Rotary mower with liquid applicator

• US 6,497,088 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2000
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Larry R. Holley
• Original Assignee: Larry R. Holley
• Inventors: Holley, Larry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FABIAN-KOVACS, ARPAD
• Application Number:
  US09/638,778
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 56/168, 56/121, 56/164.R, 56D/IG.5, 562/55, 562/95, 239/67, 239/68, 239/69, 239/100, 239/DIG.6
• US Class Current: 56/16.8
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/14 with dispensing apparatus, e.g. for fertilisers, herbicides or preservatives
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 21/043 by chemicals

Abstract

A rotary mower has a cutting blade and, spaced above it, a fan blade mounted to be rotated on the same axis of rotation as the cutting blade. It has at least one nozzle fixed with respect to the fan and cutting blades, and positioned to spray liquid in a direction substantially parallel to the planes of rotation of the cutting and fan blades, and between those planes of rotation. The nozzle is positioned behind a member with a slot in it, the nozzle projecting spray through the slot and being shielded by the member from damage.

Claims

1. In a mower and liquid applicator having a housing with a top wall and a depending side wall, and a cutter blade mounted to be rotated on a vertical central axis to define a plane of rotation, the improvement comprising a baffle wall spaced inboard from said housing side wall and extending downwardly from said housing top wall to a place above said cutter blade and inboard of outer ends of arms of said cutter blade;

a fan blade mounted to be rotated on an axis coincident with the axis of rotation of said cutter blade to define a plane of rotation above and substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of said cutter blade, said fan blade being spaced inboard of and within the compass of said baffle wall;

spray conduit fixed with respect to said housing and said baffle wall and a spray nozzle operatively connected to said conduit and positioned between the planes of rotation of said cutter blade and said fan blade, said fan blade being formed to direct air downwardly toward the cutter blade.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the nozzle is a flat fan tip providing a spray pattern substantially parallel to the planes of rotation of the blades.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the conduit extends substantially parallel to and between the planes of rotation of said cutter blade and said fan.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein two conduits are provided, spaced from one another and positioned at either side of the axis of rotation, each with a nozzle.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the cutter blade has symmetrically placed arms, with outer ends projecting beyond said baffle wall, canted to serve to blow air upwardly toward said housing top wall within the area between the housing side wall and the baffle wall, and said fan blade is canted to blow air downwardly within the compass of the baffle wall.

6. The device in claim 4 wherein one of said nozzles is positioned forward of said axis of rotation with respect to the direction of movement of said mower, and the other is positioned rearward of said axis of rotation with respect to the direction of travel of said mower.

7. The device of claim 4 wherein the conduits are operatively connected to a source of liquid under pressure and valves are provided between said source and said nozzles, whereby the flow of liquid through one or another or both of said nozzle conduits can be shut off selectively.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the fan blade and the cutter blades are counter rotating.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the spray nozzles are mounted in three openings of a four-way Tee, one nozzle oriented substantially forwardly parallel to the direction of movement of said mower and two nozzles oriented substantially at right angles to said forwardly projecting nozzle.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the baffle wall is essentially uninterrupted.

11. The device of claim 4 wherein the nozzles are directed to project liquid substantially parallel to the planes of rotation of the cutter fan blades.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the ends of the cutter blades projecting beyond the baffle wall are curved to move air upwardly toward the top of the housing in the space between the baffle wall and the side wall of the housing, and the blade reach between the axis of rotation and the outer curved ends of the blade is flat.

13. In a mower and liquid applicator having a housing with a top wall, a depending side wall, and an open bottom, and a cutter blade along the open bottom, mounted to be rotated on a vertical shaft supported by said housing to define a plane of rotation, the improvement comprising a baffle wall, circular in plan, spaced inboard from said housing side wall to define therewith a plenum, and welded to and extending downwardly from said housing top wall to a place above said cutter blade and inboard of outer ends of arms of said cutter blade;

said cutter blade arms being curved in the area under said plenum to blow air upwardly into said plenum, a fan blade mounted to be rotated on an axis coincident with the axis of rotation of said cutter blade to define a plane of rotation above and substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of said cutter blade, said fan blade being spaced inboard of and within the compass of said baffle wall and being formed to direct air downwardly toward the cutter blade;

spray conduits fixed with respect to said housing and said baffle wall and operatively connected to spray heads in the form of four-way Tees, in three openings of which Tees, flat fan nozzles are mounted, said spray nozzles being directed to project spray in a pattern between and substantially parallel to the planes of rotation of said cutter blade and said fan blade, one of said heads being forward of said blade shaft with respect to the direction of movement of the mower, with a nozzle oriented forwardly, and the other of said heads being rearward of said shaft with a nozzle oriented rearwardly, two other nozzles in each of said heads being directed substantially at right angles to said forwardly and rearwardly directed nozzles, and among them, said nozzles distributing spray over substantially the entire area of a plane within the compass of said baffle wall.

14. In a mower and liquid applicator having a cutter blade rotated on a vertical central axis to define a plane of rotation, and a nozzle connected to a source of liquid spray, a member, fixed against rotation, positioned between said cutter blade and said nozzle, said member having an elongated slot, and said nozzle being positioned outboardly of said slot to project spray through said slot above said cutter blade and said nozzle projecting parallel to the plane of rotation of the cutter blade, but to be protected by the member from damage.

15. The mower and liquid applicator of claim 14 including a fan blade positioned above said cutter blade and rotated about a vertical axis coaxial with said cutter blade axis, said spray being projected between said fan blade and said cutter blade.

16. In a mower and liquid applicator having a housing with a top wall with a leading edge, and a cutter blade mounted to be rotated on a vertical central axis to define a plane of rotation, the improvement comprising a heavy plate secured at said leading edge, and depending therefrom, said plate having a slot directed substantially parallel to the plane of said top wall, a bracket spaced outboardly from said plate, and a spray nozzle mounted on said bracket outboardly of said slot, directed to project spray through said slot in a direction toward the axis of rotation of said blade, and said nozzle projecting parallel to the plane of rotation of said cutter blade.

17. The mower and liquid applicator of claim 16 wherein the mower and liquid applicator of claim 16 is a central unit of a symmetrical bat-wing mower-applicator.

18. The mower and liquid applicator of claim 17 wherein two outboard mower and liquid applicator units flank said central unit, one on each side, and each of said outboard mower and liquid applicator units has a top wall, a box mounted on said top wall, said box having an open bottom surrounding a slot through said top wall, and a spray nozzle mounted in said box and directed to project spray through said slot.