Electrostatic dusting apparatus and method therefor

摘要

An apparatus for applying an electrostatic charge to pesticide dust and for applying the charged dust to a building's sewer system or a municipality's sewer system is disclosed. A blower exhausts forced air into a reservoir that contains pesticide dust. The dust becomes airborne and exits the reservoir with the forced air. From the reservoir, the dust travels through a charging chamber. The charging chamber includes a conductive tube and an electrode positioned within and insulated from the tube. The electrode is formed as a wire brush having a multiplicity of conductive bristles which are distributed through a substantial volume of the interior of the charging chamber. The electrode is energized to around 15-25 KV. As the dust comes into close proximity with the electrode, it becomes electrostatically charged and then moves out of the charging chamber. After exiting the charging chamber, the dust and forced air exit the apparatus from a nozzle in a delivery hose. The nozzle is specifically configured to mate with a building's clean-out plug or an opening in a municipal sewer system's manhole cover. The dust then covers the interior of the sewer system. When used in connection with a building's sewer system, screens are placed over the building's vent pipes to prevent pests from escaping.