US 3,976,087 A · Closed mixing system for tending agricultural sprayers

Abstract

A closed agricultural chemical batching, measuring and mixing system is disclosed for mounting to a sprayer tending truck. The system includes a measuring tank on which a partial vacuum is drawn by opening a connection to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine of the truck. The measuring tank is in turn communicated to at least one manifold having numerous valve control inlets, all communicated to discrete agricultural chemical containers which can include highly toxic liquid chemicals. At the inlet remote from the mixing tank, the manifold communicates to a supply of surfactant. Preselected amounts of the liquid chemicals are sequentially drawn by the partial vacuum through the valve controlled manifold and to the measuring tank in which they are accumulated. The surfactant is then drawn through the manifold and into the measuring tank to flush the system. As the chemicals and surfactant are drawn into the measuring tank, the fumes created by the chemicals in the measuring tank are drawn into the intake manifold of the engine and rendered substantially nontoxic. After mixing of the liquid chemicals and surfactant in the measuring tank, the vacuum is broken and the batch is dumped through a dump valve at the bottom of the tank. Simultaneously, a stream of water is discharged from a water storage tank on the tending truck through a conduit to a spray tank on a tractor spraying rig. The measured batch is drawn into the stream of water at less than atmospheric pressure through an induction manifold interposed in the water conduit and diluted by the water. Provision is made to introduce wetable powders into the stream of water in addition to the liquid agricultural chemicals. Thus, a closed mixing system is provided for both liquid and powdered agricultural chemicals.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A closed method of measuring, batching and mixing agricultural chemicals at a vehicle such as sprayer tending truck provided with an internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of drawing a vacuum on a measuring tank by providing a fluid connection between the measuring tank and the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine as said engine is running so as to draw the gaseous content of the measuring tank into said engine;

providing a plurality of discrete liquid agricultural chemical supplies;
and serially fluidly connecting at least several of the plurality of liquid chemical supplies to the measuring tank to draw preselected amounts of such chemicals in sequence into the measuring tank at less than atmospheric pressure to accumulate the chemicals in said tank and render the vapors produced by said chemicals in the tank substantially nontoxic by subjecting said vapors to combustion in the internal combustion engine.

A closed agricultural chemical batching and mixing system mounted on a vehicle such as a sprayer tending truck having an internal combustion engine for motive power, said system comprising a measuring tank;

gauge means for indicating the amount of liquid in the measuring tank;
a plurality of liquid chemical supply containers, each containing a liquid chemical;
a valve controlled manifold system in fluid communcation with each of the liquid chemical supply containers and the measuring tank to control the flow of liquid chemicals from each of the liquid chemical supply containers to the measuring tank;
means for fluidly connecting the measuring tank to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine to create a partial vacuum in the measuring tank and thereby draw preselected amounts of the selected chemicals in sequence from the containers and through the valve controlled manifold system and into the measuring tank and simultaneously render the chemical vapors formed in the measuring tank substantially nontoxic by subjecting them to combustion in the internal combustion engine;
a water conduit for dilutant water having an intermediate induction manifold section;
and a dump valve controlled conduit providing fluid communication between the bottom of the measuring tank and the induction manifold section to allow the mixed chemicals to be drawn into and entrained in the water passing through the water conduit for transfer of said mixed chemicals to a spray tank on a tractor spraying rig.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Closed mixing system for tending agricultural sprayers

Life of this patent

Closed mixing system for tending agricultural sprayers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18