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 STATE tt^xNT BOARD n v, 1QW 
 
 ET-114 ~y*rr**\M+ December 1937 
 
 United States Department of Agriculture 
 Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine 
 
 A MOTOR-DRIVEN TELESCOPING STIRRER FOR USE WITH 
 AN INSECTICIDE SPRAYING APPARATUS 
 
 By L. D. Goodhue, Division of Insecticide Investigations, 
 and E. H. Siegler, Division of Fruit Insect Investigations 
 
 In connection with laboratory tests of insecticides it is desirable to 
 standardize the procedure and maintain all conditions as constant as possible. 
 In tests where foliage, or in this case where apple plugs are sprayed, it is 
 necessary for the spray gun to deliver the spray material at a constant rate. 
 The commonly used atomizer type of gun with a suction feed can not be expected 
 to deliver at a constant rate unless the level of the liquid in the supply 
 vessel is maintained constant. Since considerable agitation is usually neces- 
 sary to maintain a uniform suspension of the insecticide, stirring with one 
 hand and keeping the liquid at the correct level with the other becomes a 
 difficult task. The inconvenience in this method prompted the development 
 of this improved stirrer. 
 
 The spray apparatus for which this stirrer was developed has been de- 
 scribed by E. H. Siegler and F. Munger (A Laboratory Spray Apparatus, Jour. J? 
 Econ. Ent. 28: 704-706, 1935). The spray gun employed is of the atomizer 
 type with a suction feed. 
 
 The telescoping stirrer is shown diagramatically in figure 1. It con- 
 sists essentially of a ^-inch brass rod 12 inches long fitting inside of a 6- 
 inch piece of brass tubing which holds the propeller. Pressure from the beaker 
 on the bearing point causes the two parts of the stirrer to telescope, thus 
 making it possible to obtain vigorous agitation at the bottom of the beaker and 
 
 \S^ 
 
 at the same time to keep the level of the suspension constant with respect to .^ 
 
 
 the spray gun. The brass tube is provided with a brass collar and screw. The 
 screw slides in the milled groove in the rod and causes the two parts of the 
 stirrer to turn together. The groove begins about 2 inches from the bottom of 
 the rod, thus keeping the two pieces of the stirrer together when the beaker is 
 removed. The lower end of the stirrer is closed and is provided with a blunt 
 point which acts as a bearing on the bottom of the beaker. The use of a rubber 
 propeller, which is easily made from a rubber stopper, eliminates the possi- 
 bility of breaking the beaker. 
 
 The glass tube which conducts the spray material to the gun is made 
 from f-inch tubing bent as indicated in the diagram. This form allows the 
 level of the liquid to be kept constant with respect to the spray gun by raising S 
 the beaker as the spray material is withdrawn. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2013 
 
 http://archive.org/details/motordriventelesOOunit 
 
^ 
 
 Glass tube- 
 
 's 
 
 To spray gun 
 
 600 cc. Beaker 
 
 \ 
 
 
 / 
 
 -i 
 
 To motor 
 
 Brass rod 
 
 [^/-Milled groove 
 
 QjRg*- Collar and screw 
 
 r 
 
 C 
 
 1 — ' j 
 
 Liquid level 
 
 Brass tube 
 
 -Rubber propeller 
 
 Bearing 
 
 Figure 1. — Diagram of the telescoping stirrer and associated parts. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 
 
 3 1262 09239 5887