System and method for constructing a barrier impassable to burrowing animals

Abstract

System for constructing an impassable barrier in the ground for burrowing animals, especially beavers, comprising a) a cutting tool (8) that can be guided through the soil (13) to create a gap (23) in the soil (13); b) a flexibly designed barrier element (14) which can be inserted into the gap (23) formed by the cutting tool (8) to form a barrier in the soil (13); c) a guide element (18) for receiving and guiding an edge (15) of the flexible barrier element (14) when inserting the flexible barrier element (14) into the gap (23) in the ground (13).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system and a method for constructing a barrier in the ground that is impassable for burrowing animals, in particular beavers or muskrats.

[0002] The present invention is particularly suitable for use in bank reinforcements and embankments as protection against damage caused by burrowing animals.

[0003] Due to the widespread spread of beavers in Central Europe, extensive measures are now necessary to protect dams, roads, and riverbanks from damage. Alongside drainage ditches, field paths and agricultural land are often found. In areas inhabited by beavers, it is common for them to dig tunnels into the banks below the water's surface. These tunnels usually begin below the water's surface and end above it. The beaver often builds its lodge in this area above the water. The soil above these beaver-created burrows and tunnels, especially when compressed, often collapses. This, in turn, necessitates the ongoing repair of riverbanks where field paths or other agricultural land are located.

[0004] Several methods for protecting against burrowing animals are already known in the art. One known method is to lay protective grids in ditches. However, this is not a practical solution, as ditches must be regularly cleared of vegetation with a mower. Such protective grids are a hindrance in this process.

[0005] Another known method involves excavating the turf of the ditch bank to a depth of approximately 20 cm and installing a protective grid extending below the bottom of the watercourse. The vegetation layer is then replaced. However, this procedure is very cumbersome and expensive.

[0006] From publication DE 20 2015 105 518 U1, a device for deterring burrowing animals is known, consisting of a metal grid that can be arranged on the bank of a water-bearing channel, an anchoring device, and a means to prevent the metal grid from being lifted from the bank. The anchoring device prevents downward movement of the metal grid. However, such protective grids can easily be undermined by the animals they are intended to deter.

[0007] EP 3 696 328 A1 describes a device for installing vertical burrowing animal protection grids, in particular for bank stabilization and embankments as protection against damage by burrowing animals, consisting of two coupled shaped sheets that can accommodate protective grids or mats.

[0008] The present invention is based on the objective of creating an efficient protection of bank reinforcements and embankments against burrowing animals such as beavers, muskrats and other pests in a simple and quick manner.

[0009] This problem is solved according to the invention by a system having the features of claim 1 and by a method having the features of claim 8.

[0010] The cutting tool of the system according to the invention can be used to create a receiving slot at a desired depth in the ground. For this purpose, the cutting tool is first inserted into the ground to the depth required for the barrier to be erected. As a rule, the cutting tool is guided through the ground by a pulling or pushing vehicle, such as an excavator, tractor, or the like.

[0011] The system according to the invention further comprises a flexibly designed barrier element, which is inserted into the gap formed by the cutting tool to create a barrier in the soil. The guide element of the system according to the invention allows the barrier element to be easily moved into the desired position within the gap. Due to its flexible design, the barrier element can, for example, be moved from an initially horizontal position to a vertical end position with the aid of the guide element. Further details can be found in the figures and their descriptions.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, the cutting tool is a cutting plate. The cutting plate can, for example, be a steel plate approximately 6 cm thick, which creates a gap approximately 6 cm wide in the ground. In a further embodiment of the system according to the invention, the cutting tool can be a powered cutting tool, in particular a slot cutter. Such powered cutting tools are particularly advantageous in stony or hard soils for creating a corresponding slot or gap in the ground.

[0013] The flexible barrier element is advantageously designed in a net-like form, particularly as a wire mesh, chain-link fence, or similar. Such barrier elements offer reliable protection against burrowing animals and prevent injuries to animals upon contact with the barrier.

[0014] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, a sliding element for receiving and sliding in the guide element is arranged at an edge of the barrier element. The sliding element is preferably a flexible, elongated element, in particular a rope, wire, wire rope, or the like. The sliding element may comprise sliding parts, in particular sliding cylinders, sliding balls, or the like, arranged at intervals from one another. The sliding parts may, for example, be plastic cylinders approximately 25 mm long and 20 mm thick. These may be threaded onto the sliding element. It is also conceivable that the sliding parts are attached to or molded onto the flexible barrier element. The sliding element may also be fastened to the barrier element with clamps. This is particularly the case if the sliding element is a wire rope.The sliding parts can be made of plastic or metal, such as steel or aluminum. A sliding element as described above, which may also include the aforementioned sliding parts, provides stability to the locking element and, in particular, ensures it slides securely within the guide element.

[0015] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, the guide element is an arc-shaped tube with longitudinal slots, which is preferably arranged on the rear side of the cutting tool. The slot in the arc-shaped tube is dimensioned such that the sliding element cannot pass through the slot and the guide element cannot exit through the slot. At the same time, however, the slot is dimensioned such that the flexible shut-off element can extend from the sliding element through the slot. This, in turn, ensures that the entire shut-off element, with the sliding element attached to it, can move in the longitudinal direction of the arc-shaped tube.

[0016] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, two opposing stabilizing plates are arranged on the cutting tool in the area of ​​the guide element to stabilize the resulting slit in the ground. These stabilizing plates cover, in particular, a transition area of ​​the barrier element during its insertion into the slit from a horizontal to a vertical end position. These stabilizing plates create a protected space in the ground during the insertion of the barrier element, preventing the previously created slit from immediately collapsing due to the intrusion of soil.

[0017] Advantageously, the flexible barrier element is coiled on a substantially horizontal roller positioned above the cutting tool. This allows the flexible barrier element to be easily inserted into the gap in the ground by simply uncoiling it and guiding it along the guide element.

[0018] The method according to the invention, comprising the steps listed in claim 8, also enables a solution to the aforementioned problem. In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the flexible barrier element is unwound from a substantially horizontally arranged roller as it is drawn into the gap. As the cutting tool is guided through the soil, the barrier element is progressively transferred from its horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation within the gap formed by means of the guide element. The fact that the flexible barrier element is initially fixed at one rear end in the soil ensures that the barrier element unwinds from the roller as the system is moved and thus also as the cutting tool is guided through the soil. Typically, the barrier element is fixed in the soil together with the guide element, since the guide element absorbs the tensile force.

[0019] Advantageously, the system according to the invention is arranged for the process on a vehicle, such as an excavator, tractor or the like, so that the cutting tool is guided through the soil by means of the force of the vehicle.

[0020] Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the drawings and the dependent claims. The individual features can be implemented individually or in combination with one another.

[0021] The drawings show: Fig. 1: a schematic representation of a state-of-the-art method for protecting burrowing animals; Fig. 2: a side view of a system according to the invention; Fig. 3: the system according to Fig. 2 without stabilizing plates; Fig. 4: an enlarged section of the system according to Fig. 2 in the area of ​​the sliding element and the guide element; Fig. 5a: a section of the system's shut-off element according to Fig. 2; Fig. 5b: an enlarged section from the edge area of ​​the barrier element of Fig. 5a; Fig. 6: another variant of a shut-off element of a system according to the invention; Fig. 7: another variant of a shut-off element of a system according to the invention; Fig. 8: another embodiment of a system according to the invention with a slot milling cutter.

[0022] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are marked with the same reference numbers.

[0023] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a ditch 1 with water 2 and a tunnel 3 dug by a beaver with an adjoining beaver lodge 4. As in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 1, the beaver digs a tunnel into the bank 5 of ditch 1 below the water's surface. The tunnel 3 initially runs essentially vertically and then upwards, so that the end of the tunnel and the lodge 4 are located above the water's surface. This has the advantage for the beaver that the water 2 seals the lodge 4. The construction of such tunnels and lodges makes the bank area of ​​ditch 1 very unstable, often leading to its collapse, especially if there are forest roads or similar structures in the bank area. To prevent beavers from constructing such tunnels and lodges, it is known from the prior art to position, for example, perforated metal sheets 6 or mesh in the bank area. For this purpose, a corresponding slit is usually first made in the ground. The perforated metal sheet 6 or mesh is then inserted.This is very laborious and often has the disadvantage that the gap collapses again immediately after it has been made, as soil penetrates it laterally.

[0024] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments described below.

[0025] Fig. Figure 2 shows a system 7 according to the invention for constructing a barrier in the ground 13 that is impassable for beavers. The system 7 comprises a plow-like cutting tool 8 with a cutting plate 9 made of steel approximately 6 cm thick. The cutting plate 9 comprises a front edge 10 and a base plate 11, which form an angle of approximately 80° with each other, so that the cutting plate 9 has the shape of an oversized utility knife. A cutting tip 12 is arranged in the transition area between the front edge 10 and the base edge 11. Due to the shape of the cutting plate 9 in conjunction with the cutting tip 12, it is possible to open the ground very efficiently and create a gap by guiding the cutting tool 8 through the ground 13 in the direction of the arrow (see below for further details).

[0026] System 7 further comprises a flexibly designed barrier element in the form of a wire mesh fence 14. A wire 16 is arranged on one edge 15 of the wire mesh fence 14, on which plastic cylinders 17 are threaded, which have a length of approximately 25 mm and a thickness of approximately 20 mm.

[0027] System 7 further comprises a guide element in the form of an arc-shaped tube 18, which is integrally formed on the rear side 19 of the cutting plate 9. The tube 18 has a slot 20 along its entire length. The tube can be made of metal, for example.

[0028] In the area of ​​the tube 18, two opposing stabilizing plates 21 (only one is shown here) are screwed onto the cutting plate 9.

[0029] The wire mesh fence 14 is rolled up on a substantially horizontally arranged roll 22 above the cutting tool 8.

[0030] Fig. Figure 3 shows the system 7 without stabilizing plates 21.

[0031] Based on the Fig. 2 and Fig. Section 3 now explains the inventive method for constructing a barrier in the ground that is impassable for beavers. First, the system 7 is coupled to a vehicle, such as an excavator or tractor (not shown here). Then, the cutting tool 8 is pressed into the ground 13 to the desired depth and moved slightly in the direction of the arrow, creating a short gap 23 in the ground 13. The roll 22 with the wire mesh fence 14 is arranged such that the edge 15 with the wire 16 and the plastic cylinders 17 is positioned in the entrance area 31 of the slotted tube 18. The wire 16 with the plastic cylinders 17 is then threaded into the tube 18, and the wire mesh fence 14 is unwound from the roll 22. The guide element in the form of the slotted tube 18 moves the wire mesh fence 14 from its initially horizontal orientation to a vertical one.Once the wire mesh fence 14 has exited the tube 18 at its rear end, it is fixed in the already formed gap 23 in the ground. The system 7 is then moved in the direction of the arrow, so that the cutting tool 8 is guided through the ground 13, thereby opening the ground and creating a gap. As the system 7 moves, the wire mesh fence is simultaneously unwound from the roll 22 and automatically pulled into the gap 23. The wire mesh fence 14 is guided through the tube 18 into its desired final position in the gap 23. During this pulling process, the wire mesh fence extends from the slot 20 in the tube 18, starting at the wire 16, allowing it to move freely within the tube 18.The mesh 24 of the chain-link fence 14 has the property that, during the installation process, it folds like a fan on the side 32 facing away from the pipe 18, in a transition area 25 from a horizontal to a vertical end position. This allows the chain-link fence 14 to be "bent" by approximately 90° during the installation process, with a radius of approximately 1.2 m around the pipe 18. This is shown in . Fig. 3 is clearly visible. Once the wire mesh fence 14 has reached its final position in the ground after exiting the pipe 18, it unfolds again and now forms an ideal barrier in the ground 13 in its vertical orientation. The stabilizing plates 21 serve to stabilize the gap created by the cutting tool 8 and to prevent soil from immediately entering it and causing it to collapse. This creates a protected space, particularly in the transition area 25 of the wire mesh fence 14. Once the wire mesh fence 14 has reached its final position after exiting the pipe 18, the gap no longer needs to be stabilized and can now be filled with soil.

[0032] Fig. Figure 4 shows an enlarged representation of the system 7 in the area of ​​the pipe 18 and the edge 15 of the wire mesh fence 14.

[0033] Fig. Figure 5a shows the chain-link fence 14 with the wire 16 and the plastic cylinders 17. As in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 5a, the plastic cylinders 17 are positioned such that they are each separated from one another by a mesh of the wire mesh fence 14. Thus, the plastic cylinders 17 are approximately equidistant from each other.

[0034] Fig. Figure 5b shows an enlarged view from the Fig. 5a. Here it can be seen that the wire 16 is woven into the mesh 24 of the chain link fence 14.

[0035] The Fig. 6 and Fig. Figure 7 shows further examples of suitable sliding elements. For example, the sliding element of the chain-link fence consists of... Fig. 6 made of a wire 16 and plastic balls 26, which are also connected to the meshes of the chain link fence 14.

[0036] In the embodiment according to Fig. 7 the sliding element is a steel cable 27 which is attached to the wire mesh fence 14 by means of clamps 28.

[0037] Fig. Figure 8 shows a further embodiment of a system 7' according to the invention. The system 7' differs from the system 7 only in that a powered slot cutter 29 is used as a cutting tool to create a corresponding gap in the ground.

Claims

[1] System for erecting a barrier in the ground that is impassable for burrowing animals, in particular beavers, comprising a) a cutting tool (8) which can be guided through the soil (13) to create a gap (23) in the soil (13); b) a flexible barrier element (14) which can be introduced into the gap (23) formed by the cutting tool (8) to form a barrier in the ground (13); c) a guide element (18) for receiving and guiding an edge (15) of the flexible shut-off element (14) when the flexible shut-off element (14) is introduced into the gap (23) in the ground (13). [2] System according to claim 1, characterized by that the cutting tool (8) comprises a cutting plate (9) or a driven cutting tool, in particular a milling cutter (29). [3] System according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized bythat the flexible barrier element is designed in a net-like manner, in particular as a wire net, chain link fence (14) or the like. [4] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a sliding element for receiving in the guide element (18) and for sliding in the guide element (18) is arranged on an edge (15) of the shut-off element (14), wherein the sliding element is preferably a flexible, elongated element, in particular a rope, wire (16), cord, wire rope (27) or the like, wherein the sliding element (16) can have sliding parts arranged at a distance from one another, in particular sliding cylinders (17), sliding balls (26) or the like. [5] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the guide element is an arcuate tube (18) which is slotted in the longitudinal direction and is preferably arranged on a rear side (19) of the cutting tool (8). [6] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by in that in the region of the guide element (18) two opposing stabilizing plates (21) for stabilizing the gap (23) created in the ground (13) are arranged on the cutting tool (8), wherein the stabilizing plates (21) in particular cover a transition region (25) of the blocking element (14) when it is introduced into the gap (23) from a horizontal to a vertical end position. [7] System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the shut-off element (14) is arranged rolled up on a horizontally arranged roller (22) above the cutting tool (8). [8] Method for erecting a barrier in the ground that is impassable for burrowing animals, in particular beavers, using a system (7, 7') according to one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the following steps: a) inserting the cutting tool (8) to a desired depth into the ground (13); b) threading an edge (15) of the flexible shut-off element (14) or a sliding element (16, 17, 26, 27) arranged on the edge (15) of the flexible shut-off element (14) into the guide element (18); c) fixing a rear end (30) of the flexible shut-off element (14) and of the sliding element in the ground (13); d) guiding the cutting tool (8) through the soil (13) by pulling, pushing or moving the system (7, 7') and simultaneously retracting the flexible shut-off element (14) into the gap (23) in the soil (13) created by the cutting tool (8). [9] Method according to claim 8, characterized bythat the flexible barrier element (14) is unwound from a substantially horizontally arranged roll (22) when being drawn into the gap (23), wherein the flexible barrier element (14) is progressively transferred from the horizontal orientation into a vertical orientation in the gap (23) formed by means of the guide element (18) when the cutting tool (8) is guided through the soil (13). [10] Method according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized by that the system (7, 7') is arranged for movement on a vehicle, e.g. on an excavator, so that the cutting tool (8) is guided through the soil (13) by means of the power of the vehicle.

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