Patent Application
20080127547
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for burrowing pest control, and more particularly to an apparatus for injecting flammable gas and oxygen into underground pest burrows for combustion and extermination of burrowing pests.
Burrowing pests have been a problem for gardeners, ranchers, and farmers since time in immemorial. There have been many devices for the specific purpose of combating burrowing pests in their underground burrows including spring traps, jaw traps, spring spears, steel traps, poisons, and explosive devices. Eradicating burrowing pests is made more difficult because the pest burrow may be quite long with various entry points, underground chambers, and various escape routes. Poisonous gases have been utilized but this is dangerous to the operator and may involve such environmental impact as to make it impractical.
Explosive gases have also been injected into the system of burrows, of burrowing animals. The use of explosive gases can be effective, but faces certain challenges. An applicator for injecting flammable gases into an underground burrow must cause the gas to penetrate deeply into the system of burrows for it to be effective. Usually the flammable gas is a mixture of oxygen and a flammable gas, and at a certain distance from the injection point the two gases can separate and the effectiveness of the combustion may become greatly reduced. Such a device also has to be very safe for the applicator so that there is no possibility of combustion around the applicator or of carrying the combustion into the device itself.
The present invention is a burrowing pest control device based on injecting a mixture of oxygen and a flammable gas into underground borrows. The device includes a valve assembly, a combustion assembly, an ignition assembly, an injector assembly, and a control panel assembly. The burrowing pest control device works by mixing oxygen, and a flammable gas, and injecting that mixture of gases into the hole of the burrowing, so that the mixture of gases penetrates some distance into the hole. At a selected time the mixture of oxygen and flammable gas is ignited by the ignition assembly, and the mixture combusts underground, thus eliminating the burrowing pest in the underground burrow.
The valve assembly includes a hose connection for an oxygen hose from a source of compressed oxygen. It also includes a hose connection for a hose supplying flammable gas from a flammable gas source. The flammable gas and the oxygen are connected from exterior sources to provide the burrowing pest control device with both of these gases. The valve assembly also includes an oxygen valve, which is configured to open and close a pathway for oxygen into the device of the invention. The flammable gas valve is also configured to open and close a pathway for flammable gas into the device. The functions of both of these valves can be combined into one valve, which controls the flow of both gases. The valve assembly also includes a valve controller which controls the oxygen valve and may also control the flammable gas valve. The oxygen and gas can be controlled by two separate valves.
The combustion assembly includes a combustion chamber in which initiates combustion of the mixture of oxygen and flammable gas is ignited. The device also includes an ignition assembly which includes a spark plug, a device for generating and sending energy for the spark to the spark plug, and ignition switch, and a radio receiver for receiving a signal from a remote location a signal to initiate a spark. The ignition assembly includes a transmitter for remote detonation of the gasses.
The device also includes an injection assembly, which includes an injection tube, which is adjacent to the combustion chamber, which directs the mixture of gases into an underground burrow.
The device also includes a control assembly, which includes a control panel, which is configured for remote operation of the device using a remote transmitter. In one configuration of the device the control panel is able to control one or more valves, which allows oxygen and flammable gas to flow into the combustion chamber, as well as to control the initiation of the spark in the ignition assembly from a remote location.
The device can include a mixing tip, which creates a thorough mixing of the oxygen and flammable gas. The device can also include a nozzle tip in the injection tube, which contains a narrowing internal diameter followed by a graduate expanding internal diameter. This internal flare in the passageway through which the mixture of gases flows is designed to impart a shockwave to the gas and oxygen as the gases are ignited. In one configuration of the mixing tip the flow of oxygen can serve as an adductor to draw the appropriate flow of flammable gas into the oxygen stream, which contributes to thorough mixing. The mixing tip can further include a turbo tip, which is configured to impart a vortex, or a spiraling flow to the mixture of gases. Directional vanes can also be added adjacent to the mixing tip to further impart vortex flow to the mixture of gases.
In one configuration of the device the valve assembly is contained in a valve housing with the combustion ignition and injector assemblies located in a device tip. In this configuration the valve housing and the device tip are connected by conduits which contain a line for flammable gas, a line for oxygen, and a line which contains the electrical connection to the ignition assembly. In this configuration the valve housing is held in a spaced apart relation from the device tip and the two are joined by extended lines containing flammable gas conduit, oxygen conduit, and electronics line.
The device can also include a thermal switch in the combustion chamber for the purpose of cutting off the flow of gases when the temperature of the combustion chamber exceeds a preselected temperature. The device can further include a check valve in the combustion assembly for the purpose of preventing the gases in the combustion chamber from being ignited and from burning material coming from outside of the device itself. This can occur when gas has been injected and ignited into a section of burrow, and flammable material in the burrow is still being burned. Then when gas begins to be injected into another opening into the same burrow system it is possible for the gas to be ignited by the burning material in the burrow then rather from the spark plug in that case the flow of new gas would be cutoff by the check valve or the thermal switch.
The panel assembly can further include a status board on which various parameters of the device can be displayed. This includes information about the status of the gas and oxygen valve, and the blank.
One embodiment of the device includes a configuration in which the oxygen and the flammable gas are not mixed together until the combustion chamber, which is adjacent to the nozzle tip.
One embodiment of the device includes structure such as a mixture tip and a turbo tip to induce a vortex flow into the device, coupled with a constriction in the exit line, which creates a shockwave of combustion in the mixture of gases.
The purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the public, and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection, the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
Still other features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description describing preferred embodiments of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out my invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiments are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in nature.
While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the figures.
The valve housing 12 is preferably made of metal, but other materials can be utilized such as a suitable plastic, fiberglass or other material. The gas lines 18 and 20 are preferably made of metal pipe and may be approximately 24 inches long and ½ inches in diameter.
Located in the device tip 14 is also a thermal switch 28, and a check valve 30. The thermal switch 28 detects the temperature in the combustion chamber 66 and shuts off the flow of gases if the temperature in the combustion chamber exceeds a preset temperature. The temperature in the combustion chamber could exceed a preset temperature if gas has been ignited and dispensed for a period of time sufficient for the injection tube 34 to become hot.
The device tip 14 also includes a check valve 30. When activated the check valve 30 prevents the propagation of flame from the combustion chamber or the device tip 14 into the gas line 18 or 20.
The device can be sized according to the requirements of the particular application, but one advantageous configuration is one in which the injection nozzle tube is made of non-ferrous metal and is a tube approximately 2 inches in diameter.
Adjacent to the combustion chamber 66 is located a vortex generator 32. The vortex generator 32 can be one or more veins which induce a swirling motion into the mixture of gases coming from the combustion chamber 66. The swirling of the gases creates a vortex effect which extends not only out the device tip as the gases exit the device, but also extends into the combustion chamber and serves to draw the two gases towards the exit of the device tip, and to mix them together when in the swirling vortex. The vortex generator 32, by creating a vortex in the gases serves to mix the two gases together better, and since the vortex extends into the burrow the two gases stay mixed together longer, and the stream of flammable gas and oxygen mixing together in a vortex extends for a greatly enhanced distance into the burrow. The vortex also serves to keep the two gases from separating as the distance from the device tip becomes greater.
Within the valve housing 12 is located an oxygen valve 36 and a gas valve 48. Within the valve housing 12 is also located a radio receiver 72 for receiving a signal from the remote transmitter 44. From the remote transmitter 44 a signal can be received to begin the flow of gases and a separate signal can activate the ignition sequence.
On the valve housing 12 is located a gas line connection 82, and an oxygen line connection 84. To these connections are attached an oxygen hose 62 and a gas hose 64 which connect the device to an oxygen source 58 and a gas source 60.
In the following description and in the figures, like elements are identified with like reference numerals. The use of “or” indicates a non-exclusive alternative without limitation unless otherwise noted. The use of “including” means “including, but not limited to,” unless otherwise noted.
While there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited thereto, but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
