Method of and apparatus for spraying foliar composition

Claim 1

A method of spraying liquid composition onto foliage of vegetation, comprising in combination: (a) spraying in at least one of lateral and rearward directions a liquid composition as a solid flat spray stream at a liquid pressure ranging from about 10 to about 75 pounds per square inch from an orifice of a spray nozzle along a longitudinal first axis toward and onto foliage of vegetation; while advancing about the foliage and substantially horizontally to ground level at a forwardly rate of speed of about 1 to 10 miles per hour; (b) concurrently directing a gas as gas streams from gas vents in directions substantially the same as said spraying of said spray stream such that said directed gas intersects and impinges upon said liquid composition as the liquid composition is sprayed-away-from the spray nozzle whereby amount and uniform distribution of spray of the composition onto top and bottom surfaces of foliage of vegetation is enhanced by greater deposits more uniformly distributed, said directing being from at least two spaced-apart locations on substantially opposite sides of said spray stream positioned to form spaced-apart separate non-circumscribing barriers on opposite two sides of said spray stream such that particles of said spray stream are prevented from diverging beyond said two opposite barriers, each said directing of said gas stream being at a directing angle ranging from about zero to about 50 degrees relative to a second axis spaced-away from and parallel to said longitudinal first axis of said spray stream; said spray stream at said spray nozzle having an orifice cross-sectional area ranging from about 0.0000948 square inches to about 0.00323000 square inches; and said directing of said gas streams including positioning gas vents from which said gas streams flow, with each gas vent having at least oppositely-spaced-apart baffles each extending a distance of from about 1 to about 12 inches, each said baffle ranging relative to said second axis, from about zero to about 20 degrees in a direction of the opposing baffle of the same gas vent, and angles of said directing being such that each said gas-stream impinges upon said spray stream at a distance of from about five to about fifteen inches distant from said orifice.

Claim 2

A method of spraying liquid composition onto foliage of vegetation, comprising in combination: (a) spraying in at least one of lateral and rearward directions a liquid composition as a solid flat spray stream at a liquid pressure ranging from about 10 to about 75 pounds per square inch from an orifice of a spray nozzle along a longitudinal first axis toward and onto foliage of vegetation; while advancing about the foliage and substantially horizontally to ground level at a forwardly rate of speed of about 1 to 10 miles per hour; (b) concurrently directing a gas as gas streams from gas vents in directions substantially the same as said spraying of said spray stream such that said directed gas intersects and impinges upon said liquid composition as the liquid composition is sprayed-away-from the spray nozzle whereby amount and uniform distribution of spray of the composition onto top and bottom surfaces of foliage of vegetation is enhanced by greater deposits more uniformly distributed, said directing being from at least two spaced-apart locations on substantially opposite sides of said spray stream positioned to form spaced-apart separate non-circumscribing barriers on opposite two sides of said spray stream such that particles of said spray stream are prevented from diverging beyond said two opposite barriers, each said directing of said gas stream being at a directing angle ranging from about zero to about 50 degrees relative to a second axis spaced-away from and parallel to said longitudinal first axis of said spray stream; said spray stream at said spray nozzle having an orifice cross-sectional area ranging from about 0.0000948 square inches to about 0.00323000 square inches; and said directing of said gas streams including positioning gas vents from which said gas streams flow, with each gas vent having at least oppositely-spaced-apart baffles each extending a distance of from about 1 to about 12 inches, each said baffle ranging relative to said second axis, from about zero to about 20 degrees in a direction of the opposing baffle of the same gas vent, and angles of said directing being such that each said gas-stream impinges upon said spray stream at a distance of from about five to about fifteen inches distant from said orifice.

Claim 20

An apparatus for applying foliar spray to foliage of vegetation, comprising in combination: foliar spray means for spraying a liquid composition onto foliage of vegetation, in at least one of lateral and rearward directions as a solid flat spray stream at a pressure of from about 10 pounds per square inch to about 75 pounds per square inch; support means for supporting said foliar spray means in positions in juxtaposition to vegetation foliage such that the spray stream will strike foliage within a range distance of about 5 to about 15 inches from the spray means; and vehicular means for advancing said support means and said foliar spray means to and past said vegetation foliage at a forwardly rate of from about 1 to about 10 miles per hour; said foliar spray means comprising liquid spraying means for spraying a liquid composition along a first axis from a spray nozzle toward and onto foliage of vegetation, and gas-directing means spaced laterally from the spraying means, for directing gases from at least two spaced-apart locations on opposite sides of said liquid spraying means in a direction substantially the same as spray from said liquid spraying means concurrently at an angle of from about zero degrees up to about 50 degrees relative to a second axis extending from the gas-directing means, said second axis being parallel to said first axis, such that said gas is directable to intersect and impinge upon said spray at said range distance during said spraying from said liquid spraying means, said liquid spraying means including a spraying orifice having a cross-sectional area of from about 0.0000948 square inches to about 0.032300 square inches, and said orifice including diverging baffles diverging relative to said second axis, from about zero to about 20 degrees.

Claim 21

An apparatus for applying foliar spray to foliage of vegetation, comprising in combination: foliar spray means for spraying a liquid composition onto foliage of vegetation, in at least one of lateral and rearward directions as a solid flat spray stream at a pressure of from about 10 pounds per square inch to about 75 pounds per square inch; support means for supporting said foliar spray means in positions in juxtaposition to vegetation foliage such that the spray stream will strike foliage within a range distance of about 5 to about 15 inches from the spray means; and vehicular means for advancing said support means and said foliar spray means to and past said vegetation foliage at a forwardly rate of from about 1 to about 10 miles per hour; said foliar spray means comprising liquid spraying means for spraying a liquid composition along a first axis from a spray nozzle toward and onto foliage of vegetation, and gas-directing means spaced laterally from the spraying means, for directing gases from at least two spaced-apart locations on opposite sides of said liquid spraying means in a direction substantially the same as spray from said liquid spraying means concurrently at an angle of from about zero degrees up to about 50 degrees relative to a second axis extending from the gas-directing means, said second axis being parallel to said first axis, such that said gas is directable to intersect and impinge upon said spray at said range distance during said spraying from said liquid spraying means, said liquid spraying means including a spraying orifice having a cross-sectional area of from about 0.0000948 square inches to about 0.032300 square inches, and said orifice including diverging baffles diverging relative to said second axis, from about zero to about 20 degrees.