US2548209A

US2548209A - Weed spraying device

Info

Publication number: US2548209A
Application number: US43186A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lester S Foster
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-08-09
Filing date: 1948-08-09
Publication date: 1951-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 1968-04-10

Description

April 10, 1951 L. s. FOSTER WEED SPRAYING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1948 Les/er S. F osfer IN V EN TOR.

April 10, 1951 L. s. FOSTER 2,548,209

WEED SPRAYING DEVICE I Filed Aug 9, 1948 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lesler 5. Fos/er INVENTOR.

latented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED sTATss t-ATENT OFFICE WEED SPRAYING DEVICE Lester S. Foster, Raymond, Ill.

Application August 9, 1948, Serial No. 43,186

3 Claims. (01. 287 -96) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in devices for spraying weeds, more particularly, devices of this character such as are intended for attachment to tractors, or the like, and the principal object of the invention is to enable such devices or attachments to be folded or collapsed in order to facilitate their passage through narrow gates, or the like, and also to enable such devices to collapse or fold themselves upon coming in contact with some obstruction which would otherwise cause their breakage.

Weed spraying devices usually assume the form of tubular conduits attached to and extending laterally for considerable distances from a tractor,or the like, and the invention, therefore, contemplates the provision of a novel hinge structure for connecting the laterally extending conduit sections to the central section, whereby the lateral sections may be folded or collapsed, both in a horizontal and in a vertical plane, as required by the working conditions.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for normally maintaining the lateral and center sections of the conduit in a longitudinally aligned. relation, to which relative position the sections automatically return themselves after an obstruction has been cleared, or the like.

An important advantage of the invenition resides inits simplicity of construction, ease and convenience of manipulation, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in its laterally extended position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a hinge structure used in the invention, the same being shown laterally extended;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view of the subject shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the subject shown in Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional View, taken substantially in the plane of the line 5-5 in Figure 2; and,

I Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the lateral conduit sections used in the V invention.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring noW to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a weed spraying device designated generally by the reference character I0,- such as is intended for mounting preferably on the front end portion of a tractor, or the like (notshown).

The front end of the tractor is provided for the purpose of carrying the weed spraying device with a suitable frame indicated at' I 2 in Figure 1, and the spraying device itself embodies in its construction a center conduit section l4 anda pair of lateral conduit sections Hi, all of which are equipped with suitable delivery hoses l8 and with a plurality of spraying nozzles 20, in accordance with conventional practice.

The essence of novelty in the invention resides in the attachment of the lateral sections l6 to the center section Hi, this attachment being effected by the provision of a hinge structure designated generallyby the reference character 22. Inasmuch as the hinge structures employed for attaching the two lateral sections [6 to the center section M are similar in construction, a description of one will sufiice for both.

Each of the hinge units 22 embodies in its construction an intermediate plate 24, an inner plate 26 and an outer plate 28, as is best shown in Figure 5, the inner-and outer plates bein hinged to the intermediate plate at the opposite sides and opposite ends of the latter, as indicated at 36, 32, respectively.

For purposes of reinforcement, the intermediate plate 24 may be provided at the upperand lower edges thereof with flanges or webs 3:2,

these flanges or webs covering the upper and lower edges of the inner and

outer plates

26, 28 when the

plates

24, 26, 28 are drawn together, as is best shown in Figures 3 and 5.

' The inner plate 26 is secured by welding, or the like, to an end of the center conduit section 14, while a pair of spaced parallel brackets 3'6 are welded to the outer plate 28 and are provided with a transversely extending, horizontally disposed pivot pin 38.

The brackets 36 straddle, so to speak, an inner end portion of the lateral conduit section l6, and the aforementioned pin 38 extends through a bore 40 of a mounting block 42 which is welded, or otherwise secured, to the section 16, as is best shown in Figure 6. A stop block 44 is secured between the brackets 36 and the conduit section I6 is supportably engageable by the block 44 in a substantially horizontal position and in horizontal alignment with the center section 14, the latter being attached as at 46 to the frame 12 on the tractor and the section l4 being, of course, horizontally disposed.

A set of reinforcing struts are provided on the center conduit section I4, namely, the upright struts 48, upwardly divergent struts 50 and upwardly convergent struts 52, the outer ends of the struts 50 being provided with flexible elements such as chains 54 connected by tension spring 56 to the outer end portions of the lateral conduit sections l6, whereby the latter are prevented from dropping too abruptly against the stop 44 after being lowered from their elevated positions as indicated at 58 in Figure 3. It

should, of course, be understood that the outer sections 16 may be raised in a vertical plane as indicated at 60 in Figure 3 to a position shown in the phantom lines 58,'such raising being necessitated, for example, in order to clear obstructions when passing through narrow gates, or the like.

It will be also apparent that the outer sections I6 are swingable in a horizontal plane, both forwardly and rearwardly, as indicated at 62, 64, respectively, in Figure 4, this, of course, being facilitated by the respective hinged

connections

30, 32 provided between the

plates

24, 26, 28.

The brackets 36 areprovided with U-shaped l shackles 66, and suitable tension springs 68 extend between the shackles and the aforemention struts 52, being anchored to'the latter as indicated at III. These springs are so arranged that they normally draw the

plates

24, 26, 28 together and these plates, having substantial areas in contact with one another, efiectively function to retain the lateral sections it in iongitudinal alignment with the center sections 14,

that is to say, the springs 63 normally urge the sections 16 to their laterally projected positions as shown. in Figure 1, and movement of the sec- 4 able hooks 12 provided on the frame it for the purpose of supporting the sections [6 in a forwardly and upwardly swung position while the device is being transported from one side of operation to another. i

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and, accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. In a weed spraying device, a rigidly mounted and horizontally disposed center section, a lateral section disposed at an end of said center section, and hinge means connecting said sections together, said means including an intermediate plate, an inner plate and an outer plate hinged at opposite sides and opposite ends to said intermediate plate, said inner plate being secured to said center section, spaced brackets secured to said outer plate, and a horizontal hinge pin extending through said brackets and through said lateral section, whereby said lateral section may be swung in a vertical plane.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a stop provided between said brackets, said lateral section being engageable with said stop for support in a substantially horizontal plane.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 together with resilient means for urging said plates together.

invention, what is LESTER S. FOSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 79,950 Carkeet July 1a, 1868 2,205,484 Lindsay June 25, 1940 2,221,433 Pitner Nov. 12, 1940 2,273,344 Black et a1. Feb. 17, 1942 2,277,176 Wagner Mar. 24, 1942