Arrangement for switching nozzles on the go for controlling spray rate

摘要

An agricultural sprayer includes a spray boom equipped with a plurality of spray heads, with each head having a body defining a cavity located in fluid communication with a fluid inlet and an array of four outlets leading to four nozzles respectively having different flow rates. A nozzle-select control member is mounted for rotation in the cavity and includes a fluid passage arrangement for establishing fluid connections between the inlet and different ones or combinations of the four nozzles as the control member is rotated among preselected discrete positions by an electric stepper motor, with the stepper motor being controlled in response to vehicle speed so that the spray tip capacity decreases for effecting a constant application rate as the vehicle speed decreases from a maximum permitted speed.

主权项

1. A spray head in an agricultural sprayer including a spray boom carrying a plurality of said spray heads, comprising:
a manifold body defining a fluid chamber including a bottom section having a substantially planar top surface region containing a plurality of flow control openings having inlets arranged in a circular ring-shaped zone extending about an upright axis; a plurality of nozzles respectively having inlets coupled for receiving fluid from said plurality of flow control openings; a nozzle selector disk being located in said chamber and having a flat bottom surface engaged with said planar top surface region of said bottom section, said nozzle selector disk being mounted for rotation about said axis and containing at least one nozzle selection opening located for selectively registering with said flow control openings as said nozzle selector disk is rotated in said chamber; a power-operated motor being connected for rotating said nozzle selector disk; and wherein a selected spray rate of the nozzles is related to a speed of the agricultural sprayer.