GB2288136A

GB2288136A - Rotary elements for liquid distribution

Info

Publication number: GB2288136A
Application number: GB9406649A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Charles Reeves; Craig Ian Wightman
Original assignee: RIVERLYNX Ltd
Current assignee: RIVERLYNX Ltd
Priority date: 1994-04-05
Filing date: 1994-04-05
Publication date: 1995-10-11
Also published as: GB9406649D0

Abstract

A rotary element (1) for use in a sprayer is rotatable, in use, about a rotary axis to discharge liquid from the outer peripheral edge (11) of the element. This edge is a continuous circular edge to which grooves (8 and 9) serve to direct liquid received by a liquid-receiving surface (7) to discharge from the outer peripheral edge. As the outer peripheral edge is a continuous circular edge, the risk of entanglement with vegetation being sprayed is minimised. Another rotary element (30 Fig. 10) has a generally planar end surface (20A) that is perpendicular to the rotary axis, and contains a grooved arrangement (25) serving to direct liquid received by a liquid-receiving surface to an outer peripheral edge (26) of unbroken smoothly-curved sinuous formation. This shape also reduces the risk of entanglement with the vegetation being sprayed. <IMAGE>

Description

ROTARY ELEMENTS FOR LIQUID DISTRIBUTION This invention relates to rotary elements for distributing liquids under centrifugal force and is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with rotary elements for use in herbicide sprayers.

Rotary elements are known, for use in sprayers, being elements which are rotatable, in use, about a rotary axis to discharge liquid from the outer peripheral edge of a liquid-receiving surface of the sprayer, this edge being defined by a plurality of teeth. As the outer peripheral edge is defined by a plurality of teeth there is a danger of the elements becoming entangled with the vegetation that is being sprayed.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary element for use in a sprayer, the element being rotatable, in use, about a rotary axis to discharge liquid from the outer peripheral edge of the element, this edge being a continuous circular edge to which grooves of a grooved arrangement serve to direct liquid received by a liquid-receiving surface of the element to discharge from the outer peripheral edge. As in, this rotary element the outer peripheral edge is a continuous circular edge, the risk of entanglement with vegetation being sprayed is minimised.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary element for use in a sprayer, the element being rotatable, in use, about a rotary axis to discharge liquid from the outer peripheral edge of a part of the element, to which peripheral edge grooves of a grooved arrangement serve to direct liquid received by a liquid-receiving surface of the element to discharge from this peripheral edge, the outermost peripheral edge of the rotary element transverse to the rotary axis being a continuous circular edge. As the outermost peripheral edge of this rotary element transverse to the rotary axis is a continuous circular edge, the risk of entanglement with vegetation being sprayed is minimised.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary element for use in a sprayer, the element being rotatable, in use, about a rotary axis to discharge liquid from an outer peripheral edge of the element, the element having a generally planar end surface that is perpendicular to the rotary axis, that terminates in the outer peripheral edge and that contains a grooved arrangement serving to direct liquid received by a liquid-receiving surface of the element to discharge from the outer peripheral edge, the outer peripheral edge being of unbroken sinuous formation. As the outer peripheral edge is of unbroken sinuouS formation and terminates a surface that is generally planar and that is perpendicular to the rotary axis, the risk of entanglement with vegetation being sprayed is minimised.

The invention also provides a sprayer when fitted with any of the rotary elements defined in detail above.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of a rotary element for distributing herbicide from a herbicide sprayer, taking in the direction of arrow I in Figure 2; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the rotary element of Figure 1, taken on line II-II in that Figure; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line III-III in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view of part of the rotary element taken in the direction opposite the arrow I; Figure 5 is a view on a larger scale, taken in the same direction as Figure 1, of a central boss of the rotary element; Figure 6 is a sectional view of a detail of the rotary element of Figures 1 to 5; Figure 7 is a view, in the direction of arrow VII in Figure 8, of another form of rotary element; Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on line VIII-VIII in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line IX-IX in Figure 8; Figure 10 is a view, in the direction of arrow X in Figure 11, of another form of rotary element; Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on line XI-XI in Figure 10; and Figure 12 is a sectional view taken on line XII-XII in Figure 11.

The various dimensions given, in millimetres, throughout the Figures are by way of illustration only, but are to be taken as part of this description. Other than as indicated in Figures 7, 8 and 9, the dimensions of the rotary element shown in these Figures are, by way of illustration, as the dimensions given in Figures 10, 11 and 12. The detail shown in Figure 5 is applicable to Figures 7, 8 and 9 and to Figures 10, 11 and 12 as well to Figures 1 to 4 and 6.

Each of the rotary elements shown in the Figures is for fitting to the output shaft of a motor of a herbicide sprayer, this output shaft extending through a spray head of the sprayer through which liquid to be sprayed is delivered to the rotary element.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 6, the rotary element 1 has a central boss 2 which extends through a plane in which one face 1A of the element lies. The boss 2 has a central bore 3 that is for tightly fitting onto the output shaft of a sprayer motor. As shown in Figure 5, the bore 3 has splines 4 for ensuring the tight fit on the motor shaft. The axis A of the boss is the rotary axis of the element 1 and the plane in which the face 1A lies is perpendicular to this axis A.

Around the central boss 2 there is a liquid-receiving surface 5 of the rotary element constituted by a recess, the innermost surface part 6 of which is defined by a base portion of the element that is a frustum of a cone having its smallest diameter at the base of the boss 2; an intermediate surface part 7 that is planar and perpendicular to the axis A of the boss 2 as it extends from the innermost surface part 6 and which is thereafter inclined, in the direction towards the face 1A of the rotary element 1, as it extends to an outer surface part 8 of the recess; the outer surface part 8 being parallel to the axis A and extending from the intermediate surface part 7 towards the face 1A of the rotary element.

The outer surface part 8 of the recess terminates at a liquid distribution grooved arrangement 9 constituted by a plurality (36 in the form illustrated) of first grooves 9A extending radially outwardly from the recess outer surface part 8 in a plane perpendicular to the rotary axis A to a plurality (in number the same as the number of first grooves 9A) of second grooves 9B. The second grooves 9B are in an outermost portion 10 of the rotary element 1, which portion 10 is a frustum of a cone with its smallest diameter at the outer ends of the first grooves 9A. The largest diameter of this frustum is at the face 1A of the element.

Each first groove 9A is a V-groove (Figure 6) having straight sides which communicates with a corresponding one of the second grooves 9B. Each second groove 9B widens from where it communicates with the corresponding first groove 9A and then tapers to a point at the outer peripheral edge 11 of the outermost portion 10 of the rotary element 1 without interrupting this edge so that the outer peripheral edge 11 is a continuous circular edge to which, in use, the grooves 9A/9B direct liquid, received by the liquid-receiving surface 7, to discharge from the edge 11.

The face 1B remote from the face 1A, which is generally dome-shaped, of the rotary element 1 has a lug 12, having a through bore 13 therein, extending from it. This lug can be grasped for manually removing the element from a motor output shaft to which it has been fitted.

It will be noted from the dimensions given in Figures 1 to 6 that the overall diameter of the rotary element 1 therein illustrated is 48 mm. An element of this size will produce a spray pattern that is wider than this dimension. The rotary elements shown in Figures 7 to 12 have overall diameters of 14 mm, that is they are of considerably smaller diameter than the element of Figures 1 to 6. Such elements can produce a spray pattern that is considerably narrower than the narrowest spray pattern that can be produced by the element of Figures 1 to 6.

Referring now to Figures 7 to 9, the element 20 shown therein has a central boss 2, extending through a plane in which one face 20A of the element 1 lies, which has a central bore 3, the boss 2 and its bore 3 being as already described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 and as shown, in particular, in Figure 5. The face 20A is generally planar and extends perpendicular to the axis of rotation A.

Around the central boss 2 there is a liquid-receiving surface 5 which in this element 20 is defined by a recess that has inner and outer surface parts 21 and 22 which are parallel with the rotary axis A, and a convex face part 23. The inner surface part 21 is defined by the base portion of the central boss 2. The outer surface part 22 is defined by a generally annular wall 24 of the element 20 which terminates in a generally planar surface that constitutes the end face 20A and hence is perpendicular to the rotary axis A. This end face 20A as defined by the wall 24 contains a liquid distribution grooved arrangement constituted by a plurality of grooves 25 (in the form illustrated 6) each of triangular formation narrowing from a base at the liquid-receiving surface 5 to a tip inwardly spaced from the peripheral edge 26 of the face 20A. The peripheral edge 26 is defined by a stepped formation 27 in the wall 24 so as generally to follow, at a distance therefrom, the outline of the grooves 25 (as can be seen in Figure 7) so that this edge 26 is of unbroken sinuous formation. The base of the stepped formation 27 defines the outermost peripheral edge 28, of the rotary element, that is transverse to the rotary axis A. This edge 28 is a continuous circular edge.

Referring now to Figures 10, 11 and 12, as indicated by the use of like numerals, the rotary element 30 shown in these Figures is as the elements 20 of Figures 7, 8 and 9 except that the stepped formation 27 is omitted, the portions of the peripheral edge 26 that are adjacent the tips of the grooves 25 projecting, in this form, from an outer annular wall 31 that defines the outer surface part 22 of the liquid-receiving surface 5, so that this edge 26 is the outermost peripheral edge, of the rotary element, that is transverse to the rotary axis A, this edge 26 being of unbroken sinuous formation, terminating a surface (the face 20A) that is generally planar and that is perpendicular to the rotary axis.

In use of any of the forms of rotary element described above with reference to the Figures, the element 1 or 20 or 30 is fitted onto the output shaft of the motor of a sprayer by inserting the shaft into the bore 3 in the boss 2 and pressing the element onto the shaft. The motor is run to rotate the element and liquid emerging from the spray head of the sprayer flows to the liquidreceiving surface 5 of the element from whence, by centrifugal force, it passes via the grooved arrangement 9A/9B, or 25, to the peripheral edge 11, or 26, to be discharged therefrom in a spray of droplets. As this peripheral edge is either an unbroken continuous circular edge - the edge 11 of the element 1 in Figures 1 to 6, or there is an outermost peripheral edge of the rotary element transverse to the rotary axis that is an unbroken continuous circular edge - the edge 28 of the element 20 of Figures 7, 8 and 9, or the peripheral edge from which the liquid is discharged is the outer peripheral edge of the element and is of unbroken sinuous formation terminating a surface that is generally planar and that is perpendicular to the rotary axis - the edge 26 of the element 30 of Figures 9, 10 and 11, risk of entanglement with vegetation being sprayed is minimised.

Although a herbicide sprayer has been specifically referred to, the rotary elements that have been described with reference to the Figures can be utilised for spraying liquids other than herbicides.

Claims

1. A rotary element for use in a sprayer, the element being rotatable, in use, about a rotary axis to discharge liquid from the outer peripheral edge of the element, this edge being a continuous circular edge to which grooves of a grooved arrangement serve to direct liquid received by a liquid-receiving surface of the element to discharge from the outer peripheral edge.

2. A rotary element for use in a sprayer, the element being rotatable, in use, about a rotary axis to discharge liquid from the outer peripheral edge of a part of the element, to which peripheral edge grooves of a grooved arrangement serve to direct liquid received by a liquidreceiving surface of the element to discharge from this peripheral edge, the outermost peripheral edge of the rotary element transverse to the rotary axis being a continuous circular edge.

3. A rotary element for use in a sprayer, the element being rotatable, in use, about a rotary axis to discharge liquid from an outer peripheral edge of the element, the element having a generally planar end surface that is perpendicular to the rotary axis, that terminates in the outer peripheral edge and that contains a grooved arrangement serving to direct liquid received by a liquid-receiving surface of the element to discharge from the outer peripheral edge, the outer peripheral edge being of unbroken sinuous formation.

4. A rotary element for use in a sprayer, substantially in accordance with any example herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A sprayer when fitted with a rotary element according to any preceding claim.