BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the invention can be obtained when the detailed description of exemplary embodiments set forth below is considered in conjunction with the attached drawings, which are described as follows.
FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a disc mower attached to a tractor with a fibrous material attached to the mower for holding and exposing insecticide according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top view of a disc mower with a mat for holding and exposing insecticide according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a disc mower and mat for holding and exposing insecticide according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a disc mower and mat for holding and exposing insecticide according to the present invention as seen from the front.
FIG. 5 is a top view of an all-terrain vehicle and an apparatus according to the present invention attached to the vehicle.
FIG. 6 is a side view of a blade adapted for holding and exposing insecticide according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a side view of a blade adapted for holding and exposing insecticide and a bar for facilitating movement of insects from plants onto an insecticide-laden mat according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for killing insects. The invention concerns containing and exposing an insecticide on a piece of equipment, moving the equipment over or through vegetation, where insects that are desired to be killed are on the vegetation, and exposing the insects to the insecticide. The apparatus comprises preferably a fibrous material adapted for absorbing an insecticide, and the fibrous material is adapted for attachment to a piece of equipment. The fibrous material is adapted for receiving connectors for attaching the fibrous material to the piece of equipment, such as by wire ties through holes in the fibrous material or by straps, which may wrap around a portion of the equipment and onto itself where it is held by a Velcro® hook and loop fastener or other mechanical connection. The figures provide example embodiments of the present invention.
With reference to the figures, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disc mower 10 attached to a tractor 12 as seen from the back. Disc mower 10 has a top surface 10a and is connected to tractor 12 through drive and connection means 14. A layer of material 16 is fastened to top surface 10a for holding or containing insecticide or pesticide. The layer of material 16 is soaked, saturated, filled or coated with insecticide or pesticide. Tractor 12 and mower 10 are used to mow or cut hay, grass or another vegetation. Insects are on and in the hay, grass or other vegetation. With the layer of material 16 soaked, saturated, filled or coated with insecticide or pesticide, as mower 10 passes over and through the hay, grass or other vegetation, insects fly, fall or jump onto the insecticide-laden layer of material 16, exposing the insects to the insecticide. Many, if not most, of the insects thus exposed to the insecticide die essentially immediately or a short time after the exposure to the insecticide.
FIG. 2 is a top view of a disc mower 20. A mat 22 for holding insecticide according to the present invention is attached to mower 20 by connectors. Connectors for mat 22 are a double-sided tape (not shown) for securing mat 22 adhesively to mower 20, but other connectors such as wire ties, C-clamps, screws and bolts and nuts can be used. A drive and connection means 24 is adapted for fastening mower 20 to a tractor (not shown in FIG. 2). Mat 22 is a fibrous material that absorbs and holds insecticide, which is preferably liquid but may be powder or granular. Examples of fibrous material include, but are not limited to, sponge, fabric, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, synthetic woven material, foamed materials such as foamed rubber or polyurethane and brush bristles.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a disc mower 30 and a mat 32 for holding insecticide according to the present invention. Brackets 34a and 34b fasten mat 32 to mower 30. In this embodiment, a liquid insecticide is applied by hand by pouring or spraying onto a top surface 32a of mat 32. Alternatively, an automated system, such as described below, can be used for applying insecticide to mat 32.
Turning to FIG. 4, a front perspective view of a mower 40 is shown attached to a tractor 42 (where only a portion of a tire is shown) by drive and connection means 44. A mat 46 is attached to mower 40 via U-bolts 48a and 48b. Application of insecticide on mat 46 is automated in this embodiment. A tank 41 containing insecticide is attached to drive and connection means 44 via a bracket 43. A hose 45 feeds insecticide from tank 41 to mat 46 through a valve 47. Hose 45 can be a soaker hose, which is porous, or hose 45 can have outlet nozzles, which are not shown, for distributing insecticide onto mat 46. With tank 41 higher than hose 45 and its outlet nozzles, gravity will provide a force for moving the insecticide from tank 41 to mat 46. Multiple spray heads (not shown) may be used to evenly distribute insecticide onto mat 46, in which case it may be necessary to maintain higher-than-atmospheric pressure on tank 41.
FIG. 5 is a top view of an all-terrain vehicle 50. A blade 52 is attached to a frame 54, which is in turn attached to vehicle 50. Blade 52 is adapted to hold insecticide for exposing insects to the insecticide. Vehicle 50 is driven over, around or through vegetation that has insects. The insects come into contact with the insecticide on blade 52 and die as a consequence of the exposure to the insecticide. Typically, blade 52 brushes the vegetation as vehicle 50 is driven over, around or through vegetation, and insects on the vegetation jump, fly or fall onto blade 52.
FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of a blade according to the present invention, which is a blade 60 having an L-shaped cross-section. Blade 60 has a bracket 62 attached to a frame 64, which can be adapted to mount on a vehicle such as a tractor or an all-terrain vehicle (not shown). Bracket 62 includes a bolt 62a adapted to allow adjustment of the angle of blade 60. Blade 60 comprises a horizontal blade portion 60a and a vertical blade portion 60b. A pan 66 is attached to horizontal blade portion 60a and is adapted to hold liquid, powder or granular insecticide or pesticide as a reservoir. Preferably, a liquid insecticide is used, and a fibrous mat 68a is fastened inside pan 66 by any of several suitable means such as by brackets (not shown) over mat 68a that are fastened to pan 66. In one embodiment, a mat 68b is secured to vertical blade portion 60b. Insecticide can be placed on mat 68b and on mat 68a as well as inside pan 66. Mat 68a stays moist while liquid insecticide is in pan 66 due to wicking or capillary action.
FIG. 7 is a side view of an L-shaped blade 70 having a bracket 72 for mounting to a frame 74 and providing angle adjustment through a connector 72a. Blade 70 also has a bracket 76. A feeder bar 78 and a feeder plate 78a are attached to blade 70 by connection to bracket 74 using a bolt, pin or rivet 76a. The connection of feeder bar 78 to bracket 76 can be rotated at bolt, pin or rivet 76a to adjust the angle of feeder plate 78a. If necessary, a support arm (not shown) can be connected to feeder bar 78 and the underside of blade 70 to stiffen the connection of feeder bar 78 to blade 70. Blade 70 has an inside horizontal surface 70a and an inside vertical surface 70b. A shallow reservoir 80 is mounted to inside horizontal surface 70a for holding a quantity of insecticide. An absorbent material 82 is positioned inside of reservoir 80 for exposing the insecticide to insects that land on absorbent material 82. An absorbent pad 84 is mounted, such as by an adhesive, to inside vertical surface 70b. Insecticide can be applied to absorbent pad 84 manually or through an automated system similar to the one described above with reference to FIG. 4.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, blade 70 of FIG. 7 is used without reservoir 80, absorbent material 82 or absorbent pad 84. In this alternative embodiment (not shown), a tacky or sticky material is applied directly to inside horizontal surface 70a and inside vertical surface 70b of blade 70, and insects and other bugs stick to the tacky material, which may or may not also be toxic to insects and other bugs. A sticky or tacky material that is non-toxic can be used instead of the toxic insecticide described for use in the embodiments of the invention described above. Further, a sticky or tacky material that is also toxic to insects and bugs can be used in the embodiments of the invention described above where appropriate, in which case insects and bugs that become stuck at least temporarily to the sticky or tacky material have a prolonged exposure to a toxic insecticide, improving the killing effectiveness of the insecticide. An alternative to the sticky or tacky material is a fabric with a multitude of hooks or loops, such as used in a VELCRO® hook and loop fastening system. Bugs and insects can become at least temporarily stuck to a fabric with a multitude of hooks or loops, which can be soaked with insecticide.
Blade 70 with bar 76 can be mounted via frame 74 onto a vehicle, which can be driven through a field or orchard for killing insects and bugs. The field may contain vegetation such as hay, wheat, lettuce, corn or cotton. For an orchard, the shape of the blade may be modified to better conform to the shape of trees in the orchard. Feeder bar 76 is adapted and adjusted, along with the elevation or height of blade 70, to brush the tips or somewhat below the tips of the vegetation to get bugs and insects, such as grasshoppers, weevils and caterpillars, to fall, fly or jump onto the insecticide on blade 70 or on a mat, such as mat 68a in FIG. 6, where exposure to the insecticide or pesticide kills the bug or insect.
A mat or layer of fibrous material used to hold and expose insecticide should be sized appropriately for the particular piece of equipment on which it is mounted. After soaking the mat with liquid insecticide, the piece of equipment is moved through a field of hay, over a crop, over turf or lawn or through an orchard. Insects are stirred up and jump, fly or fall onto the mat, where they are exposed to the insecticide, which causes the insects to die. A pan can be used to contain the mat and provide a reservoir from which the insecticide can wick into the mat through capillary action, in which case the pan is connected to the piece of equipment, and the mat lies inside the pan or may be fastened inside the pan. An automated system can be used to replenish the mat with insecticide. In this manner the number of insects on or in vegetation can be reduced, which reduces damage to the vegetation caused by the insects.
Having described the invention above, various modifications of the techniques, procedures, materials, and equipment will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended that all such variations within the scope and spirit of the invention be included within the scope of the appended claims or within the scope of claims subsequently made to the invention.
Patent Application
20080010897
