Brush guard

Abstract

A trim guard, that surrounds wooden posts sunken into the ground, as well as other embedded structures is disclosed. The trim guard protects the posts or support structures from mechanical abrasion from devices such as rotary weed trimmers.

1 . A trim guard for surrounding a structure embedded into the ground, whereby plants are prevented from growing between the guard and the structure, and where mechanical abrasion to the embedded structure from use of a rotary string type weed cutter is eliminated comprising a planar surface that is adapted to extend horizontally over and directly contact the ground, through which plants cannot grow, and a vertical sleeve attached at a right angle to the horizontal planar surface, the vertical sleeve extending upwards from the horizontal surface, and surrounding a hole through the horizontal planar surface, through which the embedded structure is intended to pass, that tightly fits around the embedded structure, preventing plants from growing between the vertical sleeve and the embedded structure, and wherein the vertical sleeve is made of a material which resists mechanical abrasion and protects the underlying embedded structure from mechanical abrasion when string from a rotary weed cutter strikes the vertical sleeve when trimming weeds that have grown near the embedded structure. 
   
   
       2 . The trim guard of  claim 1  wherein the horizontal planar surface and vertical sleeve are made in two pieces that snap together, enabling the trim guard to be installed on a structure previously embedded in the ground. 
   
   
       3 . The trim guard of  claim 2  wherein studs on one half of the horizontal planar surface snap into holes on the other half of the horizontal planar surface, the holes in register with the studs, whereby the two halves of the horizontal planar surface can be snapped together. 
   
   
       4 . The trim guard of  claim 3  wherein the studs are perpendicular to one half of the horizontal planar surface, and extend through holes in the other half of the horizontal planar surface. 
   
   
       5 . The trim guard of  claim 4  wherein the studs are provided with flanges that snap over the holes, in detent like fashion. 
   
   
       6 . The trim guard of  claim 3  wherein the studs are parallel to and extend horizontally beyond one half of the horizontal planar surface, and the other half of the horizontal planar surface is provided with a vertical surface, the vertical surface is provided with a holes in register with the studs, whereby the two halves of the horizontal planar surface can be snapped together. 
   
   
       7 . The trim guard of  claim 1  wherein the vertical sleeve is provided with a compressible material intended to interpose between the embedded support structure and the vertical sleeve, preventing plants from growing between the embedded structure and the trim guard. 
   
   
       8 . The trim guard of  claim 7  wherein the compressible material is impregnated with a herbicide. 
   
   
       9 . The trim guard of  claim 7  wherein the compressible material is impregnated with a corrosion inhibitor. 
   
   
       10 . The trim guard of  claim 7  wherein the compressible material is impregnated with a fungicide. 
   
   
       11 . The trim guard of  claim 1  wherein the device is one-piece, and slides over the embedded structure. 
   
   
       12 . A method of protecting an embedded structure, that is embedded into the ground, from mechanical abrasion of a rotary string plant trimmer, while preventing plants from growing near the embedded structure, comprising surrounding the embedded structure with a horizontal plate that is intended to lie flat directly over and in contact with the ground, whereby the horizontal plate extends beyond the embedded structure far enough that a mower can be passed over the horizontal plate, passing a mower over the horizontal structure and cutting any plants that have grown around the horizontal plate, thereby enabling the cutting of any plants that have grown around the horizontal plate without the use of a rotary string trimmer that would mechanically abrade the embedded support structure at the point where the embedded structure emerges from the ground. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising tightly surrounding the embedded structure with a vertical collar that extends perpendicularly from the horizontal plate, and is in register with the embedded structure, thereby preventing plants from growing between the horizontal plate and embedded structure. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  where the vertical collar is constructed from a material that resists mechanical abrasion from a rotary string cutter, enabeling plants that may have grown between the vertical collar and the embedded structure to be cut with a rotary string cutter without damaging the embedded structure with the rotary string trimmer. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  including the step of dispensing a herbicide from the vertical collar into the ground area between the vertical collar and the embedded structure. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the herbicide is absorbed in a compressible material interposed between the vertical collar and the embedded support structure. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  including the step of dispensing a fungicide from the vertical collar into the area between the vertical collar and the embedded structure. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the fungicide is absorbed in a compressible material interposed between the vertical collar and the embedded support structure. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 13  including the step of dispensing a corrosion inhibitor from the vertical collar into the area between the vertical collar and the embedded structure. 
   
   
       20 . A method of protecting an embedded structure, that is embedded into the ground, from mechanical abrasion of a rotary string plant trimmer, while preventing plants from growing near the embedded structure, comprising surrounding the embedded structure with a corrosion resistant plastic horizontal plate and vertical collar that are intended to lie flat directly over and in contact with the ground, whereby the horizontal plate extends beyond the embedded structure far enough that a mower can be passed over the horizontal plate, passing a mower over the horizontal structure and cutting any plants that have grown around the horizontal plate, thereby enabling the cutting of any plants that have grown around the horizontal plate without the use of a rotary string trimmer that would mechanically abrade the embedded support structure at the point where the embedded structure emerges from the ground, and tightly surrounding the embedded support with the vertical collar made from resilient plastic that is in register with the embedded support and dispensing herbicide from a compressible material impregnated with herbicide interposed between the vertical collar and the embedded structure, whereby plants are prevented from growing between the vertical collar and the embedded structure both because of the herbicide and the tight fit between the compressible, impregnated material, the vertical collar, and the embedded structure.