U.S. patent number 3,863,841 [Application Number 05/358,057] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-04 for liquid spraying device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Berthoud S.A.. Invention is credited to Fernand Berthoud.
United States Patent |
3,863,841 |
Berthoud |
February 4, 1975 |
Liquid Spraying Device
Abstract
A spraying device particularly for use in agriculture,
comprising, in a pressuirized liquid inlet passage (2), upstream of
a distributor consisting of at least two branches (3 and 3a) each
connected by an individual valve (4 4a) to a spray nozzle (5, 5a),
a single common outlet valve (16, 19) loaded by a calibrated spring
(13) capable of opposing liquid flow when the pressure thereof is
not sufficient to effect spraying, particularly on closing of a
main valve, to avoid dripping of the nozzles during interruptions
in the operation.
Inventors: |
Berthoud; Fernand (Rhone,
FR) |
Assignee: |
Berthoud S.A. (Belleville sur
Saone, Rhone, FR)
|
Family
ID: |
9098684 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/358,057 |
Filed: |
May 7, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
May 8, 1972 [FR] |
|
|
72.17718 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
239/266; 239/444;
239/551; 137/510; 239/536 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B
1/14 (20130101); B05B 1/3006 (20130101); B05B
15/658 (20180201); Y10T 137/7836 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
B05B
1/14 (20060101); B05B 1/30 (20060101); B05B
15/00 (20060101); B05B 15/06 (20060101); B05b
001/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;239/170,267,266,444,446,551,562,574,536,534,571 ;137/510 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
257,192 |
|
Feb 1928 |
|
IT |
|
332,105 |
|
Jul 1930 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Wood, Jr.; M. Henson
Assistant Examiner: Kashnikow; Andres
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dowell & Dowell
Claims
I claim:
1. A liquid spraying device to be connected to a pressurized liquid
supply line, comprising:
a. a body including
a liquid receiving portion having an inner passage to receive the
pressurized liquid to be sprayed;
means to connect said inner passage with the pressurized liquid
supply line;
a transverse branch extending substantially on each side of said
liquid receiving portion, said branch being formed with a
longitudinal bore which does not communicate directly with said
inner passage, and said longitudinal bore having two open ends;
tubular nozzle carrying portions extending substantially radially
from said transverse branch on each side of said liquid receiving
portion and communicating with said longitudinal bore;
and an antidrip-valve carrying portion laterally disposed with
respect to said liquid receiving portion, said lateral portion
having a substantially flat surface and being formed with ducts
respectively communicating with said inner passage and with said
transverse bore, with each of said ducts having an open end
terminating at said substantially flat surface;
b. an antidrip diaphragm valve bearing against said flat surface to
close the open ends of said ducts in the absence of the liquid
under pressure within at least one of said ducts;
c. resilient means to press said diaphragm valve against said flat
surface;
d. spraying nozzles mounted on said nozzle carrying portions;
e. and valve means slidably mounted in each end of said
longitudinal bore and selectively operable to block the flow of
liquid from said bore to at least one of said nozzle carrying
portions.
2. In a liquid spraying device as claimed in claim 1, each of said
valve means including a plug portion slidable in fluid-tight
relation within said longitudinal bore, said plug portion being
connected by a rod portion with a hollow cap having a
screw-threaded inner periphery, and said transverse branch being
provided with corresponding external screw-threads at each end
thereof to rotatably receive said caps and to cause axial
displacement of said plug portion within said longitudinal
bore.
3. In a liquid spraying device as claimed in claim 1, for a
pressurized liquid supply line comprising a pipe having a
substantially circular periphery having a laterally extending port,
said means to connect said inner passage including
a concave arcuate surface formed on said liquid receiving portion
to bear against the periphery of the pipe, with said inner passage
opening on said concave surface to register with the lateral port
of the pipe;
sealing means carried by said concave surface around the opening of
said passage thereon to bear against the periphery of said
pipe;
and means to clamp said liquid receiving portion on said pipe.
4. In a liquid spraying device as claimed in claim 1, for a
pressurized liquid supply line comprising a succession of hoses,
said liquid receiving portion having two opposed lateral sides and
said means to connect said inner passage with said supply line
including a nipple on each of said lateral sides of said liquid
receiving portion to receive a hose, with said nipples being
substantially in line with each other.
5. In a liquid spraying device as claimed in claim 4, an annular
clamp to maintain each of said hoses on each of said nipples, with
each of said clamps having an extension to be secured to a support.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a liquid spraying device applicable
particularly in agriculture, for example, to spray insecticides
and/or fungicides, or fertilizers.
It relates more specifically to the arrangement of devices of the
type in question with a view to meeting the different practical
requirements better than present devices, in particular to provide
for rapid and easy assembly of large sprayer lines from economical
elements, and permitting very rapid adjustment of the hourly liquid
spray discharge to all possible conditions.
An important feature of the invention consists of the arrangement,
in a common pressurized liquid inlet passage, upstream of a
distributor consisting of at least two branches each connected by a
separate valve to a spray nozzle, of a common outlet valve loaded
by a calibrated spring to oppose liquid flow when the pressure is
not sufficient to cause the spray, or to prevent dripping of the
liquid contained in the upstream pipes at the time of closing of a
main valve to protect the vegetation from burning.
In another important feature of the invention which may be used as
a separate unit with a device of the type in question -- provided
that it comprises downstream of a single passage, a distributor
consisting of at least two branches each connected by a separate
valve to a spray nozzle -- the upstream end of the said passage is
connected to the saddle of a connector ring clamp fastening the
device opposite a radial port around a spray liquid feed and
support pipe.
In the latter case the axes of the spray nozzles are advantageously
located in one plane perpendicular to the axis of the connector
ring clamp.
In a preferred embodiment applicable also to devices without
connector ring clamp the axes of the spray nozzles diverge to
provide for geometrically separate sprays.
In the case of a device comprising connector ring clamps the axes
of the spray nozzles are divergent and parallel to radii of the
circle circumscribed in the clamp.
In another advantageous embodiment of the invention the nozzles
produce flat sprays called "flat pencil" sprays extending in
substantially parallel or divergent planes.
The attached drawing illustrates an example clarifying the
invention, its features, and the advantages derived therefrom.
FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section and partly as an
external view, of an agricultural spray device based on the
invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the same device, partly in axial section
along II--II (FIG. 1) and partly as an external view.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same spraying device on a
smaller scale.
FIG. 4. is a front elevation of a spraying device based on a
modification of the invention.
FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIG. 2 of spraying devices based
on two modifications.
If it is desired to conduct agricultural spraying with a liquid
insecticide and/or fungicide, or with liquid fertilizers with a
mobile system, the hourly discharge must sometimes be adjusted to
the liquid used and to the particular local conditions.
Since the hourly discharge of a spray nozzle can only be adjusted
within very narrow limits without interfering with the correct
operation of the nozzle, it was considered useful to mount
individually disconnectible nozzles along the same line.
Therefore, groups of nozzles capable of spraying at different
discharge rates can be associated cyclically, and the said groups
can be operated separately or in a plurality of groups to obtain
several ranges of hourly discharge rates.
The invention provides for the production of groups of nozzles
capable of operating in this manner in the most economical form
possible and capable of being mounted practically and easily along
spray lines consisting substantially of support and liquid spray
feed pipes 1.
Each device comprises a body including a saddle portion 6 adapted
to be clamped on the pipe 1 by a collar 7 in front of a radial port
8 provided in the said pipe, in such manner that this port 8 may
communicate with a passage 2 formed in the said body. The body is
integral with a transverse branch having a longitudinal bore which
extends both sides of the plane of passage 2 as illustrated at 3
and 3a. A valve such as 4 is slidably mounted in each end of bore
3-3a to control nozzles 5, 5a respectively, supported by tubular
nozzle carrying portions depending from the above-mentioned
transverse branch.
To facilitate the assembly of the spraying device on a pipe 1
provided with a row of ports 8 variably spaced along a generatrix,
the said pipe is provided with a centering and coupling nipple 9
projecting into the lower surface of saddle 6 and surrounded by a
toric packing 10.
To assemble the spray line the nipple 9 of a device of the
invention is introduced into one port 8, and peripheral packing 10
is applied to the edge of port 8 to form a seal when saddle 6 is in
contact with pipe 1. Strap 7 is then pivoted on one side about a
pin 11 around the pipe, and locked on the other side of the saddle
by a screw 12.
Since spray products are usually expensive it is desirable to avoid
flowing or dripping of the liquid contained in the pipes 1 of the
line by gravity through the nozzles 5 and 5a of the device on
temporary interruption of the spraying operation. For this purpose,
according to another important feature of the invention, upstream
of the two branches 3 and 3a of the distributor, common pressurized
fluid inlet passage 2 is provided with a common outlet valve loaded
by a calibrated spring 13 (FIG. 2) capable of opposing the liquid
flow between passage 2 and the branches 3 and 3a of the distributor
when the liquid pressure drops after the pressurizing pump has been
stopped and becomes insufficient to provide for correct spraying by
nozzles 5 and 5a in order to protect the vegetation from burning
because of the dripping of the pipes during interruptions in the
operation.
The outlet valve common to two or more spray nozzles 5, 5a, etc.,
provides for a substantial economy in the production of the device
of the invention.
In the case illustrated the said common valve is provided on the
side of the body of the device with an externally threaded flange
14 connected directly to the branches 3 and 3a of the distributor,
and extending coaxially around a sleeve 15 connected individually
to common inlet passage 2 and whose free edge is flush with that of
flange 14.
The annular end faces of flange 14 and sleeve 15 are covered by a
natural or synthetic rubber diaphragm 16 clamped along the
periphery by a cap 17 fixed by a ring 18 screwed on flange 14.
Cap 17 contains an axial push member 19 urged at its front end
preferably rounded in the form of a spherical cap by calibrated
spring 13 against diaphragm 16 to press it against the annular end
edge of sleeve 15.
Valves 4, 4a (as seen in FIG. 1) consist of a valve plug connected
by a stem or rod portion to hollow cap or knob 20. The stem or rod
is an integral part of the internally threaded cap or knob 20. When
cap 20 is screwed inwardly, it jams the plug portion of the valve
against a concave seat and therefore blocks the flow of fluid.
The said valves may of course consist also of other known means
such as control lever valves or the like.
The spraying device of the invention can be manufactured very
simply, for example, by molding, particularly by injection molding
of plastic material, the axes of the spray nozzles being arranged
in one plane perpendicular to the axis of the saddle 6 and strap 7
of the coupling clamp.
To avoid interference among the spray jets issuing from nozzles 5
and 5a the said jets are advantageously "flat pencil" jets 22 and
22a extending in substantially parallel planes as indicated
diagrammatically in FIG. 1 for example.
According to another important feature of the invention spray jet
interference is avoided even if the jets are conical turbulance
jets by the provision of a divergence of their pattern axes 23 and
23a as is the case in the modification represented in FIG. 4.
It will be observed that even if the axes of the spraying patterns
23 and 23a are not located in one plane perpendicular to the axis
of pipe 1 the said axes can always be oriented parallel to a radius
of the said pipe, and the device may be made adjustable by any
known means to vary the divergence angle.
The device represented in FIG. 5 differs from that described above
in that it comprises opposite coaxial coupling ends 24 and 25
connected to a single branch passage (not represented) having the
same function inside the device as passage 2 in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Coupling ends 24 and 25 are connected to flexible hoses 26 and 27
to similar spraying devices, and annular clamps 28 and 29 are
combined with annular clamps 28a and 29a fastening the device to a
support bar 30.
The device represented in FIG. 6 differs from that of FIG. 5 in
that clamps 28a and 29a are replaced by a fitting 31 fixed directly
to the device, for example by a screw 32.
It is understood that the above description is supplied only as an
example which does not restrict the scope of the invention which
does not exclude substitution of any other equivalent means for the
described structural details.
* * * * *