Hand held liquid herbicide applicator

Claim 1

A hand-held liquid herbicide applicator for wipingly applying the liquid herbicide on undesired vegetation growing at ground level comprising: (a) an elongated, straight tubular handle for holding at a forwardly and downwardly extending angle which defines a normal application position, said tubular handle constituting a reservoir and having a bore which is open at the top for receiving the liquid herbicide; (b) a flow control valve means coupled to the lower end of the tubular handle so as to extend coaxially therefrom, said flow control valve means including valve adjustment means normal to the axis of the tubular handle for controlling the flow rate of the liquid herbicide from the bore of the tubular handle; and (c) an elongated applicator head including, I. an elongated tubular dispenser conduit one end of which is coupled to said flow control valve means co-axially with said tubular handle for receiving the liquid herbicide therefrom, said dispenser conduit having a bend so as to extend angularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of said tubular handle so as to lie in a substantially horizontal plane when said tubular handle is in its normal application position, said dispenser conduit having its other end closed and having a plurality of longitudinally aligned apertures formed in spaced increments along its bottom through which the liquid herbicide will exit said dispenser conduit, II. a sponge assembly carried on said dispenser conduit for absorbingly receiving the liquid herbicide from said dispenser conduit for wiping application on the undesired vegetation, said sponge assembly including, an elongated resilient sleeve demountably mounted on said dispenser conduit in frictional movement restraining contiguous engagement with the periphery of said dispenser conduit, said sleeve having a plurality of longitudinally aligned apertures formed in spaced increments therealong and in coaxial alignment with the apertures of said dispenser conduit, an elongated synthetic sponge affixed on at least a portion of the periphery of said sleeve for absorbingly receiving the liquid herbicide which is flowable through the aligned apertures of said dispenser conduit and said sleeve.