Abstract:
A spraying system for the application of fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides, etc. to plants, vegetables, small trees and lawns. The spraying system presents several improvements over the original Lacy Sprayer (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,852) inclusive an improved bladder attachment and improved bladder design, and a new pressure-limiting flow restrictor to ensure safe operation, and a spray discharge fitting incorporating a porous filter to protect the bladder from excessive stresses. The spray hose is connected to this assembly. The improved system facilitates a method of use in which the tank containing the spray solution is placed stationery in an area to be sprayed. The operator attaches a long (30′+ or −) small diameter spray hose for remote spraying within a radius permitted by the spray hose. The spraying system avoids the need to pump or to carry a heavy tank while spraying. Moreover, the continuous, higher pressure of the spraying system provides a wide range of operation from a foggy mist to spraying the tops of good size trees, and saves more than half the spray solution normally wasted.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The present application derives priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/333,320 for “HYDRAULIC POWERED SPRAYING SYSTEM FOR HOME GARDENS” filed 26 Nov. 2001. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to pressurized sprayers for the application of fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides, etc. to plants, vegetables, trees and lawns, that permits the tank containing the spray solution to be set in one spot central to the area to be sprayed. The operator then uses a small diameter spray hose attached to said tank to spray within the radius permitted by the length of the long (30′+ or −) spray hose. 
   2. Description of the Background 
   There are many pressurized liquid spraying devices that are presently available on the market. Such sprayers range from back-pack sprayers that pump the liquid directly as it is being dispensed, to gasoline or electric powered sprayers for commercial use. Compressed air pump-sprayers are the common denominator for home gardens and are found in garden and hardware stores for spraying small amounts of liquid chemical solution from a tank under pressure. A hand pump is used to supply air pressure to the inside of the tank to pressurize the liquid to be dispensed from the tank, the pressure declines and it is necessary that the hand pump be repeatedly operated to rebuild the pressure. These sprayers are convenient inasmuch as they are completely portable, but they are constantly in need of pumping and must be carried while in use. Alternatively, the powered commercial sprayers never need pumping and are well suited for spraying a wide area efficiently. However, these are usually large devices on wheels, pulled by hand or tractor, expensive, and are not well suited for small gardens. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,852 to the present inventor discloses a unitary pressurizing tank with a cap (Lacy Cap) that connects to a standard garden hose and uses household water pressure to pressurize the tank&#39;s contents. The cap includes a flexible bladder for insertion into the tank. The cap further includes a handle that can be used for carrying the tank and providing access to inside of the bladder. This type of sprayer is much easier to use since it never needs pumping. In addition, it can be moved to any location accessible to a garden hose for easy spraying. The greatly improved efficiency of this spraying system results from the introduction of two synergistic factors not found in the conventional compressed air sprayers: (1) a fixed, continuously maintained pressure allowing the operator to set the spray to precisely produce the best spray for that particular requirement, and (2) the probability that the pressure at the nozzle will be approximately two to three times higher (23# avg. vs. 50 to 80#), permitting a further reduction in droplet size and the consequent greater coverage. The overall increase in coverage may be as much as four times that of conventional equipment. 
   However, the &#39;852 sprayer does leave room for improvement in it&#39;s design and construction in four ways: (a) design of the attachment of the pressurizing bladder to the cap; (b) means to safely manage the excess water supply and/or pressure; (c) ease of application of the spray to garden and foliage by reducing the necessity of moving the spray tank; and (d) design of a pressurizing bladder to prevent said bladder from sealing off the discharge assembly, thereby preventing flow of spray solution into the spray hose. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a semi-portable spraying system based on the Lacy sprayer as shown and described in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,852, and yet which employs a stationary water-pressurized base and remote hose-connected spray head for more convenient wide-area spraying. 
   It is another object to incorporate a number of structural improvements into the water-pressurized base for greater suitability to task, and specifically an improved bladder retaining neck structure as well as a pressure-limiting O-ring to compensate for water systems of varying pressures. 
   According to the present invention, the above-described and other objects are accomplished by providing a spraying system inclusive of a tank reservoir and pressure cap attached thereto. The pressure cap has a coupling for a garden hose to pressurize the tank. The pressure cap further comprises a handle assembly having a lower portion for attachment to the cap body, a lateral aperture for attachment of the water hose, and a second aperture for attachment of a pressure relief valve. In addition, a body insert is attachable to the cap body to provide a passage for the pressurizing water to the bladder and for supporting the bladder. To mount the bladder for use, the mouth of the bladder is pulled onto the body insert to a point approximately ½ inch above the flange. An O-ring is slipped down over that portion of the body insert and over the top of the bladder, and is seated on the flange of the body insert. The top of the bladder is pulled down over and outside the O-ring. A cuff ring is slipped down over the O-ring and a cuff ring nut is screwed down to hold the cuff ring in position. The completed body insert assembly is then attached to the cap body. The foregoing simplifies the bladder attachment structure and greatly increases the integrity thereof. 
   A flow restrictor orifice is positioned in a lateral aperture of the handle assembly for limiting the flow rate of water from the water hose to a flow rate commensurate with the flow capacity of the relief valve on the opposite side of the handle. Consequently, the spraying system is operable over a broad range of pressures and flow rates. 
   The foregoing facilitates an improved method of using the spraying system comprising the steps of placing the spraying system stationary on the ground, attaching an elongate spraying hose to the tank at a point near the tank bottom, and extending the spraying hose for remote spraying at a distance from the stationary tank. This ‘semi-stationary’ use greatly increases the range and convenience of the spraying system. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and certain modifications thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a prior art dispensing tank  11  as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,852. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-section of an improved cap assembly  120  according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded cross-section showing the discrete components of cap assembly  120  of FIG.  2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a composite top and cross-sectional view of the radial cuff ring  105 . 
       FIG. 5  is a composite top and cross-sectional view of the cuff ring nut  104 . 
       FIG. 6  is a composite top and side view of a flow restrictor orifice  112 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the use of the present invention as a portable spraying system with a long, small diameter spray hose  20 . 
       FIG. 8  displays openings  138  in the ribbed extension  136  of body insert  103  by which pressurized water supplied by a garden hose is discharged into the interior of bladder  109  as viewed in FIG.  2 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates the installation of the spray discharge assembly  125  in a tank  175 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates the discrete components of the spray discharge assembly  125  including the body  119  and the protective porous filter  115 . 
       FIG. 11  is a composite front and side view of the flexible bladder  109 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , there is shown the prior art dispensing tank  11  as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,852 to the present inventor. A spray hose  20  is connected to a spray hose fitting at one side of the tank. An internal pipe  22  is connected to the spray hose fitting and extends to the bottom of the tank to permit the liquid therein to enter the bottom of the internal pipe  22  to be dispensed. 
   The top of the tank has a large opening  28  made up of a funnel portion  30  and an internally threaded portion  32 . The closure cap  12  of the &#39;852 patent is screwed into the tank opening and consists of a threaded tank connector portion  34 , a handle  38 , and throat opening  36 . A liquid tight flexible bladder  13  is secured to the tank connector portion  34  by the bladder neck ring portion  15  of a sealing plug  40 . The bladder  13  is secured to the cap  12  by having the bladder neck ring captured between neck ring portion  15  of a sealing plug  40  and an internal shoulder of the handle assembly  38 . The sealing plug  40  also has internal threads  50  adapted to mate with external threads  52  of hose connector assembly  54 . The hose connector  54  has a hose fitting plug  16 , a passageway  56  which connects a hose to the interior of the bladder  13  and a lower external smooth periphery  58  adapted to provide a close fit to a smooth internal surface  60  of the sealing plug  40 . The internal surface  60  contains an O-ring seal  62  to enable a liquid tight seal between the hose connector assembly  54  and the sealing plug  40 . When liquid is to be dispensed it is placed in the tank, the collapsed flexible bladder  13  is inserted through the main opening into the tank and is secured to the cap  12  by having the bladder neck ring captured between the neck ring portion  15  of a sealing plug  40  and an internal shoulder of the handle assembly  38 . Next, the garden hose coupler  16  is connected with a standard garden hose which in turn is connected to a supply of pressurized water. The water flows through the coupling and passageway in the cap  12  to fill and inflate the flexible bladder  13  which expands against the liquid in the container. As the pressure builds the contents are dispensed through the hose and nozzle. The foregoing structure of the cap  12  resulted in a cumbersome attachment procedure of bladder  13 . The present invention simplifies the bladder attachment structure and greatly increases the integrity thereof. Consequently, the spraying system is operable over a much broader range of pressures, and allows for easier and more reliable attachment of the bladder. The increased and sustained pressure capabilities of the present invention allow the use of a much longer spray hose  20 , which in turn facilitates the use and sale of a portable spraying system in which the water-pressurized tank is positioned stationary on the ground at some convenient location and the hose-connected spray head can be carried around for more convenient wide-area spraying. 
     FIG. 2  is a cross-section of an improved sprayer and cap assembly  120  according to the present invention with partial view of tank  175 . The top of the tank  175  has a large opening circumscribed by an externally threaded portion  32 . The cap assembly  120  in  FIG. 2  is screwed over and into the tank opening by turning a handle assembly  101 . The cap assembly  120  also includes a threaded cap body  102 , a handle  101 , and rib extension  136 . A liquid tight flexible bladder  109  is secured to cap assembly  120  in a novel manner to be described and protrudes down into tank  175 . A standard garden hose is connected to handle assembly  101  at a hose fitting plug  122 . A vertical conduit  117  leads from the hose fitting plug  122  down through the cap assembly  120  and out through openings  138  in the ribbed extension  136  to the interior of the bladder  109  (see FIG.  8 ). The handle assembly  101  has an internal threaded lower section that mates with an external threaded neck in the top of cap body  102 . Likewise, ribbed extension  136  has an external threaded upper section that mates with an internal threaded orifice in the bottom of cap body  102 . 
   The structure of the cap assembly  120  will now be described in more detail, inclusive of the unique coupling assembly by which liquid tight flexible bladder  109  is secured to cap assembly  120 . 
     FIG. 3  is an exploded cross-section showing the discrete components of cap assembly  120  according to the present invention. With combined reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the handle  101  is preferably a molded component having a grip ring portion  150 , a threaded lower portion  152  bordered by a flange  158 , and a mid-section  154  defined by a threaded lateral channel  155 . One end of threaded channel  155  is adapted for screw-insertion of a standard quick-disconnect fitting  110  for attachment of a water hose. The other end of threaded channel  155  is adapted for screw-insertion of a water pressure relief valve  111 . The water pressure relief valve  111  is a standard check valve, and there are a variety of suitable commercially available components that will suffice. The handle  101  is also preferably molded with an internal vertical conduit  117  intersecting lateral channel  155 . A conventional O-ring  106  is inserted onto the handle  101  around threaded lower portion  152  and abutting flange  158  to ensure a liquid tight seal. Handle  101  screws into the top aperture of a three-tier threaded cap body  102  as shown. The bottom of threaded cap body  102  flares outward to a larger internal threaded opening for screw attachment onto the tank, and a middle tier of internal threads is adapted for screw insertion of the body insert  103 . Another conventional O-ring  107  is inserted into the bottom of threaded cap body  102  to ensure a liquid tight seal against the mouth of the tank  175 . The body insert  103  is an extended tubular member having an upper threaded section  161  extending to a radial channel  162 . Channel  162  is bounded on one side by a flange  163 , and a discharge hose  167  points downward and away from the flange  163 . An extended ribbed portion  165  of body insert  103  leads downward from discharge hose  167 , and ribbed member  165  is intended to provide support for the rubber bladder when applying or removing same. The ribbed portion  165  may be, for instance, an X-shaped cross-section with flow ports  164 . The bladder  109  is conveniently attached to the body insert  103  in the following manner. The mouth of the bladder  109  is inserted through a bladder seal O-ring  108 , and the margins of the bladder  109  are doubled back around the outside of the bladder seal O-ring  108 . The bladder  109  and bladder seal O-ring  108  are then stretched over the downwardly-extending ribbed portion  165  of body insert  103  and the bladder seal O-ring  108  is seated in the channel  162 , thereby compression-fitting the mouth of the bladder  109  over flange  163 . The security of the compression fitting is further increased by a radial cuff ring  105  which is inserted onto the threaded portion  161  of body insert  103 . The radial cuff ring  105  has a smooth inner diameter sized to closely fit the body insert  103 , and an outwardly tapered lower aperture designed to bias the mouth of the bladder  109  and bladder seal O-ring  108  downward and inward against the flange  163 . A cuff ring nut  104  screws downward onto the threaded portion  161  of body insert  103  and against the radial cuff ring  105  to lock the mouth of the bladder  109 /bladder seal O-ring  108  in place (see enlarged bubble illustration in FIG.  2 ). 
     FIG. 4  is a composite top and cross-sectional view of the radial cuff ring  105  showing the outwardly tapered lower aperture designed to bias the bladder seal O-ring  108  downward and inward. 
     FIG. 5  is a composite top and cross-sectional view of the cuff nut  104  which is internally-threaded to screw downward onto the threaded portion  161  of body insert  103  and against the radial cuff ring  105 . 
   The forgoing configuration of the cap assembly  120  facilitates quick and convenient attachment of bladder  109 . Moreover, the bladder attachment is far more stable and secure under pressure. Consequently, the spraying system is operable over a much broader range of pressures. 
   In operation of the foregoing sprayer, liquid is to be dispensed it is placed in the tank, the collapsed flexible bladder  109 , which is attached to the cap assembly  120  as described above, is inserted through the main opening into the tank and the cap is screwed tight to the tank opening. Next, the garden hose quick-connect fitting  110  is connected with a similarly equipped quick-connect garden hose which in turn is connected to a supply of pressurized water. The water flows through the quick-connect fitting  110  and passageway  155  in the cap assembly  120  downward through the foregoing components and outward through discharge nozzle  167  to fill and inflate the flexible bladder  109  which expands against the liquid in the container. After the pressure builds the contents are dispensed through the spray discharge assembly  125  (see FIG.  9 ). 
     FIG. 6  is a composite top and side view of the flow restrictor orifice  112  which is used in conjunction with the relief valve  111  in the cap assembly  120  to limit the water flow rate from the garden hose to a level commensurate with requirements for correct spraying and tank protection from rupture. The flow restrictor orifice  112  comprises a circular disk sized to fit inside the threaded aperture of the handle assembly  101  (into which the quick-connect coupling  110  is screwed). The flow restrictor orifice  112  is formed with a central flow controlling orifice of a size calibrated in accordance with the maximum flow requirements of the user. Water systems vary greatly in their flow rate (gallons per minute), and sometimes the flow rate drives the cap assembly  120  to an excessive spray output. The inclusion of the flow restrictor orifice  112  between the hose quick-connect fitting  110  and inside handle assembly  101  limits the maximum gallons per minute yield from the garden hose to a flow rate that is more suitable for the task at hand, and which is lower than that of the cooperating relief valve  111 . As a result, the tank is protected from rupture. 
     FIG. 8  displays openings  138  in the ribbed extension  136  of body insert  103  by which pressurized water supplied by a garden hose is discharged into the interior of bladder  109  (shown in FIG.  2 ). 
     FIG. 9  shows the manner in which the spray discharge assembly  125  is installed in the side wall of a tank  175  near its bottom and  FIG. 10  details the discrete components of the spray discharge assembly  125 , namely, a spray discharge body  119 , filter  115 , nut  114 , washer  172 , and finger nut  113 . The spray discharge assembly  125  is positioned at one side of a tank  175  near the bottom (compare FIG.  1 ). A small (approx. ⅛″ i.d.) spray hose  20  of 30′ (+ or −) length may be connected to the spray discharge assembly  125  at the side of the tank. Preferably, the spray discharge assembly  125  incorporates a conventional porous mesh filter  115  to protect the bladder  109  from excessive stresses. The design of the spray discharge body  119  incorporates a 90 to 120 micron porous filter  115  to protect the bladder  109  from damage from excessive elongation stresses that would otherwise exceed its elastic limits. The design also permits easy replacement of said filter  115  as may be required. 
     FIG. 10  illustrates the discrete components of the spray discharge assembly  125  as in  FIG. 9  including the body  119  and the protective porous filter  115  as described above. 
     FIG. 11  illustrates bladder  109  according to the present invention. Bladder  109  is a unitary molded member having a tapered configuration This tapered configuration of the bottom section of the bladder  109  provides for more uniform expansion within the tank, due to the inflow of pressurized water, without allowing any portion of the bladder  109  to block the spray discharge assembly  125  (see FIG.  9 ). 
     FIG. 7  illustrates another mode of operating the present device for remote and more convenient wide-area spraying. The liquid to be dispensed is placed in the tank, and the collapsed flexible bladder  109 , which is attached to the cap assembly  120  as described above, is inserted through the main opening into the tank and the cap is screwed tight to the tank opening. The water-pressurized tank  175  is placed stationary on the ground and a long spray hose  20  is used, thereby making the hose-connected spray head  128  more remote for convenient wide-area spraying. In this regard,  FIG. 7  depicts the use of a 30′ (+ or −) spray hose  20  which results in a highly portable spraying system. The user attaches the garden hose  124  to the cap assembly  120  and this gives a range equal to the length of the garden hose  124  which may be up to 100 feet. Rather than carrying the spraying system, the user places the tank  175  at a fixed position on the ground and then attaches an elongated spray hose  20 . The spray hose  20  can be uncoiled and used remotely, and this adds another 30′ (+ or −) to the system&#39;s range. Moreover, using the spraying system in this manner eliminates carrying the bulk of the tank  175  while spraying. Thus, the foregoing method of using the spraying system makes it suitable for home and garden use. Since the spraying system frees the operator from both carrying the tank  175  and pumping, it satisfies the special needs of older or partially handicapped gardeners and reduces the labor for all users. 
   The foregoing sprayer improves upon the concept shown in the present inventors U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,852 patent with structural improvements in the water-pressurized base for greater suitability to task, and specifically an improved bladder retaining neck structure as well as a pressure-limiting O-ring to compensate for water systems of varying pressures. Moreover, the base is suitable for use as a stationary base with remote hose-connected spray head for more convenient wide-area spraying. 
   Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims.