Abstract:
A soil injection apparatus for injecting solids, liquids or mixtures beneath the surface of the ground, the apparatus having one or more injector lances mounted to a skid plate, such that the lances can be forced into the ground using hydraulic cylinders, and storage tanks to retain materials to be injected, the material being delivered into the lances and the ground using compressed air. A viewing tube is provided such that the operator can visually determine the correct amount of material to be injected. The apparatus is readily mountable to tractors, front-end loaders, forklifts and similar vehicles.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/672,786, filed Apr. 19, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to the field of devices, apparatuses or equipment used to inject gases, liquids or solids into the soil, and more particularly to such apparatuses that are components of or mounted to mobile vehicles such that the apparatuses can be rapidly moved from one location to the next.  
         [0003]     Apparatuses for injecting or forcing gases, liquids or solids into the ground are known. Such apparatuses are used for example to inject fertilizer and other nutrients, pesticides, herbicides, water, air and other gases to break up or treat the soil, substances to increase soil stability, etc. The apparatuses may be hand-held, pulled as a trailer, attached to powered arms or lifts, mounted on vehicles or incorporated as a component of a vehicle. Examples of hand-held apparatuses are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 612,745 to Morris, U.S. Pat. No. 1,512,758 to Gravatt, U.S. Pat. No. 2,055,266 to Thomas, U.S. Pat. No. 2,177,792 to Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 2,242,789 to McFee, U.S. Pat. No. 2,713,834 to Shirley, U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,977 to Fabus, U.S. Pat. No. 2,975,735 to Purvance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,806 to Peck, U.S. Pat. No. 3,299,842 to Bingham, U.S. Pat. No.3,405,669 to Nimrock, U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,556 to Poll, U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,804 to Platz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,218 to Daniels, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,411 to Nagy, U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,340 to Seifert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,085 to Prothe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,030 to Ward, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,996 to Baxter. Examples of devices pulled by vehicles, attached to vehicles, or self-powered are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,871,529 to Karshner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,789,522 to Barton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,274 to Townsend, U.S. Pat. No. 450,073 to Baker, U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,886 to Jones et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,068 to Rosendahl, U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,166 to Peterson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,686 to Collins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,860 to Hines et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,915 to Kordon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,738 to Zinck, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,618 to Blair, U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,586 to Hunt et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,152 to Steadman.  
         [0004]     It is an object of this invention to provide a soil injection apparatus that improves upon the known devices. It is a further object to provide such an apparatus that is capable of injecting liquids, solids or a mixture thereof into the soil, that is adapted as an attachment to be mounted onto various types of vehicles, that provides a means to rapidly load and inject the liquid, solid or mixture into the soil, that provides a means to visually ascertain the quantity of material being injected, and that can be rapidly moved to successive injection sites.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The invention is a ground or soil injection apparatus for injecting or depositing liquids, solids or mixtures thereof beneath the surface of the ground with minimal intrusion such that plant roots and the like are not damaged. The apparatus can be temporarily or permanently mounted to a vehicle or attached to tractors, front-end loaders, forklifts, or similar motorized vehicles using appropriate mounting means in a manner whereby the apparatus can be elevated above ground level for movement or transport.  
         [0006]     The soil injector apparatus comprises in general a skid plate or platform, means to attach the skid plate to a vehicle, at least one and preferably multiple generally vertically disposed injector lances or hollow spikes capable of being extended beneath the skid plate and into the soil, means to rapidly insert and retract the lances into and from the soil, means to store and deliver a quantity of liquid, solid or mixture into said lances, and means to expel or inject the liquid, solid or mixture into the soil with the lances in the extended position. The apparatus is preferably provided with a means for the operator to visually verify the quantity of liquid, solid or mixture prior to injection. In a preferred embodiment, the injector lances are extended and retracted hydraulically, while the liquid, solid or mixture is delivered to the lances pneumatically using compressed air.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a view of the injection lances in the retracted position and illustrating the extended injection position in dashed lines.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a partial view of the invention showing an alternative embodiment for the invention, wherein the contents of two storage tanks are fed into a single viewing tube.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The invention is an injection apparatus that injects a treating material, such as a liquid, solid or a mixture of liquid and solid, beneath the surface of the soil or ground with minimal disturbance of the ground surface and minimal damage to plant and tree roots. A primary suitable use of the invention is to inject fertilizer, pesticides, water or like beneficial agents into the root zone of plants and trees.  
         [0011]     The soil injection apparatus is primarily adapted as an attachment that is mounted onto the maneuverable arms of a tractor, front-end loader, forklift or similar vehicle, such that the apparatus can be lifted from the ground surface for movement and transport, and such that the hydraulic system and/or pneumatic compressor system of the vehicle, if present, can be utilized to operate the apparatus. In the event that necessary hydraulic or pneumatic systems are not part of the vehicle, such systems are incorporated in the apparatus itself so as to be self-powered. The mounting or hitching system is preferably of standard configuration known in the industry for attaching implements to such vehicles. Alternatively, the apparatus can be mounted in suitable manner more permanently to a vehicle or may be constructed as an integral component of a vehicle.  
         [0012]     The soil injector apparatus comprises a skid plate or platform  11  provided with mounting means  12  for connecting the invention to an appropriate vehicle in a manner that allows the skid plate  11  to be raised and lowered at least a short distance above the ground for transport and movement of the apparatus from one location to another. A generally vertical support tower  13  extends upwardly from the skid plate  11 . At least one and preferably two or more injector systems  20  are mounted to the support tower  13  and/or skid plate  11 . Each injector system  20  comprises an injection lance or hollow spike  21  that is reciprocated from a retracted or neutral position to an extended injection position by an hydraulic or similar cylinder  22 , operated by lance control means  23  in conjunction with an hydraulic or similar pumping means  24  and fluid conduit means  25 , such means and systems being known in the art. The lower portion of the lance  21  is provided with apertures  26  that communicate with the longitudinal bore of the lance  21  such that material can be delivered through the lance  21  and dispersed externally from the apertures  26  under pressure. In the neutral or retracted position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the tips of the lances  21  are positioned above the bottom of the skid plate  11  and within guides  28 , which may be composed of metal, plastic or a combination. In the extended position, as shown by the dashed lines in  FIG. 2 , the lances  21  extend well beyond the skid plate  11  and beneath the ground surface  99 , such that the tips  27  and apertures  27  are positioned from several inches to several feet under the ground surface  99  as desired.  
         [0013]     At least one and preferably multiple storage tanks  31  are mounted onto the support tower  13  and/or skid plate  11 . Material to be injected, a solid in granular or powder form, a liquid, or a mixture, slurry or the like, is deposited into the storage tanks  31  such that they are distributed from each tank  31  by gravity through a first gated valve  32 , such as an electrically controlled ball valve, into a viewing tube  36  or similar retaining member. The viewing tube  36  is composed of a transparent or translucent material or may be provided with a transparent or translucent viewing window  37 , and may be calibrated or provided with markings such that the operator can determine and choose the correct amount of injection material for each injection. The apparatus may also be provided with interchangeable viewing tubes  36  of varying volumes. After obtaining the correct amount of material in the viewing tube, either manually using visual observation or by preset control, a second gated valve  33 , such as an electrically controlled ball valve, is opened such that the material drops into a firing block reservoir  35 . The gating valves  32  and  33  are controlled by injection controller means  34 . Each storage tower  31  may have a dedicated first gated valve  32 , viewing tube  36 , second gated valve  33  and firing block reservoir  35 , but it is also possible to configure the apparatus such that plural tanks  31  are fed into a single viewing tube  36  or firing block reservoir  35 , such that mixtures of the contents of two storage tanks  31  can be prepared for injection into the ground, as shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0014]     The firing block reservoirs  35  are emptied pneumatically by one or more compressed air tanks  41  maintained at pressure by suitable compressor means (not shown) either on the vehicle or separately supplied. Air conduits  42  deliver compressed air to control valves  43  to provide force to deliver the material accumulated in the firing block reservoirs  35  through material conduits  44  into material transfer housings  45  that are mounted on the upper exposed portions of lances  21 . The material transfer housings  45  provide a communication pathway from the material conduits  44  to the axial bores within the lances  21 , such that when the air control valve  43  is opened by controller means  34 , material is delivered into and through the lances  21 .  
         [0015]     To operate the apparatus, the operator positions the skid plate  11  at the desired location for application of the material and sets the skid plate  11  onto the ground surface  99 . The material to be injected is loaded into the viewing tubes  36  by opening first gated valves  32 . When the proper amount of material is loaded, first gated valves  32  are closed and second gated valves  33  are opened. The material then drops into the firing block reservoirs  35  and second gated valves  33  are closed. The lances  21  are then driven into the ground by lance control means  23 . The air control valves  43  are then opened such that compressed air empties the firing block reservoir  35 , driving the material through the material conduits  44 , into the lances  21 , out of the apertures  26  and into the soil. The lances  21  are then retracted and the apparatus is moved to the next location.  
         [0016]     Each injection operation takes only roughly  20  to  30  seconds, since the loading, insertion, injection and retraction operations each take only a few seconds. For large farms, the apparatus provides a significant reduction in the manpower and time required to treat large numbers of trees and plants. The versatility of the apparatus enables the operator to inject a multitude of treating material, whether in liquid, granular solid, powder solid, emulsion, suspension, slurry or multiple other forms.  
         [0017]     It is understood that equivalents and substitutions for certain elements described above may be obvious to those skilled in the art, and therefore the true scope and definition of the invention is to be as set forth in the following claims.