Apparatus and method for collection of debris

Abstract

A leaf collection apparatus and method whereby leaves are vacuumed into a collector in a manner to reduce dust spread to the area around the equipment and on the equipment operators. Leaves are discharged by a vacuum device into a collector and retained by screened internal walls. Fine leaf particulate passes through the screens and is directed through the floor to the ground under the collector where the particulate accumulates to facilitate collection. Reusable dust bags may be placed under the floor of the discharge path to collect the particulate matter as it is exhausted through openings in the floor. A fluid spray may be injected into the discharge of the vacuum collection device to wet the leaf particulate and facilitate settling within the collection box.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for collection of debris comprising: 
 a vacuum device;    a collector operatively attached to the vacuum device; and    a discharge opening positioned on one of a bottom and a side of the collector.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  whereby the collector further comprises: 
 a first volume;  
 a second volume; and  
 a filter between said first volume and said second volume.  
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  whereby: 
 the vacuum device discharges an airstream containing the debris into the first volume;  
 the debris selectively settles from the airstream by gravity and impingement within the first volume;  
 the airstream passes through the filter further collecting the debris in the collector;  
 the airstream passes into the second volume; and  
 the airstream is exhausted from the second volume to the atmosphere from said one of a bottom and a side of the second volume.  
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  whereby the filter comprises a screened wall that includes suitable screen opening size to contain debris that has been vacuumed and discharged by the vacuum device into the first volume of the collector while permitting the airstream containing a fine debris particulate to pass into the second volume of the collector.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  whereby a screened wall is disposed on each side of the collector inboard of and parallel to a sidewall of the collector, the screened wall extending vertically from the floor to the roof of collector and from the forward wall to the rear wall of the collector.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  whereby said screened wall is formed by a lower wall section of solid construction and an upper wall section of a screen mesh.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  whereby said upper wall section comprises approximately two-thirds of the height of the screened wall from the floor to the solid roof of the collector.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the airstream entraining the fine debris particulate from the second volume is exhausted through a plurality of openings in the floor of the collector, directing the airstream downward beneath the collector.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the airstream exhausted downward beneath the collector impinges on the ground below, resulting preferentially in dropout of the fine debris particulate on the ground below and immediately around the collector.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the debris consists substantially of leaves and the screen mesh is sized to preferentially filter leaf sections.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein at least one of a particulate collection device for fine debris particulate is operatively attached to the openings for exhaust in one of the floor and sides of the second volume of the collector.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the at least one particulate collection device is removably attached to the collector for at least one of emptying, restoration, maintenance and replacement.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the at least one particulate collection device is removably attached by one of bolting, screwing, zippering, and hanging.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  whereby the at least one particulate collection device comprises at least one dust bag that accepts impingement of the exhausted airstream from the plurality of openings in the floor of collector, redirects said airstream such that the fine debris particulate in the airstream preferentially collects by gravity and impingement within said at least one dust bag, and exhausts said airstream to the ground surrounding said collector.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  whereby the fine debris particulate comprises substantially fine leaf particulate and the screen mesh is sized to preferentially filter leaf sections.  
     
     
         16 . Apparatus for collection of debris comprising: 
 a vacuum device;    an airstream for carrying debris from the vacuum device;    a tank of fluid;    at least one inlet for injecting a fluid from said tank of fluid onto said debris within the airstream; and    a collector operatively attached to receive said airstream.    
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  whereby the at least one nozzle is disposed to discharge said fluid into a discharge device disposed between the vacuum device and the collector.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  whereby a plurality of inlets are disposed around the periphery of the discharge device.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  whereby said fluid comprises water or other dust suppression liquid.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  whereby the debris substantially comprises leaves.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  whereby the plurality of inlets disposed around the periphery of the discharge chute inject a water spray wetting a fine leaf particulate thereby weighting said fine leaf particulate and thereby promoting the collection by gravity of the wetted fine leaf particulate in the collector.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  which includes a fluid system for injecting water or other dust suppressant through the plurality of inlets comprising: 
 at least one of hosing and conduit connecting said tank of fluid and said plurality of inlets;  
 a pumping device;  
 pumping controls; and  
 a power source for said pump device and said pumping controls.  
 
     
     
         23 . Apparatus for the collection of leaves and fine leaf particulate comprising: 
 a vacuum device for vacuuming said leaves into an airstream;    a collector operatively attached to the vacuum device through a discharge chute;    a fluid injection system for wetting the leaves and fine leaf particulate within said discharge chute;    a filter separating the collector into a first volume and a second volume;    two screened walls forming said filter wherein each screened wall is located parallel to and inboard a sidewall of the collector and further each screened wall runs vertically from the floor to the solid roof and horizontally from the forward wall to the rear wall;    a lower wall section of solid construction comprising approximately the lower one-third of the screened wall;    an upper wall section of screen mesh comprising the upper two-thirds of the screened wall; and    a plurality of openings in the floor of the collector beneath the second volume.    
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23  further comprising at least one dust bag that accepts impingement of the exhausted airstream from the plurality of openings in the floor of the collector, directs said airstream such that the fine leaf particulate in the airstream preferentially collects by gravity and impingement within said at least one dust bag, and exhausts said airstream to the ground surrounding said collector.  
     
     
         25 . A method for collection of debris comprising: 
 partitioning, with a filter, a collector into a first volume and a second volume;    vacuuming the debris with a vacuum device into an airstream;    discharging the airstream containing the debris into the first volume of the collector;    collecting the debris due to gravity and impingement within the first volume of the collector;    filtering the debris from the airstream with the filter further causing the debris to collect within the first volume of the collector; and    exhausting the filtered air stream through at least one opening in a side or bottom surface of the second volume.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the step of partitioning includes the step of constructing two screened walls forming said filter wherein each screened wall is located parallel to and inboard a sidewall of the collector.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the step of constructing further includes the step of locating each screened wall to run vertically from the floor to the solid roof and horizontally from the forward wall to the rear hinged wall of the collector;  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the step of construction includes the step of apportioning the size of each screened wall such that the lower wall section comprises approximately the lower one-third of the screened wall and the upper wall section of screen mesh comprises approximately the upper two-thirds of the screened wall.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the step of exhausting the filtered airstream includes discharging through a plurality of openings in the floor of said collector such that the airstream is directed downward to the ground beneath the collector where impingement of the fine leaf particulate with the ground results preferentially in dropout of the fine leaf particulate in the ground below and immediately around the collector.  
     
     
         30 . A method for containing the residual debris of a filtered air stream from a collector comprising: 
 locating at least one exhaust path from the collector on least one of the floor or side of the collector to direct said filtered air stream to a particulate collection device for the residual debris;    positioning a removably attachable particulate collection device proximate to said exhaust path from the collector;    collecting said residual debris in said particulate collection device during intake and collection of said debris; and    emptying and replacing said containment device when full with said residual debris.    
     
     
         31 . A method for collection of debris comprising: 
 vacuuming the debris with a vacuum device into an airstream;    storing a fluid in a tank;    injecting the fluid from said tank to wet a fine particulate debris within the airstream;    discharging said debris into a collector;    collecting said debris within said collector; and    further collecting said fine particulate debris by gravity and by impingement within said collector.