Sprayer having spray solution agitation system, onboard chemical eductor, and dedicated onboard clean water rinse system

Abstract

A sprayer has a tank for holding a spray solution that is applied to a ground or turf surface. The sprayer includes an agitation system having a plurality of agitation nozzles that extend into the tank that are accessible from outside the tank and can be removed and replaced without using tools. The sprayer may include a rinse system carried onboard the sprayer which is segregated from the spray and agitation systems to avoid contaminating the rinse liquid prior to the time the rinse liquid is sprayed into the tank through rinse nozzles. The rinse nozzles include upwardly and downwardly directed nozzle ports and a bottom spinner for thoroughly cleaning all interior surfaces of the tank. The sprayer may also include a chemical eductor mounted on the side of the tank, whose weight is counterbalanced by springs, and which easily pivots between lower and upper positions on the tank.

1 . A sprayer for applying a liquid spray solution to a ground or turf surface, which comprises:
 (a) a frame that is movable over the ground or turf surface;   (b) a spray solution tank carried by the frame for holding the liquid spray solution;   (c) a spray system carried by the frame for withdrawing the liquid spray solution from the tank and for spraying the liquid spray solution downwardly onto the ground or turf surface through a plurality of downwardly facing spray nozzles, the spray system including a spray pump; and   (d) a rinse system carried by the frame for rinsing the spray solution tank and the spray system with a rinse liquid after spraying operations are concluded, the rinse system comprising a rinse tank holding a rinse liquid and a rinse pump that is separate from the spray pump for withdrawing rinse liquid from the rinse tank and for spraying the rinse liquid into the spray solution tank through at least one rinse nozzle provided inside the spray solution tank, the rinse system being isolated from the spray system such that the rinse liquid does not contact any portion of the spray system that has previously been in contact with the spray solution until after the rinse liquid is sprayed into the spray solution tank through the rinse nozzle with the rinse liquid sprayed into the spray solution tank then being withdrawn from the spray solution tank through operation of the spray system.   
     
     
         2 . The sprayer of  claim 1 , wherein the rinse nozzle has a plurality of downwardly directed bottom nozzle ports that eject rinse liquid downwardly onto a plurality of wings that form a spinner that rotates when the wings are struck by the rinse liquid to eject the rinse liquid substantially radially outwardly therefrom in a circumferential spray around the rinse nozzle. 
     
     
         3 . The sprayer of  claim 2 , wherein the wings of the spinner are circumferentially spaced from one another by a plurality of radial gaps that periodically align with the bottom nozzle ports during rotation of the spinner to allow rinse liquid being ejected downwardly from the bottom nozzle ports to then pass through such radial gaps in a substantially vertical downward direction to reach portions of a floor of the spray solution tank underlying the rinse nozzle. 
     
     
         4 . The sprayer of  claim 3 , wherein the rinse nozzle has a plurality of upwardly directed upper nozzle ports that eject rinse liquid therefrom in a substantially vertical upward direction to reach portions of a ceiling of the spray solution tank substantially directly above the rinse nozzle. 
     
     
         5 . The sprayer of  claim 2 , wherein the rinse nozzle has a plurality of upwardly directed upper nozzle ports that eject rinse liquid therefrom in a substantially vertical upward direction to reach portions of a ceiling of the spray solution tank substantially directly above the rinse nozzle. 
     
     
         6 . The sprayer of  claim 1 , wherein the rinse nozzle is located in a top portion of the spray solution tank. 
     
     
         7 . The sprayer of  claim 6 , wherein a pair of rinse nozzles is located in the top portion of the spray solution tank with the nozzles being spaced apart along a length of the spray solution tank.