US 11,882,821 B1Granted

Method and apparatus for insect eradication

OwnerCarroll Lee Nortoninventor

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Abstract

Method and apparatus for eradicating insects in both a below ground and above ground environment. The device includes a main shaft having a bore therein and a two-piece clamshell on one end for insertion into the insect bed and on the other end a main body which includes a hand grip and a lever for releasing the gas which is held in a separate gas cylinder. The gas flows through a gas tube from the gas cylinder through the main shaft and then out the clamshell end of the main shaft into an insect bed. Two inert gases are used to displace the air in the insect colony wherein the two inert gases are argon and helium. The argon gas is used for underground applications and the helium gas is used for above ground and underground above grade applications. The two-piece clamshell is used for insertion into the ground where it is opened thereby allowing the gas to escape from the gas tube contained inside the clamshell.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An insect eradicator having an elongated shaft for insertion into an insect nest, comprising:

(a) a main shaft having a main body on a proximate end thereof and a clamshell on a distal end thereof, said main shaft having a bore therein;
(b) said main body having a hand grip for being grasped by a hand of a user and a lever being pivotally attached thereto;
(c) a source of pressurized gas disposed on said main shaft and a gas tube extending from said source of pressurized gas through said bore to a point proximate said clamshell;
(d) said clamshell having opposing first and second halves pivoting between a closed position for insertion into the insect nest and an open position for releasing said pressurized gas into the insect nest;
(e) wherein said lever has an open position wherein said clamshell is closed, an intermediate position wherein said clamshell is opened and said source of pressurized gas is closed, and a fully depressed position wherein said pressurized gas is released into the insect nest;
(f) an actuator rod extending through said bore having first and second ends, wherein said first end is adapted for contacting said lever and said second end extends to said clamshell for urging said first and second halves into said open position when said lever is in said intermediate position;
and
(g) wherein said pressurized gas is released into the insect nest when said lever is in said fully depressed position and said clamshell is open.

5 more elements

A method of eradicating insects in an insect nest, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an insect eradicator having an elongated main shaft having a main body on a proximate end thereof and a clamshell on a distal end thereof, the main shaft having a bore therein;
(b) providing a hand grip on the main body for being grasped by a hand of a user and providing a lever being pivotally attached to the main body;
(c) disposing a source of pressurized gas on the main shaft and extending a gas tube from the source of pressurized gas through the bore to a point proximate the clamshell;
(d) providing opposing first and second halves on the clamshell being pivotable between a closed position for insertion into the insect nest and an open position for releasing the pressurized gas into the insect nest;
(e) wherein the lever has an open position wherein the clamshell is closed, an intermediate position wherein the clamshell is opened and the source of pressurized gas is closed, and a fully depressed position wherein the pressurized gas is released into the insect nest;
(f) providing an actuator rod extending through the bore having first and second ends, wherein the first end is adapted for contacting the lever and the second end extends to the clamshell for urging the first and second halves into the open position when the lever is in the intermediate position;
and
(g) releasing pressurized gas into the insect nest when the lever is in the fully depressed position and the clamshell is open.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.