lakes. Further yet, the type of aquatic plants that thrive on chemical wastes with fertilizing effects are more noxious to desired uses of lakes than normal aquatic growth.
A wide variety of machinery and methods have been devised for removing aquatic growth from lakes, ditches, canals and other bodies of water. For removing aquatic growth from lakes, most use some form of drag-line equipment. For ditches and canals, shorter removal distances have resulted in development of backhoe types of devices. None, however, have provided a device that can be attached conveniently to a tractor or other motorized vehicle, transported to and from a use site and utilized efficiently and effectively as taught by this invention. Furthermore, these prior methods and apparatuses destroy or modify the bottom of the lake or canal when they are used.
Examples of different prior art include the following U.S. patent documents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,331 by Jones issued Sept., 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,149 by Hawk issued Sept., 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,588 by Caddick issued Oct., 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,658 by Desrosiers et al. issued May, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,693 by Thompson et al. issued Feb., 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,978 by Virgilio issued Jan., 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,887 by den Herder et al. issued Aug., 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 2,737,769 by Donald issued Mar., 1956; U.S. Pat. No. 2,648,940 by Merkeley et al. issued Aug., 1953; U.S. Pat. No. 2,050,133 by Smith issued Aug., 1936.
The Jones patent was limited to a type of aquatic rake that would uproot aquatic plants. It did not provide machinery for operating the rake and the rake was very different in construction of its runner-like tines than the rake structure of this invention.
The Hawk patent provided for dragging bottoms of lakes to loosen aquatic plants and then scooping them up with a mesh scoop operated by a specially constructed marine vessel. It was not a land-operated mechanism with the construction and operational methods taught by this invention.
Caddick taught a marine vessel operable in navigable water for removing water pollutants. A basket or scoop was raised and lowered hydraulically similar to the manner that land scrapers are operated. It was not a land-operated drag-line mechanism like this invention.
Desrosiers et al. rotated cable to cause aquatic plants to be wrapped around the cable while the rotating cable was being dragged through water. It was not a loading and unloading mechanism in working relationship with a drag-line rake as provided by this invention.
Thompson et al. pushed and pulled a long handle on a rake with a pair of drive wheels to clean a beach adjacent to a lake.
Virgilio employed an articulated boom on a marine barge with stabalizing legs for weeding, dredging or cleaning waterways.
den Herder et al. employed a form of back-hoe on a king post assembly mounted to a set of wheels for clearing ditch and canal types of waterways.
Donald employed a form of back-hoe rake for cleaning drains and ditches.
Merkeley et al. rotated a circular cutter on the end of a boom for cleaning weeds from irrigation ditches.
Smith used a vehicle at both sides of canal-type waterways with a drag line operable between the two vehicles.
Neither of these devices nor any others known to the inventor provided a convenient and inexpensive drag-line type of aquatic rake and the mechanism with which it could be transported and operated effectively when attached to most types of motorized vehicles normally used for agricultural, construction and industrial applications.