Amphibious vehicle for removing invasive plants

Abstract

AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE FOR URGING INVASIVE PLANTS Amphibious vehicle (100), for maintaining a wetland (P) in particular by removing an invasive exotic species (IEE) such as invasive aquatic plants or the like, comprising a motorized amphibious tractor (10) and a pulling means, said vehicle further comprising a floating trailer (30) towed by the tractor (10) and comprising a bucket (31) for collecting the pulled-up plants, the pulling means being a telescopic crane (20) equipped with a grapple (21) at its free end, said grapple being configured to allow both the gripping and pulling of invasive plants, so as to place them in the bucket (31). Figure for the abstract: figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Amphibious vehicle for uprooting invasive plants Technical field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of amphibious vehicles, in particular wetland maintenance vehicles. It relates more particularly to an amphibious vehicle for uprooting invasive plants.

[0002] The present invention finds a direct, but not exclusive, application in the fight against invasive plants and algae (Jussie, Brazilian Milfoil, etc.) in marshy transport zones (river corridors for example). State of the art

[0003] Amphibious vehicles, also known as dual-purpose vehicles or amphibious all-terrain vehicles, are vehicles capable of operating both on land and in water. Their special design allows them to cross difficult terrain such as swamps, lakes, rivers or coastal areas, thus providing versatility of use.

[0004] Historically, the origins of amphibious vehicles date back to ancient times, when means of transport capable of navigating on water were developed. However, the first modern amphibious vehicles, as we know them today, appeared in the early 20th century.

[0005] One of the first notable amphibious vehicles, called the "autochenille", was invented by Adolphe Kégresse in 1906. It was a tracked vehicle that could travel on both land and water. However, these early vehicles were mainly used for military purposes, notably during the First World War.

[0006] Over time, amphibious vehicles developed and became more technologically advanced. In the 1930s, American Donald Roebling developed an amphibious vehicle called the "Alligator" that was used for mowing operations in water. The Alligator was equipped with a grinding system to remove harmful plants in irrigation canals.

[0007] Since then, amphibious vehicles have continued to evolve, with new designs and constant improvements in their capabilities. Propulsion techniques have also been improved, moving from tracks to wheels or marine propellers, thus allowing better adaptation to different land and water conditions.

[0008] In the specific context of the fight against invasive plants, in particular those Classified as invasive alien species (IAS), amphibious vehicles are used to access areas that are difficult to access by other means. They are particularly useful in wetlands, marshes, rivers, or lakes where invasive plants and algae can proliferate and harm the local ecosystem.

[0009] Amphibious vehicles used for the elimination of these invasive plants are generally equipped with suitable devices such as grinders, pruners, mowers, mowing blades, rotary tillers, etc. They can also be equipped with spraying systems for the application of chemicals for the control of invasive plants, as required.

[0010] It is important to note that these tools vary depending on the manufacturers and models of amphibious vehicles used.

[0011] For example, we know the Truxor DM 5045 and Eco Harvester models. The first is a versatile amphibious vehicle used for various tasks, and equipped with a telescopic arm with a mechanical destruction head equipped with rotating blades or brushes that allow unwanted plants to be cut or pulled out. The second is an amphibious vehicle designed specifically for the elimination of decomposed plants and algae on the water surface. It is equipped with a roller and conveyor system that collects the algae and transports it to an integrated hopper.

[0012] Document FR2722736 describes an amphibious vehicle with specific traction for driving on shallow water and low-load-bearing ground. This traction is based on the use of paddle wheels and low-pressure wheels whose ground clearance would be variable depending on whether the vehicle is driving on water (the low-pressure wheels would be raised to obtain a low draft) or on other low-load-bearing terrain such as green marshes, mudflats or floodplain meadows, in which case the low-pressure wheels would be lowered to obtain a high ground clearance.

[0013] The design of this vehicle allows it to harvest, via a set of conveyor belts, decomposed plant matter floating on the surface of liquid bodies (this plant matter forms a floating film which suffocates the submerged living environment). This harvested material is stored in a bucket provided for this purpose. The harvesting belt being articulated, harvesting becomes possible whatever the type of terrain and whatever the ground clearance of the vehicle. This vehicle can, using front cutting tools, harvest proliferating grasses and reeds which are also stored in the bucket. The latter, emptied and removed, offers an interesting loading platform for transporting equipment.

[0014] Document CN203788977 describes another solution also based on the collection of harmful plant matter floating on the surface of the water, by means of a conveyor system.

[0015] All these solutions do not effectively address the problem of elimination. irreversible eradication of particularly formidable invasive plants such as Jussia and Brazilian Milfoil, for which cutting the stem does not completely solve the problem.

[0016] Furthermore, these prior solutions do not all include volumes dedicated to the collection of picked plants and, where appropriate, these volumes are integrated into the vehicle and limited by its size. This further reduces the space available on the vehicle and makes it difficult to use.

[0017] In the fight against invasive plants, manual uprooting is also known. This solution quickly shows its limits, as soon as the density and the surface to be treated become significant, and is not without danger for the people carrying out the operation.

[0018] Overall, after manual uprooting, the most widespread mechanized solutions are the mowing boat, the barge-mounted excavator and the amphibious crawler.

[0019] The mowing boat requires launching and machinery on the bank. In addition, the major disadvantage of the mowing technique is that on the one hand the algae remain rooted in the bottom and on the other hand the stems, cut, split during a subsequent and rapid progression of the plant.

[0020] The mowing method therefore does not allow the plants to be eradicated permanently; it is a temporary solution which needs to be repeated regularly.

[0021] As for the barge shovel, unloading on the bank remains possible but the movement is slow. This solution also requires launching and produces rough work with cuttings.

[0022] Finally, the amphibious crawler has no capacity to collect uprooted plants, which causes the loss of plants picked up along the way, and is not compatible with other work tools. Summary of the invention

[0023] The present invention aims to overcome all or part of the drawbacks of the prior art set out above by proposing a lightweight and versatile solution to adapt to all kinds of needs during invasive plant removal projects.

[0024] An advantage of the invention is that it allows definitive treatment by removing the invasive plants by the root.

[0025] Another advantage of the invention is to provide a tearing means with a large radius of action around the vehicle.

[0026] Yet another advantage of the invention is to provide a dedicated collection space, which does not represent any encumbrance for the space available in the vehicle.

[0027] To this end, the present invention relates to an amphibious vehicle for maintaining a wetland, in particular by removing an invasive exotic species (IEE) from type invasive aquatic plants or similar. This vehicle typically comprises a motorized amphibious tractor and a means of uprooting. This vehicle is remarkable in that it further comprises a floating trailer towed by the tractor and comprising a bucket for collecting the uprooted plants, and in that the means of uprooting is a telescopic crane equipped with a grapple at its free end, said grapple being configured to allow both the gripping and uprooting of invasive plants, so as to place them in the bucket.

[0028] This therefore allows for effective uprooting of invasive plants, which limits cuttings, and collection of large volumes of said plants before unloading them onto the bank for subsequent treatment (methanization for example).

[0029] Advantageously, the floating trailer comprises wheels and floats placed under the bucket, and arranged laterally and longitudinally in a direction of movement of said trailer.

[0030] Thus, the trailer is able to move both on land and on water, with a hydrodynamic arrangement of the wheels and floats.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the invention, the amphibious tractor comprises floats placed laterally on one side and the other of its chassis, and longitudinally relative to a direction of movement of the tractor. These floats provide additional flotation to the amphibious tractor which can be provided with main floats arranged under its chassis.

[0032] More particularly, the floats of the tractor are articulated in a “butterfly” fashion between a low floating position and a high storage position reducing the width of said tractor, so as not to hinder traffic on a conventional road.

[0033] According to an advantageous embodiment, the crane is rotatably mounted on an upper surface of the amphibious tractor. This allows it to benefit from a maximum range of movement around the tractor and thus to easily reach different lifting locations while limiting the movement of the entire vehicle.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the amphibious tractor comprises a driver's cab, and the crane comprises a control seat which is coupled to it in rotation and which is independent of said driver's cab. As a result, the vehicle can be driven by two operators, one taking care of driving the tractor along the wetland to be treated, and the other taking care of controlling the crane and therefore of uprooting the invasive plants and placing them in the trailer.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the amphibious tractor further comprises a stabilizer, in the form of a pantograph provided with two wheels at its ends, to improve the flotation and stability of said tractor. Indeed, the wheels of the stabilizer are raised relative to the floats of the tractor and allow the tractor to be raised despite the flaring, at least at the level of the stabilizer.

[0036] Particularly advantageously, the crane grapple comprises two facing combs, the teeth of which are interposed when said grapple is closed so as to pull out invasive plants by the root without cutting them. This therefore makes it possible to greatly limit the formation of cuttings and, thereby, to reduce the risk of proliferation of certain plants whose cut stems tend to split during the future progression of the plant.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the tractor comprises at least one lift for coupling the floating trailer. Preferably, this lift is located at the rear of the tractor.

[0038] According to a particular embodiment, improving the centralized control of the tools, the amphibious vehicle comprises a hydraulic unit controlling, among other things, the crane as well as the floats and the wheeled stabilizer of the tractor.

[0039] The fundamental concepts of the invention having just been set out above in their most elementary form, other details and characteristics will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows and with reference to the appended drawings, giving by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of an amphibious vehicle for uprooting invasive plants, in accordance with the principles of the invention. Presentation of the drawings

[0040] The figures are given purely for illustrative purposes for a better understanding of the invention without limiting its scope. The various elements may be represented schematically and are not necessarily to scale. Throughout the figures, identical or equivalent elements bear the same numerical reference.

[0041] It is thus illustrated in:

[0042] [Fig-1]: a perspective view of an amphibious vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0043] [Fig.2]: a perspective view of the amphibious vehicle without the floating trailer which has been disengaged from the rear lift;

[0044] [Fig.3]: a side view of the amphibious vehicle without the trailer, showing the detail of the crane grapple;

[0045] [Fig.4]: a rear perspective view of the amphibious vehicle without the trailer, with the pantograph-shaped wheeled stabilizer;

[0046] [Fig.5]: the complete amphibious vehicle, in action on a body of water infested with invasive plants;

[0047] [Fig.6]: a schematic side view of the floating trailer according to one embodiment of the invention. Detailed description of embodiments

[0048] It should be noted that certain technical elements well known to those skilled in the art are recalled here to avoid any insufficiency or ambiguity in the understanding of the present invention.

[0049] In the embodiment described below, reference is made to an amphibious vehicle for uprooting invasive plants, intended mainly for use in wetlands (water bodies, marshes, swamps, etc.). This non-limiting example is given for a better understanding of the invention and does not exclude the use of the vehicle on dry land.

[0050] The main invasive aquatic plants and algae for which the invention was developed are Jussia and Brazilian Milfoil, which are classified as invasive alien species (IAS).

[0051] In the present description, the expression "amphibious vehicle" designates a motorized vehicle which, thanks to specific means and equipment, can move on land and on water.

[0052] In the remainder of the description, the terms “plant” and “algae” and their plural forms are used to designate an invasive, or at least harmful or undesirable, plant or algae, which must preferably be eliminated to protect biodiversity and preserve the balance of the local ecosystem.

[0053] [Fig.l] represents a motorized amphibious vehicle 100 comprising an amphibious tractor 10, which is the carrying element of the assembly, a telescopic crane 20 for uprooting plants, rotatably mounted on the tractor, and a floating trailer 30 coupled to the rear of said tractor.

[0054] The amphibious tractor 10 comprises a chassis 11 surmounted by a rear space 12 in which the crane 20 is installed. This space 12 is located immediately behind a driver's cab 14, or driver's station, which includes all the equipment and services necessary for controlling the tractor 10, in particular its propulsion system.

[0055] The tractor 10 is equipped with a suitable engine driving a set of tracks 13 each covering a plurality of wheels, here four per track, so as to adapt to all types of terrain.

[0056] Of course, the wheeled tracks can be replaced by wheels alone, tracks alone (rubber or steel), or any other suitable moving device.

[0057] The amphibious tractor 10 further comprises main floats, not visible in the figures, and auxiliary floats 15 to improve the overall flotation of the amphibious vehicle 100.

[0058] According to the illustrated embodiment, the tractor 10 comprises two floats 15, one on each lateral side of its bodywork.

[0059] The floats 15 have shell shapes and are arranged longitudinally along the direction of movement of the tractor 10, and therefore of the amphibious vehicle 100, with their conical head pointing forward. This arrangement thus gives a hydrodynamic advantage to the tractor 10.

[0060] The floats 15 are connected to each other by means of an articulated metal structure, articulating the floats 15 in a "butterfly" fashion between a low navigation (floating) position, shown in [Fig.2] for example, and a high storage position, shown in [Fig.3], reducing the width of the tractor 10 for its land movement on a conventional road.

[0061] Due to their lateral arrangement, the floats 15 improve the stability of the tractor 10 on the water, especially since the rear space 12, framed by said floats, receives the crane 20 which has a certain inertia especially when it is at maximum travel.

[0062] The crane 20 is telescopic and has dimensions adapted to the operating needs of the amphibious vehicle 100.

[0063] The crane 20 comprises a control seat 22 which is coupled to it in rotation, in other words the two rotating together and in the same way. This seat 22 has the necessary control means such as the control levers of the control valve of the crane. These control means are preferably at the level of the armrests or on a front panel, in order to be within reach of an operator installed on the seat 22.

[0064] To carry out the lifting operations, the crane 20 has at its free end, opposite its anchoring end on the tractor 10, a grapple 21, each hook of which ends in a comb 211 which is perpendicular to it, so that the two combs 211 are opposite each other.

[0065] The grapple 21 is fixed to the crane 20 via a rotator 23 which constitutes a 360° pivot connection relative to the axis of the last section of the crane.

[0066] [Fig.2] allows a clear visualization of the grapple 21 and the arrangement of the combs 211.

[0067] [Fig.3] includes a detailed view around the grapple 21.

[0068] The grapple 21 can be controlled between an open position, in which the combs 211 are spaced apart from each other to catch a certain quantity of plants, and a closed position, in which the combs 211 are joined together with their respective teeth intercalated and crossed to properly grasp the stems of the plants in particular, without cutting them.

[0069] Indeed, the arrangement of the combs 211, the teeth of which are substantially parallel to the rods, prevents any shearing of the rods and therefore limits the cutting of the rods as much as possible.

[0070] [Fig.4] shows the grapple 21 in a closed position showing the intersecting of the teeth of the combs 211.

[0071] In this closed position, the grapple 21 allows, in addition to pulling up the plants, gripping them with a view to loading them into the floating trailer 30.

[0072] [Fig.5] in fact represents the amphibious vehicle 100 during an operation on a body of water P, during which the crane 20 loads uprooted EEE plants into the floating trailer 30.

[0073] The trailer 30 comprises a bucket 31 for collecting uprooted plants and other debris. This bucket 31 defines a sufficient storage volume, equivalent to the size of the tractor in the example illustrated.

[0074] The trailer 30 comprises wheels 33 and floats 35, under the bucket 31, arranged longitudinally to its direction of movement.

[0075] According to the illustrated embodiment, the trailer 30 comprises two lateral rows of wheels 33 each comprising four wheels, and four floats 35 arranged two by two with their four conical heads pointing towards the outside of the trailer 30.

[0076] [Fig.6] schematically represents the floating trailer 30 in side view.

[0077] The trailer 30 is thus towed by the tractor 10 by being coupled to the latter by means of a rear lift 17, visible in [Fig.2].

[0078] The tractor 10 also has a front linkage 16 allowing other tools to be attached if necessary.

[0079] Furthermore, the tractor 10 comprises a stabilizer 18 with wheels 181, in the form of a pantograph, as shown in [Fig.4].

[0080] The stabilizer 18 makes it possible to improve the flotation and stability of the tractor 10. In fact, the wheels 181 of the stabilizer 18 are raised relative to the floats 15 of the tractor and make it possible to raise the tractor despite the flaring, at least at the level of the stabilizer.

[0081] The amphibious vehicle 100 thus described makes it possible to carry out definitive uprooting of invasive plants with ease and great efficiency, in particular by centralizing certain hydraulic controls. For this purpose, the amphibious vehicle 100 comprises a hydraulic unit for controlling, among other things, the crane 20, the articulated floats 15 and the stabilizer 18.

[0082] It is apparent from the present description that certain non-essential elements of the amphibious vehicle may be modified, replaced or removed without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the claims below. For example, the number of floats and their arrangement may vary according to the needs of each user.

Claims

Claims

1. Amphibious vehicle (100), for maintaining a wetland (P) in particular by removing an invasive exotic species (IEE) such as invasive aquatic plants or the like, comprising a motorized amphibious tractor (10) and a pulling means, said vehicle being characterized in that it further comprises a floating trailer (30) towed by the tractor (10) and comprising a bucket (31) for collecting the pulled-up plants, and in that the pulling means is a telescopic crane (20) equipped with a grapple (21) at its free end, said grapple being configured to allow both the gripping and pulling of invasive plants, so as to place them in the bucket (31).

2. An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the floating trailer (30) comprises wheels (33) and floats (35) placed under the bucket (31) and arranged laterally and longitudinally to a direction of movement of said trailer.

3. An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amphibious tractor (10) comprises floats (15) placed laterally on one side and the other of a chassis (11) of the tractor and longitudinally relative to a direction of travel of the tractor.

4. Amphibious vehicle according to claim 3, in which the floats (15) of the tractor (10) are articulated in a "butterfly" fashion between a low floating position and a high stowed position reducing the width of said tractor.

5. An amphibious vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the crane (20) is rotatably mounted on an upper surface (12) of the amphibious tractor (10).

6. An amphibious vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the amphibious tractor (10) comprises a driver's cab (14), and the crane (20) comprises a control seat (22) which is rotatably coupled thereto and which is independent of said driver's cab.

7. An amphibious vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the amphibious tractor (10) further comprises a stabilizer (18), in the form of a pantograph provided with two wheels (181) at its ends, to improve the flotation and stability of said tractor.

8. An amphibious vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the grapple (21) comprises two combs (211) in look, whose teeth are interposed when said grapple is closed so as to pull out invasive plants by the root without cutting them.

9. An amphibious vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the tractor (10) comprises at least one lift (16, 17) for coupling the floating trailer (30).

10. Amphibious vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims in combination with claims 4 and 7, comprising a hydraulic unit controlling the crane (20) as well as the floats (15) and the stabilizer (18) of the tractor (10).

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