Handheld ground sprayer
AssigneeGraco Minnesota Inc.
InventorsBarry W. Mattson, James C. Schroeder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ground sprayer includes a front portion and a rear portion. A marking fluid is stored in a fluid reservoir removably mounted in the front portion. A pump disposed in the front portion draws the marking fluid from the fluid reservoir through a manifold, and the pump drives the marking fluid out of a nozzle. An actuator is disposed in the rear portion and can activate the pump based on a command from the user. The rear portion includes a handle such that the user can fully support and operate the ground sprayer with a single hand.
Claims20
A handheld ground sprayer comprising:
- a front portion comprising:
- a first fluid reservoir configured to store a first supply of marking fluid;
- and
- a pump fluidly connected to the first fluid reservoir and configured to draw the marking fluid from the first fluid reservoir;
- and
- a rear portion connected to the front portion, the rear portion comprising:
- a rear housing having a handle configured to be grasped by a user;
- and
- an actuator supported by the rear housing, the actuator configured to selectively power the pump to drive the marking fluid from the first fluid reservoir to a nozzle;
- a manifold supported by the front portion, the manifold including a selector valve actuatable between a first position and a second position, the selector valve fluidly connecting the first fluid reservoir with the pump when in the first position and fluidly disconnecting the first fluid reservoir from the pump when in the second position;
- wherein the rear portion is configured to be disposed above the forward portion with the ground sprayer is in an operating position.
A method of spraying a marking fluid with a handheld ground sprayer having a forward portion including a pump and a rear portion connected to the forward portion and including a handle and a power supply for the pump, the method comprising:
- spraying, by the handheld ground sprayer, a first marking fluid from a first supply of marking fluid stored in a first fluid reservoir mounted to a manifold that is supported by a front housing of the forward portion, the pump at least partially contained in the front housing;
- actuating a selector valve supported by the manifold from a first position to a second position, wherein the selector valve fluidly connects the first fluid reservoir with the pump when in the first position and fluidly disconnects the first fluid reservoir from the pump when in the second position, and wherein the selector valve fluidly connects a second fluid reservoir supported by the manifold and storing a second supply of marking fluid with the pump when in the second position and fluidly disconnects the second fluid reservoir from the pump when in the first position;
- and
- spraying by the handheld ground sprayer, a second marking fluid from the second supply of marking fluid with the selector valve in the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.