The patent by Albert C. Richardson of South Frankfort, Michigan, describes a new and useful Insect-Destroyer (Patent No. 620,362, 1899). The invention is a mobile apparatus for generating and applying smoke and fumes to destroy insects on plants and trees without injuring the tender shoots or foliage.
Inventor Background: Albert C. Richardson
Albert C. Richardson was an African-American inventor from Michigan known for solving practical problems with ingenious mechanical designs, such as his Casket-Lowering Device (No. 529,311) and an adjustable Bottle (No. 638,811). This patent shows his focus on agricultural and gardening utility, creating a specialized, adjustable tool for pest control.
Invention and Mechanism
The insect-destroyer is a mobile, compartmentalized machine that offers two distinct modes of operation: direct hot smoke and cooled smoke.
1. Frame and Combustion
- Mobile Casing (1): A rectangular sheet-metal casing mounted on wheels (2) at one end and legs (3) with handles (4) at the other, allowing it to be moved like a wheelbarrow.
- Main Chamber (7): Contains the pans or trays for burning tobacco or other material to produce insecticidal smoke and fumes.
- Draft Control: A sliding door (10) is arranged in vertical ways (11) on one side. This door terminates short of the top, providing an opening to control the draft. When closed, it forces the draft to pass over the burning material, causing the fire to burn more slowly and produce a greater quantity of smoke.
2. Smoke Cooling System (Key Innovation for Tender Plants)
- Horizontal Partition (5): Forms a false bottom, creating a lower smoke-conduit space.
- Cooling-Chamber (8): A rear compartment intended to contain ice or water.
- Flow Path: Hot smoke/fumes pass through an opening (9) at the top of the transverse partition (6) into the cooling-chamber (8), and then through an opening ($8’$) in the floor of the chamber into the lower smoke-conduit space (beneath partition 5).
- Function: By passing through the ice/water-cooled compartment, the smoke’s temperature is reduced sufficiently to be discharged without scorching the tenderest plants or foliage.
3. Discharge and Application System
- Vents and Modes: The casing has two discharge vents for two modes:
- Direct Discharge: Smoke exits directly from the top vent (14) of the main chamber (7) (hot smoke).
- Cooled Discharge: Smoke exits from the front vent (23) of the lower conduit (cool smoke).
- Flexible Hose (16): A flexible hose (16) (with internal spiral spring 18 to prevent kinking) can be attached to either vent. It has a handle (20) at the outer end.
- Coupling (24) for Row Operations: The cooled-smoke vent (23) connects to a cross-shaped coupling (24) with two horizontal arms (26).
- Function: This allows the simultaneous connection of a pair of discharge-pipes (27) with funnel-shaped nozzles (28). This setup is adapted for working between two rows of plants, treating both rows simultaneously.
Concepts Influenced by This Invention
Richardson’s Insect-Destroyer influenced subsequent industrial and agricultural equipment by pioneering temperature-controlled, mobile fluid delivery systems.
- Temperature-Controlled Fluid Delivery: The core concept of using a dedicated chamber filled with a cooling medium (ice/water 8) to reduce the temperature of a gas (smoke) before application influenced the design of modern agricultural sprayers, ventilation systems, and industrial scrubbers that require cooling or conditioning of a chemical or gas before it contacts sensitive surfaces.
- Integrated Dual-Mode Functionality: The ability to select between direct, hot output and cooled output by choosing the discharge vent influenced the design of industrial application tools that require variable process parameters (e.g., high-heat sterilization vs. low-heat drying).
- Mobile, Compartmentalized Processing: The design of a wheelbarrow-like mobile chassis with distinct, separated compartments (combustion, cooling, smoke conduit) influenced the construction of portable industrial equipment packages, such as mobile generators, air compressors, and field sanitation units.
- Simultaneous Multi-Row Application: The use of the cross-shaped coupling (24) for simultaneous, dual-pipe application influenced the design of modern agricultural boom sprayers and irrigation systems that use multiple parallel discharge nozzles to treat large areas or multiple rows efficiently.
