Support arm device

A support arm device for use in supporting a spray head in spraying liquids. The device comprises an elongated support portion having a longitudinal axis, and an elongated mounting portion attached at a point between its ends to one end of the support portion. The mounting portion has a longitudinal axis transverse to the axis of the support portion and at least one end of the mounting portion includes fastner. The device further includes an elongated leg portion attached to the other end of the support portion and having a longitudinal axis transverse to the axis of the support portion. A releasable clamp is about the leg portion, the clamp for securing a spray head into the device.

The present invention relates generally to devices for the application of 
agricultural chemicals and, more particularly, to a support arm device 
adapted for use in supporting a spray head for spraying agricultural 
chemicals. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In modern day farming operations, particularly in grain farming operations, 
it is necessary to apply a number of agricultural chemicals to the crops 
at various times during the growing season. Such agricultural chemicals 
include fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and the like. Since these 
chemicals are normally in liquid form or applied using a carrier liquid, 
spraying is the most convenient and commonplace mode of application. 
Various apparatus are known in the agricultural arts for the spray type 
application of liquid type chemicals. One type of such apparatus is used 
solely for spraying and comprises a wheeled vehicle supporting a tank 
containing the agricultural chemical and one or more spray heads 
communicating with the interior of the tank. The vehicle is adapted to be 
towed behind a tractor or the like when spraying operations are conducted. 
Examples of apparatus of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,471,256 to 
Frederick; U.S. Pat. No. 1,561,645 to Howard and U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,349 
to Mecklin et al. 
Another type of apparatus for applying agricultural chemicals comprises 
attachments for conventional farming equipment which enables spraying to 
be accomplished while other farm operations are being conducted. For 
example, devices are known which attach to a conventional planter, disc or 
the like to enable the application of chemicals during planting or discing 
operations. Devices of this type are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,632,043 to Kirschmann and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,593 to Wilt. 
Since agricultural spray apparatus of both types are normally used to apply 
a variety of chemicals to different crops, it is important that the 
apparatus be capable of adjustment so as to vary the spray applications 
height, spray angle, row spacing and the like to provide the optimum 
spraying conditions for that particular chemical and the particular crop 
at its stage of growth. While most conventional apparatus have some degree 
of adjustability for spraying conditions, the adjustment is often times 
difficult and optimum spray position cannot always be achieved due to 
inherent limits in the adjustablity. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a support arm 
for a spray head which is adjustable in at least three directions. 
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a support arm 
device for a spray head in a spraying apparatus which is easily and 
quickly adjusted. 
Briefly, the present invention in its broader aspects comprehends a support 
arm device for use in supporting a spray head in spraying liquids, the 
device comprising an elongated support position having a longitudinal 
axis; an elongated mounting portion having a longitudinal axis essentially 
perpendicular to the axis of the support portion, at least one end of the 
mounting portion including fastening means; and elongated leg portion 
attached to the other end of the support portion and having a longitudinal 
axis transverse to the axis of the support portion; and a releasable clamp 
about the leg portion, the clamp including means for securing a spray 
head. 
Further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will 
become more fully apparent from a detailed consideration of the 
arrangement and construction of the constitutent parts as set forth in the 
following description taken together with the accompanying drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In FIG. 1, shown is one embodiment of a support arm device 10 according to 
the present invention which is particularly adapted for supporting a spray 
head for spraying liquids. Device 10 comprises elongated support portion 
12 having a longitudinal axis. Attached to one end of support portion 12 
is mounting portion 14 and at the other end is attached leg portion 16. 
Both mounting portion 14 and leg portion 16 are elongated and have a 
longitudinal axis transverse, preferably perpendicular, to the 
longitudinal axis of the support portion 12. Portions 12, 14 and 16 can be 
fabricated from any material of sufficient strength but preferably are of 
steel pipe or bar stock which are then welded into a suitable 
configuration for device 10. 
Each end of mounting portion 14 is provided with releasable fastening means 
18, in this embodiment comprising bolts 20 and corresponding threaded 
axial hole 22 in the ends of the mounting portion. Fastening means 18 is 
for releasably securing device 10 to a suitable support such as an 
agriculture implement and for maintaining the device in various 
orientations relative to the support. 
Releasably secured to leg portion 16 is clamp 24 comprising two thin straps 
26 secured together at one end and releasably secured by a clamp bolt 28 
at the other end. The intermediate portions of straps 26 extend around 
opposite sides of leg portion 16 such that clamp 24 can be firmly secured 
to the leg portion. Clamp 24 further includes means for securing a spray 
head (not shown) which, in this embodiment, comprises aligned hole 30 in 
straps 26 through which a spray head nozzle can be inserted and secured 
thereto by nuts. Such an arrangement for the spray head would secure the 
ends of straps 26 opposite from bolt 28 to each other. 
FIG. 2 shows the installation of support arm device 10 on one type of 
agricultural implement, namely planter 40 which, in the portion 
illustrated comprises frames 42 with cross-member 44, seed box 46 on the 
frame and supporting wheels 48. Support arm device 10 of the invention is 
installed such that mounting portion 14 extends between frames 42 and is 
secured thereto by bolts 20. Spray head 50 is attached to clamp 26 and 
delivery line 52 carries agricultural liquids from a suitable reservoir 
(not shown) up to the spray head. 
As is evident from an examination of FIG. 2, support arm device 10 allows 
spray head 50 to be oriented in wide variety of positions. Loosening of 
bolts 20 allows device 10 to be rotated about the axis of mounting portion 
14 and thus position the spray head either closer or further away from the 
ground. Loosening of bolt 28 on clamp 26 allows the clamp to be 
repositioned along the length of leg portion 16 and allows for angular 
reorientation of spray head 50 about the axis of the leg portion. Thus, 
the position of spray head 52 can be adjusted in three different 
directions by simple manipulation of device 10 and as a consequence, a 
wide variety of chemicals can be applied and a variety of sizes of crops 
can be treated by use of the device of the present invention. 
The embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in FIG. 3 is 
very similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The only 
significant difference is that leg portion 16 of this embodiment is 
significantly longer and support portion 12 is secured to the leg portion 
at a point intermediate of its ends. Thus leg portion 16 projects from 
both sides of support portion 12 thereby providing more adjustablity in 
the positioning of clamp 26 and consequently of spray head 50. 
In addition, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is attached to planter frames 
42 by means of brackets 60 rather than directly to the frames themselves. 
Brackets 60 may be made of plate steel and secured to frames 42 by a 
plurality of bolts. 
In FIG. 4, support arm device 10 is secured to frame member 70 of an 
agricultural implement by L-shaped bracket 72. It should be noted that in 
this mounting method, only one end of mounting portion 14 is secured to 
bracket 72, the other end being free. 
The manner of mounting support arm device 10 illustrated in FIG. 5 is 
similar to that of FIG. 4 except that bracket 74 is positioned 
horizontally and is secured to box-like frame member 76 of agricultural 
implement by means of shackle 78. 
In all the embodiments of the invention shown herein, it will be 
appreciated that support arm devices 10 according to the invention provide 
for enhanced flexibility in spraying agricultural chemicals and the 
devices can be used on a wide variety of farm machinery. Furthermore, the 
adjustability feature of the devices enables one to easily spray a wide 
variety of crops of different heights. 
While there has been shown and described what is considered to be a 
preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be apparent to 
those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be 
made therein without departing from the invention as defined in the 
appended claims.