IE44075B1 - Improvements in and realting to sprinkler installations - Google Patents

Description

The present invention refers to an assembly for an automatic sprinkler installation, particularly but not exclusively for sprinkling large areas under crop.

Sprinkling of cultivations has become an obligation in modern agricultural developments, but for large areas under crop it can only be considered in automatic form, Installations are already known in which a self-propelling carriage bearing a sprinkler nozzle is moved automatically along a system of pipes arranged beforehand on the ground in the field to be sprinkled and equipped IO at intervals with water intakes. In such known installations the water inlet pipework is rigid pipework which is used as a guide for the movement of the carriage which is equipped with feelers in contact with the pipework and which act upon means for steering the carriage. The carriage furthermore includes detectors for water intakes which are branches tapped off the pipework. Detection of the presence of a water intake then starts a cycle of automatic operations for connection of the spray nozzle to the intake for a predetermined period before initiating another movement of the carriage towards the next water intake.

An installation like this has the main disadvantage of requiring pipework which is rigid and hence costly and the laying and recovery of which above all is lengthy and laborious. The rigid sections are in fact limited in length and installation necessitates 4 0 7 5 numerous connection operations on site. The practical consequence is that one therefore tries to limit as much as possible the length of the pipework, giving it a heavy delivery and associating it with a carriage also equipped with a heavy5 delivery nozzle the range of which is as high as possible.

In practice an installation of this kind generally includes a distribution circuit of pipework in a closed loop traversed by a single carriage of high sprinkling power, and consequently of relatively large bulk and weight.

The secondary but important consequences of the employment of a single carriage of large dimensions are for example: - the necessity of providing in the cultivation a wide pathway for the sprinkler, which reduces the productivity of the field; - the known disadvantages of the employment at standstill of a heavy-delivery nozzle or sprinkler gun, e.g. considerable sensitivity to wind, poor distribution of water and deterioration of the soil; - danger of bogging down due to the weight and dimensions of the apparatus, which may also cause errors in the trajectory of the water; - finally, the fact that one breakdown brings about complete stoppage of the whole sprinkler installation which is a substantial disadvantage in an automatic installation which must operate without supervision. - 3 There is thus provided an installation which is easier than heretofore to lay and develop and which minimises the consequences of a possible fault in operation; this leads finally to greater reliability for lower investment.

According to the invention there is provided an assembly for an automatic sprinkler installation, the assembly comprising a self-propelled sprinkler nozzle-bearing carriage adapted to be moved along a water supply pipe provided at intervals therealong with water outlet means, the carriage including a water intake sleeve connected to the sprinkler nozzle and for continuously surrounding the water supply pipe, and means for detection of a water outlet means, and at least one water outlet means comprising a valve for mounting in the water supply pipe and having a generally cylindrical external profile to be arranged coaxially with the water supply pipe and projecting with respect to the external profile of the water supply pipe, the valve being openable by axial forces exerted on end parts of the valve to allow communication between the pipe and the sleeve for supplying water to the sprinkler nozzle, wherein the internal profile of the sleeve corresponds to the external profile of the valve, and the carriage includes means for exerting axial forces on the end parts of the valve for opening the valve during standstill of the carriage after detection of the presence of the valve in the sleeve. - 4 44075 For sprinkling plants aligned in rows, the water supply pipe may be a flexible pipe aligned between two planted rows, and the carriage may include feelers for detection of plants at the sides, or the sides of a furrow in which the carriage runs, and connected to control steering means for steering the carriage.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: TO Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an assembly according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a simplified elevation of the assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on a larger scale of a water outlet valve of the assembly of Figure 1 surrounded by the sleeve connected to the sprinkler nozzle.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the assembly comprises a sprinkler nozzle-bearing carriage comprising a frame 1 carried and driven by four driving wheels 3,4,5,6. The wheels 3 and on the same side of the frame are driven by a common electric motor 7 by way of chains 8 and 9. Similarly the wheels 4 and 6 on the other side of the frame are driven through chains by a common electric motor 11. The electric motors 7 and 11 are energised by a battery 12 through a set of contactors and relays for automatic operation. The contactors and relays have not been shown here because their concept and installation on the carriage are dependent upon current technology well known to those skilled in the art of electrical installation. - 5 44075 The carriage also includes in its central portion and integral or fast with the frame a hollow water-intake sleeve 14 to which is connected pipework 15 for supplying water to sprinkler nozzle 16.

A water supply pipe 18 of a water supply pipe system, which comprises a length of flexible piping, extends through the sleeve 14 on the carriage. On the carriage itself the pipe 18 is supported by pulleys 19 at the two ends of the carriage, and at a certain distance in front of and behind the carriage the pipe 18 may rest freely on the ground. At intervals along it the pipe 18 is equipped with water outlet valves 20 (Figure 3).

As shown in Figure 3, each water outlet 22 and 23 bearing against one another and valve 20 consists of two tubular halfbodies axially spaced apart by a resilient ring 24 which forms a seal. A tubular valve member 25 is screwed into the body 22 and has an annular bearing surface on a flange part 26 which bears by way of an annular seal 27 against an internal annular shoulder or valve seat 28 on the half-body 23. A series of passages 30open into the valve seat 28, which passages also open in an annular groove 31 in the external periphery of the body 23.

The pipe 18 is connected to the half-body 22 at one end of the valve by being held between an externally tapered male ferrule 33 and an internal tapered bearing surface on an end part 34.

Screws 35 attach the ferrule 33 and part 34 to the body 22 and tighten the tapered bearing surface onto the pipe. At the other end of the valve the pipe 18 is connected to the half-body 23 in a similar fashion by being held between a tapered male ferrule 37 and an internal tapered bearing surface on an end part 38.

The part 38 is screwed into the body 23, which ensures both its - 6 44075 integration with the body and tightening of the pipe onto the tapered bearing surfaces. A compression spring 39 is arranged between the part 26 of the valve 25 and the inner end of the ferrule 37.

It may be seen that in the closed position of the valve, as represented in Figure 3, both the resilient ring 24 and the spring 39 tend to push the valve seat 28 on the body 23 and the part 26 of the valve member 25 together and compress the seal 27 ensuring watertightness between chamber 40 on the valve and the passages 30. It will be observed in addition that the water pressure inside the pipe 18 and the valve also contribute to compression of the seal 27.

Opening of the valve may be obtained by pushing together, along the axis of the valve, the two end parts 34 and 38. This compresses the ring 24 and the spring 39 so that separation is obtained of the seal 27 from the valve seat 28, producing a clearance enabling flow of water under pressure in the pipe and in the valve from the chamber 40 through the passages 30 and the groove 31 to the pipe nozzle 15 and the nozzle 16. Opening is, as shown, obtained by manipulation of levers 42 and 43 the ends of which have shapes which mate with respective ones of the end parts 34 and 38, and which are actuated by hydraulic jacks 44 and 45 (Figure 1). The jacks 44 and 45 are supplied with water under pressure from an accumulator tank 46 which is put under pressure upon starting and recharged at each water - 7intake by a tap-off from the pipework 15 (not shown for the sake of simplification). The valves and relays for control of the jacks according to automatic cycles which will be described later in greater detail have also not been shown.

The nozzle-bearing carriage also includes flexible antennae 48, 49, and 51 which together completely surround the carriage. Each of the antennae is attached at one end at the middle of one side of the carriage to a stirrup 52 or 53 and the other ends are articulated in pairs to a common spindle 54 or 55 equipped with a rotation detector.

If, starting from driving in a straight line between two rows of plants in a direction in which, for example, the antennae 48 and 49 lead, and if the latter encounter no resistance or encounter equal pressures on the part of the stalks of the plants on each side of the carriage, the spindle 54 does not turn and a control action between the position of this spindle and the speed controls of the motor 7 and 11 leads to these two motors being driven at the same speed, that is to say, the carriage continues its travel in a straight line. If, on the other hand, the plants at the sides of the carriage exert different pressures on the antennae 48 and 49 the detector detects a rotation of the spindle 54, which by a set of relays and control actions brings about a difference in speed between the motors 7 and 11 and a slight change in direction of the carriage until equilibrium is re-established between the two antennae 48 and 49.

Finally the carriage is equipped with an electric generator 57 driven -844075 during sprinkling by a turbine 58, which ensures recharging of the battery 12.

To make a field ready to be sprinkled, pipes 18 are placed in position at regular intervals between certain rows of plants, the pipes 18 being equipped at regular intervals with water outer valves 20 and connected at at least one end of the field to a general distributor main. It may immediately be observed that, as the pipes 18 are flexible they may easily be brought to the field on reels and laid out without difficulty between the rows of plants. Each length of pipe is passed through the sleeve 14 of a nozzle-bearing carriage as described above. A large number of rows may be equipped with pipes and each carriage, the sprinkling range of which may be small, may then have a smaller bulk, which enables it to pass between two normal rows without loss of cultivated area.

Starting up of each sprinkler carriage is carried out manually, for example, at the end of a row, by closing a switch which drives the carriage towards the first valve 20. It will be observed that due to the antennae 48, 49, and 51 the carriage steers itself with respect to the plants and not with respect to the flexible pipe 18. As the carriage advances, the pipe 18 which was on the ground rises up onto the carriage, guided by the pulleys 19, and the first valve 20 arrives and is engaged inside the sleeve 14, engagement being facilitated by the conical shape of the end parts 34 or 38 and by the lip seals 59 fitted inside the sleeve 14. On starting up, assuming that advance is being made in the direction of the arrow 60 in Figure 1, the rear lever 42 is placed in a position perpendicular with respect to the pipe 18, with the result that it serves -9as a detector of the presence of the first valve inside the sleeve 14.

Detection of the valve in the sleeve triggers the erection of the front lever 43 which was previously in the retracted position, and its operation ganged with that of the rear lever 42 tightens the levers against the parts 34 and 38, tending to bring them together, which causes opening of the valve as described above. The water under pressure then flows into the receiver sleeve 14, causing tightening of the watertight seals 59, and thence to the pipework 15 and the sprinkler head.

In a parallel manner an adjustable time-mechanism controls stopping of the 10 sprinkler after a predetermined time. For stopping the time-mechanism controls re-setting of the two jacks in their initial position, which brings about closure of the valve, stopping of the sprinkling, and re-starting of the movable carriage to move it towards the next valve. As soon as the valve has left the receiver sleeve the rear lever 42 resumes its perpendicular position in order to detect the presence in the sleeve of the next valve 20.

It will be observed that the symmetry of the nozzle-bearing carriage enables it to move as well in one direction as in the other and easy control of automatic reversal of the direction of movement at the end of the pipe 18 endows this sprinkler installation with completely automatic working.

It will also be observed that the installation which has just been described is characterized by the possibility of employing simultaneously a number of small sprinkler carriages fed from pipework which is easy to lay and -1044075 gather up, and the small bulk of which enables automatic movement between or in the normal furrows of the field. The low weight of the carriages obviously limits the risks of bogging down and even in the event of breakdown of one of the carriages in the installation it is only a small portion of the cultivation which may suffer a temporary lack of water.

Of course the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment which has just been described but covers other embodiments within the scope of the appendent claims. For example, the valve may be modified so that opening is obtained by pulling on the two ends instead of pushing the two ends towards one another.

Equally, other known devices may be used both for driving the driving wheels of the carriage and for the manipulations of opening and closing the valves. It may likewise be observed that a carriage as described above may equally well be applied to the case of an almost rigid pipe system for application to cultivations which would now allow guidance by the plants themselves. In this case the received sleeve may be arranged underneath the carriage in order that the carriage should not need to raise the rigid tube very much.

Particularly in the case of cultivations of plants just coming up or too pliable to ensure guidance of the carriage, guidance might alternatively be ensured by a normal or specially formed furrow, the previously described antennae being then modified to feel the sides of the furrow.

Claims (9)

1. An assembly for an automatic sprinkler installation, the assembly comprising a self-propelled sprinkler nozzle-bearing carriage adapted to be moved along a water supply pipe provided at intervals therealong with water outlet means, the carriage including a water intake sleeve connected to the sprinkler nozzle and for continuously surrounding the water supply pipe, and means for detection of a water outlet means; and at least one water outlet means comprising a valve for mounting in the water supply pipe and having a generally cylindrical external profile to be arranged coaxially with the water supply pipe and projecting with respect to the external profile of the water supply pipe, the valve being operable by axial forces exerted on end part? of the valve to allow communication between the pipe and the sleeve for supplying water to the sprinkler nozzle, wherein the internal profile of the sleeve corresponds to the external profile of the valve, and the carriage includes means for exerting axial forces on the end parts of the valve for opening the valve during standstill of the carriage after detection of the presence of the valve in the sleeve.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each valve includes two coaxial tubular parts axially spaced apart by a resilient watertight seal, each part being adapted for connection to the water supply pipe at a respective one of the two ends of the valve, one of the parts comprising an annular valve-seat and passage means opening in the valve seat and in the external periphery of the valve, and other of the parts carrying an annular valve member for bearing against the valve seat to close the passage means, and resilient means tending to apply the valve member against the seat. -12,,407 5

3. An assembly as claimed in either claim I or claim 2 for use with plants aligned in rows, wherein the carriage is provided with feelers arranged for the detection of the plants at the sides thereof, the feelers being connected to control steering means for steering the carriage.

4. 5 4. An assembly as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 for use with plants which are just coming up or are pliable, wherein the carriage is equipped with feelers arranged for the detection of the sides of a furrow in which the carriage is intended to move, the feelers being connection to control steering means for steering the carriage. If) 5. An assembly comprising a carriage and at least one water outlet means substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. 6. An automatic sprinkler installation comprising a carriage and a plurality of water outlet means, as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, the is water outlet means being connected in a pipe of a system of water supply pipes and the carriage being arranged with the water intake sleeve surrounding the pipe of the pipe system.

6. 7. An installation as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pipe of the pipe system is flexible. 20

7. 8. An installation as claimed in either claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the pipe is arranged in a furrow. -1344075

8.

9. An automatic sprinkler installation substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.