Abstract: A polymeric spray shield assembly adapted to be connected to a support frame moved over plants growing in spaced rows from the earth and to be moved along the earth between the rows of plants while liquids such as herbicides not intended for contact with the plants in the rows are sprayed onto weeds between the rows of plants. The spray shield assembly comprises a polymeric spray shield having an inner surface defining a channel opening through an open side and front and rear ends of the spray shield, a top wall portion being adapted to have means attached thereto for suspending the spray shield from the support frame and through openings adapted to receive connector assemblies through which liquids are sprayed into the spray shield, and dependent opposite side wall portions. Stiff polymeric slotted end closure sheets are attached across the open front and rear ends of said channel to help retain the spray.

Abstract: An assembly adapted for use to spray liquids toward the ground while the assembly limits the drift of such sprayed liquids. The assembly has a frame including a supported portion adapted to be mounted on a mobile unit adapted to transport the frame along the ground, and a hood support portion including a first elongate hood support member. A plurality of separate hoods each having spaced diverging opposite front and rear side walls projecting from opposite sides of a top wall are attached along the elongate hood support member with their side walls generally parallel to said elongate hood support member and depending downwardly from said top walls of said hoods. A liquid distribution system including spray nozzles within the hoods can direct liquid spray toward the ground, whereupon the top and side walls will limit the drift of such liquid spray.

Abstract: An assembly including a tray-like member having a multiplicity of parallel adjacent elongate troughs. Each of the troughs has a major portion adjacent a first edge, and a minor portion adjacent a second edge; and the assembly includes a transparent polymeric sheet sealed over the minor portions of the troughs to define receptacles for liquid. After the major portions of the troughs are positioned beneath the spray zone at a specific distance from the nozzles with the troughs extending transverse of the elongate spray zone and after liquid is sprayed through the spray nozzles upon its upper surface, the assembly can be tipped so that the liquid collected in the troughs will run into the receptacles and the comparative resultant levels of liquid the receptacles will provide a visual indication of the uniformity of the amount of liquid being delivered by the nozzles along the spray zone at the specific distance.

Abstract: A liquid flow rate detector adapted for detecting whether a rate of flow for liquid flowing through a conduit is above or below a generally predetermined liquid flow rate, and for developing different control signals in response to detecting flow rates above and below that generally predetermined liquid flow rate.

Abstract: A system adapted for use to transfer desired volumes of liquid chemicals from supplies of the liquid chemicals to a container. The system includes a reversible D.C. motor driven pump for moving liquid in either of two opposite directions, a counting system for counting part revolutions of the pump, and a calibrated chamber. The pump is operated for a predetermined number of part revolutions, the volume of liquid delivered by those part revolutions is determined using the calibrated chamber, and entered into a computer which then determines the amount of liquid delivered by each part revolution of the pump. In response to appropriate inputs, the computer then determines the number of pump part revolutions needed to deliver a needed amount of liquid to a container, and activates the pump for that number of part revolutions to deliver the needed amount of liquid to the container.

Abstract: A spray shield assembly adapted to be moved over row crops to temporarily enclose the crops when liquids are sprayed onto them or the ground around them, which assembly includes a liquid distribution system for distributing liquid to outlet nozzles, and a polymeric shield defining a channel opening through one side and front and rear ends of the shield for receiving the crops. The shield has a converging leading portion for directing portions of plants into the channel, and a semi cylindrical portion in which the nozzles are mounted, with two of the nozzles in one of an array of openings in opposite sides of the shield, which arrays of openings allow adjusting the location of the nozzles to accommodate the portion of the plants desired to be sprayed.