Abstract:
This application discusses, among other things, agricultural equipment and more particularly agricultural chemical applicators. In an example, an agricultural sprayer system can include a first boom section configured to receive a carrier material and a chemical material and to provide an agricultural chemical mixture, the boom section having a plurality of nozzles for spraying the chemical mixture; and a first rod insert coupled to an end cap of the boom section, the rod insert configured to reduce the volume of the boom section and to provide increased flow velocity of the chemical mixture to each of the plurality of nozzles.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 to Hebbert et al., U.S. Provisional Patent Application No., 61/803,942, entitled, “GEAR FLOW DIVIDER FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT INJECTION,” filed Mar. 21, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     OVERVIEW 
       [0002]    This application discusses, among other things, agricultural equipment and more particularly agricultural chemical applicators. In an example, an agricultural sprayer system can include a first boom section configured to receive a carrier material and a chemical material and to provide an agricultural chemical mixture, the boom section having a plurality of nozzles for spraying the chemical mixture; and a first rod insert coupled to an end cap of the boom section, the rod insert configured to reduce the volume of the boom section and to provide increased flow velocity of the chemical mixture to each of the plurality of nozzles. 
         [0003]    This overview is intended to provide a general overview of subject matter of the present patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the invention. The detailed description is included to provide further information about the present patent application. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates general an example sprayer system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]    The present inventors have recognized apparatus and methods for improving chemical injection for sprayer applications, such as chemical injection for agricultural sprayers and sprayer systems. In certain examples, more precise application of injection chemicals can be achieved using the apparatus and methods discussed below. In some examples, an apparatus can include a gear flow divider and multiple injector locations for the injection chemicals, including injector locations at or near the sprayer nozzles. In some examples, an apparatus can include a rod insert that can be inserted in a boom and can decrease boom volume. Decreased boom volume can allow an increase in flow velocity and, therefore, a decrease in chemical injection latency and application latency. 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates general an example sprayer system  100  including multiple sections, or boom sections  102 , a flow divider  103 , recirculation circuit  104  and multiple injectors  105 . In certain examples, an injector  105  can be associated with a boom section  102  that includes one or more nozzles (not shown) for releasing or spraying a carrier material and an injection chemical. In certain examples, the sprayer system  100  can include a reservoir  101 , such as a tank, to hold a supply of the injection chemical. In certain examples, the sprayer system  100  can include a pump  106  to draw the injection chemical from the reservoir  101  to the flow divider  103 . The flow divider  103  can distribute an aggregate flow of the injection chemical to a number of injectors  105 . In certain examples, the flow divider  103  can include a gear flow divider that can provide a continuous supply of the injection chemical to each injector  105  with little if any flow ripple. In some examples, the gear flow divider can include a stackable architecture to allow the sprayer system  100  to be reconfigured for more or less injectors or injector locations. In certain examples, the gear flow divider can include gear sizes having gear diameter and gear width dimensions that are configured to reduce wear while providing a wide range of flow without a ripple effect. In certain examples, the reduced wear can be achieved using gears designed to operate at low speeds. 
         [0008]    In certain examples, portions of the spray system  100 , such as individual sections or boom sections  102 , can be enabled and disabled, for example, to minimize overlapping and wasting spray materials. In certain examples, the spray system  100  can include a recirculation valve  107  in each output circuit of the flow divider  103 . In certain examples, when a boom section  102  is disabled, the recirculation valve  107  can be used to isolate the boom section  102  from the flow of the injection chemical and can simultaneously recirculate an injection chemical flow back to the input of the flow divider  103 . In certain examples, the recirculation circuit  104  can include a check valve  108  to mitigate injection chemical flow bypassing the flow divider  103  through the recirculation circuit  104 . In certain examples, a controller  113  can control the injection pump  106  and the recirculation valves  107 . In some examples, each recirculation valve  107  can operate in conjunction with a section control valve  114  configured to enable and disable one or more boom sections  102  of the sprayer system  100 . In certain examples, a recirculation valve  107  can include, but is not limited to, a 2-way, 3-port valve. In certain examples, the controller can adjust the speed of the injection pump  106  such that as boom sections  102  are enabled and disabled, the speed of the injection pump  106  can be adjusted to provide a proper aggregate flow of the injection chemical. 
         [0009]    At or near each boom section  102 , an injection flow line  109  can be coupled to a carrier flow line  110 , at an injector  105  or an injector junction, to allow the injection chemical to be introduced with the flow of the carrier material. In certain examples, each boom section  102  can include a mixer, such as an inline mixer  111 , after the injector  105  to mix the injector chemical and the carrier material prior to being released or sprayed at a nozzle of the boom section  102 . In certain examples, a frame can include the sprayer system  100 . In some examples, the frame can be configured to be towed over a field. In certain examples, the frame can include a drive train for moving the sprayer system  100  over a field. In some examples, the frame can include the sprayer system  100  and the carrier material distribution system (not shown). In some examples, the controller can receive application information such as an application map and position, speed and heading information of the sprayer system to control the sprayer system  100  according to application rates dictated by the application map. 
         [0010]    In certain examples, a section or a section boom  102  can include a rod insert  112 . A rod insert  112  can be configured to reduce injection latency by reducing the volume of a boom section  102  or a portion of a boom section  102 . With reduced volume, flow of the carrier material and the injection chemical can be increased and thus reduce the time for the injection chemical to pass through the sprayer system  100 . Such a reduction can assist in allowing the system to more precisely control the application of the injector chemical. In certain examples, use of injectors  105  located at the boom sections  102  and use of the rod inserts  112  can reduce injection latency up to about 75%. 
       Additional Notes and Examples 
       [0011]    The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as “examples.” All publications, patents, and patent documents referred to in this document are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as though individually incorporated by reference. In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated reference(s) should be considered supplementary to that of this document; for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls. 
         [0012]    In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more.” In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Also, in the following claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. 
         [0013]    The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.