Water supply system for a linearly moving sprinkler irrigation system

Abstract

A water supply system is described for supplying water to a linearly moving irrigation system. The water supply system is able to take water from a stationary water supply conduit (either a collapsible conduit or a rigid conduit) and feed it into one end of a feed pipe for the irrigation system. The water supply system includes a pickup shoe which extends into the water supply conduit through a traveling opening in the top side of the conduit. The pickup shoe intercepts substantially all of the water in the supply conduit and pumps it upwardly through the traveling opening to the feed pipe for the irrigation system. The pump is located in the portion of the shoe which extends into the supply conduit. In another embodiment, the water supply conduit can be an open channel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is based upon, and claims priority from, my Provisional Application No. 60 / 688,117, filed Jun. 7, 2005.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates generally to field irrigation systems. More particularly, this invention relates to linearly moving sprinkler systems. Even more particularly, this invention relates to water supply systems for supplying water from a stationary conduit at a continuously changing location to a linearly moving sprinkler irrigation system. BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART [0003] Efficient irrigation of large fields with sprinklers requires that a relatively small number of sprinkling nozzles be moved over the field. One method of accomplishing this is to mount these nozzles on an overhead moving pipeline. The most prominent system now in use is called a center pivot and consists of an overhead pipeline supported by towers on wheels. The overhead pipeline rotates about a fixed point called the...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] A second embodiment of the invention uses a rigid stationary closed conduit with a slit running the length of the rigid stationary closed conduit. The slit is held in a normally closed position by spring forces that are either built into the wall of the stationary closed conduit or press against the external wall of the stationary closed conduit. The flattened and streamlined neck of the pressurizing pickup shoe has a wedge shape on each end that pries open the slit as the linear irrigation system moves along the slitted rigid stationary closed conduit. Flanges extending radially outward can be provided on both sides of the slit, both to facilitate the prying and to assist in sealing the slitted rigid stationary closed conduit against leakage.

Problems solved by technology

Disadvantages of the center pivot system are adapting the circular pattern to square or rectangular fields and the fact that each nozzle travels at a rate proportional to its distance from the pivot point and must therefore be individually calibrated such that the rate of water application is as uniform as possible over the entire field.

Linear systems alleviate the two listed disadvantages of the center pivot system because their spraying patterns are rectangular and each nozzle sprays at the same rate, but they create another problem of their own.

This problem is getting the supply water into the moving linear irrigation system.

Because of this problem and the high cost of overcoming it with existing technology, linear systems are not now as widely used as are center pivot systems.

For the great majority of fields, this is not feasible, so that the hose drag method is now the most prevalent method of getting supply water into a moving linear irrigation system.

Hose drag systems are cumbersome and expensive.

The length of hose that can be dragged is limited by the traction of the drive wheels of the linear irrigation system and this limit is generally less than desired.

Forces required to drag it are substantial.

A smooth strip of land at least twice as wide as the minimum bending radius of the hose must be provided for dragging the hose, and this strip of land cannot otherwise be utilized.

However, a system using the concept disclosed in the patent is not available on the market.

Another disadvantage of the Reinke system is that a peripheral seal 102 is required which is external to the conduit and extends the length of the pickup shoe.

The seal is subject to leakage whenever the pickup shoe and the conduit are not in perfect alignment.

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