GB2097290A - Spray nozzles and spray bar assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

A spray nozzle system comprises a liquid inlet unit (10) having a tail pipe or pipes (18, 20) for connection to a flexible hose. A nozzle (14) is connectible to the liquid inlet unit (10) either directly or via the intermediary of a check valve module (12), by the use of uniform bayonet-type fittings. The system includes clamping means (16) enabling the liquid inlet unit to be clamped to a spray bar at a freely selected position therealong. In this way a series of the nozzles may be located in any desired arrangement, eg spaced groups, on a dry spray bar with the nozzles interconnected, via the tail pipes, by means of flexible hoses. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Inprovements in spray nozzles and spray bar assemblies of said nozzles This invention relates to spray nozzles and spray bars constituted by bars carrying such spray nozzles, especially spray nozzles and spray bars for use in agriculture and horticulture.

Our Patent Application No. 8031 387 concerns such spray nozzles, and more specifically relates to a check valve forming part of such a spray nozzle. In the system described in said Application, a tubular spray bar or spray line conveys the liquid to be sprayed to the nozzles, which attach to the bar through clamping units having probes which penetrate orifices in the wall of the spray bar. Clearly, the nozzles must be attached to the spray bar at the predetermined positions along the length thereof where said orifices are provided, usually distributed at a substantially uniform spacing the entire length of the bar.

The check valve subject of the Application locates between the clamping unit and a nozzle unit, preferably by means of bayonet type fittings, and has for its purposes to ensure that the liquid pressure in the spray bar exceeds a given level before the check valve is opened to pass liquid to the nozzle unit.

Reference is to be made to the said Application No. 8031 387 for further details of the check valve and the spray bar system in which it is employed.

In some instances, for example where agrochemicals are to be used in connection with vegetable crops, it is desired to spray either the crop and not the intervening land or vice versa. Cost saving alone may necessitate such selective spraying, although clearly other reasons can sometimes arise. In these instances, it can be disadvantageous that only a fixed span and fixed distribution of spray nozzles is available, and it is a primary object of this invention to provide a solution to the problem created by the requirement for selective spraying.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spray nozzle comprising a liquid inlet unit having a tail pipe or tail pipes for connection for a flexible hose, clamping means enabling said liquid inlet unit to be clamped to a spray bar at a freely selected position therealong, and a nozzle unit connectible to the liquid inlet unit.

Preferably, by use of uniform bayonet-type fittings, the nozzle unit is either directly connectible to the liquid inlet unit, or is connectible to the outlet side of a check valve unit having its inlet side connectible to the liquid inlet unit. Said check valve may be the check valve subject of our aforementioned Application No. 8031387.

The clamping means is preferably a split ring-type clamp having an aperture freely receiving a threaded boss on the liquid inlet unit, with a wing nut or like preferably fingeroperable fastener for screwing to said boss.

Tightening the wing nut preferably not only secures the liquid inlet unit to the clamp but also tightens the ring clamp to the spray bar.

The liquid inlet may have a square or like polygonal section at the base of the threaded boss, this being received in a correspondingly shaped recess in the clamp to ensure that the liquid inlet unit assumes a given orientation relative to the length of the spray bar. In such given orientation, for example, the tail pipe or tail pipes will preferably lie parallel to the spray bar, and the one part of the bayonettype fitting on the liquid inlet unit will be disposed so that, when the nozzle unit (or check valve unit and nozzle unit) are attached, a shaped spray such as a fan spray is provided for in a chosen direction relative to the length of the spray bar.This chosen direction of spray, and likewise the shape of the spray, may of course be adjustable on the nozzle unit itself, but it is advantageous to be able to avoid the necessity for such adjustment each time a nozzle is moved on the spray bar.

The present invention enables the nozzles to be arranged in spaced groups on a spray bar, to give one example, thereby to enable rows of vegetables to be sprayed with minimum wastage of chemical on the intervening strips of land. The spray bar itself is of course a dry spray bar, as compared to the wet spray bar or liquid carrying spray line used in the system described in the aforementioned Application.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a dry spray bar having adjustably clamped thereto a plurality of spray nozzles each comprising a liquid inlet unit having one or more tail pipes for connection of a flexible hose and a nozzle unit connectible to said inlet unit, and flexible hoses interconnecting said liquid inlet units for conveying thereto a liquid chemical to be sprayed through the nozzle units.

Further features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of embodiments, given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an exploded view of a twin inlet spray nozzle assembly, and Figure 2 shows a single inlet spray nozzle assembly attached to a spray bar, with a nozzle module in exploded view.

The spray nozzle of Fig. 1 essentially comprises a liquid inlet module 10, a check valve module 12 and a nozzle module 14.

The check valve module 1 2 and the nozzle module 1 4,the latter including a filter cup, are essentially as described in Patent Application No. 8031387, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention primarily concerns the liquid inlet module 10 and its clamping means, the latter generally designated 1 6.

The liquid inlet module comprises a connector having twin inlets in the form of oppositely directed tail pipes 18, 20 suited to connection of a flexible hose (not shown,and an outlet 22 coplanar with the inlets and perpendicular thereto. Opposite the outlet 22 is a threaded boss 24 having a squared-section 26 at its base.

It will be noted that the outlet 22 includes one part 28 of a bayonet type connection which enables the liquid inlet module 10 to be connected through a sealing washer 30 to a cooperating part 32 of the bayonet type connection provided on the check valve module 1 2. Likewise, parts 34, 36 of a second, similar bayonet type connection, respectively provided on the check valve module 1 2 and the nozzle module 14, enable these two modules to be secured together through a sealing washer 38.

The clamping means 1 6 comprises a clamp of the split ring-type, having a ring 40 which can be squeezed to grip a spray bar and apertured wings 42, 44 which freely receive the threaded boss 24 on the liquid inlet module to enable a wing nut 46 to be screwed on to said boss and tightened to secure the liquid inlet module to the clamp and at the same time to squeeze the clamping ring tight on the spray bar.

The apertured wing 44 of the clamp has a squared recess (not shown) which receives the squared section 26 at the base of the boss 24 on the liquid inlet module,thereby to locate the liquid inlet module 10 in a chosen orientation relative to the length of the spray bar.

Desirably, the tail pipes 18, 20 for connection of flexible hose will then be parallel to the length of the spray bar. Additonally, however, the bayonet type fittings will assume set positions, which is desirable for the reason previously explained.

Figure 2 shows a modified spray nozzle having a liquid inlet module 50 with a single inlet 52, and a nozzle unit 54 for connecting directly to said liquid inlet unit, i.e. the check valve is omitted. This alternative arrangement is readily made possible by the modular assembly of the spray nozzle enabled by the uniform bayonet type fittings. The check valve may be omitted, for example, if an adequate liquid supply pressure is assuredly available even for the nozzles most remote from the supply.

It will readily be apparent that the invention enables spray nozzles to be positioned in any desired distribution along the spray bar or boom, according to requirements. A regular distribution is available for overall, uniform, spraying, equally a non-uniform distribution is available for selective spraying. As the nozzles are supplied with liquid through flexible hose detachably connecting to the liquid inlet units, it is practicable to connect up only some of the nozzles if desired, without detaching the unused nozzles from the spray bar. This facility enables the possibility of denser or less dense spraying, and enables overspraying more readily to be avoided. Movement of the nozzles is readily enabled by the finger operable wing nuts, without requiring the operator to remove protective clothing. As far as the modular assembly of the nozzle is concerned, the various features and advantages explained in Patent Application No. 8031387 are readily retained.

Claims (9)

1. A spray nozzle comprises a liquid inlet unit having a liquid inlet unit having a tail pipe or tail pipes for connection for a flexible hose, clamping means enabling said liquid inlet unit to be clamped to a spray bar at a freely selected position therealong, and a nozzle unit connectible to the liquid inlet unit.

2. A spray nozzle according to claim 1, wherein, by use of uniform bayonet-type fittings, the nozzle unit is either directly connectible to the liquid inlet unit, or is connectible to the outlet side of a check valve unit having its inlet side connectible to the liquid inlet unit.

3. A spray nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the clamping means is a split ringtype clamp having an aperture freely receiving a threaded boss on the liquid inlet unit, with a fastener for screwing to said boss.

4. A spray nozzle according to claim 3, wherein tightening the fastener not only secures the liquid inlet unit to the clamp but also tightens the ring clamp to the spray bar.

5. A spray nozzle according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the fastener comprises a wing nut.

6. A spray nozzle according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the liquid inlet unit has a polygonal section at the base of the threaded boss, for being received in a correspondingly shaped recess in the clamp.

7. A dry spray bar having adjustably clamped thereto a plurality of spray nozzles each comprising a liquid inlet unit having one or more tail pipes for connection of a flexible hose and a nozzle unit connectible to said inlet unit, and flexible hoses interconnecting said liquid inlet units for conveying thereto a liquid chemical to be sprayed through the nozzle units.

8. A spray nozzle substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

9. A dry spray bar substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.