Spraying equipment

#This invention relates to spraying equipment and particularly, although not exclusively, to equipment for spraying herbicides.

#It is becoming increasingly common for herbicides to be applied in the form of oil-based emulsions. Such herbicides are highly efficient and very small quantities, if properly applied, can be used to treat large areas. However, to be effective, the herbicides must be applied in the form of droplets of uniform size and distribution. The nature of the herbicide, which is commonly a viscous liquid having a viscosity, for example, of 20-40 centistokes, has made it difficult for this requirement to be met.

#In known proposals for promoting the creation of fine droplets of uniform size, the fluid is supplied to a rapidly rotating disc from which the fluid is ejected by centrifugal force. The face of the atomising disc over which the fluid flows is formed with radial grooves terminating in radially extending points. Examples of such proposals can be found in British Patent Specifications Nos. 1515511 and 2008439. The radial grooves constitute channels along which fluid flows under the action of centrifugal force when the disc is rotated. At the radially outer ends of the grooves, the individual streams of fluid are ejected from the points and break up into fine droplets. When using such discs, however, it is not possible to control the spraying width or the droplet size to suit prevailing conditions.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of spraying equipment;

#FIG. 2 is a partly sectioned view taken along the line II--II in FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a partly sectioned view taken along the line III--III in FIG. 1;

#Referring to FIG. 1, the spraying equipment comprises a support tube 2 which is connected at one end to a supply assembly 4 and carries at the other end a spraying head 6. The supply assembly 4 comprises a battery carrier 8 to which a battery 10 is connected and which is provided with a hollow handle 12. The handle 12 is mounted between front and rear limbs 14 and 16 of the battery carrier 8 and is connected at its rear end to a fluid supply line 18. Near its front end, the handle 12 is provided with an on/off tap 20, and at its extreme end it is connected to the support tube 2 by a fitting 22. A supply tube 38 communicates with the interior of the handle 12 and consequently with the fluid supply line 18. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the supply tube 38 is provided at its end with a flanged connector 40. An O-ring 42 is compressed between the connector 40 and a face provided on the handle 12 under the action of the fitting 22.

#The battery 10 is connected to the bracket 8 by terminal nuts 24 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 1). The two terminals are connected by a lead 26 to an adjustable voltage regulator 28 controlled by a knob 30. The output of the voltage regulator 28 is connected by a short lead 32 to an on/off switch 34. The on/off switch 34 is connected by a further lead 36 to the spraying head 6.

#As will be appreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2, both the lead 36 and the supply tube 38 extend down the support tube 2. The lead 36 extends through an opening 44 in the front limb 14 of the bracket 8 and through an opening 46 in the support tube 2.