Spray assembly for boom sprayer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10420333-B2
Application number	US-201514703578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 4, 2015
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A boom spray assembly, such as for an agricultural sprayer, has a feed pipe and a spray pipe with a continuous tubular body. The tubular body has at least one facial feed opening therein between the ends opening along a second axis at an angle to a first axis of the tubular body. A saddle fitting is coupled to the spray pipe that defines a first passageway extending along the first axis to receive the tubular body and defines a second passageway extending along the second axis in registration with the at least one facial feed opening and receiving spray material from the at least one feed pipe. At least one spray nozzle is coupled to the tubular body of the at least one pipe in communication with the first and second passageways.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. In a sprayer having a boom frame, a spray assembly mounted to the boom frame comprising:
at least one feed pipe operationally coupled to a spray material supply;
at least one spray pipe having a unitary tubular body including an internal passageway extending along a first axis between opposite ends, the tubular body having at least one facial feed opening formed in the tubular body between the ends and opening about a second axis at an inclined angle to the first axis and having at least one facial nozzle opening formed in the tubular body between the ends; and
at least one saddle fitting mounted to the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe and to the at least one feed pipe, the at least one saddle fitting defining a first passageway extending along the first axis and receiving the tubular body and including a saddle fitting opening defining a second passageway extending along the second axis, wherein the saddle fitting opening is in registration with the at least one facial feed opening and is configured to transfer spray material from the at least one feed pipe;
at least one nozzle coupled to the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe at the at least one facial nozzle opening and in communication with the first and second passageways, and
an aspirator at least in part received within and extending into an open end of the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle is mounted to the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe at the at least one facial nozzle opening, wherein the at least one facial nozzle opening opens about a third axis having an angular position about the first axis dependent upon an angular position of the second axis.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein there are a plurality of nozzles mounted to the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe at a plurality of facial nozzle openings in the tubular body spaced apart along the first axis.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , further including a connector pipe extending along the second axis and coupled to the at least one feed pipe and the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the aspirator has an elongated body disposed within the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe and a head extending outside of the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe, and
wherein the head has a facial opening in communication with an internal passageway located within the elongated body and extending from the head and through the elongated body.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the internal passageway has a converging section narrowing in a direction toward the head of the aspirator, wherein the converging section is located within the elongated body.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the internal passageway follows a bend such that an end section of the internal passageway leading from the facial opening in the head extends at an angle to the converging section.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one saddle fitting is split in along the first axis so that the first passageway is defined by a first fitting part that couples to a second fitting part, wherein one of the first fitting part and the second fitting part includes a pipe section defining the saddle fitting opening, the pipe section configured to extend into the at least one facial feed opening.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , further including at least one seal disposed about the at least one facial feed opening between the at least one saddle fitting and the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe.

10. A sprayer, comprising:
a boom frame;
at least one spray assembly mounted to the boom frame, including:
at least one feed pipe operationally coupled to a spray material supply;
at least one spray pipe having a unitary tubular body including an internal passageway extending along a first axis between opposite ends, the tubular body having at least one facial feed opening formed in the tubular body between the ends and opening about a second axis at an inclined angle to the first axis and having at least one facial nozzle opening formed in the tubular body between the ends;
at least one saddle fitting mounted to the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe and to the at least one feed pipe, the at least one saddle fitting defining a first passageway extending along the first axis and receiving the tubular body and including a saddle fitting opening defining a second passageway extending along the second axis, wherein the saddle fitting opening is in registration with the at least one facial feed opening and is configured to transfer spray material from the at least one feed pipe;
at least one nozzle coupled to the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe at the at least one facial nozzle opening and in communication with the first and second passageways; and
an aspirator at least in part received within and extending into an open end of the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe.

11. The sprayer of claim 10 , wherein the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe has a plurality of facial nozzle openings that each open about a third axis having an angular position about the first axis dependent upon an angular position of the second axis.

12. The sprayer of claim 11 , wherein there are a plurality of nozzles mounted to the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe at the plurality of facial nozzle openings in the tubular body spaced apart along the first axis.

13. The sprayer of claim 10 , wherein the aspirator has an elongated body disposed within the tubular body and a head extending outside of the tubular body, and
wherein the head has a facial opening in communication with an internal passageway extending from the head and through the elongated body.

14. The sprayer of claim 13 , wherein the internal passageway has a converging section narrowing in a direction toward the head of the aspirator, wherein the converging section is located within the elongated section.

15. The sprayer of claim 10 , wherein the at least one saddle fitting is split along the first axis so that each first passageway is defined by a first fitting part that couples to a second fitting part, wherein one of the first fitting part and the second fitting part includes a pipe section defining the saddle fitting opening, the pipe section configured to extend into the at least one facial feed opening.

16. The sprayer of claim 10 , wherein each spray assembly further includes at least one seal disposed about the at least one facial feed opening between the at least one saddle fitting and the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe.

17. The sprayer of claim 10 , wherein each spray assembly further includes a A connector pipe extending along the second axis and coupled to the at least one feed pipe and the tubular body of the at least one spray pipe.

18. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the internal passageway extends from the aspirator facial opening, through the head of the aspirator, and through the aspirator body and each of the at least one facial feed opening and the at least one facial nozzle opening are formed in an arcuate, circumferential face of the unitary tubular body.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Mellin Michael J

Classifications

• F16L41/12

  using attaching means embracing the pipe · CPC title

• B05B15/658

  the spraying apparatus or its outlet axis being perpendicular to the flow conduit · CPC title

• B05B1/1645

  the outlets being rotated during selection · CPC title

• A01M7/006

  Mounting of the nozzles · CPC title

• A01M7/0042

  Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted · CPC title