US 5,769,536 AGranted

Mixing container for dissolving dry chemicals in water

OwnerClayton Kotylakinventor

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Abstract

Chemicals for a sprayer tank, particularly in dry dissolvable form, are mixed with water in a separate mixing container prior to adding to water in the sprayer tank. The mixing container has a hopper bottom with a perforated discharge control at the bottom apex for controlling the exit of mixed chemicals and water. An injection elbow is mounted on the hopper bottom for directing return water downwardly toward the apex for agitation of dry dissolvable chemicals collecting at the apex. Two valves are provided mounted on a common frame supporting the tank. The valves can be operated to control recirculation of water and dissolved chemicals back into the mixing tank and can be operated so that the same pump is used for filling the sprayer tank from a supply tank and for filling the mixing tank with mixing water for the chemicals.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method of filling an agricultural sprayer with a mixture of water and chemicals comprising:

providing a sprayer tank;
providing a supply of water for filling the sprayer tank;
providing the chemicals in one or more separate supply containers for mixing with the water;
providing a separate mixing tank having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet adjacent a bottom of the mixing tank and an opening at a top wall of the mixing tank into which the chemicals from said one or more containers can be discharged from the container;
providing a pump for moving the water;
providing a first inlet valve having a first inlet and a second inlet and an outlet and being operable for selecting one of said first and second inlets for supplying liquid to the outlet and a second outlet valve having a first outlet and a second outlet and an inlet and being operable for selecting one of said first and second outlets for supplying liquid to the selected outlet from the inlet;
connecting the supply of water to the first inlet of the inlet valve;
connecting the liquid outlet of the mixing tank to the second inlet of the inlet valve;
connecting the outlet of the inlet valve to an intake of the pump;
connecting an output from the pump to the inlet of the outlet valve;
connecting the first outlet of the outlet valve to the inlet of the mixing tank;
connecting the second outlet of the outlet valve to the spray tank placing the chemicals through the opening into the separate mixing tank;
operating the inlet and outlet valves so as to pump water from the supply of water through the first inlet and through the outlet of the inlet valve, through the pump and through the inlet and through the first outlet of the outlet valve into the separate mixing tank;
mixing the water with the chemicals to cause the chemicals to dissolve into the water;
operating the inlet and outlet valves so as to cause the pump to extract water with dissolved chemicals therein from the liquid outlet through the second inlet and through the outlet of the inlet valve, through the pump and through the inlet and through the first outlet of the outlet valve and to return the water with dissolved chemicals therein to the liquid inlet so as to recirculate the water with dissolved chemicals therein through the separate mixing tank until the chemicals are fully dissolved;
and
operating the inlet and outlet valves to extract the mixed water and dissolved chemicals from the separate mixing tank through the second inlet and through the outlet of the inlet valve, through the pump and through the inlet and through the second outlet of the outlet valve so as to supply the water and dissolved chemicals to the sprayer tank.

14 more elements

A mixing container for receiving and mixing chemicals from a supply container comprising:

a mixing tank having a conical bottom converging to a lowermost apex, a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet at the lowermost apex of the mixing tank and an opening at a top wall of the mixing tank into which the chemicals from the supply container can be discharged from the supply container;
a first inlet valve having a first inlet and a second inlet and an outlet and being operable for selecting one of said first and second inlets for supplying liquid to the outlet;
a second outlet valve having a first outlet and a second outlet and an inlet and being operable for selecting one of said first and second outlets for supplying liquid to the selected outlet from the inlet;
means for connecting the liquid outlet of the mixing tank to the second inlet of the inlet valve;
and means for connecting the first outlet of the outlet valve to the inlet of the mixing tank;
wherein the liquid inlet of the mixing tank includes a directional element on an inside surface of the mixing tank, the directional element being arranged on the conical bottom of the tank and arranged to direct the liquid downwardly toward the lowermost apex of the tank.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.