Spray control system for multiple segment boom sprayers

• US 5,337,959 A
• Filed: 11/10/1993
• Issued: 08/16/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ron Boyd
• Original Assignee: Ron Boyd
• Inventors: Boyd, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAINOR, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US08/149,763
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• Field of Search: 239/124, 239/127, 239/159, 239/163, 239/172, 239/69, 239/562, 137/563
• US Class Current: 239/163
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06

Abstract

A control system for individual control of flow to each segment of a multiple segment boom sprayer wherein each segment may be turned on or off while the vehicle is in motion with instantaneous flow recycle to maintain essentially proper spray pattern from each spray nozzle and with rapid automatic adjustment to exact flow thus allowing an operator to control spray from the multiple segments to secure proper coverage with a minimum of over-spray in irregularly shaped fields.

Claims

1. An Improved Spray Control System for Multiple Segment Boom Sprayer comprising:

a) a self propelled vehicle;

b) a spray solution tank mounted on said vehicle;

c) a multiple segment spray boom mounted on said vehicle with each of said multiple segments mounted in the same plane;

d) a pump, a flow meter, and a flow control valve;

said pump taking suction from said solution tank and pumping through said control valve and said flowmeter to said multiple segment spray boom;

e) a plurality of flow lines, each of said flow lines having a first quick opening valve, one of said flow lines leading to each of said multiple segments of said multiple segment spray boom;

f) a recycle line, said recycle line having a plurality of discharge lines connected thereto, each of said discharge lines having a second quick opening valve connected between said flowmeter and said control valve;

each one of said second quick opening valves in said discharge lines being automatically controlled to open when an associated one of said first quick opening valves to each of said segments is closed;

g) a manually adjustable calibrated valve in each of said discharge lines flow through said manually adjustable valves returning to said spray solution tank.

2. An Improved Spray Control System for Multiple Segment Boom Sprayer as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a check valve located in each of said discharge lines downstream of

said manually adjustable calibrated valves.

3. An Improved Spray Control System for a Multiple Segment Boom Sprayer Comprising:

a) a vehicle;

b) a solution tank mounted on said vehicle;

c) a multiple segment spray boom comprising a plurality of feed lines, one of said feed lines communicating with each segment of said multiple segment boom, each of said feed lines having a first quick opening automatic valve;

d) a pump, a flowmeter, and a first flow control valve;

said pump taking suction from said solution tank and pumping through said first flow control valve and said flowmeter to a header;

said header having connections to each of said feed lines to each of said segments of said multiple segment spray boom;

e) a recycle line connected into a line between said first flow control valve and said flowmeter, said recycle line having a plurality of discharge lines connected thereto, each of said discharge lines having a quick opening recycle valve;

f) an adjustable flow control valve in each of said discharge lines, said discharge lines extending from each of said quick opening recycle valves with flow through said adjustable flow control valves returning to said solution tank;

each of said adjustable flow valves being adjusted to pass approximately the equivalent flow as flows to one of the said segments;

g) a computer controller means and a second controller means;

said second controller means being activatable by a driver of said vehicle to simultaneously send a signal to said computer controller, to operate one of said first quick opening valves in one of said feed lines to one of said segments and to operate an associated one of said quick opening recycle valves thereby allowing flow through one of said adjustable flow control valves to return to said solution tank;

said signal to said computer controller means indicating position of said quick opening valves in each of said feed lines to said each segment and said computer-controller means acting to reset a control point of said flowmeter to correct the flow to said each segment of said spray boom that remains in operation;

said computer-controller means further acting to make minor adjustment to said first control valve to rapidly and accurately achieve an exactly correct flow.

4. An Improved Spray Control System for a Multiple Segment Boom Sprayer as in claim 3 wherein functions of said computer-controller means and said controller are combined in one unit.

5. An Improved Spray Control System for a Multiple Segment Boom Sprayer as in claim 3 wherein said computer-controller means acts to calculate and display spray flow per acre to said segments of said multiple segment spray boom.