US3727346A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Oil-fired flame cultivator
Assignee: Gulf Research and Development Co
•
Filing: 1970-10-01
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Granted: 1973-04-17
•
Expires: 1990-10-01
Abstract
Abstract A flame cultivator for row crops as opposed to field crops. The improvements of the invention comprise modification of commercial flame weeding equipment so as to render the structural burner supporting legs into air sumps, to thereby eliminate the need for surge tanks, large manifolds, and the like. A second improvement is a modified burner housing to facilitate the drawing in of secondary air and to protect the nozzles and electrodes from stones, tall weeds and the like which may be encountered during operation.
Inventors
- 👤 W Kramer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 19:06
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01M; A01M15/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
241 words
Flame cultivation apparatus comprising a structural assembly having means for attaching said assembly to a vehicle, a tank assembly mounted on said structural assembly, a power group mounted on said tank assembly, at least one burner leg assembly having its upper end mounted on said structural assembly, burner means mounted on the lower end of said leg assembly, said leg assembly including a hollow leg member, conduit means on the outside of said leg member and in fluid communication with said tank assembly to supply fuel under pressure from said tank assembly to said burner means, electrical conductor means on the outside of said leg member and connected to said power group to supply electrical energy from said power group to said burner means, the improvement comprising means sealing said hollow leg member to form a closed space within substantially all of said leg member, conduit means extending from said tank assembly to said leg member to supply air under pressure from said tank assembly to the inside of said leg member in the region of the upper end thereof, and means extending from said leg member to said burner means to tap the air under pressure inside said leg member in the region of the lower end thereof and to supply the air so tapped to said burner means, whereby said leg member functions as a sump for the pressurized air supplied from said tank assembly to said burner means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
241 words
Flame cultivation apparatus comprising a structural assembly having means for attaching said assembly to a vehicle, a tank assembly mounted on said structural assembly, a power group mounted on said tank assembly, at least one burner leg assembly having its upper end mounted on said structural assembly, burner means mounted on the lower end of said leg assembly, said leg assembly including a hollow leg member, conduit means on the outside of said leg member and in fluid communication with said tank assembly to supply fuel under pressure from said tank assembly to said burner means, electrical conductor means on the outside of said leg member and connected to said power group to supply electrical energy from said power group to said burner means, the improvement comprising means sealing said hollow leg member to form a closed space within substantially all of said leg member, conduit means extending from said tank assembly to said leg member to supply air under pressure from said tank assembly to the inside of said leg member in the region of the upper end thereof, and means extending from said leg member to said burner means to tap the air under pressure inside said leg member in the region of the lower end thereof and to supply the air so tapped to said burner means, whereby said leg member functions as a sump for the pressurized air supplied from said tank assembly to said burner means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
154 words
The combination of claim 1, said burner means comprising a burner housing open at its front and rear ends, a flat spray nozzle mounted in said burner housing, wherein said means to supply said tapped air to said burner means supplies said air to said nozzle, wherein said means to supply fuel to said burner means supplies said fuel to said nozzle, electrical ignition means mounted in said burner housing, wherein said means to supply electrical energy to said burner means supplies said electrical energy to said ignition means, said burner housing comprising top and bottom walls sloping towards each other in the direction of flame propagation and a pair of side walls interconnecting said top and bottom walls, said side walls being of arcuate configuration to define a venturi throat therebetween, whereby said venturi throat facilitates the drawing in of secondary air for combustion through said open rear end of said burner housing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The combination of claim 2, an extension on said bottom wall extending out rearwardly beyond the plane of said open rear end of said housing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The combination of claim 3, a pair of ignition electrodes in said burner housing positioned below the nozzle therein, and means to ground one of said electrodes to said bottom wall extension.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
The combination of claim 1, and remotely operable rotary switch means operatively cooperable with said air and fuel conduit means to sequentially control the flow of air in said air conduit means and the flow of fuel in said fuel conduit means to bring air and fuel to said burner means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
The combination of claim 1, said tank assembly comprising a pressure vessel having a volume of fuel therein less than the volume of said pressure vessel, said power group comprising an air compressor in fluid communication with said pressure vessel supply pressurized air to the space in said pressure vessel above the level of said fuel therein.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The combination of claim 1, said power group including an automotive type ignition system for supplying continuous intermittent electrical energy to said burner means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-16 | 1976-10-16 | 1977-04-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-16 | 1980-10-16 | 1981-04-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-16 | 1984-10-16 | 1985-04-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |