A break-away apparatus for a boom arm is positioned at a joint between a main boom and a boom tip to allow the boom tip to assume a neutral position and forward, rearward, and upward positions. A hinge assembly is positioned between the boom tip and main boom. The hinge assembly includes an upper ball joint, a first hinge, and a second hinge. The boom tip is movable relative to the main boom about an axis of the first hinge, about an axis of the second hinge axis, and/or about a pivot defined by the upper ball joint. A first spring assists a return of the boom tip to the neutral position.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a breakaway hinge for an expandable boom on an agricultural vehicle. The boom includes a first and a second section combined in a manner to allow the second section to move with respect to the first section when the second section encounters an obstruction. A breakaway hinge is provided between the first and the second section, and includes a first pivot member attached to the first section at an angle with respect to a vertical line and a second pivot member attached to the second section at an angle with respect to the vertical line. A connecting member holds the first pivot member with respect to the second pivot member.

A sprayer boom for a mobile landscape spraying apparatus having a wheeled chassis for movement of the spraying apparatus relative to a ground surface includes a sprayer boom assembly. The sprayer boom assembly includes an outer boom section that supports a spray nozzle for spraying a material onto the ground surface. A motor is configured to move the outer boom section relative to the chassis between an extended, sprayer mode position and a retracted, storage position. The outer boom section is capable of breakaway motion in the sprayer mode position in response to encountering an obstruction.

A breakaway joint for a boom arm assembly includes a first boom segment defining a pivot axis at a first end, a second boom segment pivotally coupled to the first boom segment at the pivot axis, a bracket coupled to the first boom segment, a leaf spring coupled to the bracket between the first boom segment and the second boom segment, and a cam coupled to the second boom segment and positioned adjacent to the leaf spring. The first boom segment and the second boom segment are pivotally aligned in a neutral position. In the neutral position, the leaf spring contacts the cam at a first contact force, and in any position other than the neutral position, the leaf spring contacts the cam at a contact force greater than the first contact force.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a breakaway hinge for an expandable boom on an agricultural vehicle. The boom includes a first and a second section combined in a manner to allow the second section to move with respect to the first section when the second section encounters an obstruction. A breakaway hinge is provided between the first and the second section, and includes a first pivot member attached to the first section at an angle a with respect to a vertical line and a second pivot member attached to the second section at an angle with respect to the vertical line. A connecting member holds the first pivot member with respect to the second pivot member.

A guide system for use with breakaway cables of a sprayer boom of an agricultural sprayer is provided that may include multiple guides for the cables. One of the guides may provide a barrier to physical contact between the cables and the other guide or other potential pinch points to eliminate instances of breakaway cable pinching. This may be done by way of a guide tube through which the cable extends, with the guide tube preventing physical contact between the cable and a pair of rollers of a roller guide.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a breakaway hinge for an expandable boom on an agricultural vehicle. The boom includes of a first and a second section combined in a manner to allow the second section to move with respect to the first section when the second section encounters an obstruction. A breakaway hinge is provided between the first and the second section, and includes a first pivot member attached to the first section at an angle with respect to a vertical line and a second pivot member attached to the second section at an angle with respect to the vertical line. A connecting member holds the first pivot member with respect to the second pivot member.

The current invention discloses several methodologies that mitigate shock loading and propensity to resonance in agricultural spray boom structures. These include a near planar linkage for decoupling the boom assembly from the vehicle. This serves to permit further aspects of the invention to: Use the combined mass of the booms and center section as the tuned mass of a tuned mass damper: Act as an enabling part of a boom compliant suspension system to mitigate shock loadings otherwise imposed on the boom system, and: Act as an enabling part of an active boom height and roll control systems to permit the accurate navigation of the boom over undulating terrain. Further aspects include the incorporation of tuned mass dampers in the boom structure and components; and the use of the mass and operation of the boom outboard breakaway sections as tuned mass dampers.

A break-away apparatus for a boom arm is positioned at a joint between a main boom and a boom tip to allow the boom tip to assume a neutral position and forward, rearward, and upward positions. A hinge assembly is positioned between the boom tip and main boom. The hinge assembly includes an upper ball joint, a first hinge, and a second hinge. The boom tip is movable relative to the main boom about an axis of the first hinge, about an axis of the second hinge axis, and/or about a pivot defined by the upper ball joint. A first spring assists a return of the boom tip to the neutral position.

A sprayer boom breakaway joint with a staged release and forced lift system is implemented with an agricultural sprayer. The system provides positive locking to restrain a breakaway joint against movement from a neutral position until an impact with a breakaway boom segment provides sufficient force to overcome the neutral holding force. Once released from the neutral position, the breakaway boom segment may at least initially experience a lesser holding force that biases the breakaway boom segment toward the neutral position and the breakaway boom segment may move along a path that has an upward movement component in addition to a rearward movement component.