AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INJECTING INSECTICIDE LIQUID OR OTHER SUBSTANCE INTO VINES OR OTHER PLANTS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Edwards, of the firm of Edwards and Co.,
+
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR INJECTING INSECTICIDE LIQUID OR OTHER SUBSTANCE INTO
VINES OR OTHER PLANTS a communication to him from abroad by André
Blaise Escourron, of Moux, in the Republic of France
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Edmund Edwards at the Office:
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th March 1883.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co:-, Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,, in the County of.
Middlesex "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INJECTING INSECTICIDE LIQUID, OR
OTHER SUBSTANCE INTO VINES OR OTHER PLANTS" a communication to me from
abroad by André Blaise Escourron, of Moux, in the Republic of France
This invention has for its object a novel apparatus to be used for automatically
injecting any suitable liquid or substance into vines or other plants for the purpose;
of destroying phylloxera or otherwise acting upon the plants so treated.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of the invention, figure 1 being a
side view of the entire apparatus, figure 2 a view partly in section and on a larger
scale of a part of the apparatus, and figure 3 a view of a modified form.
The apparatus as shewn in figure I consists of a pump a arranged in or above a
tank or vessel b containing any suitable insecticide liquid which is to be injected,
into vines for example in order to destroy phylloxera. The liquid is pumped into
a receiver c placed above the pump, and on this receiver are fixed a number of
small tubes d each provided with a suitable clack or valve by which the liquid is
prevented from returning to the pump. At the upper ends of the tubes d are fixed
india rubber tubes e all of the same length, so that when the pump is worked it
forces the liquid through all the tubes e the jets from which are received in a vessel
which brings them back to the body of the pump. Iron guides f having notches
as shewn are arranged above the tops of the india rubber tubes. g, shewn on a

page_text: larger scale at figure 3, is an elastic hollow india rubber ball provided with a
tapering funnel h and with a tin plate flange k.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The small ends of each of the
funnels h, figure 1, are inserted into the tubes e, the funnels being held in their
position by the notches in the guide f, taking care that the flanges k press against
the lower side of the notches, so that the funnels may not become detached by the
pressure of the liquid forced in from the pump. When the pump is worked the
liquid will, therefore, be forced into the elastic balls g which will be distended
according to the pressure within them, as shewn by the dotted line in figure. 3.
When the balls are sufficiently expanded by the liquid, they are removed as
wanted by bending or folding the connecting tube e and then closing the end of
the funnel with the thumb, when each funnel with its filled ball can be removed
and the small end of the funnel inserted into a hole previously made in the body
of the vine stem, and the entire device so arranged is left to itself.
The liquid pressed by the sides of the distended ball tends to inject itself into
the sapwood and the stem of the plant, and it will be understood that if the
operation is performed when the sap is in motion, the pressure will compel mixture
of the injected liquid with the ascending or descending sap, which mixture will
be carried to the extremities of the smallest roots of the plant. If therefore the
liquid is of such a kind as to destroy the phylloxera, the latter will be killed along
the roots which they are sucking.
The same result will take place when the operation is performed with any
suitable gas, the supply vessel to the pump as described above being in such case
replaced by a reservoir containing suitable gas compressed or generated in it, so
that with the same apparatus gases or essences can be injected, or introduced into
the stem, or into the tree which is to be treated to destroy insects.
In figure 2, the pipe m from the pump is provided with an air vessel n, from
which are brought two or more pipes o communicating with one or more closed.
vessels p fitted with cocks as shewn.
The liquid enclosed in the vessels p will be under a pressure proportioned to the
height of the pipes o, and to fill the elastic balls it will be sufficient to fit them to
the cocks on the vessels p, upon opening which the balls will be distended to the
size required to give sufficient force to the liquid used.
The different parts of the apparatus may be modified in their form and the
material of which they are composed, to suit varying circumstances.
Having now described the invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed, I claim :- -The injection apparatus consisting of the funnel and the
india rubber ball, which can be filled under any desired pressure and afterwards
inserted into the stem of any plant or tree, substantially in the manner and for
the purpose described and shewn in the drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Edwards, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fifteenth day of March in the year of our Lord 1883,