AU742419B2

AU742419B2 - Spraying arm

Info

Publication number: AU742419B2
Application number: AU59402/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Geoffrey Robert Agars
Original assignee: JILLIAN TERESA MARKS
Current assignee: MARKS JILLIAN TERESA
Priority date: 1997-03-20
Filing date: 1998-03-20
Publication date: 2002-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 2018-03-20
Also published as: AU5940298A

Description

47388 GEH:LJF P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

*Name of Applicant: JILLIAN TERESA MARKS Address for Service: COLLISON C0.,117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: SPRAYING ARM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: GEOFFREY ROBERT AGARS Address for Service: COLLISON CO.,117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: SPRAYING ARM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:

F

This invention relates to a spraying arm, more particularly to a spraying arm attached to a machine for spraying under and/or around perennial growing crops such as vines.

In agricultural and horticultural areas it is often necessary to spray to kill weeds growing amongst or around growing crops. This is particularly so in the horticultural area where it is necessary to spray and kill weeds growing between and around rows of trees, vines and the like. While it is well known to spray between the rows of trees or vines, it is also necessary to spray between the individual trees or vines in a row, and spraying machines are known which 1 0 are designed to spray between the trees or vines in a row. Various of these have an extending or outrigger arm to extend towards the butt or trunk of the tree or vine with the intention of spraying around the butt or trunk and thus to kill the weeds growing there around.

However the known machines are often not ideal for this purpose, in that 1 5 various are limited to the use of a liquid spray only and cannot deliver a powder weedicide in suspension without blockage occurring in the fluid delivery system. This is particularly so with low volume mist sprayers.

Also it is necessary for such a sprayer for the arm to deliver spray material between the trees or vines and not leave an area which has not been 2 0 effectively sprayed. Furthermore the arm should have an effective break-away or release mechanism which will allow the arm to pass around an obstruction such as the butt of the vine or trunk of a tree without damage to either the arm or the butt or trunk, and to quickly return to the extended position when the obstruction has passed. Additionally the arm should be such that it will pass S2 5 under branches and canes of vines, and if these are too low to gently lift and lower the branch or cane so that the arm may pass thereunder without allowing spraying material to contact the leaves of the tree or vine.

S"Also it is advantageous for the machine to be easily and readily produced in an economical manner, and if repairs are required these should be readily 3 0 available. Thus the arm must be so constructed that it will not foul on any branches or leaves and to this extent the hinge permitting the hinging movement should not be prone to fouling by the leaves or other vegetation.

Thus there is provided according to the invention a spray arm adapted to be attached to a spraying vehicle to spray under and around horticultural trees and vines and the like, mounting means adjustable attaching the spray arm to the vehicle for height and reach, a generally horizontal pivot attaching the arm to the mounting means whereby the angle of the arm relative to the ground can be adjusted by an adjustable link between the arm and the mounting means, the arm including a beam extending from the pivot, said beam carrying a cover deflector and a downwardly extending brush attached to the rear of the cover deflector, said beam being connected to the pivot by a generally vertical hinge having a concealed circular spring acting against the beam and the pivot whereby when the arm contacts an obstruction the arm will hinge rearwardly to pass around the obstruction and spring return to the extended position.

In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the oo!. accompanying drawings in which:mahnFigure 1 is a view showing the spraying arm attached to a spraying machine, 5 Figure 2 is a partially exploded view of the spraying arm, and Figure 3 is a prespective view of an alternative embodiment of spraying arm.

IglOO= A spraying machine 1 has the arm 2 attached to each side of the vehicle, only one side of the vehicle 1 being shown. While the vehicle is shown as a small agricultural vehicle, it is to be realised that the spraying arm can be attached to any agricultural vehicle, tractor, trailed sprayer machine or the like.

A suitable tube or socket (not shown) is provided on the vehicle to receive a mounting tube 3 attached to a vertical member or post 4, the tube 3 being adjustably positioned and clamped in the tube or socket on the vehicle to thus adjustably position the arm for reach. A clamp 5 on the post 4 has attached thereto a bearing 6 for a pivot pin 7, the bearing 6 and pin 7 carrying bearing surfaces 8 and 9 respectively, the pin 7 being secured by a safety pin 10 after the pin 7 has been positioned in the bearing 6. The clamp 5 can thus be vertically positioned on the post 4.

The bearing surface 9 has attached a hinge portion 11 of a supporting beam 12, this hinge portion 11 being hollow and co-operates with the end of the beam 12, the two portions being connected by a generally vertical hinge bolt 13. The hollow hinge portion contains one or two circular springs 20a and one end 21 of each spring bearing against the hinge portion 11 and the other end 22 bearing against the end of the beam so that the beam is biased to extend outwardly of the vehicle.

The arm is supported horizontally by adjustable means extending between the arm and the post 4, and in this example it is by a chain 14 attached to the hinge portion 11 (not shown), the other end chain being positioned in a slot in the upper end of the post 4, so that by selecting the required height of the end of the arm, the appropriate link can be caught in the slot 15. Thus the arm can also be raised for transport purposes. Also when the arm contacts the butt 1 0 of a tree or vine or other obstruction the arm will pivot rearwardly, and due to the positioning of the attachment of the chain relative to the hinge point the arm will also swing upwardly to that the outer end of the arm is raised.

The beam carries a deflector cover 16 supported by brackets 17 attached to the beam. The cover is curved and is shaped to prevent upward spray from the spray nozzle 19, and also to lift any canes or branches which may hang close to the ground. A brush 18 is attached to the rear edge of the cover to prevent rearward drift of the spray material.

ogle :i It has been found the arm extends downwardly from the vehicle for more efficient operation and coverage of the growth being sprayed. Thus the cover 20 has a taper from nearest the vehicle to a narrower shape towards the end of the arm. It has been found that a single spray nozzle positioned nearest the ***vehicle and spraying outwardly along the arm is very efficient, and this spray pattern in combination with the downward slope of the arm gives effective coverage of the area being sprayed.

25 Also a proportion of the spray extends beyond the outer end of the arm, and thus when in operation this portion will extend beyond the planting line, and when the other side of the planting line is sprayed, adequate coverage due to the overlap will be obtained.

The spray nozzle is of the high volume low pressure type so that various chemicals can be used, whether of the liquid or the powder type. Thus with this spray nozzle, there is no limitation of the type of chemical being used.

Also with this system, various nozzle types can be used.

In the embodiment shown in Fig 3 the deflector cover sa of the spray arm generally shown as 20 has an end cap 22 and an end brush 23 which extends down substantially to the ground in use. By this means side spray can be prevented in situations where the spraying is being done in the vicinity of small plants such as young vines.

In Fig 3 the adjustable link between the post 24 and the beam 25 of the arm is provided by an hydraulic ram 26 acting between a sleeve 27 on the post 24 and beam 25. This allows for angle adjustment of the height of the spray arm while the device is being used.

The sleeve 27 can be adjusted for position on the posts 24 to adjust the height of the spray arm 20 relative to the ground by the pin 28 extending through the sleeve27 and post 24.

Thus it will be seen that due to the construction of the arm, there are no prominent portions which can foul on any growth. The spring return of the arm is totally enclosed, there being no external springs or other protrusions on which growth or foliage can foul. The cover will gently raise and lower any low branches of canes as the arm passes along and the rear brush, while preventing spray drift will become wet with the chemical and thus wipe this spray on the foliage of the growth being sprayed.

Although one form of the invention has been described in some detail, the i* invention is not to be limited thereto, but can include variations and modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

o* a

.I

Claims

1. A spray arm adapted to be attached to a spraying vehicle to spray under and around horticultural trees and vines and the like, mounting means adjustable attaching the spray arm to the vehicle for height and reach, a generally horizontal pivot attaching the arm to the mounting means whereby the angle of the arm relative to the ground can be adjusted by an adjustable link between the arm and the mounting means, the arm including a beam extending from the pivot, said beam carrying a cover deflector and a downwardly extending brush attached to the 1 .rear of the cover deflector, said beam being connected to the generally horizontal pivot by a generally vertical hinge having a concealed circular spring acting against the beam and the pivot whereby when the arm contacts an obstruction the arm will hinge rearwardly to pass around the obstruction and spring return to the extended position.

2. A spray arm as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes 15 a vertical post attached to the vehicle, a clamp adjustably positioned on said post, said clamp having attached thereto said generally horizontal pivot, whereby the arm may be positioned vertically by adjustment of the clamp on said post.

3. A spray arm as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a vertical post to which the arm is attached, said post having a mounting beam 20 extending therefrom to be adjustably positioned in a socket carried by the vehicle whereby the spray arm can be adjustably positioned for reach.

4. A spray arm as defined in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the angular relationship of the arm to the horizontal can be adjustably positioned by flexible means attached to the arm outwardly from said horizontal pivot and adjustably attached to an upper portion of the post.

A spray arm as defined in claim 4 wherein said flexible means is a chain, a link of which can be positioned in a notch in the post.

6. A spray arm as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein said generally vertical pivot comprises an end of a beam of the arm pivoted by a pivot pin to a hinge portion connected by said generally horizontal pivot the at least one circular spring positioned within a hollow portion of the hinge portion, whereby one portion of the circular spring bears against a beam of the arm and the other portion of the circular spring bears against the hinge portion of the hinge whereby the arm is biased to an extended position and is adapted to pivot on the arm striking an obstruction.

7. A spray arm as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the spray arm has a curved cover to lift any branches and the like over the arm.

8. A spray arm as defined in claim 7 wherein the cover has a brush depending from the rear of the cover, said brush contacting the ground and/or the growth being sprayed, whereby any spray liquid on the brush is wiped onto the growth being sprayed.

9. A spray arm as defined in claim 7 or 8 wherein a spray nozzle is positioned under the cover on the hinge end of the cover, said spray nozzle spraying the spray material along the length of the arm. 1 5

10. A spray arm as defined in any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein said cover decreases in cross-sectional area and slopes toward the ground as the cover extends towards its extremity.

11. A spray arm as in any one preceding claim where the cover deflector includes end cap.

12. A spray arm as in claim 11 wherein the end cap includes a brush depending down therefore.

13. A spray arm as in any one preceding claim wherein the adjustable link is provided by a hydraulic ram.

14. A spray arm substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dated this 20th day of March 1998 JILLIAN TERESA MARKS By her Patent Attorneys, 3 0 COLLISON CO.