High pressure washer/field spot sprayer

A sprayer serves as a small capacity agricultural or lawn sprayer with spot spraying capacity. It is also used for high pressure spraying, such as a high pressure washer. The sprayer has a cone bottom tank of 2 to 200 gallon capacity which supplies a high pressure pump. A high pressure regulator controls the output of the pump and provides the high pressure supply for a high pressure washing wand. The output of the regulator may also be reduced so that the washing wand can be used for spot spraying. The output of the high pressure regulator is also supplied to a valve which, when opened, supplies liquid to a variable agitator valve for returning water to a jet agitator in the tank. Liquid from the valve is also supplied to a low pressure regulator and an on-off spray valve. The low pressure regulator regulates the pressure to the spray valve which feeds a spray boom unit for spraying agricultural chemicals and the like.

The present invention relates to spraying apparatus and more particularly 
to a sprayer of small physical size that can be used for both high 
pressure and low pressure spraying, as for example in high pressure spray 
washing and low pressure spraying of agricultural chemicals. 
BACKGROUND 
In the prior art, it has been common to require two or more different 
sprayers for carrying out different spray operations. For example, a small 
size agricultural or lawn type sprayer may be used for low pressure field, 
lawn and spot spraying while a separate apparatus is required for use as a 
high pressure washer. The objective of the present invention is to combine 
in a single, small sized apparatus, the ability to perform almost any 
spray function, whether high pressure or low pressure. 
SUMMARY 
According to the present invention there is provided a spraying apparatus 
comprising: 
a tank for liquid to be sprayed; 
a high pressure pump with an inlet connected to the tank to receive liquid 
therefrom; 
a high pressure regulator connected to the pump to receive liquid therefrom 
at high pressure and to deliver liquid at a controlled high pressure; 
high pressure spray means connected to the high pressure regulator to 
receive liquid at the controlled high pressure and selectively operable to 
deliver a high velocity spray of liquid; 
high pressure valve means connected to the high pressure regulator to 
receive liquid at the controlled high pressure for selectively delivering 
the liquid therefrom; 
a low pressure regulator connected to the high pressure valve means to 
receive liquid therefrom and for providing a supply of the liquid at a 
controlled low pressure; and 
low pressure spray means connected to the low pressure regulator to receive 
liquid at the controlled low pressure and for delivering the liquid in a 
controlled low velocity spray. 
The two pressure regulators are preferably independently adjustable so that 
the "high pressure" spray, which is preferably a spray wand, may be used 
both for high pressure washing and for spot spraying of agricultural 
chemicals at relatively low pressure. The low pressure spray is preferably 
a spray boom with fold up, break away ends. 
The preferred tank is a cone bottom tank of between 2 and 200 gallons 
capacity. A small, cone bottom tank of this sort is not known to be used 
in sprayers. It is however, particularly advantageous in the multipurpose 
sprayer of the present invention as it allows the complete washing out of 
the tank after it has been used for a specific application. The tank is 
preferably equipped with a jet agitator, supplied with liquid from the 
line joining the high pressure and low pressure regulators. The agitator 
is therefore only activated when the high pressure valve is opened for low 
pressure spraying. The agitator line is preferably valved with a variable 
valve so that the quantity of liquid supplied to the agitator can be 
controlled. 
For such applications as high pressure washing or spot spraying using a 
wand, the apparatus may be equipped with an additive tank, for liquid 
additives to be injected into the pump to be mixed with water from the 
tank. In washing applications, the additive will usually be soap or 
detergent. 
A three way valve can be fitted in the supply line from the tank to the 
high pressure pump so that water supply can be switched from the tank to 
an external source, for example a garden hose. 
The pump is preferably continuously driven by a gasoline motor. A by-pass 
from the high pressure regulator to the pump recycles excess liquid from 
the regulator. The low pressure regulator is a pressure relief type of 
regulator that returns excess liquid to the tank through a return line. 
The sprayer may be equipped with a three point hitch, trailer or skid mount 
as desired.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to the accompanying drawings, especially FIG. 1, there is 
illustrated a sprayer 10 with a generally rectangular base frame 12 made 
of rectangular tubular sections 12a-12d. Along the rear side 12c of the 
sprayer, the frame is supported on two feet 14, while at the front 12a it 
is supported on a single, central foot 16. On opposite sides 12b and 12d 
of the frame are two upstanding channel section standards 18. A similar 
channel section standard 20 extends upwardly from the center of the front 
frame side 12a. Each of these three standards is equipped with a 
downwardly sloping tank support 22 of channel section. The three supports 
converge towards a common central point. The front standard 20 is also 
connected to two angle braces 24 that join the standard to the sides 12b 
and 12d of the base frame 12. The three standards and their tank supports 
22 support a cone bottom tank 26 on the base frame. The tank is secured to 
the three standards with a nylon strap 28 that surrounds the tank and 
passes through notches in the standards 18. At the front of the sprayer, 
the ends of the strap are connected to eye bolts 30 that are bolted to the 
standard 20 to tighten the strap to retain the tank in position. 
On the left hand side of the sprayer, as viewed from the front (see FIG. 
3), is a square tube 32 connected to the side 12d of the base frame and 
projecting upwardly beside the tank 26. This serves as a receptacle for 
the nozzle end of a high pressure power washer wand. On the same side of 
the frame a Y-shaped hose support 34 is bolted to the standard 18 to hold 
the hose for the washer wand. The hose support consists of a channel 
section 36 bolted to the standard 18 and a U-shaped rod 38 welded to the 
top end of the channel. 
As illustrated most particularly in FIG. 3, there is a V-shaped sub-frame 
40 mounted on the front of the base frame 12 by a pair of clamps 42. Each 
clamp includes a square tube section 44 that extends across the top of one 
front corner of the base frame 12 and is bolted to one side of the 
sub-frame 40, which extends across the same corner, below the frame. 
Also at the front of the base frame 12, projecting forwardly from the front 
frame member 12a are two angle brackets 48. These carry respective pins 50 
that serve as coupling points for a three point hitch. At the top of the 
front standard 20 are two plates 52 that carry a third hitch pin 54 to 
provide the third hitch mounting point. 
Along the front base frame member 12a is a standard 56 that projects above 
the top of the tank 26. A control mounting arm 58 is connected to the top 
of the standard 56 by a T-bolt coupling 60, so that the control mounting 
arm can be swung about the standard 56 and then locked in position using 
the T-bolt. The end of the control mounting arm remote from the standard 
56 carries a spraying control 62. This includes an on-off valve 64 for low 
pressure spraying and a low pressure regulator 66 that is associated with 
a pressure gauge 67 and a regulator control 68. 
A manifold 70 has an outlet elbow 72 connected to the spray control 62 to 
supply liquid to the low pressure regulator 66 and the spray valve 64. The 
manifold has an inlet 74 for pressurized liquid and carries a variable 
agitator valve 76. 
Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the V-shaped sub-frame 40 carries a gasoline 
motor 78 directly driving a pump 80. The pump is connected to a high 
pressure regulator 82 with an associated pressure gauge 84. The regulator 
has a manual control 85 so that the outlet pressure of the regulator can 
be varied. 
The sprayer includes a high pressure power washer wand 86. This includes a 
pistol grip handle with a hand trigger 90 for controlling a valve in the 
wand. A barrel 92 with a spray nozzle at the end projects from the handle 
88. The barrel is in part surrounded by a vented sheath 93 to protect the 
hands of the operator if hot water is to be sprayed. The wand 86 is 
connected to a high pressure hose 94. 
As illustrated most particularly in FIG. 2, the sprayer is equipped with a 
spray boom unit 96. This includes a central standard 98 secured to a 
mounting plate 100 at the bottom end. The mounting plate is in turn 
secured to a plate 102 carried by the rear member 12c of the base frame 
12. The boom itself has two boom sections, one on either side of the 
standard. Each section includes an inner part 104 pivotally connected to 
an outer boom part 120. Each part is a square tube section. The connection 
between the inner boom part and the standard consists of two plates 106 
projecting from respective top and bottom faces of the inner boom part, at 
its inner end and a vertical bolt 108 through the plates and a cross piece 
110 on the standard 98. In addition, a brace 112 slopes upwardly and 
inwardly from the inner boom part to a position above the plates 106, 
where it is provided with two similar horizontal plates 114 that are 
secured by a bolt 116 to another cross piece 118. The bolts 108 and 116 
are co-axial so that the boom section can pivot about the common vertical 
axis of the two bolts. 
The outer boom part 120 is pivotally connected to the inner part section 
104 with two lugs projecting upwards from the inner part 104 and located 
on either side of the outer part 120 and a pin 126 passing through the 
lugs and the arm 120. The pin is oriented front to back of the machine, 
and horizontally so that the arm 120 can swing upwardly from the in-use 
position shown at the left at FIG. 2 to the stored position shown at the 
right in the Figure. The outer part 120 carries a pair of lugs 128 that 
engage the front and back of the inner part 104 in the in-use position. 
To retain the boom sections projecting laterally from opposite sides of the 
frame, the base frame 12 is equipped with two stops 130, one on either 
side, to engage the inner parts 104 and limit their pivotal movement 
towards the front of the sprayer. To retain the boom parts 104 against the 
stops 130, two elastic straps 132 join the outer ends of the boom parts 
104 to the front of the base frame 12. This is most clearly illustrated in 
FIG. 1. If, during spraying, one of the boom sections encounters an 
immobile object, for example a fence post, the elastic strap will yield 
and the boom section will be able to pivot out of the way, ultimately 
returning to its in-use position under the restoring force of the 
associated elastic strap 132. 
The standard 98 of the spray boom unit projects above the cross piece 118 
to a further cross piece 133 which has, at its opposite ends, spaced lugs 
134. The lugs at each end receive between them a respective one of the 
boom parts 120, when it is pivoted upwards to the out of use position 
illustrated on the right in FIG. 2. The arm is retained in that position 
by a retainer 135 passing through aligned holes in the two lugs. 
The spray boom unit carries a series of spray nozzles 136, one on the 
standard 98 (not illustrated in FIG. 2) and three spaced uniformly along 
each boom part 120. 
Referring now to FIG. 5, the fluid connections of the device are 
illustrated. The tank 26 has, at its bottom end, a jet agitator 138. This 
is used to agitate the contents of the tank during chemical spraying to 
ensure that chemicals in the tank remain thoroughly mixed with the carrier 
liquid, usually water. The agitator is operated by carrier liquid supplied 
through an agitator line 140 from the agitator valve 76. 
The outlet 142 from the tank 26 is connected to a three way supply valve 
144 that is arranged to draw supply liquid either from the tank 26 or from 
a hose fitting 146, depending on the setting of the valve. This allows the 
sprayer to use water directly from a hose or other water supply where it 
is being used in a relatively static application, for example as a power 
washer. The outlet from the supply valve 144 passes through a filter 148 
to the inlet valve of a high pressure plunger pump 80. Thus, both tank and 
external water supplies are filtered. The pump delivers high pressure 
fluid to the high pressure regulator 82. Liquid delivered from the pump in 
excess of that used in the remainder of the system is by-passed back to 
the pump through a by-pass line 150. The outlet of the regulator 82 is 
connected to a high pressure ball valve 152 which, when opened, delivers 
fluid to the inlet 174 of the manifold 70 at the spraying control head 62. 
The regulator outlet is also connected to the high pressure hose 94 
supplying the wand 86. 
The manifold 70 discharges to the agitator valve 76 and to the low pressure 
regulator 66. The regulator 66 is of the pressure relief type and 
discharges excess liquid to the tank through a return line 154. The on-off 
valve 64 that controls the liquid supply to the spray boom assembly 96 is 
supplied with liquid from upstream of the regulator 66. 
When the sprayer is used for high pressure spraying, for example power 
washing, with the wand 86, it is often desirable to supply an additive to 
the liquid being sprayed, for example soap. This can be done by providing 
a small tank 156 of liquid additive connected to an injector valve 158 on 
the pump 80 by an additive line 160. The additive tank is mounted on the 
tank 26 by nylon strap 28. The injector is adjustable to meter the 
appropriate amount of additive into the liquid being passed through the 
pump. This injection of additive will take place whether the supply of 
liquid is from the tank 26 or from an external source, such as a water 
supply line. This is particularly useful where the wand is being used as a 
power washer and is spraying hot water from a hot water supply. 
The spray apparatus as thus far described is arranged for connection to a 
three point hitch. The sprayer can also be skid mounted where desired. 
Using substantially the same frame components, it can also be arranged as 
a pull type trailer. To do this, the spray boom unit 96 and the sub-frame 
40 are mounted on the opposite ends of the base frame 12 and the hitch 
pins 50 are replaced with trailer wheels. As illustrated in FIG. 4 the 
boom unit is mounted on a mounting plate 162 secured to the top of a 
square beam 164 projecting from the standard 20 and braced with an angle 
brace 164. The positioning of the boom unit is such that the wheels 166 
will not interfere with the spray. 
Various components of the sprayer may be standard off-the-shelf components. 
For example, the motor may be a Honda GX140 utility motor, while the pump 
may be a Hypro (TM) Series 8600 twin plunger pump. The liquid injector to 
the pump may be a Hypro (TM) Series 3396-001. The spray wand may be a 
"Gunjet" spray gun from Spraying Systems Company of Wheaton, Ill. The high 
pressure regulator may be an "Interpump" series HM automatic unloader 
valve which is adjustable from 0 to 2,000 psi. 
While one specific embodiment of the present invention has been described 
in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are 
possible within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be 
considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.