Abstract:
A chemical dispenser which is selectively removably mounted on a travelling lawn sprinkler. The chemical dispenser dispenses liquid chemical into the water being sprinkled onto the lawn by the water distributor as the self-propelled travelling lawn sprinkler propels itself across a lawn.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a travelling lawn sprinkler and more particularly to a travelling lawn sprinkler having a chemical dispensing means associated therewith to enable a liquid chemical to be sprinkled onto the lawn as the sprinkler moves across the lawn and applies water to the lawn. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Many types of lawn sprinklers have been provided which not only have the capability of sprinkling water onto a lawn, but also have the capability of dispensing liquid chemicals such as fertilizer into the sprinkling water. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,767,072; 2,293,796; 3,260,464; 5,096,123; 5,549,248; 5,950,928; and 6,161,779. None of the sprinkler devices described in the above-identified patents are of the self-propelled type or what is termed a travelling lawn sprinkler. In each of the systems described hereinabove, the sprinkler must be manually moved from location to location since the systems do not have any propulsion means. Typical of the travelling lawn sprinklers of the prior art are those disclosed in U.S. design Pat. 151,118; U.S. Pat. Nos. 883,116; 4,059,229; and U.S. design Pat. 443,915. Each of the travelling lawn sprinklers illustrated in the above-described patents have the capability of propelling themselves along the length of a garden hose so that a large area of the lawn may be sprinkled without requiring a person to manually move the sprinkler from location to location. Applicants believe that heretofore there has not been any travelling lawn sprinkler which has the capability of applying liquid chemicals such as fertilizer onto the lawn as the lawn is being sprinkled. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The chemical dispensing means of this invention is associated with a conventional travelling lawn sprinkler comprising a sprinkler body having forward and rearward ends and opposite sides with the body having a water distribution apparatus thereon. The body has a pair of transversely spaced drive wheels at the rearward end thereof for driving the sprinkler body along a lawn to be sprinkled on which an elongated hose is deployed to define a path of driving movement. The body also has a hose following guide wheel at its forward end which follows along the deployed hose. The body of the conventional travelling lawn sprinkler has a female hose coupling at its rearward end between the drive wheels thereof. A chemical dispenser is mounted on the travelling lawn sprinkler for dispensing liquid chemical into the water being sprinkled onto the lawn by the water distribution apparatus as the travelling lawn sprinkler propels itself along the deployed hose. The chemical dispenser includes a pair of laterally spaced-apart containers which are mounted on the body of the sprinkler and which are adapted to contain liquid chemicals therein such as fertilizer or the like. A tube extends rearwardly from each of the containers to a venturi tube which is threadably secured to the female hose coupling at the rearward end of the sprinkler body. The water hose is connected to the inlet end of the venturi tube so that as water passes through the venturi tube, liquid chemical is drawn from the pair of tubes into a mixing chamber in the venturi tube so that the liquid chemicals are injected into the sprinkling water. Preferably, a backflow valve is imposed between the discharge end of the hose and the intake end of the venturi body. 
   It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a travelling lawn sprinkler having a chemical dispensing means mounted thereon. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide a chemical dispensing means for a travelling lawn sprinkler. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide a travelling lawn sprinkler having a chemical dispensing means thereon wherein liquid chemicals are contained within containers mounted on the sprinkler body with the liquid chemicals being drawn from the containers into the sprinkling water by means of a venturi assembly. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide a chemical dispensing means for use with a travelling lawn sprinkler which does not require that the travelling lawn sprinkler be modified in any substantial manner. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide a chemical dispensing means for a travelling lawn sprinkler wherein the chemical dispensing means is economical of manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance. 
   These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a travelling lawn sprinkler having the chemical dispensing means of this invention mounted thereon; 
       FIG. 2  is a partial top view of a travelling lawn sprinkler having the chemical dispensing means of this invention mounted thereon; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the chemical dispensing means of this invention; and 
       FIG. 4  is a partial sectional view of the venturi mixing tube portion of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The numeral  10  refers to a conventional travelling sprinkler such as marketed by L. R. Nelson Corporation. One travelling sprinkler of L. R. Nelson is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,229. Other types of travelling sprinklers are described or shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,883,116; D443,915; D151,118; and D391,625. The instant invention may be used with almost any type of travelling sprinkler, but is ideally suited for use with the L. R. Nelson travelling sprinkler as generally shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,229. 
   The travelling sprinkler  10  includes a body  12  which is normally formed of a cast metal material. For purposes of description, body  12  will be described as including a forward end  14 , a rearward end  16 , and opposite sides  18  and  20 . A pair of cleated or lugged drive wheels  22  and  24  are rotatably mounted on the body  12  at the rearward end thereof. A guide wheel  26  is rotatably and pivotally mounted at the forward end of body  12 . 
   The lower rearward end of body  12  is provided with an externally threaded pipe stub  28  having a rotatable hose female connector  29  mounted thereon to which a garden hose is normally connected. Hose connector  29  is in fluid communication with a water drive motor or mechanism positioned in the body  12  so that water passing therethrough will drive the wheels  22  and  24 . A rotatable spray bar  30  is rotatably mounted on the body  12  so that water will be sprayed therefrom as the sprinkler  10  moves along the length of the garden hose. 
   It is to such a travelling sprinkler, or other types of travelling sprinklers, that the instant invention is mounted thereon. The numeral  32  refers to the lawn treatment and fertilizer apparatus of this invention. Apparatus  32  includes a support  34 , having ends  36  and  38 , which is positioned on the upper end of the body  12  in a transverse fashion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sprinkler  10 . Preferably, the support  34  is comprised of support members  40  and  42  which are selectively slidably secured to base portion  43  of support  34  to enable the support members  40  and  42  to be adjusted relative to one another to accommodate sprinklers of various widths. Tanks or containers  46  and  48  are secured to the ends  36  and  38 , respectively, by any convenient means such as by pop rivets or the like. Containers  46  and  48  are provided with selectively closable fill openings  50  and  52  at the upper ends thereof, respectively. 
   The lower rearward ends of containers  46  and  48  are provided with ports or the like which have flexible tubes  54  and  56  connected thereto, respectively. Tubes  54  and  56  extend rearwardly from containers  46  and  48  and have injector fittings  58  and  60  mounted in the rearward ends thereof, respectively. Injector fittings  58  and  60  have short threaded pipes  62  and  64  provided there, respectively, which extend inwardly into a venturi tube or venturi mixer  66  such as marketed by Stress Engineering Services, Inc. Mixer  66  has a female water hose inlet  68  at its rearward end and a male water hose outlet  70  at its forward end screwed into the hose connector  29  with the garden hose supplying water to the sprinkler being screwed into the inlet  68 . Venturi mixer  66  includes a conventional venturi mixing chamber  72 . 
   The inner ends of the pipes  62  and  64  are in communication with mixing chamber  72 , as seen in  FIG. 4 , and may be transversely disposed or angularly disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mixer  66 . 
   The rearward end of venturi mixer  66  has a rotatable female water hose inlet  74  mounted thereon. Preferably, a backflow preventer  76  is received within the inlet  74  with the garden hose being connected to the backflow preventer  76 . Backflow preventer  76  may be omitted, but it is recommended that it be utilized. Additionally, the backflow preventer  76  could be an integral part of venturi mixer  66 . 
   In use, the containers  46  and  48  are filled with the desired fertilizer or other chemical in the desired concentration. As the sprinkler  10  travels along the length of the deployed garden hose in conventional fashion, the water passing through the venturi tube  66  draws the liquid from the containers  46  and  48  through the tubes  54  and  56  and into the mixing chamber  72  so that the fertilizer or other chemical will be mixed with the water passing through the mixing chamber  72  with the mixture being sprayed from the rotating spray bar  30  onto the lawn. 
   Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.