초록
A device for treating soil includes a soil contact head having at least one discharge orifice therein, a handle attached to the soil contact head, a discharge valve in fluid communication with the at least one discharge orifice, a soil contact indicator, and a source of pressurized soil treatment fluid flowably connected to the discharge valve. The discharge valve discharges the pressurized soil treatment fluid through the at least one discharge orifice when the soil contact indicator indicates contact between the soil contact head and the soil.
A device for treating soil includes a soil contact head having at least one discharge orifice therein, a handle attached to the soil contact head, a discharge valve in fluid communication with the at least one discharge orifice, a soil contact indicator, and a source of pressurized soil treatment fluid flowably connected to the discharge valve. The discharge valve discharges the pressurized soil treatment fluid through the at least one discharge orifice when the soil contact indicator indicates contact between the soil contact head and the soil.
대표
청구항
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1. A device for treating soil, comprising: a soil contact head, said soil contact head having at least one discharge orifice therein;a handle, said soil contact head being attached to said handle;a discharge valve in fluid communication with said at least one discharge orifice;a soil contact indicator; anda source of pressurized fluid flowably connected to said discharge valve, wherein said discharge valve is operable to discharge pressurized fluid through said at least one discharge orifice when said soil contact indicator indicates contact between said...
1. A device for treating soil, comprising: a soil contact head, said soil contact head having at least one discharge orifice therein;a handle, said soil contact head being attached to said handle;a discharge valve in fluid communication with said at least one discharge orifice;a soil contact indicator; anda source of pressurized fluid flowably connected to said discharge valve, wherein said discharge valve is operable to discharge pressurized fluid through said at least one discharge orifice when said soil contact indicator indicates contact between said soil contact head and the soil. 2. A device for treating soil according to claim 1, wherein said soil contact indicator comprises a force sensing device, said discharge valve being operable to discharge pressurized fluid through said discharge orifice when said soil contact indicator indicates a predetermined force between said soil contact head and the soil. 3. A device for treating soil according to claim 1, wherein said handle comprises a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being slidable relative to said second portion, and said soil contact indicator comprises a contact sensing device attached to said first portion of said handle and a contact block attached to said second portion of said handle, wherein said discharge valve is operable to discharge pressurized fluid through said discharge orifice when said contact sensing device contacts said contact block as a result of said first handle portion sliding relative to said second handle portion. 4. A device according to claim 3, further comprising a biasing member, said biasing member resists sliding movement of said first handle portion relative to said second handle portion. 5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said biasing member comprises a spring. 6. A device for treating soil according to claim 1, wherein said handle comprises a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being slidable relative to said second portion, and said soil contact indicator comprises a contact sensing device attached to a second portion of said handle and a contact block attached to said first portion of said handle, wherein said discharge valve is operable to discharge pressurized fluid through said discharge orifice when said contact sensing device contacts said contact block as a result of said first handle portion sliding relative to said second handle portion. 7. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said soil contact head is rotatable about a width axis of said soil contact head. 8. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said soil contact head is rotatable about a length axis of said soil contact head. 9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said soil contact head is rotatable about a width axis of said soil contact head and about a length axis of said soil contact head. 10. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an actuation switch, wherein both an actuation of said actuation switch, and an indication that said soil contact indicator indicates contact between said soil contact head and the soil are needed for the discharge valve to discharge pressurized fluid through said discharge orifice. 11. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said soil contact head comprises a plurality of discharge orifices. 12. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said soil contact head has a forward edge and a bottom plane, and said at least one discharge orifice is angled with respect to said bottom plane towards said forward edge. 13. A device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said discharge orifice is angled between approximately 5 degrees and approximately 30 degrees with respect to said bottom plane towards said forward edge. 14. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said device comprises a plurality of discharge orifices, and an equal number of discharge valves, wherein each said orifice has a discharge valve associated therewith. 15. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said soil contact head has a weight sufficient to limit motion of the soil contact head during discharge of soil treatment fluid. 16. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the source of pressurized fluid comprises a source of pressurized soil treatment. 17. A device for injecting a soil treatment fluid beneath soil, said device comprising: a soil contact head having at least one discharge orifice;a supply of soil treatment fluid;a force sensing device for sensing a predetermined soil contact force of said soil contact head on the soil;a discharge valve in fluid communication with said supply of soil treatment fluid, said discharge valve being operable to discharge a selected amount of soil treatment fluid when said force sensing device indicates said predetermined soil contact force. 18. A device in accordance with claim 17, wherein said force sensing device comprises a load cell, said discharge valve being operable to discharge soil treatment fluid through said at least one discharge orifice when said load cell indicates said predetermined soil contact force is transmitted through said load cell. 19. A device in accordance with claim 18, wherein said load cell comprises a multi-axis load cell, wherein forces transmitted through said load cell are resolved to determine a vertical force applied to said soil contact head along a vertical axis associated with said soil contact head, said discharge valve being operable to discharge soil treatment fluid from said discharge orifice when a sufficient vertical force is imposed upon said soil contact head. 20. A device in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a handle, said soil contact head being attached to said handle. 21. A device for injecting a soil treatment fluid beneath soil, said device comprising: a soil contact head having at least one discharge orifice;a supply of soil treatment fluid in fluid communication with said soil contact head;a soil contact indicator;a discharge valve for discharging soil treatment fluid through said at least one discharge orifice, said discharge valve being operable to discharge a selected amount of soil treatment fluid when said soil contact indicator indicates contact between said soil contact head and the soil. 22. A device in accordance with claim 21, wherein said discharge valve is moveable between an opened position and a closed position, said soil treatment fluid being allowed to flow through said discharge valve with said discharge valve is in said opened position. 23. A device in accordance with claim 21, further comprising a handle, said soil contact head being attached to said handle. 24. A method of injecting a soil treatment fluid beneath the surface of the ground, said method comprising: providing a soil treatment device comprising a soil contact head, the soil contact head having at least one discharge orifice therein, a discharge valve in fluid communication with the at least one discharge orifice, a soil contact indicator, and a source of pressurized soil treatment fluid flowably connected to said discharge valve;positioning the soil treatment device such that the soil contact head is in contact with the surface of the ground;delivering the pressurized soil treatment fluid to the discharge valve; andinjecting the soil treatment fluid into the ground by opening the discharge valve to permit the soil treatment fluid to flow through the at least one discharge orifice and into the ground. 25. The method in accordance with claim 24 wherein said soil contact indicator comprises a force sensing device, and said injecting the soil treatment fluid comprises: applying a predetermined force to the soil contact head; anddischarging pressurized soil treatment fluid through said discharge orifice when the soil contact indicator indicates the predetermined force between the soil contact head and the surface of the ground. 26. The method in accordance with claim 24 wherein the soil treatment device further comprises a handle, said handle having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being moveable relative to the second portion, and the soil contact indicator comprises a contact sensing device attached to the first portion of the handle and a contact block attached to said second portion of said handle, and said injecting the soil treatment fluid comprises: moving said first handle portion relative to said second handle portion to cause the contact sensing device to contact the contact block;discharging pressurized soil treatment fluid through said discharge orifice when the contact sensing device contacts the contact block. 27. The method in accordance with claim 26 wherein said handle includes a biasing member for resisting movement of said first portion relative to said second portion. 28. The method in accordance with claim 24 wherein the soil treatment device further comprises an actuation switch; and said injecting the soil treatment fluid comprises: actuating the actuation switch;applying a predetermined pressure to the soil with the soil contact head; anddischarging the soil treatment fluid from the at least one discharge orifice when the soil contact indicator indicates that the predetermined pressure is applied to the soil by the soil contact head. 29. The method in accordance with claim 24 wherein the soil contact indicator comprises a load cell; and said injecting the soil treatment fluid comprises: applying a predetermined pressure to the soil with the soil contact head; anddischarging the soil treatment fluid from the at least one discharge orifice when the load cell indicates the predetermined pressure is transmitted through the load cell. 30. A device for injecting a soil treatment fluid beneath a soil surface, said device comprising: a soil contact head comprising at least one internal passage and being configured to rest on the soil surface in contact therewith;a discharge valve in fluid communication with said at least one internal passage;a supply of soil treatment fluid in fluid communication with said discharge valve;at least one discharge orifice in the soil contact head in fluid communication with said at least one internal passage whereby the at least one discharge orifice is disposed above the soil surface; anda soil contact indicator. 31. The device for treating soil according to claim 30, wherein said soil contact indicator comprises a force sensing device, said force sensing device being response to a force applied by said soil contact head to the soil. 32. The device for treating soil according to claim 30, wherein said soil contact indicator comprises a load cell, said load cell being response to a force applied by said soil contact head to the soil. 33. The device for treating soil according to claim 32, wherein said load cell comprises a multi-axis load cell. 34. The device for treating soil according to claim 30, further comprising a handle for carrying said soil contact head, said handle comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first portion being moveable relative to said second portion, and said soil contact indicator comprises a contact sensing device attached to at least one of said first portion and said second portion of said handle, said contact sensing device being activated as a result of said first handle portion being moved relative to said second handle portion. 35. The device for treating soil according to claim 34, further comprising a biasing member, said biasing member resisting movement of said first handle portion relative to said second handle portion. 36. The device for treating soil according to claim 35, wherein said biasing member comprises a spring. 37. The device for treating soil according to claim 30, wherein said soil contact head is rotatable about at least one of a width axis of said soil contact head and a length axis of said soil contact head. 38. The device for treating soil according to claim 30, further comprising an actuation switch. 39. The device for treating soil according to claim 30, wherein said soil contact head has a forward edge and a bottom plane, and said at least one discharge orifice is angled with respect to said bottom plane towards said forward edge. 40. A device for treating soil, comprising: a soil contact head, said soil contact head having at least one discharge orifice therein;a discharge valve in fluid communication with said at least one discharge orifice;a handle for carrying said soil contact head, the handle comprising a first handle portion, a second handle portion, and a sensing device, the first handle portion being moveable relative to the second handle portion, the sensing device being adapted to sense relative movement of the first handle portion with respect to the second handle portion; anda source of soil treatment fluid fluidly connected to said discharge valve, wherein said discharge valve is operable to discharge soil treatment fluid through said at least one discharge orifice when said sensing device senses movement of the first handle portion relative to the second handle portion. 41. The device in accordance with claim 40 wherein the sensing device comprises a contact switch mounted on the first handle portion and a stop block mounted on the second handle portion. 42. The device in accordance with claim 40 wherein the first handle portion is slidable relative to the second handle portion. 43. The device in accordance with claim 42 wherein the handle further comprises a spring disposed relative to the first and second handle portions of the handle such that movement of the first handle portion relative to the second handle portion compresses the spring. 44. The device in accordance with claim 40 wherein the discharge valve comprises a solenoid. 45. A device for treating soil, comprising: a soil contact head, said soil contact head having at least one discharge orifice therein;a handle, said soil contact head being attached to said handle;a discharge valve in fluid communication with said at least one discharge orifice;a source of soil treatment fluid in fluid communication with said discharge valve, wherein said discharge valve is operable to discharge soil treatment fluid through said at least one discharge orifice; anda reservoir carried by the device for containing a supply of soil treatment fluid. 46. The device in accordance with claim 45 wherein the supply of soil treatment fluid comprises a supply of a solution of a treating agent and water. 47. The device in accordance with claim 45 wherein the reservoir is mounted on a cart.
