摘要 |
<p>A dropleg row crop sprayer (12) senses boom height and tilt from ground-contacting droplegs (46) signalling through potentiometers (74, 76) to a boom control mechanism (84). The droplegs follow crop row wandering through a driven carriage (44). Dropleg attitude is assisted by a cam control system (94, 96). The boom (20, 21) floats through a spring suspension system (128, 138) and is damped by frictional abutment of the boom portions (20, 21), thereby permitting a single actuator (106) to control attitude. A lost motion linkage (126) protects the actuator (106) from snatch loads. Spray control is effected by use of microdroplets discharged from the droplegs (46) below the row crop leaf canopy which protects the droplets from wind turbulence, while electrostatic charges and droplet-energising air flow act to assit crop coating. Where conventional spray droplets are used, the spray direction is fore/aft of the row to minimize ground speed effects.</p> |