AU2039899A - A valve and operating system - Google Patents

Description

48819 AWT/REC P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: GEOFFREY DAVID SIMONS Actual Inventor(s): *0

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GEOFFREY DAVID SIMONS Address for Service: COLLISON CO.,117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: A VALVE AND OPERATING SYSTEM Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PP2397 DATED 18TH MARCH 1998 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a valve arrangement for an irrigation system and the application of that valve arrangement for irrigation.

The invention will be generally discussed in relation to its application to low pressure irrigation systems but the valve arrangement can be applied to any water flow system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In low pressure irrigation systems such as flood irrigation systems where water is taken from a water supply such as a river or irrigation conduit and allowed to 1 0 flow across a field for irrigation purposes then usually low pressures are involved but to get the necessary flow rates large diameter pipes are used.

The use of conventional valves in such large diameter pipe lines can be very expensive and it is the object of this invention to provide a valve arrangement with a valve operating system which is relatively cheap to install and operate.

It is important to provide a valve system for irrigation which is biased to a safety or closed position to prevent water waste.

In US Patent 5509449 a flow control valve system is provided to supply water at a selected pressure from a supply pipe. It utilises water pressure in the supply pipe to close or reduce the amount of opening of a valve. This valve is biased to an open position and if pressure builds up in the pipe downstream from the valve it closes or the amount of opening is reduced to regulate the downstream pressure. This valve is not intended to act as a valve to fully close of the supply because if the valve is closed off the pressure downstream is reduced and the valve opens again. This patent does not disclose a valve system which can be remotely actuated to open and close off flow in an irrigation pipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In one form therefore the invention is said to reside in an irrigation valve arrangement including a valve in a pipe adapted to close off flow in the pipe upon actuation of the valve, the valve being adapted to be remotely actuated by fluid pressure supplied to an actuation mechanism.

In a further form the invention is said to reside in an irrigation valve arrangement including a valve arrangement in a pipe adapted to close off flow in the pipe upon actuation of the valve arrangement, wherein an actuator comprises a piston and cylinder, the piston and cylinder actuator being activating by an independent pressurised fluid supply.

In a still further form the invention is said to reside in an irrigation valve arrangement including a valve arrangement in a pipe adapted to close off flow in the pipe upon actuation of the valve arrangement by rotation of a valve member about a longitudinal axis, the valve arrangement including an actuator arm adapted to rotate the valve member about the longitudinal axis, a piston and cylinder actuated adapted for longitudinal extension whereby to rotate the actuator arm through substantially 90 degrees about the longitudinal .o 1 5 axis to thereby close or open the valve, the piston and cylinder actuator being activating by an independent pressurised water supply.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the valve member may be a butterfly valve or disc valve. Alternatively the valve member may be a ball valve.

Preferably the pipe to which this valve arrangement may be applied is an extruded polypropylene type pipe with a diameter in the range of 100-900mm.

There may be provided a spring against which the piston and cylinder actuator acts to close off the valve when the pressurised water supply is not supplying water to the piston and cylinder actuator.

The pressurised water supply may be supplied from a control valve arrangement with continuous pressure supply so long as the control valve arrangement is turned on.

Alternatively the actuator may be a double acting arrangement with a first supply line to open the valve and a second to close the supply line. The return 3 0 spring would in such a system not be necessary.

There may be provided a bleed in the supply line for the pressurised water supply so that when the control valve has been switched off the water may bleed from the supply line whereby allowing retraction of the actuator arm.

The bleed off may fill a evaporation pot for subsequent actuation of the valve when a certain degree of evaporation has occurred.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the pipe may be a polypropylene pipe of a 300mm diameter. A reaction bar may be mounted longitudinally to the outside of the pipe. At one end of the reaction bar may be mounted an actuator post and at the other end a bearing for the valve axle. A circular 1 0 butterfly valve plate or disc valve may be mounted to the valve axle within the pipe and an O ring provided around the boundary of the butterfly valve plate or disc valve to provide sealing to the pipe. By the use of an O ring arrangement a certain degree of irregularity in the circularity of the pipe may be allowed for.

Preferably the valve axle is mounted to the downstream side of the valve plate so that specialised sealing is not necessary around holes pierced in the pipe for the axle bearing at one end and for the axle to pass through the pipe at the other side of the pipe.

The actuator arm may be mounted to the top of the valve axle and have a second post at the end remote from the valve axle. Between the actuator post S2 0 and the second post may be mounted the piston and cylinder actuator as well as the extension spring which acts as a valve return spring.

At some point remote from the valve a control valve arrangement is provided to supply pressurised water which is supplied by a small diameter pipe to the actuator.

2 5 When pressurised water is supplied to the actuator the piston within the cylinder is caused to move which in turn moves the actuator arm against the load of the returns spring thereby opening the disc valve to allow flow through the pipe.

A bleed is provided in the pressurised water supply line from the control valve.

3 0 When the control valve is switched off the bleed allows for water to flow out of the piston actuator under the force of the return spring and the valve is able to close again.

The water supply to which the invention is best applicable may be in the range of 2-20 psi and the pressurised control supply may be up to 30-40 psi.

It may be noted that a particular advantage of the present invention is that the irrigation valve arrangement can be installed onto a plain piece of pipe merely by drilling holes in the pipe to mount the reaction bar and for the axle for the valve disc. Hence all that need be supplied is the reaction rod with the actuator mounted on to it and the valve disc and axle with the correct diameter for the valve disc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This then generally describes the invention but to assist with understanding reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings S:Figure 1 shows a side cross sectional view of the valve of the present invention in a closed position; Figure 2 shows the valve of Figure 1 in an open position; Figure 3 show a perspective view of the valve of Figure 1 in the closed position with the open position shown dotted; and Figure 4 shows a schematic layout of a flood irrigation system using valves of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Now looking more closely at the drawings and in particular Figures 1 3 it will be seen that in pipe 1 there is a valve disc 2 which in the position shown in Figures 1 3 will close off flow in the pipe. In the positions shown in Figures 2 and the dotted lines in FIG 3 the valve disc 2 allows flow through the pipe 1.

The disc 2 includes an O ring 3 as best can be seen in Figures 1 4 which provides sealing between the pipe and the disc when the valve disc is in the embodiment shown in Figure 1. A valve axle 4 is provided to enable rotation of the valve disc. A lower bearing 5 is provided in the wall of the pipe and an aperture in the wall of the pipe allows the axle 4 to pass through a bearing in a reaction rod 6 to an actuator arm 7. It may be noted that the apertures for the lower bearing 5 and the axle 4 are downstream of the valve disc 4 and therefore do not require water tight sealing.

The reaction rod 6 has an actuator post 15 at the end remote from the bearing and to this post 15 is fitted a cylinder 8 and a piston arrangement which includes a piston rod 9.

The reaction bar 6 is mounted to the pipe by bolts 1 0 The piston rod 9 is mounted to a second post 11 on the actuator arm 7 a return ~spring 12 extends between the actuator post 15 and the second post 11.

A supply pipe 14 enables supply of pressurised water to the chamber side of the piston in the cylinder 8 so that pressurised water forces extension of the piston rod 9 so that the actuator arm 7 is moved so that the valve 2 rotates so that it is in line with the pipe and therefore allows flow through the pipe.

Upon removal of the pressure to the supply line 14 and allowing a bleed to occur in the line 14 the return spring 12 closes the valve to the position shown in Figures 1 3 to close off flow. As the bleed rate is slow the valve closes slowly thereby eliminating the possibility of water hammer and consequent S. 20 damage to the irrigation supply system.

.5.55 As shown in Figure 4 a water supply pipe 20 supplies low pressure irrigation water to a header line 21 which extends behind a number of flood irrigation fields 22, 23 24. A side pipe 25, 26 27 respectively is provided into each field. Each side pipe has a valve arrangement 28 the valve arrangement being according to the present invention.

A control valve arrangement 30 uses a pressurised water supply 31 to supply pressurised water to a selected valve through lines 32, 33 34. For each supply line 32, 33 34 there is a bleed line 35 to an evaporation pot 36.

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When it is desired to irrigate the field 24 pressurised water from line 31 is supplied from controller 30 to line 34 which causes the valve 28 on the side pipe 27 to open therefore allowing water to flow in. A continuous bleed from pipe 34 through pipe 35 extends to evaporation pot 36. When sufficient irrigation has occurred the control valve 30 is closed and water is allowed to bleed out of the pipe 34 through pipe 35 to the evaporation pot 36 until the valve 28 is closed.

Suitable control arrangements may be provided so that when sufficient evaporation has occurred out of the evaporation pot 36 the controller is again 1 0 actuated to cause flood irrigation to the selected field.

It will be seen that by this invention a very simple valve and control arrangement is provided for low pressure irrigation such as flood irrigation.

•,go Throughout this specification various indications have been given as to the scope of the invention but the invention is not limited to any one of these but 15 may reside in two or more combined together. The examples are given for illustration only not for limitation.

Claims (16)

1. An irrigation valve arrangement including a valve in a pipe adapted to close off flow in the pipe upon actuation of the valve, the valve being adapted to be remotely actuated by fluid pressure supplied to an actuation mechanism.

2. An irrigation valve arrangement including a valve arrangement in a pipe adapted to close off flow in the pipe upon actuation of the valve arrangement, wherein an actuator comprises a piston and cylinder, the piston and cylinder actuator being activating by an independent pressurised fluid supply.

An irrigation valve arrangement including a valve arrangement in a pipe adapted to close off flow in the pipe upon actuation of the valve arrangement by rotation of a valve member about a longitudinal axis, the valve S•arrangement including an actuator arm adapted to rotate the valve member about the longitudinal axis, a piston and cylinder actuated adapted for longitudinal extension whereby to rotate the actuator arm through substantially degrees about the longitudinal axis to thereby close or open the valve, the piston and cylinder actuator being activating by an independent pressurised water supply.

4. An irrigation valve arrangement as in Claim 3 wherein the valve member is a butterfly valve, a disc valve or a ball valve. An irrigation valve arrangement as in Claim 3 further including a return spring against which the piston and cylinder actuator acts and adapted to close off the valve when the pressurised water supply is not supplying water to the piston and cylinder actuator.

An irrigation valve arrangement as in Claim 3 wherein the pressurised water supply is supplied from a control valve arrangement with continuous pressure supply so long as the control valve arrangement is turned on.

6. An irrigation valve arrangement as in Claim 5 wherein a bleed in the supply line for the pressurised water supply whereby when the control valve is switched off the water may bleed from the supply line whereby allowing retraction of the actuator arm.

7. An irrigation valve arrangement as in Claim 3 wherein the actuator is a double acting piston and cylinder arrangement with a first control line to open the valve and a second control line to close the valve.

8. An irrigation valve arrangement as in any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the pipe to which the valve arrangement is applied is an irrigation pipe.

9. An irrigation valve arrangement as in any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the pipe to which the valve arrangement is applied is an irrigation pipe of extruded polypropylene with a diameter in the range of 100-900mm.

An irrigation valve arrangement as in any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the pipe to which the valve arrangement is applied is an irrigation pipe of extruded polypropylene with a diameter of 300mm.

11. An irrigation valve arrangement as in any one of claims 3 to further including a reaction bar mounted longitudinally to the outside of the pipe, wherein at one end of the reaction bar is mounted an actuator post and at the other end of which is a bearing for the valve axle.

12. An irrigation valve arrangement as in Claim 11 wherein the piston and cylinder actuator and the extension spring are mounted to the actuator post.

13. An irrigation valve arrangement as in Claim 11 wherein an actuator arm is mounted to the top of the valve axle and has a second post at the end of the actuator arm remote from the valve axle and the piston and cylinder actuator and the extension spring are mounted between the actuator post and the second post.

14. An irrigation valve arrangement as in Claim 11 wherein a circular butterfly valve plate is mounted to the valve axle within the pipe and an 0 ring provided around the boundary of the butterfly valve plate or disc valve to provide sealing to the pipe.

15. An irrigation valve arrangement as in Claim 14 wherein the valve axle is mounted to the downstream side of the valve plate.

16. An irrigation valve arrangement as in any one of claims 3 to wherein irrigation water supply is in the range of 2-20 psi and the pressurised control supply is in the range of 30-40 psi. 1 0 Dated this 12th day of March 1999 GEOFFREY DAVID SIMONS °By his Patent Attorneys, COLLISON CO. C e* C 9 i