GB844868A - Improvements in and relating to spraying machines for horticultural, agricultural orlike use - Google Patents

Abstract

844,868. Crop sprayers. DRAKE & FLETCHER Ltd. Aug. 18, 1958 [May 27, 1957; June 28, 1957], Nos. 16806/57 and 20467/57. Class 69 (3). A spraying unit for detachable mounting on a vehicle, e.g. on the rear of an agricultural tractor, comprises a frame support 1 on which are mounted centrifugal fans 14, 15 with spraying nozzles 21 located in their outlets 19, an air compressor 32 or a liquid pump which effects or assists in the delivery of liquid spray from the nozzles, and a shaft 23 adapted for connection to a power take-off of the vehicle whereby the fans and compressor or pump can be driven. As shown, the unit is mounted on the rear of a tractor by means of rods 4 extending from plates 5 on the frame and engaged by arms 6 of the tractor; a U-shaped link 7 is pivoted at its free ends to the apexes of the plates 5 and the mid-point of its upper cross-member has a lug 8 for connection to the tractor. The side arms of the link are slotted and each slot takes a screw which engages any one of several holes in a plate secured to a standard 3 at the front of the frame. The compressor 32 is supported on crossmembers at the top of the standards 3 and is driven by a belt 33 from a pulley on a shaft 28 driven by a belt 30 from the shaft 23. A tank 38 for spray liquid e.g. insecticide is detachably attached to brackets 35 on the standards, and a flexible pipe feeds liquid from the tank to the nozzles. A flexible pipe feeds compressed air from the compressor to the tank via a pressure reduction valve and a further pipe delivers compressed air at unreduced pressure to the spray nozzles. The fans have a common shaft 13 connected to shaft 28 and mounted in bearings 12 on a support 9, and the fan casings 10, 11 are arranged back to back with air inlets 16 and 17 respectively. The casings are freely rotatable about their axes to enable their arcuate slot-shaped air outlets to be directed as desired, and a spring-loaded detent 40 on one casing and arranged to detachably engage the other, allows one casing to be angularly adjustable relative to the other. The casings are rotated by a crank handle 44, shaft 41 and a belt &c. drive. For the purpose of spraying larger volumes of liquid, a larger tank on a trailer is coupled to the rear of the unit and has an air inlet pipe within and at the base of the tank to which the compressor outlet is connected. An agitation of the liquid in the tank is thereby produced, and the pressure therewithin forces the liquid therefrom and through a flexible pipe to the nozzles. Alternatively the compressor is replaced by a liquid pump whose intake is connected to the tank and its outlet to the nozzles. Specification 749,286 is referred to.