Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
FIBROUS WEB FOR PLANTIilG SEEDS, METHOD OF
IJSI~G S~ME, APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SAME
This invention relates ~o a ~ibrous web for
planting seeds, the method of sowing an area of soil
with seeds by using the fibrous web and an apparatus
for producin~ the fibrous web.
The conventional planting of grass, flower
and other seeds frequently is inefficient. Particularly
in connection with the establishing of new lawns, the
lo conventional sowing of seeds results in a substantial
waste of seed and, moreover, is time-consuming and tedious.
It is an object of the present invention to
provide a fibrous web for planting seeds the use of
~hicll is easier and less wasteful of seeds than the
conven~ional sowing of seeds.
It is a further object of the invention to
pro~ide a method of sowing an area of soil with seeds
comprising using the aforementioned web.
It is also an object of the invention to pro-
vide an apparatus for producing the aforementioned web.
Other objects and advantages of the invention
will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art
from the description of -the invention hereinbelow.
Before the invention is described, a review
of prior art in the general field of the invention will
be given.
~ In U.S. Patent ~o. 2,909,003, seeds are dis-
tributed over an adhesive-free open lofty web of textile
fibers and in the interstices thereof.
'~ `
9L`*~
U.S. Patent No. 3,863,388 relates to a form
of turf in which seeds are germinated in a rooting medium,
namely soil or peat or exfolia-ted minerals or interconnect-
ing open cell decomposable cellular resin ~oam materials
supported on a mesh overlying a sheet or other solid
structure.
U.S. Patent No. 3,914,901 relates to a mat
for starting a lawn or other vegetation comprising a
web sheet having viable seeds embedded therein, the
lo sheet comprising sphagnum peat moss and a binder such
as sodium silicate.
U.S. Patent No. 2,826,865 relates to a seed
carrier having a laminated structure~ each layer being
composed of heterogeneously arranged natural cellulosic
or synthetic ~ibers, the layers being sewn together with
loosely twisted thread.
U.S. Patent No. 3,160,986 relates to a seed
carrier in the form of a plastic film onto which the
seed is held by means of a water-soluhle adhesive.
U. S. Patent No. 3,583,099 relates to rigid
tiles containing seeds. The tiles are made of clay and
binder.
U.S. Patent No. 3,516,196 relates to a seed
mat comprised of a biodegradable sheet coated with an
.. .
asphalt adhesive binding seeds to the upper surface
of the biodegradable sheet.
U.S. Patent No. 1,971,504 relates to a seed
carrier comprising a cotton netting or paper backing
supporting a layer of water soluble fertilizer, a
flexible plastic layer and flexible adhesive adhering
the seeds to the plastic layer.
U.S. Patent No. 3,303,609 relates to a mixture
incl~tding t~in-~alled hydrophilic regenerated cellulose
i~ors, wood fibers, fertilizer and grass seed.
U.S. Patent No. 3,292,307 relates to a mixture
including fiberglass, cellulose fiber, seeds and ferti-
liz~r.
U.S. Patent No. 3~557,491 relates to ap~xme~ble ~abric or film treated on one side with a
caxxler containing seeds~ the fabric being coated with
a~phal~ on the other side or being at least partially
~tuxated with asphalt.
U.S. Patent No. 3,888,041 relates to a knitted
~b~ mulcll into which may be incorporated seed tapes.
U.S. Patent No. 3,889,417 relates to a plastic
~oam carrying seeds.
~0 U.S. Patent No. 2,605,589 relates to a sod
unit in which seeds are carried on humus or peat moss
covered with sand and overlying a plastic mesh.
Canadian Patent No. 811,081 relates to com-
pras~d pea~ containing seeds.
, .
Summary of the Invention
According to the invention, there is provided
a fibrous web for planting seeds, consis-ting essentially
of a mat of randomly oriented, unmodified~ natural straw-
like cellulosic ~ibers, viable seeds, water soluble
adhesive and fertilizer.
The terminology "unmodified, natural" is in-
tended to exclude fibers which initially were natural
but are presently not in a natural state, such as re-
generated cellulosic fibers. The term "straw-like" is
intended to include straw and similar materials which
are readily recognizable as being straw-like, such as
corn husks and other wastes from the harvesting of crop
lands. These are characterized by being of relatively
long fiber length and relatively rigid and, therefore,
forming webs with a considerable degree of permeability
without the necessity of puncturing or similarly pro-
cessing the webs.
According to another aspect of the invention,
there is provided a method of sowing an area of soil
with seeds comprising laying over the area the afore-
mentioned web. The soil generally re~uires no prepara-
tion at all or, at most~ a moderate surface breaking.
The seeds selected are viable so that they
will germinate after the product of the invention has
been laid onto the soil.
.
4i~5~
Typical water soluble adhesives which may be
used accordin~ to the present invention are pro-tein
and protein derivative adhesives including those made
from casein, zein, soybean proteins, and other proteins
and the types of glues made f.rom hides, bones, and so
~orth, fish glues rom ~ish offal, and those made ~rom
blood albumen, adhesives made ~rom materials such as
starch and vegetable gums, comprising adhesives made
from starch and processed starch, the de~trins, and t
.lO the water soluble gums such as gum arabic, ghatti,
tragacanth, Indian gum and the like. Cellulose adhe-
sives which are principally cellulose derivatives such
as methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and sodium carboxymethyl
cellulose.
Common water soluble fertilizers may be used
in thq present invention. Typical of these are ammonium
sulfate, calcium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, urea,
monocalcium and ammonium phosphates, single super-
phosphate, wet-process orthophosphoric acid, triple
20 superphosphate, ammonium phosphates, nitrophosphates,
nonorthophosphates and so forth and various mixtures
of the foregoing.
The seeds themselves may be any grass, flower
or other seeds which it is desired to sow. Generally
speaking, it is anticipated that the present invention
will ~ind its greatest utility in the establishment
o la~lsand flower beds~ but it certainly is not limited
to these particular applications.
The invention will now be further described
by reference to a specific, preferred embodiment there-
of, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Brief Description of the Drawing
The drawing is an isometric view, in partially
schematic form, of an apparatus for producing a fibrous
web in accordance with the invention.
Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment
The apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 includes
a bin 1 for holding chopped mulch such as straw which
ultimately forms the base for the product of the inven-
tion. A conduit 2 including conventional elevator and
transport means conveys the straw from the bin 1 to
a conventional feed hopper 3 which evenly distributes
the straw in a fluffy condition onto the top surface
of a conveyor belt 4 which is driven by a variable
speed motor 13 in the direction away from the bin lo
The distributed straw on the conveyor belt 4
passes beneath a pair of opposed augers 5 that firm
and level the straw to form a mat of substantially
uniform thickness. A variable speed motor 14 drives
the augers. Another motor 15 can raise the lower the
augers thereby to adjust the thickness of the mat being
formed.
Downstream from the augers 5, a spray head 6
applied by means of a pump 7 from a reservoir 12 a hot
*~
aqueous solution of water soluble glue. Thereafter,
granular fertilizer and grass seed are gravity fed from
respective hoppers 8 and 9 into spot contact with the
adhesive on the straw. The thus prepared product
according to the invention, still wet from the adhesive,
is fed into a drying tunnel 10 surrounding a portion
of the upper run of the conveyor belt 4. A conventional
heating oven 11 provides hot air for the drying tunnel
10. Hot air is fed to the tunnel 10 through ducts 18
and air is recirculated from near the downstream end
of the tunnel 10 to the oven 11 through return duct 17.
Downstream from the tunnel 10, a conventional cutter 16
cuts the finished mat product of the invention into
pieces of desired length.
With little or no surface breaking of the soil~
a lawn is readily established simply by laying out the
mats according to the invention on the soil. The seeds
and fertilizer are retained essentially on one side of
the mat by the adhesive. Since the adhesive is water
soluble, when it rains or the mat is artificially watered
the adhesive dissolves and the seeds and fertilizer are
released and find their way into soil. The straw prevents
the seeds from being blown away and inhibits the growth
of weeds. Since the straw is biodegradableg it even-
tually becomes part of the soil.
While the invention has been described by
reference to a specific, preferred embodiment thereofg
it is to be understood that the scope of the invention,
~l3~
as deined by the appended claims, is also intended
to include all modifications and variations which
3 would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art,
