GB1585283A

GB1585283A - Device for trickle irrigation

Info

Publication number: GB1585283A
Application number: GB24994/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: HEFTZIBA PALGAL
Current assignee: HEFTZIBA PALGAL
Priority date: 1976-06-16
Filing date: 1977-06-15
Publication date: 1981-02-25
Also published as: GR61606B; FR2354703A1; CA1076821A; JPS5325914A; FR2354703B1; IT1083828B; AU517279B2; IL49814A; DE2726358A1; IL49814A0; ZA773529B; JPS6029306B2; AU2603077A

Description

(54) A DEVICE FOR TRICKLE IRRIGATION (71) We, PALGAL HEFTzInA, a limited partnership of Mobile Post Gilboa, Israel, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a device for trickle irrigation.

It has been known for a long time that efficient means are required for applying water to field crops or at below surface level.

It is important that the delivery of water should be at a slow uniform rate over long runs in particular for such crops which are grown in rows. This is in particular important in countries which have a shortage of water.

It has been found that the above problem can be solved to a large extent by way of trickle irrigation. There are known several dripper units for trickle irrigation which are part of or are connected to the water conduit, e.g. a pipe, hose or the like. Such devices are described, inter alia, in Israel Patent Specifications Nos. 13787, 21004, 25197, 344566, 36901. However, although the desired degree of the trickle irrigation has been achieved with many of the said dripper units, they are not entirely satisfactory as a separate dripper unit has to be manufactured and only when this unit is introduced into the water conduit or is added thereto a complete dripper system is presented.

These known dripper systems have an ad ditional drawback in that they are quite expensive. Especially with seasonal crops where the ground has to be worked at the end of the season, they have at the end of the season to be collected, stored and to be used again.

A one-time use with this system would be a big waste.

However, for many crops, in particular cotton, sugar cane, melons and the like, where large areas are concerned, the col!ec- tion of the system is quite complicated and cumbersome and thus one-time use is very desirable.

It has therefore been desirable to design a device which constitutes integrally both the water conduit and the dripper unit. Said device should be relatively cheap, so that a one-time use would be economical.

The most simple device would be a hose perforated at pre-determined intervals. However, such a hose is not practical because no precise and slow uniform rate of trickling can be obtained therewith. Moreover, the very small holes required cause a very long undesirable spray and in addition they will easily clog.

There is also known a device comprising a hose which is perforated at pre-determined intervals, into which perforations are introduced long extending thin hoses. This device is very unsatisfactory as its manufacture is very complicated and its use is cumbersome.

Moreover, in view of the fact that there are connection points special care has to be taken that said points should be water-tight.

In U.S. Specification No. 3698195 thele is described a water distributing hose comprising an outer tubular wall and an inner wall spaced interiorly from the outer wall and defining an inner tubular member fixed to the outer tubular wall for generally line contact therewith along the full length thereof. Both walls are perforated, normally in opposed relation to the line contact therebetween with the outer wall having a substantially greater number of openings. The inner tube functions so as to carry water along the full length of the hose and maintain to a substantial degree, the pressure therecf.

The water discharge through the inner wall openings and subsequently flows to and through the outer wall openings immediately adjacent to each inner wall opening for a trickle-like discharge therefrom.

Another device has been suggested comprising a main hose serving for carrying the water adjacent to which extends a hose having a smaller diameter, the common walls of both hoses being perforated, the smaller tube being perforated again at its outer wall, the number of the holes at the outer wall being more numerous than those at the common wall.

However, both said devices are not entirely satisfactory as again they are based on very small holes having the same drawbacks set out above. Moreover the manufacture of said devices is quite complicated and expensive.

From U.S. Patent Specification No.

3887138 there is known a trickle or drip irrigation device which comprises two hose like elements inserted into one another. one of said elements being constituted by a helically grooved hose of conventional design, the inner member being tightly held in the outer element, openings being provided in the inner element and an outflow or outflows at desired intervals, from the outer element.

This arrangement too is not entirely satisfac- tory as it comprises two hoses which have to be combined into one. Thus, it is complicated and relatively expensive.

It has therefore been desirable to design a device for trickle irrigation, constituting integrally both the water conduit and the dripper unit which device overcomes the above disadvantages and which is relatively cheap so that a one-time use is economical.

The present invention thus provides a hose for trickle irrigation in the form of a continuous elongate unit made of a single material and having a water-carrying duct, said duct being provided at predetermined distances with openings, which openings are on a line parallel to the axis of the watercarrying duct, from which openings extend individual small diameter sprinkler ducts each of which is provided with its own dripping oulet or outlets, wherein the said water-carrying duct, the said sprinkler ducts and the said openings are defined by a pattern of bonded seams between two adjacent surfaces of the said material.

The sprinkler ducts are preferably long and the diameter thereof must be small in order that the pressure is reduced from the inlet of the sprinkler ducts to the oulet thereof, so that the desired slow rate of delivery is achieved. In order to have long sprinkler ducts without making the unit excessively large, it is advantageous for the sprinkler ducts to have a labyrinth or the like suitable form.

The number of sprinkler ducts, their length and forms thereof are not critical features of the present invention. They may be determined by the specific requirements needed of the device.

Morover, the sprinkle ducts may be arranged on more than one side of the water carrying duct, i.e., there may be 2, 3 or even more parallel lines of sprinkler ducts.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention the diameters of the inlet to-and of the outlet from the sprinkle ducts are a little bit larger that the diameter of the said ducts. By this clogging at the inlet and spraying at the outlet is avoided to a large extent.

The outlet of each sprinkler duct may, if desired, sub-divide into two ducts each of which has its separate outlet. These subdivided ducts may again each separate into two different ducts. This is being sometimes done in order to obtain smaller delivery rates without lengthening the sprinkler hose or without reducing the diameter thereof.

In order to ensure that no clogging can occur a filtering device may be connected to the inlet of the water carrying hose.

The size of the diameter of both the water carrying duct as well as the sprinkler ducts is not a critical feature of the hose according to the present invention. The diameter of the water carrying duct may be, e.g. 1W30 mm.

The diameter of the sprinkler ducts is a function of the required dripping rate and also a function of the length and form of the sprinkler ducts. Preferably it varies from 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The length of each sprinkler duct is preferably from 1 to 10 meters.

The hose according to the present invention overcomes substantially the drawbacks of the known devices. It enables a steady, slow uniform rate of flow and can be produced in a simple manufacturing process as one integral unit, in one manufacturing operation. Moreover, it is pliable, can be bent and thus be packed, stored and transported compactly. Finally in view of the fact that the walls of the hose may be quite thin, e.g.

about 0.5-1.0 mm, the device is quite cheap and the one-time use is economical. Thus, at the end of the season it need not be collected and stored and may be left in the field to be destroyed by simple and cheap conventional methods.

The material from which the hose is made is not a critical feature of the present invention. Any suitable pliable plastic, or nonplastics material in sheets, foils, sleeves or films, which can be bonded together e.g.

glued, pressure fused, heat-fusion welded, supersonic fused, radiation fused or the like may be utilised. There are preferably utilised certain polyolefines, e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene and polybutylene or mixtures thereof.

The hose according to the present invention is preferably manufactured by fusion of one or two thin sheets, foils, sleeves or films of a suitable plastics or non-plastics material, e.g. by way of glueing, pressure fusing, hot-fusion welding, supersonic fusion, radiation fusing or the like, whereby the entire hose is formed in one operation.

The hose according to the present invention can be an integral part of other devices, e.g. a covering for cloches for young sprouts, etc. Such combination, i.e. a covering and hose for trickle irrigation according to the present invention may be manufactured as one unit from one or two sheets of the plastics or non-plastics material.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings without being limited by them. In these drawings: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a hose according to the present invention under pressure, i.e. through which water is flowing; Fig. 2a, b and c show longitudinal and cross-sectional views respectively of the hose according to Fig. 1; Figs. 3cr and b, 4a and b and 5a and b show longitudinal and cross-sectional views, respectively, of various embodiments of the hose according to the present invention; Figs. 6a and b show longitudinal and cross-sectional views, respectively, of an em- bodiment of the hose according to the present invention wherein each sprinkler duct subdivides into two sprinkler ducts.

Figs 7a and b show longitudinal and cross-sectional views, respectively, of an embodiment of the hose according to the present invention provided with two lines of sprinkler ducts; and Figs. 8 and 9 show schematic views of hoses according to the present invention as integral parts of plastics coverings for cloches or the like.

All the above views illustrate sections of the complete hoses. The corresponding parts are referenced by the same numerals. For sake of clarity in each line of sprinkler ducts the parts of only one duct are referenced.

All seams between adjacent ducts are illustrated by shading lines.

The cross section views shown in Figs.

2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b and 7b are taken along line A-A in the corresponding Figs. and illustrate the hoses under water pressure. The cross-section view shown in Fig. 2c is shown also along line A-A, but in the collapsed position for reeling.

The hoses illustrated in all Figures each comprise a water carrying duct 1, sprinkler ducts 2, inlets 3 from the water carrying duct 1 to the sprinkler ducts 2, and outlets 4 from sprinkler ducts 2.

The water in the sprinkler ducts 2 flows as indicated by the arrows.

The sprinkler ducts 2 of the embodiments shown in Figs. 1-5 have various forms.

That in Figs. 4 is straight whereas those in the other Figs. are bent as shown.

The sprinkler ducts 2 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 each subdivides into two and has thus outlets 41 and 411.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 7 has two lines of sprinkler ducts 21 and 211 parallel the axis of water carrying duct 1 having the shape as that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The device illustrated in Fig. 8 shows a plastics covering 5 proper made of one plastics sheet in combination with a dripping device as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The dripping device (shown under water pressure) is arranged outside the plastics covering and drips from the inside thereof.

The device illustrated in Fig. 9 shows a plastics covering being made from two sheets 6a and 6b in combination with a dripping device as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The dripping device (shown under water pres- sure) is arranged and dripping from the same side of the plastics covcring.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A hose for trickle irrigation in the form of a continuous elongate unit made of a single material and having a water-carrying duct, said duct being provided at predetermined distances with openings, which openings are on a line parallel to the axis of the water-carrying duct, from which openings extend individual small diameter sprinkler ducts each of which is provided with its own dripping outlet or outlets, wherein the said water-carrying duct, the said sprinkler ducts and the said openings are defined by a pattern of bonded seams between two adjacent surfaces of the said material.

2. A hose according to Claim 1, wherein the sprinkler ducts are in a labyrinth form.

3. A hose according to Claim 1 or wherein each sprinkler duct subdivides into two sprinkler ducts.

4. A hose according to Claim 3, wherein each of the subdivided frames again subdivides into two sprinkler ducts.

5. A hose according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein there are a plurality of lines of sprinkler ducts.

6. A hose according to any of Claims 1 lo 5, wherein the said material is a plastics material.

7. A hose according to Claim 6, wherein the said material is a polyolefine.

8. A hose according to Claim 7, wherein the polyolefine is selected from the group comprising polyethylene, polypropylene, and polybutylene or mixtures thereof.

9. A hose according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the walls thereof have a thickness of 0.5-1.0 mm.

10. A device for trickle irrigation, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. An irrigation device comprising as an integral part a hose according to any of Claims 1 to 10.

12. A process for the manufacture of the hose according to any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein one or two thin sheets, foils, films or

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. hose for trickle irrigation according to the present invention may be manufactured as one unit from one or two sheets of the plastics or non-plastics material. The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings without being limited by them. In these drawings: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a hose according to the present invention under pressure, i.e. through which water is flowing; Fig. 2a, b and c show longitudinal and cross-sectional views respectively of the hose according to Fig. 1; Figs. 3cr and b, 4a and b and 5a and b show longitudinal and cross-sectional views, respectively, of various embodiments of the hose according to the present invention; Figs. 6a and b show longitudinal and cross-sectional views, respectively, of an em- bodiment of the hose according to the present invention wherein each sprinkler duct subdivides into two sprinkler ducts. Figs 7a and b show longitudinal and cross-sectional views, respectively, of an embodiment of the hose according to the present invention provided with two lines of sprinkler ducts; and Figs. 8 and 9 show schematic views of hoses according to the present invention as integral parts of plastics coverings for cloches or the like. All the above views illustrate sections of the complete hoses. The corresponding parts are referenced by the same numerals. For sake of clarity in each line of sprinkler ducts the parts of only one duct are referenced. All seams between adjacent ducts are illustrated by shading lines. The cross section views shown in Figs. 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b and 7b are taken along line A-A in the corresponding Figs. and illustrate the hoses under water pressure. The cross-section view shown in Fig. 2c is shown also along line A-A, but in the collapsed position for reeling. The hoses illustrated in all Figures each comprise a water carrying duct 1, sprinkler ducts 2, inlets 3 from the water carrying duct 1 to the sprinkler ducts 2, and outlets 4 from sprinkler ducts 2. The water in the sprinkler ducts 2 flows as indicated by the arrows. The sprinkler ducts 2 of the embodiments shown in Figs. 1-5 have various forms. That in Figs. 4 is straight whereas those in the other Figs. are bent as shown. The sprinkler ducts 2 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 each subdivides into two and has thus outlets 41 and 411. The embodiment shown in Figs. 7 has two lines of sprinkler ducts 21 and 211 parallel the axis of water carrying duct 1 having the shape as that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The device illustrated in Fig. 8 shows a plastics covering 5 proper made of one plastics sheet in combination with a dripping device as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The dripping device (shown under water pressure) is arranged outside the plastics covering and drips from the inside thereof. The device illustrated in Fig. 9 shows a plastics covering being made from two sheets 6a and 6b in combination with a dripping device as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The dripping device (shown under water pres- sure) is arranged and dripping from the same side of the plastics covcring. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A hose for trickle irrigation in the form of a continuous elongate unit made of a single material and having a water-carrying duct, said duct being provided at predetermined distances with openings, which openings are on a line parallel to the axis of the water-carrying duct, from which openings extend individual small diameter sprinkler ducts each of which is provided with its own dripping outlet or outlets, wherein the said water-carrying duct, the said sprinkler ducts and the said openings are defined by a pattern of bonded seams between two adjacent surfaces of the said material.

7. A hose according to Claim 6, wherein the said material is a polyolefine.

sleeves of plastics or non-plastics material are bonded together.

13. A process according to Claim 12, wherein the bonding is carried out by glueing pressure fusing, hot-fusion, supersonic fusion, radiation fusion, or the like.