Abstract:
A nozzle apparatus for a spray machine, in particular an agricultural crop sprayer, having a control element adjustable using an external power source for controlling the flow of a spray liquid from a spray line through at least one channel of the nozzle apparatus. Once the control element has been moved to a control position, the position is maintained without further need for external power. The control element may be a ball valve or slide valve. The control element is movable to select nozzle connections and may also be used to vary flow through the selected nozzle connections.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a nozzle apparatus for a spray machine, such as an agricultural crop sprayer, with an adjustable control element.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Agricultural spray machines for outputting a liquid on a crop are known in the prior art. Such spray machines can be embodied as towed sprayers, mounted sprayers, or self-propelled sprayers and have a spray boom fitted with nozzle apparatus. The nozzle apparatus is connected to a spray line and can have one or a plurality of nozzles for outputting the liquid.  
         [0003]     FR 2 655 571 A discloses a nozzle apparatus that is connected to a spray line and fitted with a plurality of nozzles that have a manually turnable rapid-change device. Moreover, the nozzle apparatus is provided with a pre-stressed diaphragm valve that opens a line to the nozzle as soon as a corresponding opening pressure is attained in the nozzle apparatus. The problem is that the valve opens only as a function of the spray pressure and the nozzle apparatus thus can only be actuated as a function of the spray pressure in the spray line.  
         [0004]     EP 932 448 B1 discloses a nozzle apparatus that has an inlet channel connected to a spray boom and an outlet channel connected to a nozzle. Furthermore, the nozzle apparatus is provided with an electromagnetically switchable valve that connects the channels during a spraying process. The problem is that the valve must be supplied with an electrical switched current during the entire spraying process in order to remain in the connected position.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The object of the invention is to create a nozzle apparatus of the type cited in the foregoing with which one or more of the aforesaid problems can be overcome.  
         [0006]     It is another object of the invention to provide an improved nozzle apparatus for a spray machine, particularly an agricultural crop sprayer, that includes a control element that can be adjusted using an external power source for controlling the flow of a spray liquid from a spray line through at least one channel of said nozzle apparatus so that the control element can be brought into at least two control positions. The control element is so constructed that it remains in the selected control position without external power being supplied.  
         [0007]     Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention derive from the appended claims.  
         [0008]     In accordance with the invention, a nozzle apparatus of the type discussed above is provided with at least one control element that remains in the control positions without external power being supplied. The control element is preferably a control valve and acts to connect, or to interrupt the connection of one or more nozzles of the nozzle apparatus to the spray line of a spray boom. The control element can be brought, switched, moved or actuated into different control positions by an external power. The external power for adjusting the control element is applied automatically in the form of electric, magnetic, pneumatic, or hydraulic energy. The control element is embodied such that as soon as it is brought into an adjustable control position, this adjusted control position is maintained without external power in the form of electric, magnetic, hydraulic, or pneumatic energy having to be supplied to the control element or to adjusting means provided for adjusting the control element. By way of example only, this can occur using frictional engagement between the control element and the nozzle arrangement and/or using self-locking adjusting sturcture for adjusting the control element. A self-locking adjusting means can, for example, include a spindle joined to the control element. Rotation of the spindle changes the position of the control element but the control element self-locks in position when the spindle is not rotating.  
         [0009]     The nozzle apparatus can include a plurality of channels, at least one of which is connected to the spray line of a spray boom. At least one additional channel leads to a nozzle attached to the nozzle apparatus through which nozzle spray liquid can be output. The nozzle apparatus can also be provided with a plurality of identical or different nozzles. In addition, a plurality of channels can also be embodied that lead to one nozzle, or a plurality of channels can be embodied that lead to different nozzles in the nozzle apparatus. By using a plurality of nozzles that are identical and/or different, the spray quantity and/or the shape of the spray stream can be varied and regulated. The control element is arranged between the channel connected to the spray line of the spray machine and at least one channel connected to a nozzle so that the channels are each connectable to one another or separable from one another using the control element. Furthermore, it is conceivable to embody the control element such that control positions can be set in which different channels are connected to a channel leading to a spray line or a plurality of channels leading to one or a plurality of nozzles can simultaneously be connected to a channel leading to a spray line. The advantage of this is that the nozzles connected to the nozzle apparatus can have different output apertures and different nozzles can be automatically selected via the control element. Using appropriate embodiment of the control element, a plurality of the channels can also be connected to one channel that is connected to the spray line. Various switch combinations for the nozzles to one another are conceivable so that for instance the output quantity can be regulated by adjusting the control element in that one or two or more nozzles output spray liquid simultaneously.  
         [0010]     It is conceivable that the control positions assumed by the control element also include a control position in which the throughput between two channels can be reduced such that in such a control position only a portion of the stream of liquid is permitted to pass through. Using appropriate control positions between an open and a closed control position, adjustable either continuously or in increments, the throughput of spray liquid as well as the output quantity of spray liquid can be regulated without changing the output cross-section of a nozzle or having to select a different nozzle.  
         [0011]     Alternatively or additionally, the control element may be a control valve, in particular as a ball valve, whereby the ball of the ball valve has at least one channel providing a bore through which the channels of the nozzle apparatus can be connected. In this embodiment, the ball is brought into an appropriate control position in which the apertures of the channels in the ball are partially or completely covered by the apertures of the channels of the nozzle apparatus. The ball valve is preferably borne in a ball valve seat embodied by ball cups, whereby the ball valve seat is arranged inside the nozzle apparatus between the channels to be connected. Frictional engagement between the ball wall of the ball valve and the wall of the ball seat maintains a set control position of the ball valve without external power having to be applied. The ball valve can also be provided with a plurality of branched channels or with a plurality of bores whose openings can connect a plurality of channels or a selection of channels to one another. Thus in the ball valve a T-shaped, star-shaped, or even “tripod”-shaped channel connection can be provided to connect a plurality of channels to one another or to separate the channels from one another in a variety of combinations.  
         [0012]     In another embodiment of the invention, the control element embodied as a control valve is a reducing valve. A reducing valve in the form of a slide valve is particularly suitable for the reducing valve. Such a reducing valve can have one or a plurality of inputs and outputs that are connected to the channels located in the nozzle apparatus. The channels can be connected to one another and/or separated from one another using appropriate positions of a linearly displaceable slide in the reducing valve housing. Furthermore, intermediate positions are possible in which only a portion of the connecting cross-section of the channels is open or closed. The slide has a certain frictional engagement with the reducing valve housing and/or is joined to a self-locking adjusting means. The slide can have various embodiments. For instance, the slide can be embodied as a disk or plate and can represent a displaceable separating wall between two channels. Furthermore, a reducing valve having a cylindrical slide can also be used in which a pin-shaped slide provided with openings or bores is displaceably borne in a cylindrical reducing valve housing connected to input and output channels. By appropriately regulating the slide position of a reducing valve, an aperture cross-section between two channels can be regulated and thus a regulatable reduction in the throughput can be attained. Furthermore, instead of a slide, the reducing valve can, for instance, have a throttle that closes or opens a throttle space connected to the channels in the nozzle apparatus. The throughput through the throttle space can be regulated by appropriate (intermediate) positions of the throttle. The throttle is preferably joined to a self-locking adjusting structure. Furthermore, it is also conceivable to employ a reducing valve embodied as a mushroom valve. Using the mushroom valve, the throughput between the two channels can be regulated via an adjustable aperture cross-section between valve disc and the valve aperture embodied in a valve housing. The valve disk position can also be adjusted via a self-locking adjusting structure, for instance via a spindle.  
         [0013]     The control element can preferably be actuated with a motor. Triggerable electro-motors that are connected to the control element via a spindle are particularly suitable for this actuation. The electro-motor can be a pulse-controlled step motor for example. However, other types of electro-motors that permit fine adjustment of the control element are also conceivable. Where necessary, speed reducers can also be employed for finely adjusting the control element using a rotational or linear movement.  
         [0014]     One inventive nozzle apparatus is particularly suitable for use in agricultural crop sprayers. Such sprayers, for instance mounted sprayers, towed sprayers, or even self-propelled sprayers, have a spray boom that extends horizontally to the direction of travel of the sprayer and to the ground. The spray boom carries a spray line that extends along the spray boom. The spray line is fitted with a plurality of nozzle apparatus that are distributed along the spray line across the entire width of the spray boom. The spray line can be a rigid tube that is provided with a plurality of spray line bores through which spray liquid is conducted into the nozzle apparatus. Such a spray boom provided with the inventive nozzle apparatus offers the additional advantage that, due to the embodiment of the nozzle apparatus, each individual nozzle apparatus is controllable and thus a more precise width setting when the spray liquid is output is possible compared to a spray boom for which part of the width is controlled.  
         [0015]     The invention, as well as advantages and further advantageous developments and embodiments of the invention, are described and explained in greater detail using the drawings, which depict a number of exemplary embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective of a spray boom of a spray machine;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a nozzle apparatus;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the nozzle apparatus in  FIG. 1  with a control element in the closed position;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is another sectional view of the nozzle apparatus in  FIG. 1  with the control element in the closed position;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is the sectional view in accordance with  FIG. 2  with the control element in the open position;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the nozzle apparatus with a control element in another embodiment;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view of another embodiment of a nozzle apparatus;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of another embodiment of a nozzle apparatus;  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the nozzle apparatus in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]      FIG. 1  illustrates a spray boom  6  of a spray machine (not shown). Such a spray boom  6  is employed for instance with agricultural crop sprayers, including towed sprayers, mounted sprayers, and self-propelled sprayers. The spray boom  6  includes a mounting frame  7  for attaching the spray boom  6  on the spray machine. The spray boom  6  has a spray line  8  that extends laterally in opposite directions along the spray boom  6 . The spray line  8  is fitted with a plurality of nozzle apparatus  10  along the spray boom  6 . Each nozzle apparatus  10  is supplied with spray liquid to be sprayed using spray line bores (not shown) in the spray line  8 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  illustrates a nozzle apparatus  10  for a spray machine such as an agricultural crop sprayer. The nozzle apparatus  10  has a fastening part or mounting bracket  12 , a nozzle carrier part  14 , and a housing part  16 . The fastening part  12  has a clip  18  that is connected to the housing part  16  or connected via hinge  20 . A circular opening  22  is defined between the clip  18  and the housing part  16 . The clip  18  and the housing part  16  can be screwed together with screws (not shown) through bores  24 .  
         [0027]     The nozzle carrier part  14  is shown as a turret and has a plurality of nozzle connections  26  that are distributed uniformly over the circumference of the nozzle carrier part  14 . The nozzle carrier part  14  functions as a sleeve and is rotatably supported on the housing part  16 . Inside each nozzle connection  26  a connecting bore  27  leads into the interior of the nozzle carrier part  14 .  
         [0028]     Details of the housing part  16  can be seen particularly well in  FIG. 3 . The housing part  16  has a first bore  28  that leads starting from the opening  22  vertically into the interior of the housing part  16 . A step  30  is formed in the interior of the bore  28  to reduce the diameter of the bore  28 . The housing part  16  includes a second bore  32  that, starting from an area on which the nozzle carrier part  14  is rotatably mounted, leads horizontally into the interior of the housing part  16  to a juncture with the bore  28 . Located in the area of the nozzle connections  26  is an additional bore  34  that represents a vertical passage through the wall of the housing part  16  into the horizontal bore  32 . An opening  36  is provided in the area of the bore  34  on the outside of the housing part  16  in which a ring seal  38  is embedded that is sealingly engaged with the inside of the nozzle carrier part  14  and with the outside of the housing part  16  and is flush with the opening  39  of the bore  34 .  
         [0029]     A cylindrically shaped connection stopper or plug  40  extends into the end of the bore  32  near the nozzle carrier part  14 . The plug  40  has a tube-shaped area  42  with a wall  44  in the area of the nozzle connections  26  and with a through-bore  46 . The through-bore  46  is flush with the bore  34  and the aperture  39 . The plug  40  is secured on the housing part  16  via annular slot  48  on the housing part  16  and a transverse bore  50  in the annular slot  48  by a keeper or retaining ring  52 . The keeper  52  and the annular slot  48  are dimensioned such that the nozzle carrier part  14  is simultaneously secured axially on the housing part  16 .  
         [0030]     A control element  54  in the form of a ball valve is arranged in the bore  28  at the height of the step  30 . The control element  54  has two ball cups  56  embodied as rings that conform to the bore  28 . A ball  60  provided with a through-bore  58  is rotatably borne between the ball cups  56 . Above the control element  54 , a connecting tube  62  provided with a step  61  is fitted in the bore  28 . An area  64  having a smaller diameter projects into the hole  22 . The step  61  is provided with an annular seal  65 . The larger diameter area  66  of the connecting tube  62  engages an annular seal  70  fitted in the wall of the bore  28  in an annular slot  68 .  
         [0031]     As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the ball  60  is securely joined to an adjusting axle or  72  or spindle. The spindle  72  is securely joined to a rotor (not shown) of an adjusting motor  74  such as an electromotor. The adjusting rotor  74  is fixed to the housing part  16  of the nozzle apparatus  10 , preferably by bolting to the housing part (not shown).  
         [0032]     The nozzle apparatus  10  is attached to the spray line  8  with the fastening part  12 . The opening  22  of the nozzle apparatus  10  is placed against the spray line  8  with the area  64  of the connecting tube  62  projecting into a bore (not shown) in the spray line. The annular seal  65  located on a connecting tube  62  prevents the spray liquid from escaping between a spray line bore and the connecting tube  62 .  
         [0033]     Starting from the opening  22 , the hollow space of the connecting tube  62  forms a first channel  75  which conducts spray liquid to the control element  54 . In the direction of flow downstream of the control element  54 , the remaining portion of the bore  28  and the bore  32  of the housing part  16 , the tube-shaped area  42 , the bore  46  of the connection stopper  40 , and the aperture  39  in the annular seal  38  form a second channel  76 . This second channel  76  can be connected to the nozzle connections  26  by aligning the connecting bores  27  with the aperture  39 .  
         [0034]     In  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the control element  54  is shown in a closed position. That is, the wall of the ball  60  closes the apertures of the first and second channels  75 ,  76  so that no spray liquid can travel to the nozzle connections.  
         [0035]     For supplying the nozzle connections with spray liquid, the control element  54  (i.e., the ball  60 ) is turned so the through-bore  58  is brought into alignment with the apertures of the first and second channels  75 ,  76 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . To accomplish aperture and bore alignment, the adjusting motor is appropriately controlled and the adjusting shaft  72  joined to the ball  60  is rotated to the desired position. Depending on the control signal for the adjusting motor, the adjusting element  54  can be brought into a completely open position (see  FIG. 3 ) or even into a partially open position. In a partially open position, the control element  54  is turned less than 90° so that the apertures of the first and second channels  75 ,  76  are only partially opened. Thus a throttle position can be attained that can be used to regulate a throughput quantity of spray liquid.  
         [0036]      FIG. 6  illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the nozzle apparatus  10 . The nozzle apparatus  10  has a control element  54  in the form of a slide valve, whereby a slide  77  such as a disc or slide member is movably mounted in a guide  78 . The slide  77  is constructed to completely closes the aperture cross sections of the first and second channels  75 ,  76  in the closed position illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The slide  77  is securely joined to an adjusting spindle  80  shown as a threaded rod received by a threaded sleeve  82  joined to the adjusting motor  74 . The adjusting motor  74  is connected to the housing part  16  of the nozzle apparatus  10  via connecting part  84  having a guide bore  86  for the threaded sleeve  82 . The adjusting motor  74  is preferably screwed to the connecting part  84  and/or the connecting part  84  to the housing part  16  (not shown).  
         [0037]     By triggering the adjusting motor  74  or by turning the threaded sleeve  82 , the slide  77  is displaced inside the guide  78  in its position and the aperture cross-section of the channels  75 ,  76  are partially or completely uncovered. Thus, depending on the control signal for the adjusting motor  74 , a throttle position can be obtained that can be used to regulate a throughput quantity of sprayed liquid.  
         [0038]     In another exemplary embodiment depicted in  FIG. 7 , the housing part  16  is provided directly with nozzle connections  26  and does not have a separate nozzle carrier part  14 . Compared to the exemplary embodiments depicted in  FIGS. 2 through 6 , the housing part  16  has one bore  28  that leads in a straight line to the nozzle connection  26  so that a second channel  76 ′ is formed solely by the bore  28 . Moreover, the housing part  16  is provided with an additional horizontally oriented bore  86  and with an additional vertically oriented bore  88 , the bore  86  being arranged at the height of the control element  54  and the bore  88  meeting the bore  86  perpendicularly so that the bores  86 ,  88  form a right angle. Furthermore, a stopper  90  is provided with which the horizontal bore  86  is closed on the side. Using the additional bores  86 ,  88  together with the stopper  90 , a third channel  91  is formed that leads from the control element  54  to a nozzle connection  26 . Thus, the nozzle connections  26  are each connected to channels  76 ′,  91 , each of which leads separately to the control element  54  in the housing part  16 .  
         [0039]     The control element  54  is likewise embodied as a ball valve. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the ball  60  includes, in addition to the through-bore  58 , an additional bore  92 . The bores  58 ,  92  are branch relative to one another into a T-shape. The apertures of the channels are arranged according to the bores  58 ,  92  of the ball  60 . By turning the ball  60  into the different control positions, the channels  75 ,  76 ′,  91  defined in the housing part  16  can be connected to or separated from one another in any desired combination.  
         [0040]     The example depicted in  FIG. 7  illustrates the connection of all three channels  75 ,  76 ′,  91  to one another, whereby the first channel  75  is defined by the connecting tube  62 , the second channel  76 ′ is defined by the bore  28 , and the third channel  91  is defined by the bores  86 ,  88 . Turning the ball  60  clockwise an additional 90° would for instance only connect the third channel  91  to the first channel  75 . Turning the ball  60  clockwise an additional 90° would only connect the second channel  76 ′ to the first channel  75 . Turning the ball  60  clockwise an additional 90° would connect the second  76 ′ channel to the third channel  91  and would separate both from the first channel  75  so that supply of the spray liquid would be interrupted. The ball  60  is thus triggered in the same manner as is described for the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 2 through 5 . Because triggering the control element  54  can be used to vary the number of channels  76 ′,  91  supplied with spray liquid, and thus the number of nozzles supplied with spray liquid (not shown), the output quantity can also be regulated without changing the outlet cross-section of a nozzle by selecting a nozzle with a larger or smaller outlet cross-section. This is usually associated with manual adjustment of the nozzle carrier part  14 . In addition, aperture cross-sections can also be regulated by turning the ball slightly (less than 90° out of a control position) so that it is possible to throttle throughput in this exemplary embodiment as well.  
         [0041]     In another exemplary embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , four nozzle connections  26  are arranged uniformly about an axis  93  aligned concentrically with the bore  28 . As with the designs in  FIG. 7 , there is no nozzle carrier part  14  and the housing part  16  includes additional bores  94  through  108 . The additional bores  94  through  108  are configured similarly to the bores  87 ,  88  in  FIG. 7 . In connection with the stopper  90 , this embodies a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth channel  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 , each leading from the control element  54  to the nozzle connections  26 . In this way, the bores  94 ,  96  form a third channel  110 , the bores  98 ,  100  form a fourth channel  112 , the bores  102 ,  104  form a fifth channel  114 , and the borders  106 ,  108  for a sixth channel  116  (see also  FIG. 9 ). In this exemplary embodiment, the second channel  76 ″ formed by the bore  28  guides the adjusting axis  72  of the adjusting motor  74 . The adjusting motor  74  is arranged below the housing part  16  concentric with the axis  93  and connected via the adjusting axis  72  to the control element  54 .  
         [0042]     The control element  54  is again embodied as a ball valve, whereby the ball  60  of the control element  54  has an angle bore  118 . The angle bore  118  is embodied by two blind bores that meet one another to form a right angle control channel. The angle bore  118  is also constructed such that turning the ball  60  can connect the first channel  75  defined by the connecting tube  62  to the third through sixth channel  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 . By appropriately triggering the adjusting motor  74 , the ball can be displaced such that either the third channel  110  or the fourth channel  112  or the fifth channel  114  or the sixth channel  116  is connected to the first channel  75 . Given an appropriate intermediate position of the ball, the throughput through any of the cited channels  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  can be interrupted and/or reduced. The nozzle connections  26  can be fitted with different nozzles so that it is thus possible to attain a selection of nozzles by turning the ball  60  and/or by triggering the control element  54  using the adjusting motor  74 .  
         [0043]     All of the illustrated exemplary embodiments have the advantage that, by a embodying the control element  54  in the form of a ball valve or slide valve, it is only necessary to supply current to the adjusting motor  74  for displacing the control element  54 . As soon as a control position has been assumed, the control position can be maintained without supplying external power, in this case electrical energy.  
         [0044]     Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.