Hydrostatic spraying system
First Claim
1. For use with a vehicle having at least one spray boom and a source of supply of liquid to be dispensed by said boom, a spraying system comprising a hydraulic pump powered by said vehicle for providing hydraulic fluid at rate corresponding to ground travel speed of said vehicle, a reciprocating-stroke linear hydraulic motor adapted for being operated by said hydraulic fluid, a reciprocating-stroke linear pump of double acting configuration, said hydraulic motor and said reciprocating-stroke pump each having a cylinder and a piston reciprocal in said cylinder, means interconnecting each piston for reciprocal actuation of the piston of said reciprocating-stroke pump in response to reciprocation of the piston of said hydraulic motor, means for alternately supplying hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic pump to the opposite ends of the cylinder of said hydraulic motor for causing reciprocation of the piston of said hydraulic motor, said reciprocating-stroke pump having a suction inlet for receiving said liquid from said source and an outlet for delivering a precisely metered amount of said liquid upon each stroke of reciprocating-stroke pump, and means for interconnecting said reciprocating-stroke pump outlet with said boom, whereby precisely metered amounts of said liquid are dispensed by said boom upon each stroke of said reciprocating-stroke pump as a function of the ground travel speed of said vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hydrostatic spraying system with multiple spray booms for use with vehicles is especially suited for spraying agricultural treatment liquids such as fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, trace minerals, etc. The system includes an operator-controllable variable displacement hydraulic pump driven by the vehicle, e.g., via its transfer case. A linear hydraulic motor is powered by the pump, being operated at a speed dependent upon a preselected output of the variable displacement pump and the rate of ground travel. Solenoid-controlled valving alternately supplies the hydraulic fluid to opposite ends of the linear motor for oscillating stroking operation of the motor. Twin linear hydraulic pumps interconnected with the linear motor each draw treatment liquid from a liquid supply tank and deliver treatment liquid under pressure in a precisely metered amount upon each stroke of the linear motor through corresponding operator-controlled diverter valves which are selectively operable to permit the metered amounts of treatment liquid to flow to respective spray booms or to be returned to the supply tank in a sparging line connection. The metered amounts delivered by each linear pump for delivery by the spray booms may be determined and totalled accurately by counters.
54 Citations
31 Claims
- 1. For use with a vehicle having at least one spray boom and a source of supply of liquid to be dispensed by said boom, a spraying system comprising a hydraulic pump powered by said vehicle for providing hydraulic fluid at rate corresponding to ground travel speed of said vehicle, a reciprocating-stroke linear hydraulic motor adapted for being operated by said hydraulic fluid, a reciprocating-stroke linear pump of double acting configuration, said hydraulic motor and said reciprocating-stroke pump each having a cylinder and a piston reciprocal in said cylinder, means interconnecting each piston for reciprocal actuation of the piston of said reciprocating-stroke pump in response to reciprocation of the piston of said hydraulic motor, means for alternately supplying hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic pump to the opposite ends of the cylinder of said hydraulic motor for causing reciprocation of the piston of said hydraulic motor, said reciprocating-stroke pump having a suction inlet for receiving said liquid from said source and an outlet for delivering a precisely metered amount of said liquid upon each stroke of reciprocating-stroke pump, and means for interconnecting said reciprocating-stroke pump outlet with said boom, whereby precisely metered amounts of said liquid are dispensed by said boom upon each stroke of said reciprocating-stroke pump as a function of the ground travel speed of said vehicle.
- 14. For use with a vehicle having first and second spray booms and a source of supply of liquid to be dispensed by said spray booms, a spraying system comprising a hydraulic pump powered by said vehicle for providing hydraulic fluid at a rate corresponding to ground travel speed of said vehicle, a reciprocating stroke, linear hydraulic motor adapted for being operated by said hydraulic fluid, and first and second reciprocating-stroke linear pumping means, said hydraulic motor and said first and second reciprocating-stroke pumping means each of double acting configuration and having a cylinder and a piston linearly reciprocal therein, means interconnecting all of said pistons for reciprocal stroking actuation of the piston of said first and second pumping means in response to reciprocation of the piston of said hydraulic motor, means for alternately supplying hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic pump to the opposite ends of the cylinder of said hydraulic motor for causing reciprocation of the piston of said hydraulic motor, said first and second pumping means having at least one suction inlet for receiving said liquid and a pair of outlets each associated uniquely with a respective one of said pumping means and each adapted for delivering a precisely metered amount of said liquid upon each stroke of the respective pumping means, first and second diverter valves, first and second fluid conduit means interconnecting the respective outlets with one of said diverter valves, first and second boom supply conduit means interconnecting the respective one of said booms with a corresponding one of said diverting valves, return conduit means interconnecting said liquid supply source with each of said diverter valves, each said diverter valve being selectively operable between a boom supply position providing said liquid to a corresponding one of said booms and a liquid return position returning said liquid to said supply source, whereby precisely metered amount of said liquids are dispensed independently by each of said booms upon each stroke of the respective pumping means as a function of the ground travel speed of said vehicle.
Specification