Agricultural applicator and system

A variable width agricultural applicator system to apply a liquid to a crop in rows in a field, the variable width agricultural applicator sprayer system comprising:

• a boom configured to be driven through the field;
• a plurality of spaced apart variable width agricultural applicators attached to the boom;
• each one of the plurality of variable width agricultural applicators comprising:
• a drop tube;
• a splitter downstream of the drop tube, an inlet of the splitter fluidly connected to the drop tube;
• the splitter defining a sealed area within the splitter fluidly connecting the inlet of the splitter and splitter outlets;
• a pair of flexible delivery tubes downstream of the splitter, the pair of flexible delivery tubes fluidly connected to the splitter outlets;
• wherein each one of the pair of flexible delivery tubes is thermoformed plastic and has a predetermined bend;
• and
• wherein a first width is defined between the predetermined bend of each one of the pair of flexible delivery tubes;
• wherein a flexibility of each of the pair of flexible delivery tubes is such that the first width is configured to decrease during use between the crop in rows having a row width less than the first width;
• further comprising a sub-boom attached to the boom, a plurality of brackets attaching the plurality of variable width agricultural applicators to the sub-boom, each one of the plurality of brackets having a pivot shaft extending proximately normal to a longitudinal axis of the sub-boom, and a rotatable geared wheel;
• wherein a shaft is contained within the sub-boom, the shaft extending collinear with the sub-boom longitudinal axis.

A variable width agricultural applicator attachable to a boom to apply a liquid to a base of a crop in generally parallel rows, the variable width agricultural applicator comprising:

• a drop tube;
• a splitter downstream of the drop tube, an inlet of the splitter fluidly connected to the drop tube;
• the splitter defining a sealed area within the splitter fluidly connecting the inlet of the splitter and splitter outlets;
• a pair of flexible delivery tubes downstream of the splitter, the pair of flexible delivery tubes fluidly connected to the splitter outlets;
• wherein each one of the pair of flexible delivery tubes has a predetermined bend;
• wherein each one of the pair of flexible delivery tubes has an upstream portion extending from the splitter to the predetermined bend;
• and
• wherein a flexibility of the flexible delivery tubes is such that a width measured between centers of the upstream portions is configured to decrease when impacted by the crop during use;
• wherein the drop tube upstream of the splitter comprises a first hose portion, a second stainless steel portion, and a second hose portion, wherein a distal end of the stainless steel portion is bent to form a bent distal end;
• wherein a drop pivot mount assembly connects the drop tube to the boom;
• wherein the drop pivot mount assembly includes a drop mount sleeve connected to a first coupler;
• wherein the drop mount sleeve defines a sleeve longitudinal axis and the first coupler defines a first coupler longitudinal axis, the sleeve longitudinal axis being proximately normal to the first coupler longitudinal axis;
• wherein a breakaway spring surrounds the first hose portion along at least a portion of its length.