GB2507063A

GB2507063A - Spray Apparatus with Inflatable Bladder to Purge Pipe-work

Info

Publication number: GB2507063A
Application number: GB1218619.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian George Knight
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-10-17
Filing date: 2012-10-17
Publication date: 2014-04-23
Also published as: EP2908628A1; GB201218619D0; WO2014060733A1

Abstract

A spray apparatus comprising spray nozzles connected via pump and pipe-work 110 to a source of liquid, wherein the pipe-work has an internal inflatable bladder 112 that is deflated during spraying; and inflated to fill, and thus purge, the pipe-work after spraying. The spray apparatus may be an agricultural spray apparatus moved by a fluid under pressure (e.g. compressed air). The bladder may be an elastomeric material, which may be made as a co-extrusion with a plastic pipe-work. Also disclosed is a spray apparatus with an internal bladder arranged to line pipe-work during spraying, and deflated to purge the pipe-work after spraying. Further disclosed is pipe-work with a flexible bladder and fluid inlet 116 arrange to move between a position substantially lining the interior of the pipe-work and a position occupying a small volume in the interior of the pipe-work.

Description

Agricultural Spray Apparatus

Field of the invention

The invention relates to agricultural spray apparatus.

Background

Such apparatus is usually arranged to be mounted on an agricultural tractor or to form part of such a vehicle, and normally comprises an opposed pair of spray booms that can be extended laterally from the tractor, the booms being formed with spray nozzles at intervals along their lengths. It will be appreciated that such spray apparatus may find uses outside of agriculture, e.g. in clearing industrial land and in the application of de-icing fluids to hard surfaces such as roads and runways.

The booms are usually many meters in length so that the sprayer can cover a wide area in each pass of the vehicle over a field to be treated, and in consequence considerable lengths of spray lines or pipe-work in the form of hoses are required to connect the spray nozzles with a central pump and tank containing the spray chemical.

At the end of each spraying operation it is usually necessary to purge the pipe-work of any spray chemical remaining in the pipe-work, e.g. using clean water, and this in turn gives rise to a possible contamination issue involving the disposal of the purge water.

It is an object of the invention to mitigate this problem.

Summary of the invention

According to the invention there is provided spray apparatus comprising spray nozzles connected to a source of spray liquid via a pump and pipe-work, wherein at least a portion of the pipe-work is provided with an internal inflatable bladder that is arranged to be deflated during spraying and to be inflated substantially to fill the pipe-work and thus to purge the pipe-work after spraying is finished or to purge pipe-work not required during spraying.

From another aspect the invention is spray apparatus comprising spray nozzles connected to a source of spray liquid via a pump and pipe-work, wherein at least a portion of the pipe-work is provided with an internal bladder which is arranged to line the pipe-work during spraying and to be deflated to purge the pipe-work after spraying is finished or to purge pipe-work not required during spraying.

It will be understood that there are usually redundant areas of pipe-work when spraying, e.g. the pipe-work used in filling the sprayer, and the present invention also contemplates emptying such pipe-work to reduce the volume of waste.

The spray apparatus may be agricultural spray apparatus. It will however be appreciated that the invention might be applicable to pipe-work other than used in such spray apparatus in circumstances where the pipe-work needs to be purged.

The inflatable or deflatable bladder may be moved between its inflated and deflated conditions by a fluid under pressure, e.g. compressed air. The bladder may be made from an elastomeric material and where the pipe-work is of a plastics material the inflatable/deflatable bladder may be made as a co-extrusion with the pipe-work.

Alternatively the bladder may be loosely contained within the pipe-work.

Brief description of the drawings

Figures la and lb are longitudinal and transverse cross-sections respectively of a first embodiment of pipe-work; Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of the pipe-work of Figure la in an alternative condition; Figures 3a and 3b are longitudinal and transverse cross-sections respectively of a second embodiment of pipe-work; Figure 4 shows the embodiment of Figure 3a in its alternative condition; Figure 5 is a cut-away perspective view of the end of pipe-work of the kind shown in Figures 3 and 4; Figures 6a and Sb show in longitudinal and transverse cross-section a third embodiment of pipe-work; Figure 7 shows the embodiment of Figure 6a in its alternative condition; Figure 8 is illustrative of an agricultural crop sprayer which may include the pipework of the previous embodiments

Detailed description of the drawings

Figures 1 a and lb show in longitudinal and transverse cross-section a first embodiment of pipe-work 110, e.g. for agricultural spray apparatus. The pipework 110 is connected to a fluid inlet 116. The pipework is provided internally with an inflatable bladder 112 in relatively small diameter hose form so as not to obstruct the pipe-work in its condition as seen in Figure 1. The bladder is connected to an air inlet 114.

Figures 2a and 2b show in longitudinal and transverse cross-section the pipe-work of Figure 1 a with the bladder 112 inflated by means of compressed air so that the bladder 112 substantially fills the pipe-work 110. The expansion of the bladder expels material in the pipe-work and purges the pipe-work without the need to introduce a purge liquid.

Figures 3a and 3b show in longitudinal and transverse cross-section a second embodiment of pipe-work 120 connected to a fluid inlet 126, e.g. for agricultural spray apparatus. The pipework is provided internally with an integrally formed flexible membrane or bladder 122 connected to an air inlet 124. It is shown in its deflated condition in Figure 3 so that the pipe-work is substantially unobstructed and can be used to circulate spray liquid to spray nozzles, not shown.

Figure 4 shows the embodiment of Figure 3 in its alternative condition in which the flexible membrane or bladder is inflated using compressed air or the like substantially to fill the interior of the pipe-work to purge the pipe-work of spray chemical.

Figure 5 is a cut-away perspective view of the end of pipe-work of the kind shown in Figures 3 and 4. Figure 5 shows how the flexible membrane or bladder can be connected to the air inlet.

Figures 6a and Sb show in longitudinal and transverse cross-section a third embodiment of pipe-work 130 connected to a fluid inlet 136, e.g. for agricultural spray apparatus. The pipe-work is provided internally with a flexible membrane or bladder 132 arranged substantially to line the interior of the pipe-work. In this condition the pipe-work may be used to circulate spray chemical from the fluid inlet. An air inlet 134 is also provided between the exterior of the flexible membrane or bladder and the interior of the pipe-work.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-section of the embodiment of Figure 6a showing the flexible membrane or bladder after compressed air has been applied to flatten or collapse the membrane or bladder to purge the pipe-work of remaining spray chemical after spraying has been completed.

Figure 8 is illustrative of an agricultural crop sprayer which may include the pipework of the previous embodiments. Figure 8 is taken from W02008/149054 to the present applicant. Such sprayers generally comprise a source of spray liquid, generally in a tank 30 which is connected by pipe-work 12 to a pump 32 and to spray nozzles 10. A control valve 34 is operated to direct spray liquid back to the tank. A filling hopper 36 is also provided by which chemical to be sprayed can be introduced into the apparatus.

Each spray nozzle 24 also has a restrictor 26 as shown in Figure 8 but this is an optional feature.

The invention thus provides a way of purging pipe-work, more particularly, but not exclusively, the spray lines of agricultural spray apparatus, with a fluid that is kept entirely separate from the normal contents of the pipe-work, thereby reducing residual volumes of the normal spray liquid, by providing the pipe-work with a flexible bladder and a fluid inlet arrange to move the flexible bladder between a position where it substantially lines the interior of the pipe-work and a position where the bladder occupies a small volume in the interior of the pipe-work.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. Spray apparatus comprising spray nozzles connected to a source of spray liquid via a pump and pipe-work, wherein at least a portion of the pipe-work is provided with an internal inflatable bladder that is arranged to be deflated during spraying and to be inflated substantially to fill the pipe-work and thus to purge the pipe-work after spraying is finished or to purge pipe-work not required during spraying.
2. Spray apparatus comprising spray nozzles connected to a source of spray liquid via a pump and pipe-work, wherein at least a portion of the pipe-work is provided with an internal bladder arranged to line the pipe-work during spraying and to be deflated to purge the pipe-work after spraying is finished or to purge pipe-work not required during spraying.
3. Spray apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, in the form of agricultural spray apparatus.
4. Spray apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inflatable or deflatable bladder is moved between its inflated and deflated conditions by a fluid under pressure, e.g. compressed air.
5. Spray apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the bladder is made from an elastomeric material.
6. Spray apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pipe-work is of a plastics material and wherein the inflatable/deflatable bladder is made as a co-extrusion with the pipe-work.
7. Spray apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
8. Pipe-work provided with a flexible bladder and a fluid inlet arrange to move the flexible bladder between a position where it substantially lines the interior of the pipe-work and a position where the bladder occupies a small volume in the interior of the pipe-work.
9. Pipe-work according to claim 8, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.