SPRAYING SYSTEM

• US 3,655,130 A
• Filed: 06/04/1970
• Issued: 04/11/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: W & A Manufacturing Company Incorporated Pine Bluff AR A Corporation of
• Original Assignee: Keith H. Patrick
• Inventors: Patrick, Keith H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Jr., M. Henson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mar, Michael Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/043,352
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 239/7,8,77,78,124,127,142,160,162,172,176,167,168,222,216,223,224,567,168 261/30,88
• US Class Current: 239/77
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0014 Field atomisers, e.g. orchard atomisers, self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted

Abstract

This invention relates to an improved spraying system for spraying fluid chemicals. The improved spraying system includes a supply means for containing a supply of fluid chemicals and a series of spraying heads for spraying chemicals on foliage or a crop to be sprayed. Each of the spraying heads includes an annular diffusion member and a rotatable impeller means for developing a uniform blast of directed air pressure over the outer surface of the diffusion member. A dispensing nozzle is operatively associated with each of the spraying heads for dispensing a quantity of fluid chemicals into the diffusion member to be directed by centrifugal force out through the diffusion member into the blast of air. The dispensing nozzles are coaxially mounted and extend through the rotatably driven impeller means. A supply pump is operatively associated with the supply means and the dispensing nozzles for delivering a supply of fluid chemicals under pressure to the dispensing nozzles. A hydraulically driven motor means is operatively associated with each of the spraying heads and includes a driving gear coaxially mounted relative to the dispensing nozzle, the diffusion member and the rotatable impeller means. A hydraulic pump means is operatively associated with the motor means for delivering hydraulic fluid under pressure for operation of the motor means. The improved spraying system is designed for being utilized on a plurality of supporting vehicle frameworks. One of the supporting vehicles includes a trailer having a movably mounted boom for supporting a series of the spraying heads for movement in a vertical plane between operative and inoperative positions. A second supporting means includes a framework having connectable members which will permit the framework to be connected to conventional three point hitch provided on a supporting vehicle. A third type of supporting framework includes a transverse mast having a pair of laterally extending booms which are adapted to be swung about vertical axis from laterally extending positions to fore and aft positions. Each of the laterally extending booms is detailed for supporting at least one spraying head.

Claims

1. In an improved spraying system for use in spraying fluid chemicals the improvement comprising in combination:

a. supply means provided on said system for containing a supply of fluid chemicals;

b. a rotatable driven spraying head including means for developing a stream of directed air pressure and an annular perforated diffusion member. c. means on said system for supporting said spraying head in a position for spraying said chemicals;

d. a dispensing nozzle operatively associated with said spraying head for dispensing a quantity of fluid chemicals into said diffusion member to be directed by centrifugal force out through said diffusion member and into said stream of directed air pressure;

e. pressure means operatively associated with said supply means and said nozzle and detailed for delivering a supply of fluid chemicals from said supply means to said nozzle;

f. said spray head support means including movably mounted boom structure detailed for supporting a series of said spraying heads, said boom being constructed to include a pair of hydraulic supply conduits, said boom and supply conduits being fixed together in supported relationship such that the strength of said boom consists of the boom structure including hydraulic supply conduits; and

g. said rotatable driven spray heads each including a hydraulic motor drive means.

2. In an improved spraying system for use in spraying fluid chemicals, the improvement comprising, in combination:

a. supply means provided on said system for containing a supply of fluid chemicals;

b. a rotatable driven spraying head including means for developing a stream of directed air pressure and an annular perforated diffusion member;

c. means on said system for supporting said spraying head in a position for spraying said chemicals;

d. a dispensing nozzle operatively associated with said spraying head for dispensing a quantity of fluid chemicals into said diffusion member to be directed by centrifugal force out through said diffusion member and into said stream of directed air pressure;

e. pressure means operatively associated with said supply means and said nozzle and detailed for delivering a supply of fluid chemicals from said supply means to said nozzle;

f. said spray head support means includes a movably mounted boom structure detailed for supporting a series of said spraying heads; and

g. said spraying head mounting means including means supporting said spraying heads for selective adjustment about at least one axis.

3. An improved spraying system as described in claim 2 further characterized in that said rotatably driven spraying head includes a rotatable driven impeller means for directing said stream of air pressure and wherein said annular perforated diffusion member includes a substantially web like cylindrical screen member fixed to said impeller means in coaxial relationship such that said stream of air pressure is directed axially over the outer surface of said diffusion member.

4. An improved spraying system as described in claim 3 further characterized in that said rotatable impeller means includes a coaxially mounted driving member with said dispensing nozzle coaxially mounted relative to and extending through said driving member and said rotatable impeller means.

5. An improved spraying system as described in claim 4 further characterized in that said rotatable driving member includes a sleeve extending through said driving member and having one end connected to said rotatable impeller means.

6. An improved spraying system as described in claim 5 further characterized in that said rotatable driving member includes a first gear operatively supported on said sleeve member for effecting rotation thereof, a second gear supported in meshing relationship relative to said first gear and fluid pressure supply means operatively associated with said first and second gear means for delivering a supply of hydraulic pressure to said first and second gear means at a point adjacent to said meshing relationship and in a direction transverse to the rotatable axis of said gear means.

7. An improved spraying system as described in claim 3 further characterized in that said dispensing nozzle includes an elongated tubular member having a closed extended end, with the opposite end of said tubular member in flow communication with a supply of fluid chemicals, and wherein said elongated tubular member includes a series of radially directed orifices.

8. An improved spraying system as described in claim 7 further characterized in that said radially directed orifices are angularly disposed relative to the elongated axis of said tubular member, and wherein said angularly disposed orifices are directed away from said closed tubular end.

9. An improved spraying system as described in claim 8 further characterized in that said orifices are axially spaced along said elongated tubular member and wherein said orifices adjacent said closed end are of a first diameter and said orifices spaced from said closed end are of a second and larger diameter.

10. An improved spraying head for use in a spraying system comprising, in combination:

a. an impeller means rotatably mounted on said spraying head and detailed for developing directed streams of air pressure;

b. an annular perforated diffusion member supported on sAid impeller such that said directed streams of air pressure pass axially over the outer surface of said diffusion member;

c. a dispensing nozzle including an elongated tubular member having a closed end with an opposite end in flow communication with a supply of fluid chemicals, said dispensing nozzle including a series of radially extending orifices detailed for dispensing a supply of fluid chemicals into said diffusion member to be directed by centrifugal force out through said annular perforated diffusion member and into said streams of air pressure;

d. means mounting said dispensing nozzle on said spraying head in such a manner that said dispensing nozzle is coaxial with and extends through said rotatable impeller means; and

e. said rotatable impeller means including a rotatable driving member coaxially mounted relative to said rotatable impeller means.

11. An improved spraying head as in claim 10, further characterized in that said dispensing nozzle is supported in coaxial relationship with and extends through said rotatable driving member.

12. An improved spraying head as in claim 11 further characterized in that said rotatable driving member includes an elongated sleeve having said impeller means fixed to one end of said sleeve.

13. An improved spraying head as in claim 12 further characterized in that said rotatable driving member includes a first gear operatively associated with said sleeve for effecting rotation thereof, a second gear supported in meshing relationship with said first gear, and a supply of hydraulic fluid pressure means operatively associated with said first and second gear means and detailed in such a manner that said fluid pressure is delivered to said first and second gear means at a point adjacent to said meshing relationship and in a direction substantially transverse to the axes of rotation of said first and second gears.

14. An improved spraying head as in claim 10 further characterized in that each of said orifices includes an axis of fluid passage and said axes of fluid passage are angularly disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of said nozzle, and wherein said orifice axes are directed away from said nozzle closed end.

15. An improved spraying head as in claim 10 further characterized in that said series of orifices are axially spaced relative to each other along said elongated tubular member and wherein said orifices adjacent to said closed end are of smaller diameter than those spaced from said closed end.

16. An improved spraying system as in claim 2 further characterized in that said spraying head includes a rotatably driven impeller means, a hydraulic motor for effecting rotation of said rotatably driven impeller means a hydraulic pump operatively associated with said hydraulic motor for delivering a supply of hydraulic fluid under pressure to said motor means and a reservoir means for containing a supply of hydraulic fluid operatively associated with said hydraulic pump, and wherein said hydraulic reservoir means and said chemical supply means are constructed as an integrally formed tank having a hydraulic supply chamber and a chemical supply chamber.

17. An improved spraying system as in claim 16 further characterized in that said integrally formed tank is constructed as an elongated cylindrical member having closed opposite ends and wherein a separating wall is provided in said elongated cylindrical member in spaced relationship relative to one of said closed ends for dividing said tank into said chemical supply chamber and said hydraulic fluid supply chamber.

18. An improved spraying system as in claim 16 further characterized in that said hydraulic pump means and said chemical pressure supply means include remote control means for effecting operation thereof.

19. In an improved spraying system for use in spraying fluid chemicals, the improvement comprising;

in combination;

a. supply means provided on said system for containing a supply of fluid chemicals;

b. a rotatable drIven spraying head including means for developing streams of directed air pressure and an annular perforated diffusion member;

c. means on said system for supporting said spraying head in a position for spraying said chemicals;

d. a dispensing nozzle operatively associated with said spraying head for dispensing a quantity of fluid chemicals into said diffusion member to be directed by centrifugal force out through said diffusion member and into said stream of directed air pressure;

e. pressure means operatively associated with said supply means and said nozzle and detailed for delivering a supply of fluid chemicals from said supply means to said nozzle, f. said spraying system being mounted on a support framework adapted to be connected to a three point hitch means on a conventional tractor, said support framework including a base frame means for supporting said supply of fluid chemicals, a pair of laterally spaced and forwardly projecting connecting members detailed for receiving connectable elements for attaching said base frame to certain axes of said three point hitch means of a support vehicle, retaining means detailed for surrounding said chemical supply means for maintaining said chemical supply means in position on said base frame means, said retaining means including a forwardly projecting hitch member, said forwardly projecting hitch member being vertically spaced relative to said base frame and detailed for receiving a connectable element for attaching said hitch member to a certain other one said three point hitch means and means operatively associated with said support framework for supporting said spraying head.

20. An improved spraying system as in claim 19 further characterized in that said chemical supply retaining means includes a forwardly projecting support member detailed for supporting remote control means in a position adjacent an operations platform.

21. An improved spraying system as in claim 19 further characterized in that said spraying head support means includes adjustable means for supporting said spraying head in a plurality of selected vertically spaced positions.

22. A spraying system as in claim 21 further characterized in that said spraying head is supported on said support means for adjustment about a substantially vertical axis.

23. An improved spraying system as in claim 19 further characterized in that said spraying system includes a pair of oppositely directed spraying heads supported on said spraying head support means.