US 4,543,743 AGranted

Herbicide applicator

AssigneeKeeton Enterprises, Inc.

InventorsJohn H. Keeton, Lyle S. Keeton, Eugene G. Keeton

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Abstract

A portable herbicide applicator and method of destroying plants utilizing the same are provided that allow herbicide application in a safe, simple, and effective manner. The applicator includes a container having a closed end and an open end with a wiper positioned within the container. A fibrous exterior portion of an applicator structure is connected to a handle and is insertable into and withdrawable from the container, the wiping structure wiping excess liquid off of the fibrous covering when moved relative thereto. A cap is mounted by a strap to the container for closing the container open end while the herbicide applicator is being used, and a hook may be provided on the cap for hooking an opening on the handle and latching the applicator structure in place when it is positioned within the container. A strap on the container facilitates carrying with the open end facing upwardly. The fibrous portion is withdrawn from the container, pushed back in part-way to effect frothing of the herbicide, and then removed and touched to plants desirably destroyed.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method of destroying plants utilizing a portable liquid applicator device including a container having a first, closed end, and a second end with an opening therein;

a wiping structure mounted in the container adjacent, but spaced from, the open second end;
and a liquid applicator structure with a fibrous exterior portion for holding a frothable liquid herbicide and insertable into and withdrawable from the container through the opening in the container second end, and having a handle;
said method comprising the steps of:
(a) disposing frothable liquid contact herbicide within the container so that it is partially filled with liquid, below the level of the wiping structure;
(b) inserting the liquid applicator structure with fibrous exterior through the opening in the container second end to generally immerse a portion of the liquid applicator structure fibrous exterior portion is liquid herbicide, with the handle sticking outwardly from the container so that the handle never touches the herbicide;
(c) partially removing the liquid applicator with herbicide held thereby, from the container by pulling on the handle to partially withdraw the liquid applicator structure as the fibrous exterior portion thereof is being wiped by the wiping structure to froth the herbicide, to a point just short of the end of travel of the liquid applicator structure with respect to the wiping structure;
(d) re-inserting the liquid applicator structure into the container to provide a reverse wiping of the fibrous exterior and frothing of the herbicide but so that the fibrous exterior of the liquid applicator structure does not become substantially immersed in liquid herbicide within the container;
(e) re-withdrawing the liquid applicator structure from the container through the open second end thereof by pulling on the handle and completely removing the liquid applicator structure from container with frothed herbicide held thereby;
(f) touching the applicator structure fibrous exterior portion to plants that are to be desirably destroyed, so that herbicide is transferred from the structure to the plants to thereby result in destruction of the plants touched thereby;
and
(g) occasionally repeating steps (b)-(f), if necessary, until desired plant destruction is completed, or until step (a) must be repeated.

8 more elements

A portable liquid applicator device comprising:

a container elongated along an axis and having a first, closed end, and a second end including means defining an opening therein;
a liquid applicator structure including a fibrous exterior portion, shorter than said container, for holding a liquid, and a handle extending therefrom;
wiping means for wiping off a substantial portion, but not all, of the liquid on the liquid applicator structure fibrous exterior portion as the liquid applicator structure is withdrawn through the container second end opening, with the liquid wiped-off draining back into the container;
and
means for mounting said wiping means interiorly of said container and spaced from, though adjacent, said container second end a distance sufficient for a portion of said fibrous exterior portion of said liquid applicator structure to be in contact with said wiping means though not in substantial contact with a quantity of liquid disposed in said container at said first end thereof;
and spaced from said container first end a distance sufficient for a portion of said liquid applicator structure fibrous exterior portion to be in substantial contact with a quantity of liquid disposed in said container at said first end thereof with no portion of said wiping means in substantial contact with said fibrous exterior portion.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.