Valve Control For Rope Wicks

Valve Control For Rope Wicks ROPE WICK APPLICATORS Rope Wick Applicators 6-3-24 If you own a gravity flow rope-wick applicator and need control over the amount of herbicide delivered by the wicks, this new solenoid-valve attachment from Wick Applicators Co., Greenville, Miss., may be the answer. "The control is a 12V, solenoid-equipped ventilation tap. After filling the applicator tank with herbicide, you screw the control into the fill hole. The solenoid-valve works off the tractor's light switch," explains inventor John Dale. "When you want to wet the wick, just turn on the tractor's light switch. The solenoid opens the ventilator valve which permits more air to enter, thus allowing the herbicide to flow freely through the wicks. A lot of farmers just leave the fill cap on the applicator loose to allow air to enter. But that can also permit dripping in light weed cover. With our electrical control, you can open or close the ventilator at will, right from the tractor seat. "Where weeds are thin, the tractor operator hits the control switch to close the valve. This creates a partial vacuum in the reservoir which restricts the rate of herbicide flow to the wicks, thus minimizing dripping on the crop below. Where weeds are thick, the operator opens the valve to speed up the flow rate and ensure adequate wetting of the wick," Dale points out. A separate solenoid-valve is needed for each closed wick wing, according to Dale. The control is for gravity flow systems only. "We believe this is the simplest and most inexpensive system since no pumps are required as in pressurized or evacuated systems," Dale explains. The kit includes a normally-closed 0.5 amp., 12V stainless steel solenoid-valve, copper wire, a trailer light connector that won't pull loose in thick weeds and simple instructions. The kit can be retro-fitted to equipment already mounted on a tractor in less than 20 minutes. Cost of the kit is $35. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Wick Applicators Co., P.O. Box 1841, Greenville, Miss. 38701 0017 (ph 601 332-5840).

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