Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – With nozzle or flow line attached penetrating means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-17
2001-04-24
Scherbel, David A. (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
With nozzle or flow line attached penetrating means
C239S288500, C239S310000, C239S544000, C239S567000, C043S124000, C043S130000, C043S132100, C047S048500, C111S007100, C111S007200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220525
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for insect eradication and, more particularly, to an apparatus for the eradication of South American fire ants.
The imported South American fire ant is one of the most harmful and destructive pests in the United States. Many areas of the United States are already infested with the fire ant and the fire ant will, in time, likely inhabit most of the country. These destructive pests form large mound communities which disrupt mechanized farming, damage crops, and may injure or kill livestock. Fire ant mounds are typically two to four feet deep although some fire ant colonies extend twenty feet into the ground with wide spread lateral tunnels. Fire ants are extremely defensive creatures that will attack any attempt to eradicate them. Fire ant bites can be painful and leave small welts on a person's skin. Thus, eradication must be swift and thorough.
Several devices have been proposed for eradicating fire ants, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,054,231 and 5,870,852. The outlet ports of these devices, however, may become clogged as the apparatus penetrates the soil which hinders the fast and thorough eradication of a fire ant colony. It is also difficult to quickly penetrate hardened, dry soil using the previously patented devices.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a fire ant eradication device which forms a bore in the ground having a diameter greater than the diameter of the conduit such that outlet ports through the conduit will not become clogged upon insertion into the ground. It is further desirable to have an apparatus which can be driven into hardened ground with a hammer, if necessary, for fast positioning thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The fire ant eradication apparatus according to the present invention includes a tubular handle coupled to an elongated tubular conduit. The handle includes a first portion having a first end that may be coupled to a pressurized water source and a second end coupled to a proximal end of the conduit relative to a user for transmission of water therebetween. The conduit extends through an insecticide dispenser assembly that is attached to the handle. The dispenser assembly includes a tube through which insecticide is aspirated from a dispenser housing into the conduit as water flows through the conduit. The dispenser includes a rigid top plate that may be struck by a blunt object such as hammer when inserting the apparatus into hardened soil.
The conduit includes a plurality of spaced apart outlet ports through which the insecticide is expelled. Each outlet port extends through an angularly tapered face that is configured to preclude mud or dirt from clogging the ports when the apparatus penetrates the ground. The distal end of the conduit includes a cone section and a tip. The tip enables the conduit to penetrate a ground surface. The cone section has a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the conduit. Thus, the cone section forms a bore in the ground surface such that outlet ports thereon are not clogged with soil during penetration.
The apparatus further includes a shroud having a radially extending surface that is longitudinally slidable to a desired position along the elongated conduit. For example, the shroud may be positioned adjacent the ground surface following full penetration of the apparatus so as to inhibit the escape of any fire ants from the mound. Alternatively, the shroud may be positioned a distance above the ground to allow the insecticide to be evenly distributed over a wider area in an umbrella-like manner.
Therefore, a general object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for eradicating fire ants.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which can dispense insecticide at predetermined intervals along the conduit.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which can withstand impact forces while being driven into hardened soil with a blunt object such a hammer.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which can form a bore during ground penetration that is large enough to preclude the outlet ports from becoming clogged with soil.
A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which includes outlet port assemblies having angularly tapered faces for improving distribution of insecticide dispersion.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, having a refillable insecticide container.
A particular object of this invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, having a shroud which can distribute insecticide over a selected area of the ground surface.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention.
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Ganey Steven J.
Ream Dale J.
Scherbel David A.
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