NZ235383A - Pollen spraying device: pollen reservoir and battery-powered compressor carried in knapsack - Google Patents

Description

235383 NEW ZEALAND No.: 235383 Date: 19 August 1990 PATENTS ACT. 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION N.2. PATENT OFFICE 19 DEC 1991 HECEIV"") 'Improvements in or Relating to a Spraying Device" I, GRAHAM JOHN COLIN CRAWSHAW, a New Zealand citizen of 101 Cameron Road, Te Puke, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to a spraying device and has been devised particularly though not necessarily solely for spraying male kiwifruit pollen onto female kiwifruit flowers.

There are at present two methods widely in use in New Zealand for spraying pollen onto female kiwifruit flowers. The first of these is the use of relatively small "pump up" hand held sprayers and the second in units which are able to be mounted on a tractor. Such units include a compressor driven from the power take off of the tractor, a tank to hold the pollenised spray and a number, usually eight, conduits running from that tank to hand held spray heads. In this arrangement a number of users walk along with the tractor as it passes down rows of kiwifruit plants.

The first of these methods is disadvantageous in that it requires the operator to stop to pump up the spray device at frequent intervals which is time consuming and physically demanding at least for some operators. The tractor mounted construction is also disadvantageous in that the mobility of the operators is substantially reduced and there is also a need to work substantially at the speed the tractor is moving which can lead to some flowers being missed and also means, in effect, that each operator must move at the rate of the slowest It is an object of the present invention to provide a spraying device which will obviate or minimise the forgoing disadvantages in a simple yet effective manner or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly in a first aspect the present invention consists in a spraying device comprising: a reservoir of dispensable material; a spray head through which said dispensable material is sprayed, said spray head j 1 5 MAI? t9j$ Rf.CEIVCD 235383 being constructed and configured so as to be hand held, said spray head giving an inlet for pumped air, a mixing chamber for mixing said dispensable material and air and an outlet from said mixing chamber, said spray head being operatively connected to allow said dispensable material to move from said reservoir to said spray head; and pump means operable to move said dispensable material from said reservoir to said spray head, wherein said pump means and said reservoir are mounted in or on a knapsack type construction.

Preferably said dispensable material is pollen or pollen containing material.

Preferably said pollen containing material comprises a pollenised spray material.

Preferably said pump means comprises a compressor and a battery.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a simplified diagrammatic representation of a pollen spraying device according to one preferred form of the invention.

According to the invention a spraying device is provided as follows.

The spraying device which in the preferred embodiment is a pollen spraying device comprises a spray head 1 which in the preferred embodiment has an inlet at 2 for pollen or pollen containing material and an inlet at 3 for air so that the pollen containing material and air are able to be mixed in a mixing chamber 4 an outlet of which at 5 2353 83 allows the mixed material to be dispensed and directed in particular onto a female flower.

The spray head 5 desirably includes a switch or trigger (not shown) although alternative locations for the switch or trigger positions could be provided.

The pollen or pollen containing material such as a pollenised spray 6 is contained within a tank or other receptacle 7 which is operatively connected to the spray head 1 for example by a conduit or line 8. The conduit or line 8 may terminate at 9 substantially towards the bottom 10 of the receptacle 7. Dispensable material is caused to move along the line 8 by increasing the air pressure in the space 11 above the material 6. This increased pressure may be achieved by a pump means which in the preferred form comprises a compressor 12 powered by a portable battery 13. A pipe or conduit 16 operatively connects compressor 12 and tank 7 to provide inlet air to space 11. A pressure gauge 14 may be provided if desired.

The air inlet 3 may be supplied by a conduit or pipe 15 which may be a branch conduit or pipe from conduit or pipe 16.

The construction is such that at least the compressor 12 and batteiy 13 are able to be carried readily on a users back and to this end they may be contained in a knapsack or similar construction (not shown). In the preferred embodiment the receptacle or tank 7 is also carried in or on the knapsack or like construction. Alternatively a belt or shoulder bag (not shown) could be used. The air flow should be sufficient to carry the pollen spray two to five inches to allow adequate coverage of the female flowers.

It will be clear that other dispensable material such as insecticides, herbicides and the like can be dispensed. 4_ | N.Z. PATENT OFFICE 1 5 MAR 1994 Use of the invention is as follows.

In the preferred form of the invention the compressor 12, battery 13 and receptacle 7 are mounted in or on a knapsack which can then be carried on a users back. The spray head 1 is carried in the users hand and is used to direct pollen or other dispensable material onto the female flowers. Where provided the switch or trigger is operated as required.

Thus it can be seen that at least in the preferred form of the invention a pollen spraying device is provided which has the advantage that the construction may be readily portable but does not require that the user make frequent stops to re-pump the spray head. Furthermore the user is not restricted in movement to the movements of other operators or a tractor or other vehicle. As the construction is carried on the users back the battery can have a capacity such as to give sufficient power for a substantial working period.

N.Z. PATENT OFFICE | 1 5 MAR m

Claims (5)

0 WHAT I CLAIM IS: 235383

1. A spraying device comprising: a reservoir of dispensable material; a spray head through which said dispensable material is sprayed, said spray head being constructed and configured so as to be hand held, said spray head having an inlet for pumped air, a mixing chamber for mixing said dispensable material and air and an outlet from said mixing chamber said spray head being operatively connected to allow said dispensable material to move from said reservoir to said spray head; and pump means operable to move said dispensable material from said reservoir to said spray head, wherein said pump means and said reservoir are mounted in or on a knapsack type construction.

2. A spraying device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said dispensable material is pollen or pollen containing material.

3. A spraying device as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said pollen containing material comprises a pollenised spray material.

4. A spraying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said pump means comprises a compressor and a battery.

5. A spraying device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing. DATED THIS ^ DAY OF V^H- AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANT N.Z. PATENT OFFICE 1 1 APR 1994 Rcc'jvrro