Plant Treating Apparatus Adapted To Be Carried On A Person's Back

Abstract

A portable plant treating apparatus, especially for spraying, dusting, and fog laying, which includes: a plurality of container means arranged adjacent to each other and connected to each other for respectively storing fuel and the plant treating substance to be discharged, fuel driven motor means arranged below said container means and having a crankshaft, blower means drivingly connected to and arranged below said motor means and having its axis of rotation is substantially axial alignment with said crankshaft, discharge conduit means communicating with said blower means and with the container means containing the plant treating substance, and strap-equipped carrier plate means connected to one of said container means for carrying the apparatus on the back of a person.

Description

The invention concerns a plant treating apparatus adapted to be carried on a person's back for selectively distributing or discharging scattering material, dustlike material, smoke producing material, spraying material or granulated material, and provided with a container combination arranged above a driving motor and a blower drivingly connected therewith and having its axis extending substantially vertically. The apparatus furthermore comprises a discharge conduit connected to the blower and said container, and also comprises, for instance, a carrier plate with straps adapted to be carried on the back of a person.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plant treating apparatus of the above-mentioned general-type which will be simple in construction and will have a high degree of efficiency.

This object and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a section through a plant treating apparatus according to the invention as seen from the rear and partly in section.

FIG. 2 shows the apparatus according to FIG. 1 likewise as seen from the rear but partly in vertical section.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus according to the invention partly in vertical section.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows the front end of the discharge conduit partly in view, while the front portion illustrated in axial section is shown turned relative to the rear portion by 90.degree..

FIG. 6 represents a section taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5.

The apparatus according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that the blower is arranged below the motor so that the motor is arranged between the blower and the container. In view of this arrangement, the motor can be placed directly upon the blower which greatly simplifies the entire structure while simultaneously the accessories to the motor, such as the carburetor, ignition device, and in particular the starter, are easily accessible. Furthermore, the blower will in this arrangement be so located that the discharge conduit does not have to be curved which means that the blower airflow will be subjected only to a slight power loss.

According to another advantageous further development of the present invention, the shoulder straps for the supporting means of the apparatus on the back of a person are at the upper area directly connected to the container. This brings about a better and safer support for the container which contains the substance to be distributed and which in filled condition represents the heaviest part of the apparatus. Inasmuch as in this way the supporting device and in particular the supporting plate to be carried on the back of a person are not directly under the load of the weight of the container, the supporting device can be designed considerably lighter and simpler.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises a supporting or back-carrying device 1 with a curved and ribbed supporting plate 2 preferably of a light synthetic material. At the back side of the plate 2 and, more specifically, within the upper area thereof, there is provided a container 3 for the substance to be distributed. Below the container 3 there is arranged a fuel tank 4 which with the specific example shown in the drawings, together with the container 3 forms a structural unit, while below said structural unit there is provided a one cylinder two-stroke cycle engine 5. Below the engine 5 there is provided a radial blower 6 which is drivingly connected to the engine 5.

That wall portion 7 of the container 3 which is adjacent to the supporting device 1 and is located below the upper edge 8 of the supporting plate 2 is provided with two horizontally located adjacent hexagonal nuts 9 which are embedded without a passage in the wall 7. The wall 7 has also within the area of the nuts 9 the same thickness as in other parts. The pocket-shaped recesses of the wall 7 of the container 3 for the nuts 9 are respectively provided with an inwardly protruding annular extension 10 which engages a corresponding circumferential groove adjacent the respective nut 9 pertaining thereto so that the said nut is in its axial direction positively held on the wall 7. Screws 11 forming connecting members are screwed into the said two horizontally located adjacent nuts 9 which are arranged symmetrically with regard to the vertical plane which is perpendicular to the supporting plate 2. The said screws 11 are provided with heads which are arranged in corresponding countersunk portions at the front side of the plate 2 so that they do not protrude beyond the front surface of the plate 2 which will engage the back of a person carrying the apparatus. Between the plate 2 and the horizontally located adjacent nuts 9 there are provided the upper ends 12 of two shoulder straps 13 of the supporting device 1. The said upper ends 12 are provided with corresponding passages for passing therethrough the connecting screws 11 extending through the plate 2. The strap ends 12 are by means of screws 11 firmly clamped between the supporting plate 2 and the nuts 9 and are from the connecting area below the upper edge 8 of the plate 2 passed approximately vertically upwardly in such a way that the shoulder straps 13 are bent forwardly at the upper edge 8 of the plate 2 when the apparatus is carried on the back of a person so that the load conveyed through the strap ends 12 onto the connecting screw 11 is only a load which acts substantially perpendicularly with regard to the axial direction of the connecting screws 11. The strap ends 12 are by the above-described arrangement connected directly to the container 3 so that its weight will be held directly by the straps 13. At the same time, the connecting screws 11 also serve for connecting the transporting plate 2 to the container 3 so that the plate 2 is by means of the same connecting screws as the container connected to the shoulder straps. For further supporting the supporting plate 2 on the container 3, at least a further screw may be provided.

The fuel tank 4 is arranged directly at the bottom side (FIG. 1) of the container 3 by means of a detachable locking connection 14, 15 so that the fuel tank 4 is suspended on the container 3.

The air-cooled engine 5 has a horizontally extending cylinder 16 as is particularly clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The axis of the cylinder 16 is approximately parallel to the plane of the supporting plate 2. The said cylinder is directed toward the left from the crankshaft 17. Above the crank housing 18 of the crankshaft 17 which has a vertical axis, there is provided an ignition system 19 for producing the igniting current, said ignition system being coaxially arranged with regard to the crankshaft 17 and being directly drivingly connected thereto. Above the ignition system or dynamo 19 there is provided a starter 20 for the engine 5 which starter is arranged coaxially with regard to the crankshaft 17 and has a pulley 21 coaxially arranged to the crankshaft 17. The pulley 21 is adapted by means of an automatic free wheel clutch 22 located below the pulley 21 to be drivingly connected with the crankshaft 17. The fuel tank 4 which is located directly above the starter 20 has its lower wall provided with a concavely arched recess formed out of said wall. The free diameter of said recess corresponds substantially to the diameter of the cover 23 which is located in said recess. When the container 4 is filled or is otherwise loaded by a downwardly directed load, the wall of said recess engages the top side of the cover 23 so that the container 3 as well as the fuel tank 4 are centered on the motor and supported thereby.

The lower portion of the crank housing 18 is formed directly by the upper section 24 of the upper portion of the blower housing 25. The blower housing 25 is thus directly connected to the motor 5, for instance is flanged thereto. The blower wheel 26 in housing 25 is directly arranged on the lower end of the crankshaft 17.

The blower housing 25 has an outer annular passage 27 which is of substantially rectangular cross section and is formed by the upper housing portion 51 and the lower housing portion. The cross section of the annular passage 27 increases in the direction of rotation of the blower wheel 26, said direction of rotation being indicated by the arrow 28 (FIG. 4). The annular passage 27 leads on the right-hand side of the apparatus, in other words on that side of the crankshaft 7 which faces away from the cylinder 16, into a connection 29 of the blower housing 25, said connection 29 being directed outwardly at an incline with regard to the plane of the supporting plate 2. The connection 29 is located in the horizontal plane of the blower wheel 26. On that side of the cylinder 16 which is located opposite to the exhaust muffler 30, in other words between the cylinder 16 and the supporting plate 2, there is located a carburetor 31 which in vertical arrangement is flanged directly to the cylinder 16. The float chamber 32 of the carburetor 31 is easily accessible toward the circumference of the blower housing 25 to thereby facilitate the actuation of the carburetor. On that side of the carburetor 31 which faces away from the cylinder 16, namely at the intake side of the carburetor 31, there is provided an air filter 33 arranged in a housing. The air filter housing is approximately parallel to the supporting plate 2 and extends approximately over the entire width of said plate 2.

The above-described motor-blower unit which represents a structural unit closed in itself is at three places connected to the plate 2 in the lower part thereof through the intervention of rubber elastic bearings 34, 35. In view of the above design, the motor-blower unit is connected to the lower part of the supporting plate 2 exclusively at three places provided at the tips of an isosceles triangle arranged in a vertical plane. The connection between the motor-blower unit and the supporting plate 2 is formed exclusively by rubber elastic elements.

As will furthermore be evident from FIGS. 1 and 2, the pull rope 36 wound onto the pulley 21 and pertaining to the starter 20 is passed through a corresponding opening in the cover 23 directly below the fuel tank 4 to the outside into a guiding opening 37 corresponding to its diameter. The guiding opening 37 is located on a strut 38 which is connected to the back side of the supporting plate 2. The strut 38 which is located on the right-hand side of the apparatus and protrudes beyond the corresponding lateral edge of the supporting plate 2, in other words is located above the connection 29 of the blower housing 2, and cranked at its end at an incline in downward direction to such an extent that the front surface of this strut end is directed at an incline downwardly. That end of the pull rope or cable 36 which is located at the front side of the strut 38 has connected thereto a handle 39, which may, for instance, be elastically connected thereto. The pull rope 36 is in view of the return spring acting upon the pulley 21 subjected to a spring force so that when in its starting position, the rear end face of its shank engages the front surface of the crank end of strut 38 whereby it occupies a predetermined position with regard to the supporting plate 2. This position is so selected that the handle 39 is directed outwardly and inclined downwardly toward the front. When the apparatus according to the invention is placed on the back of a person, the handle 39 will be located underneath the right armpit of the respective person so that it can easily be grasped. For purposes of starting the engine 5, the handle 39 is grasped by the person with the right hand and by stretching out the right arm at an incline toward the outside and pulling toward the front so that the pull rope which extends from the cover 23 through the opening 37 toward the handle 39 will be substantially straight which means that the rope 36 is not bent and consequently no power losses will occur.

According to FIGS. 5 and 6, a discharge conduit 41 comprising a flexible hose 40 is connected to the connection 29 of the blower housing 25 in any convenient manner, for instance, by slipping it over and fastening it thereto by a clamping shell extending around the circumference of said conduit.

As will be evident from the above, the apparatus designed in the manner described above in detail, is characterized by a favorable weight distribution and is furthermore characterized by a protected and easily accessible arrangement of the sensitive engine and blower elements.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What we claim is:

1. A portable plant treating apparatus especially for spraying, dusting, and fog laying, which includes: a plurality of container means arranged adjacent to each other and connected to each other for respectively storing fuel and the plant treating substance to be discharged, fuel driven motor means arranged below said container means and having a crankshaft, blower means drivingly connected to and arranged below said motor means and having its axis of rotation in substantially axial alignment with said crankshaft, discharge conduit means communicating with said blower means and with the container means containing the plant treating substance, strap-equipped carrier plate means connected to one of said container means for carrying the apparatus on the back of a person, and carburetor means located between said motor and said carrier plate means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said motor means includes cylinder means having said carburetor flanged thereto, and in which an air filter is located between said carburetor and said carrier plate means.

3. A plant protective device adapted to be carried on a back for selective discharge of spray, dust, fog, sprinkling and granulated means, comprising: a back carrier plate and a container combination for fuel and discharge means, a drive motor with a vertically arranged crankshaft having upper and lower ends, a blower means with a discharge passage arranged at said crankshaft lower end and having its axis of rotation in axial alignment with said crankshaft, a starter arranged at said crankshaft upper end, and a cylinder with an axis of said drive motor adjacent to the discharge passage lying in a horizontal plane approximately parallel to said back carrier plate.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which said drive motor with starter, blower means and discharge passage are in a unit releasably connected to said back carrier plate.

5. A device according to claim 3, in which there is a carburetor arranged between said drive motor and said back carrier plate.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which said carburetor is mounted directly on said cylinder of said drive motor, and an air filter is secured between said carburetor and said back carrier plate.

7. A device according to claim 3, in which shoulder strap means are releasably secured at upper ends thereof between said back carrier plate and discharge means container.

8. A device according to claim 7, in which hexagonal nuts are embedded in wall means of said container for discharge means, and screw bolts are receivable by said nuts for securing said strap means ends and said carrier plate.