Walking-Pace Sprayer

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30936, 17 December 1965, Page 6

Walking-Pace Sprayer

A light and manoeuvrable spray applicator designed for use as a mobile lawn-weed eradicator has been thoroughly tried for almost a year and found to be a most efficient piece of equipment which can take much of the guess work, time and worry out of this task of ridding the lawn of weeds.

The design is very simple and easy to look after. The operation is foolproof and the few parts liable to wear can be replaced. All that is necessary to work it is the ability to walk, preferably in a straight line. It consists of a two and three-quarter gallon plastic jerry-can strapped to a tubular steel frame which in turn is mounted on a solid rubber wheel. The can is detachable and has a grip, and is easily flushed out after use. The contents are delivered through a rubber hose stretched on rollers attached to the wheel. Forward motion of the wheel actuates a siphoning action which draws the chemical in solution from the tank down a plastic tube to a centrally mounted boom, at the end of which is a single spray nozzle. This gives a spray coverage width of just over two feet, which can be altered slightly depending on the walking pace of the operator; delivery, however, remains virtually constant irrespective of the rate of forward progress. A shut-off valve allows forward propulsion without spraying. A full tank will cover about 4000 square feet, although it may be found that it pays to halve the area and treat it in two directions to ensure adequate coverage on very badly weed-infested lawns. The low pressure under

which this device works reduces considerably the amount of drift usually associated with spraying. As with most things with which one is unfamiliar it is best to have a trial run with water first to gain confidence and competence. It must not be forgotten, that even though the danger of drift is much reduced hormones can be lethal weapons if carelessly . handled in the garden.

Using a different size ■ nozzle, extending the centrally • mounted boom and, either pushing it closer to the i ground, or raising it, has eni abled its range of use to be i greatly extended. It has, for • instance, been possible to l apply both desiccating and 1 pre-emergence weedkillers to J nursery stock, saving much ’ time and labour in consequence. '