Meter

Claim 1

In ammonia injection apparatus having a delivery pipe for injecting ammonia into the soil as the apparatus is moved over the soil and having a supply tank for supplying the ammonia, the combination therewith of a valve for controlling the flow of ammonia from said tank to said pipe, means connecting said valve at one side thereof to said tank for supplying ammonia to said valve, means connecting said valve at the other side thereof to said delivery pipe for supplying ammonia from said valve to said delivery pipe, timing means connected to said valve for controlling the opening and closing of said valve, said timing means having an activating input, a timing unit connected to said input and activatable by said input, said unit operating, after activation, for a predetermined time period which is independent of said input, and a control output connected to said unit and to said valve for closing said valve at the end of said time period whereby said timing means, when activated, opens said valve for a set, predetermined period of time and then closes said valve at the end of said period, thereby permitting a fixed predetermined quantity of ammonia to flow from said tank to said pipe during each said period, and means connected to said activating input for activating said timing unit at times spaced in proportion to the rate of movement of said apparatus over the soil and spaced by intervals at least as great as said predetermined period of time, the length of said period being unaffected by said activating means whereby the ammonia flows intermittently from said tank to said pipe for periods of time each of which has a duration unaffected by said activating means.

Claim 6

A method for delivering anhydrous ammonia to the soil so as to provide substantially uniform treatment of the soil which method comprises moving over the soil a conduit from which the ammonia issues to the soil, and each time that said conduit moves a pre-determined distance over said soil, supplying said ammonia to said conduit for a set, pre-determined interval of time which is independent of the rate of movement of said conduit over the soil but which is less than the time required for said conduit to move said pre-determined distance.

Claim 7

A method for delivering anhydrous ammonia to the soil so as to provide substantially uniform treatment of the soil which method comprises moving over the soil a conduit from which the ammonia issues to the soil, and each time that said conduit moves a pre-determined distance over said soil, supplying said ammonia to said conduit for a set, pre-determined interval of time which is independent of the rate of movement of said conduit over the soil but which is less than the time required for said conduit to move said pre-determined distance.