Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Liquids and Powders, applicable for Dressing Trees and Plants, and for other purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1.90
Complete Specification.Left, 24th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Liquids and Powders,
applicable for Dressing Trees and Plants, and for other purposes.
We, JAMES HORNSBY and JOHN INNOCENT both of the Spittlegate Iron
Works, Grantham in the County of Lincoln, and GEORGE FREDERICK
STRAWSON of Newbury in the County of Berks, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows
A spray of liquid is commonly produced either by pumping through small holes,
or else by leading a small stream into a blast of air."
According to this invention we combine both methods and are thereby enabled to
project an excessively fine spray a considerable distance effecting a saving of
liquid.
We employ a rotary fan, and preferably a centrifugal pump for the liquid
mounted upon the fan spindle. The liquid is led from the pump to jets near the
nozzles of the air pipes. Generally some of these nozzles are higher than the
others, and in such cases we provide a valve near the exit from the pump to
prevent the return of the column of liquid from the higher nozzles. The air pipes
leading to the nozzles are so mounted that they are free to turn upon the exit from
the fan and a lever is provided for actuating them so that their direction can be
adjusted irrespective of the position of the wheels on which the apparatus is
mounted and the spray can thus be properly thrown even when the implement is
upon a hill side.
For distributing dry powders we mount a hopper above the fan the material
being fed from the hopper into the air pipe in front of the exit from the fan. If
the tank for the liquid is placed above the fan then it is made removable to allow
the hopper to be placed in position.
For large sized implements we make the travelling or road wheels adjustable so
as to suit the various widths at which root crops are planted. To do this we mount
a sleeve on the axle and on the inner flanged end of this sleeve we fix the pawls for
driving the ratchet boxes which actuate the fan and other mechanism. The sleeve
is held in position on the axle by the ordinary lynch pin. On this sleeve we mount
the road wheel and adjust and fasten it on the sleeve by a screw which drops into
one or other of a number of holes in the sleeve.
In small or hand implements we mount the supports, gear and other parts upon
the fan case dispensing for the most part with framing.
The driving gear consists of a spur wheel mounted on an axis forming a feed
barrel for the powders, this gear wheel operates a spur pinion, and on the same
axis as the pinion a pulley is mounted, which operates the fan by a belt. Around
the feed barrel we make a spiral groove which gives a continuous feed from the
hopper above into the fan neck or conducting pipe below. A gauge slide is used
to regulate the feed to the barrel or roll and a brush inside the powder box keeps
a constant feed to the barrel. The brush is operated by a pinion driven by the
spur wheel, and is mounted above the feed barrel. A crank pin on the brush
spindle operates a plunger pump which is mounted on the side of the fan case.
The pump is used when it is desired to throw a spray of liquid over the foliage
in place of the powder. From the pump the liquid is led by a separate pipe along-
side the wind conducting pipe into a small reservoir at the extreme end of the pipe,
then by smaller pipes into the wind conducting pipe where the liquid is blown away
in a fine spray.
Powders are frequently mixed with the liquid and require to be kept in
circulation; to do this, through the lower valve of the pump we make a small hole,

page_text: so that after the pump has lifted a quantity of the liquid at the return stroke it
forces a small quantity back into the tank, thus keeping the liquid and powders in
circulation.
Dated this 24th day of November 1800.
JAMES HORNSBY..
JOHN INNOCENT.
GEORGE FREDERICK STRAWSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Liquids and Powders,
applicable for Dressing Trees and Plants, and for other purposes.
We, JAMES HORNSBY, and JOHN INNOCENT, both of the Spittlegate Iron
Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, and GEORGE FREDERICK
STRAWSON, of Newbury, in the County of Berks, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
A spray of liquid is commonly produced either by pumping through small holes,
or else by leading a small stream into a blast of air."
According to this invention we combine both methods and are thereby enabled
to project an excessively fine spray a considerable distance effecting a saving of
liquid.
We employ a rotary fan, and preferably a centrifugal pump for the liquid
mounted upon the fan spindle. The liquid is led from the pump to jets near the
nozzles of the air pipes. Generally some of these nozzles are higher than the
others, and in such cases we provide a valve near the exit from the pump to prevent
the return of the column of liquid from the higher nozzles. The air pipes leading
to the nozzles are so mounted that they are free to turn upon the exit from the fan
and a lever is provided for actuating them so that their direction can be adjusted
irrespective of the position of the wheels on which the apparatus is mounted and
the spray can thus be properly thrown even when the implement is upon a
hill side.
For distributing dry powders we mount a hopper above the fan the material
being fed from the hopper into the air pipe in front of the exit from the fan. If
the tank for the liquid is placed above the fan then it is made removable to allow
the hopper to be placed in position.
For large sized implements we make the travelling or road wheels adjustable so
as to suit the various widths at which root crops are planted. To do this we mount
a sleeve on the axle and on the inner flanged end of this sleeve we fix the pawls for
driving the ratchet boxes which actuate the fan and other mechanism. The sleeve
is held in position on the axle by the ordinary lynch pin. On this sleeve we mount
the road wheel and adjust and fasten it on the sleeve by a screw which drops into
one or other of a number of holes in the sleeve.
In small or hand implements we mount the supports, gear and other parts upon
the fan case dispensing for the most part with framing.
The driving gear consists of a spur wheel mounted on an axis forming a feed
barrel for the powders, this gear wheel operates a spur pinion, and on the same
axis as the pinion a pulley is mounted, which operates the fan by a belt. Around
the feed barrel we make a spiral groove which gives a continuous feed from the
hopper above into the fan neck or conducting pipe below. A gauge slide is used
to regulate the feed to the barrel or roll and a brush inside the powder box keeps
a constant feed to the barrel. The brush is operated by a pinion driven by the
spur wheel, and is mounted above the feed barrel. A crank pin on the brush
spindle operates a plunger pump which is mounted on the side of the fan case.
The pump is used when it is desired to throw a spray of liquid over the foliage

page_text: in place of the powder. From the pump the liquid is led by a separate pipe along-
side the wind conducting pipe into a small reservoir at the extreme end of the
pipe, then by smaller pipes into the wind conducting pipe where the liquid is blown
away in a fine spray.
Powders are frequently mixed with the liquid and require to be kept in
circulation; to do this, through the lower valve of the pump we make a small
hole, so that after the pump has lifted a quantity of the liquid at the return stroke
it forces a small quantity back into the tank, thus keeping the liquid and powders
in circulation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a large machine constructed according to this
invention.
Figure 2 is a back elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a side view of the fan and centrifugal pump.
Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section of the same.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the liquid taps and valve.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of the same.
Figure 7 is an end elevation of a hand machine.
Figure 8 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 9 is an enlarged view of part of the apparatus from the opposite side to
Figure 7.
Figure 10 is a section of Figure 8.
1 is road or drive wheel.
2 the usual backing ratchet.
3 the sleeve on which the road wheel is adjusted to suit the various widths of
roots &c. being dressed.
4 is a spur wheel fixed on the main wheel axle.
5 and 6 are spur pinions and wheel driven by 4.
7 and 8 are spur pinions and pulley driven by 6.
9 is a pulley driving the fan and pump it is driven by belt 10.
11 is the centrifugal pump mounted on the spindle of the fan 12. .
13 is the pipe conducting the liquid from the tank 14 to the pump.
15 is the pipe conducting the liquid from the pump to the gauge taps 16 pipes 17
and the outlets or sprays 17", 18 being the pipe to conduct the air from the fan.
18 is mounted loosely on the outlet of the fan so that when the machine is
working on hill sides the air pipe and nozzles may be adjusted to a vertical
position. This may be done by moving the lever 19, the position being fixed by
the quadrant 20.
Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of the valve and gauge taps 16. 19 being the
inlet for the liquid which can pass freely through the lower taps 20 and 21, but the
liquid must pass the ball valve 22 to the upper outlets and when the machine stops
work the valve falls to its seat and thus sustains the column of water in pipes 17
which pass from taps 23 and 24 so that the spray recommences directly the machine
is again set in motion.
25 is the first motion wheel on the hand power machine which is operated by the
handle 26. 25 operates the spur pinion 27 which is mounted on a spindle 28. 29 is
a pulley which by a belt 30 drives the fan pulley 31. The fan case 32 has fixed
to it two legs 33 and 33* supports 34 to a road wheel 35, and two handles 36
and 36 which are used when the machine requires moving.
37 is the liquid tank the liquid passing through the pipe 38 to the pump 39.
40 is a gauge tap to regulate the delivery of liquid. 41 is the plunger of the pump.
42 the air vessel. 43 the lower valve and 44 the upper valve. 45 the liquid con-
ducting pipe and 46 the air pipe. The pump 39 is operated by a connecting rod 39*.
47 is the hopper for powders which may be placed in the hopper by removing the
lid 48. The powders pass through an opening which has an adjustable gange
slide 49 on to a spiral grooved feed roll 50 which forms the axis of the first motion

page_text: wheel. A stirrer or wire brush 51, passes the powders down to the feed roll. The
powders are then passed by the feed roll into the wind outlet 52 of the fan, and is
then blown away in any direction required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination of apparatus for forcing liquid through fine holes with
apparatus for producing and directing a blast of air on to the spray so produced
substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for distributing liquids in the form of spray the combination
of a rotary fan and a centrifugal pump upon the same axis substantially as
described.
3. In apparatus for distributing liquids in the form of spray in which the nozzle
for the liquid is higher than the pump providing a valve near the exit from the
pump so as to keep the delivery pipe full of liquid substantially as described.
4. In apparatus for distributing liquids and powders mounting the supports and
gearing upon the case of the fan so as to dispense with framing substantially as
described.
5. In apparatus for distributing liquids and powders providing a small hole in the
lower valve of the pump so that after the pump has lifted a quantity of liquid at
the return stroke it forces a small quantity back into the tank thus keeping the
liquid and powders in circulation substantially as described.
6. Apparatus for distributing liquids and powders substantially as described and
shown at Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings.
7. Apparatus for distributing liquids and powders substantially as described and
shown at Figures 7 to 10 of the drawings.
Dated this 24th day of August 1891.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.