Method of and apparatus for charging a spray tank

Claim 1

A METHOD SUITABLE FOR USE IN PERIODICALLY RECHARGING AND OPERATING A SPRAY TANK, SUCH AS A GARDEN SPRAY TANK, HAVING A SET VOLUME, INCLUDING THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING A SUITABLE AMOUNT OF SPRAYABLE SUBSTANCE INTO THE TANK, THEREAFTER CLOSING THE TANK, INTRODUCING A LIQUID PROPELLANT HEAVIER THAN THE SPRAYABLE SUBSTANCE, AND AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE, INTO A METERING ZONE WITHIN A CONTAINER OPENING INTO THE TANK, UNTIL THE ZONE IS COMPLETELY FILLED, THE VOLUME OF THE METERING ZONE BEING RELATED TO THE VOLUME OF THE TANK SUCH THAT THE METERING ZONE WILL HOLD AN AMOUNT OF PROPELLANT SUFFICIENT TO JUST COMPLETELY EMPTY THE TANK REGARDLESS OF THE QUANTITY OF SPRAYABLE SUBSTANCE WITHIN THE TANK, PASSING THE PROPELLANT FROM THE CONTAINER INTO THE TANK, THE PROPELLANT REMAINING AT LEAST PARTIALLY IN LIQUID FORM DEPENDING UPON THE RELATION BETWEEN THE SET VOLUME OF THE TANK AND THE VOLUME OCCUPIED BY THE SPRAYABLE SUBSTANCE, ALLOWING THE SPRAYABLE SUBSTANCE TO ESCAPE FROM THE TANK IN A CONTROLLED MANNER AND AT THE SAME TIME FREELY ALLOWING THE LIQUID PROPELLANT TO VAPORIZE IN THE TANK AND OCCUPY THE VOLUME VACATED BY THE EXPELLED SPRAYABLE SUBSTANCE UNTIL ALL OF THE SPRAYABLE SUBSTANCE HAS BEEN EXPELLED, THEREAFTER REPEATING THE CHARGING AND OPERATING STEPS AT PERIODIC INTERVALS AND AS NEEDED.