Hand held herbicide applicator with flexible cap and valve element

Claim 1

A liquid applicator comprising a head portion including a sponge liquid applicator material and means for holding said sponge so that part of said sponge is within said head portion, and part of said sponge extends outwardly from the head portion, and said sponge has generally a figure 8 shape in end view, said means for holding said sponge comprising: means defining a slot in said head portion elongated in the same dimension as the dimension of elongation of said head portion; and further comprising a cover for said sponge portion extending outwardly from said head portion, said cover comprising an elongated generally tubular piece of plastic pipe circular in cross-section and open at one end and having means defining a slot therein, said slot elongated in the same dimension as the dimension of elongation of said cover; and wherein said head portion and said cover have means defining exterior surfaces thereof adjacent said slots, which surfaces substantially abut each other when said slots and said cover and said head portion are adjacent each other and extend in the same dimension, with said cover engaging and surrounding said portion of said sponge extending outwardly from said head portion; a handle portion operatively connected at one end thereof to said head portion, the other end being free; valve means consisting of fluid pressure responsive valve means operatively positioned between said liquid applicator material and said handle free end; means defining a liquid reservoir adjacent said valve means, with liquid in contact with said valve means on the opposite side thereof as said liquid applicator material; and air pump means for pressurizing liquid in said reservoir to pass only a predetermined amount thereof through said pressure responsive valve means into contact with said liquid applicator material.