DP0424 Bave-U spray pump outside John Russell's Spray Machinery Works at Box Hill, together with members of Russell's staff.
DP0820 George ('Beatty') Beavis restoring one of the first motorised orchard spray pumps.
DP0485 Spraying fruit trees with a Bave-U motorized spray pump. This horse-drawn Bave-U was made at the Russell implements works at Box Hill. Two hoses meant that two men could spray at the same time.
Bave-U Power Sprayer
With the season for spraying the orchard practically at hand, anything in the form of spraying machinery naturally attracted attention. In this connection, Messrs Russell and Co., of Box Hill, had on view the Bave-u Power Sprayer. The single acting model, which is sold for £70, has a three-horse power engine water cooled, fitted with a pulley for general use and easily disconnected. The pump is of the single solid plunger type; and the engine and pump are bolted to the same iron bed.The Bave-u duplex sprayer has two pumps working side by side, and it is said to give a perfectly steady spray. The plungers and all working parts are made of a special metal designed to withstand wear and corrosion Patent ball-jointed eccentric rods are used. The Bave-u 4 h.p. sprayer was also on view.1914 'BAVE-U POWER SPRAYER', Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), 3 October, p. 40. , viewed 22 Feb 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121114322
Bave-U Motor Sprayer
In 1907 Messrs Russell and Co introduced the "Bave-U" which was the first power sprayer to be used in the southern hemisphere Many orchardists at that times were very much averse to using such a machine the prevailing opinion being that the benzine would blow up when exposed to the sun. Mr Tom Petty of Doncaster, who had 300 acres of trees in one patch was convinced that something better than the hand pump was necessary, and he it was who ordered the first power sprayer to be used in Australia. This he put on his "Bay View" estate at Doncaster, and Messrs Russell and Co's spray pump has ever since been called the "Bave-U" Almost every important orchard in Australia has a "Bave-U" machine, which Messrs Russell and Co claim to be the lightest most powerful, and durable on the market. In support of this they state the first machines they built are still in use and going as well as ever. Their factory, at Box Hill Melbourne is the largest in Australia devoted to the manufacture of spray pumps.
THE "BAVE-U" MOTOR SPRAYER (1916, September 26). Huon Times (Franklin, Tas. : 1910 - 1933), p. 2. Retrieved December 14, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135819360
Hand spraying at Schramm's orchard: Three men spraying fruit trees on Schramm's orchard, using a hand operated pump. One man is pumping the spray with the handle, while two men are applying the spray to the trees. c1890 DTHS-dp0426
The Bave U Orchard Sprayer
The invention of the first motorised orchard sprayer in the early 1900’s did much to revolutionise the control of fungal diseases and insect pests on orchards.
Previously, fruit growers had to rely on hand operated spray pumps, which were heavy and tiring to operate.
So it was that one of Doncaster’s well-known orchardists Tom Petty, asked his son-in-law, Jack Russell, an enterprising engineer, if he could invent some form of motorised outfit that would take the drudgery out of spraying with manually operated pumps. Jack Russell, bom in England, spent the greater part of his life in Australia. He obtained a first class certificate as a steam engineer, but later turned his attention to the application of latent motor power. He first opened a small engineering business in Camberwell under the name of Russell and Duncan, but soon established himself in premises at Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, known as Russell and Co.
In 1908, he produced the first Bave U orchard sprayer, named after Tom Petty’s house “Bay View.” So successful was his invention, that by 1911, there were 108 Bave U sprayers in use in various parts of Australia. Russell employed nine men, and his workshop was well organised. In addition to lathes, drilling and milling machines, there were eight workbenches for specialised tasks, each equipped with its own set of up to date-fools. One complete outfit would be assembled in a day.
Russell and Co’s workshop in Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, circa 1920. Jack Russell in dark suit. need Image
Most of Russell’s engines for spraying orchards were built to run on two-stroke fuel and were economical to run. One grower stated that it was possible to spray 80 gallons for one shilling and sixpence (150). However these engines could be temperamental and were prone to flooding, if the mixture was too rich (insufficient air with the mixture) which would also carbon up the spark plug. The 3-horse power motor was fast running and maintained a beautifully even pressure in the pump, which was designed to operate effectively at around 300 psi (pounds to the inch). It had a bursting pressure of500 psi. Russell did not use the conventional belt on chain drive to drive the pump, but instead used a system of direct gearing (intermeshing cogs). He also designed and patented a strainer to prevent any sediment from the spray tank entering the pump and ultimately clogging up the spray nozzles. The wooden spray vat mounted on the deck was available in two sizes 80 or 100 gallons, and depending on the size and number of spray rods and nozzles used, it was possible to put out ten loads of spray in a day.
The engine was built so that it would be used for other purposes. By unscrewing a nut, the engine could be disconnected from the pump. One Doncaster grower wrote that he cut 250 tons of chaff with the power of the Bave U engine, that he had ordered a bigger one for chaff cutting and would keep the small engine for his Spray pump.
The Bave U sprayer became very popular* and in time was distributed widely throughout Australia and New Zealand, Russell refined his motors and pumps in later years to make them even more efficient. He designed his outfits with the hilly terrain of Doncaster's orchards in mind. Suspension springs and four-inch diameter steel wheels ensured that they would be transported over the roughest and steepest ground with only one horse needed to pull them, Bave U pumps were used on orchards in this district until the 1950's when they were superseded by more powerful and labour saving air blast mist sprayers that are used in orchards today.
Nevertheless, the Bave U sprayer was the most popular outfit used on orchards in this district for many .years. Most orchardists referred to it as the Russell Spray Pump,
Russell and Go's workshop in Box Hill later became known as Russell Burrows an agency for the marketing of Holden cars.
Source: Eric Collyer writing in 2010-09 DTHS Newsletter
The Ronaldson-Tippett Spray Pump
One of the great engineering icons of bygone days was the firm of Ronaldson Bros &
Tippett Pty Ltd, designers and manufacturers of an extensive range of stationary engines and agricultural machinery.
In this district, they were best known for their orchard spray pumps. I remember these spray pumps being used on the family orchard in the 1940’s.
In 1903, brothers David and Adam Ronaldson built a small workshop on the Creswick Road at Ballarat, and produced their first engine the following year. They registered the name AUSTRAL as a trademark. John Tippett joined the firm in 1905, which then became known as Ronaldson Bros and Tippett Pty Ltd.
Their company soon established a wide reputation as manufacturers of efficient and reliable products including kerosene, petrol and oil engines, chaff-cutters, saw benches, pumps, milking machinery, portable shearing machines and house electric lighting plants. They also made tractors and trucks. The post World War 2, period was a time of great expansion of the company in practically all facets of manufacturing.
The first Ronaldson-Tippett orchard sprayer was designed in the late 1920s in response to demands by orchardists throughout Australia, for a unit that was suited to Australian conditions. Engineers worked in close consultation with leading orchardists in many of the major fruitgrowing areas of Australia in order to design and manufacture the best possible product.
An early Ronaldson-Tippett Sprayer Need image
After the company had assembled their first spray plant at Ballarat, orchardists were invited to inspect, criticise and suggest. Further refinements were made, and the final product was an outfit of outstanding design which gained immediate popularity throughout the Commonwealth.
The Ronalds on- Tippett sprays embodied features of design and construction, not previously seen in other like products. The goal of the company was to produce a sprayer of the highest standard in design, quality of materials and workmanship, well suited to local needs, and capable of maintaining the highest efficiency for a lifetime at the lowest possible cost.
Features of the Ronaldson-Tippett Spray Pump:
- Totally enclosed engine with automatic lubrication. Other sprayers were generally fitted with manually operated grease cups and oil drippers to lubricate the engine.
- Engine protected by combined moisture trap and dust cleaner (filter) against spray and dirt.
- Totally enclosed pump with all working parts running in an oil bath.
- Propeller type agitator in spray vat to ensure thorough mixed and consistent spray.
- Travelling wheels independently supported by a double frame and axle to relieve the vat of any strain or vibration.
- Strong reliable, long life expectation and satisfaction with low upkeep and minimal maintenance requirements.
One of the crowning achievements in the life of the company was the opening in 1951, of a new state of the art foundry, not far from the original site, established in
1903.
Sadly, operations came to an end in the early 1970s for various reasons, and this marked the end of an important era in the manufacture of some of Australia’s most popular and reliable farm machinery products.
Source: Eric Collyer writing in 2010-12 DTHS Newsletter. Eric wishes to acknowledge information supplied by Alan Shepherd in compiling this article.
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