Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – With mobile tank-type supply means – Spray boom or bar type distributor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-14
2001-03-20
Kashnikow, Andres (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
With mobile tank-type supply means
Spray boom or bar type distributor
C239S166000, C239S172000, C239S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202941
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to crop spraying and more particularly to machine especially suited for spraying agricultural chemicals in vineyards and orchards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The spraying of agricultural chemicals in orchards and vineyards utilizing vehicle mounted air blast sprayers is now a long standing practice. Such air blast sprayers use large volumes of high pressure air, require larger tractors and often, if not universally, disperse excessive quantities of agricultural chemicals. Typically, conventional sprayers can only cover one row at a time. Moreover, prior sprayers are not suited for concurrently applying chemicals to two or more rows of crops when the crops are on sloping ground or terraced land.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,019 issued Jul. 13, 1999 discloses and claims a spraying machine which includes at least a pair of curved arms carrying a plurality of fan spray heads. The spray heads are positioned to direct airborne spray material into the canopy of each tree or vine in upward and downward directions simultaneously from both sides of the canopy. While the method and apparatus of my prior patent has enjoyed commercial success and is a very positive advance over the prior art, it was:
Relatively expensive to produce a suitable structural frame to support the spray arms;
Five fan spray heads per vine row is required when travelling at high ground speed;
Generally suitable for large tractor, crop field and large and dense vine canopies;
Not well suited for terraced crops; and,
Can be difficult to transport to a crop field to be sprayed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one form of the invention, a pair of masts are mounted on a trailer vehicle. The trailer supports a tank for transporting agricultural chemicals to be applied as well as a motor and pump arrangement for dispensing the chemicals.
A pair of support arms are pivotally mounted atop the masts and extend rearwardly. The support arms each carry a pair of curved spray arms. Linkages are provided to rotate the support arms relative to the masts about both horizontal and vertical axes. Other linkages are provided to maintain each pair of spray arms symmetrical about an associated imaginary plane normal to the vehicle's path of travel when transported and when in use.
One support arm is shorter than the other in order that the spray arm pairs may be positioned one behind the other in a transport position. The support arms are rotated about their vertical axes to a use position outboard of the vehicle for use in spraying a field.
In order to accommodate sloping and terraced conditions, the support arms are independently pivotable about their respective horizontal axes, such that each pair of spray arms may be positioned at an elevation appropriate for a crop row being sprayed.
The spray arms of each pair are relatively movable between a relatively close transport position and a spaced apart use position. Further linkage is provided to shift the spray arms of each pair relatively between the closed transport and spaced use positions. The support mast linkage maintains a perpendicular orientation of the spray arms with respect to a path of travel when the support arms are pivoted about their vertical pivots to move the arms from transport positions with the spray arms one behind the other for transport and outboard straddling different rows of crops when in their use positions.
Accordingly, the objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved spraying machine which is more compact and maneuverable than prior art machines and which is capable of concurrently spraying two or more crop rows which are of different heights.
The invention also contemplates variation of the described apparatus having two spray arm pairs to include an apparatus having a single pair of spray arms and a further apparatus supporting three such pairs of spray arms for concurrently applying crop spray to three crop rows.
The invention also contemplates an embodiment in which such spray apparatus is mounted on a self propelled vehicle.
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Greentech Brochure—USA No. 5,921,019.
Kashnikow Andres
Kim Christopher S.
Watts Hoffmann Fisher & Heinke Co LPA
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