US3923249A

US3923249A - Mobile irrigation system

Info

Publication number: US3923249A
Application number: US544171*A
Authority: US
Inventors: John A Mortimer
Original assignee: SHUR RANE CORP
Current assignee: SHUR RANE CORP
Priority date: 1975-01-27
Filing date: 1975-01-27
Publication date: 1975-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-02

Abstract

In a mobile irrigating system having a plurality of wheel mounted irrigating pipes coupled together in a line to a central internal combustion engine powered driving unit, a hollow cross support for the axles stores a season''s supply of fuel and indicating panels mounted on the wheels show the alignment of sprinkler heads mounted on the pipes.

Description

United States Patent [191 Mortimer [4 1 Dec. 2, 1975 1 1 MOBILE IRRIGATION SYSTEM [75] Inventor: John A. Mortimer, San Jose, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Shur-Rane Corporation, San Jose,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Jan. 27, 1975 [21] Appl. No: 544,171

[52] US. Cl. 239/212; 137/344; 239/73 [51] Int. Cl. B05B 3/02; B67D 5/08 [58] Field of Search 239/71, 73, 146, 147, 177,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,130,745 4/1964 Goodpasture 137/344 3,373,936 3/1968 Purtell 137/344 X 3,446,434. 5/1969 Smith, Jr. et a1, 239/213 X 3,478.773 11/1969 Husky 137/344 3,800,820 4/1974 Trunnell 239/212 X Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Andres Kashnikow Attorney, Agent, or FirmLimbach, Limbach & Sutton [57} ABSTRACT In a mobile irrigating system having a plurality of wheel mounted irrigating pipes coupled together in a line to a central internal combustion engine powered driving unit, a hollow cross support for the axles stores a seasons supply of fuel and indicating panels mounted on the wheels show the alignment of sprinkler heads mounted on the pipes.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. atent De. 2, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,923,249-

US. Patent 1360.2, 1975 Sheet20f2 3,923,249

MOBILE IRRIGATION SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an internal combustion engine powered mover for use in a mobile irrigating system and more particularly to an improved power mover connected in the center of a line of coupled, wheelmounted irrigating pipes.

The centralized power unit applies a torque to the wheel-mounted pipes through a motor-driven bull gear which is mounted on a wheeled carriage which straddles the pipe. Driving power is usually also provided to the wheels of the carriage as well as to the bull gear. In many mobile irrigation systems, since the sprinkler heads are attached directly to the lengths of rotating pipe, alignment can be a critical problem since the entire line of coupled pipes must be rotated to the new position and stopped at exactly the point where the sprinkler heads are pointed in the proper direction so that they will properly irrigate the field. This sometimes requires a certain amount of jockeying of the power mover. In application Ser. No. 544,208, filed Jan. 7, 1975, and entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REVERSIBLY POWERING A MOBILE IRRI- GATION SYSTEM, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, a power mover with a reversible, internal combustion engine is described. The reversible engine in that system easily allows such maneuvering of the pipes to properly align them; however, there is still the problem of providing an adequate visual indication of the alignment for the operator.

It is necessary for all these systems to operate over an entire season with a minimal amount of maintenance. In some systems, keeping the unit powered throughout an entire season can be vexing since fuel must usually be carried out to the middle of the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above and other disadvantages are overcome by the present invention of an improved, mobile irrigating system of the type having a plurality of wheel-mounted irrigating pipes coupled in line to a central, internal combustion engine powered unit which turns the irrigating pipe wheels by turning the line of coupled pipes wherein the improvement comprises a sealed, hollow cross support structure for the central power unit, the hollow space of the cross support constituting a fuel tank for the engine, and indicator means mounted on selected ones of the wheels and aligned with each other to indicate the rotational orientations of the pipes about their longitudinal axes.

In the preferred embodiment, a hollow, T-shaped pipe is mounted within the hollow cross support and a hollow fitting passes into the hollow of the cross support and is sealed to the midpoint of the T-shaped pipe to establish fluid communication therebetween. The fitting is connected by a pipe to the engine and the distal ends of the T-shaped pipe are positioned within the ends of the hollow cross support. Check valve means are mounted within the distal ends of the T-shaped pipe so that fuel within the hollow cross support may be sucked through the T-shaped pipe by the engine regardless of the attitude of the cross support with respect to gravitational forces which might cause the fuel within the cross support to accumulate at one end.

The central power unit includes a pair of opposed, parallel axles and the cross support is elongated and rigidly connected between the pair of axles. The hollow of the cross support is sufficiently large to accommodate a seasons supply of fuel for a two cycle, reversible, internal combustion engine.

The indicator means comprise a plurality of sector shaped panels, each panel being attached to a separate wheel and laying flat in the plane of the wheel and each panel having a figure graphically depicted thereon. The figure has a major point extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the pipe and is aligned with sprinkler heads mounted on the pipes.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an integral fuel supply for a power mover;

It is another object of the invention to provide an integral fuel supply for a power mover which is capable of holding a seasons supply of fuel; and

It is still another object of the invention to provide sprinkler alignment indicating means for a mobile irrigation system.

The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a mobile irrigating system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, with portions broken away, taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 after the unit has been moved to a new position; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical view, in section, and with portions broken away of the center support structure of the centralized power unit of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a mobile irrigation system 10 according to the invention is depicted in which a plurality of hollow irrigating pipes 12 are mounted through the center hubs of individual wheels 14 and are coupled together in a line to each side of a central power mover 16. The power mover 16 has a cross support structure 18 on which is mounted a reversible internal combustion engine 20. The engine 20 drives a bull gear 22 through a reducing gear assembly 24 (FIG. 2). The bull gear 22 resides in a plane which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cross support 18 and is perpendicular to the line of pipes 12. A short length of pipe 26 passes beneath the cross support 18 and through the bull gear 22. The pipe 26 is integrally connected with the bull gear 22 and is provided with a pair of flanges 28 at either end. It is rotatably mounted to the support 18 by means of a bracket (not shown). The sections of pipe 12 closest to the power mover 16 are provded with corresponding flanges 40 which bolt to the flanges 28 to make a fluid-tight coupling which is capable of transmitting torque-from the bull gear 22 to the line of pipes 12.

At the distal ends of the cross support 18 are a pair of axles 30 on the ends of which are mounted wheels 32. The axles 30 are each provided with sprocket gears 34 which are connected by driving chains 36 to separate secondary sprocket gears 38 mounted integrally with the pipe 26 to the bull gear 22.

Each irrigating pipe 12 is provided with one or more sprinkler heads 42 and when the pipes 12 are assembled together they are aligned such that all the sprinkler heads 42 are also aligned with each other along the length of coupled pipes. As can be seen by the exaggerated bend in the line of pipes 12 in FIG. 2, a certain amount of jokeying in the position of the power mover 16 is sometimes required to straighten out the line. It is for this purpose that the engine 20 is preferably of the reversible type. An indicator panel 44 is mounted between the spokes of the wheels 14 at periodic intervals to visually display when the sprinkler heads 42 are pointing upwardly. The indicator panel 44 is sector shaped and is attached to the wheel 14 so as to lay flat in the plane of the wheel. The panel 44 is graphically marked with a diamond shaped figure 45 having a major point 47 extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the pipe 12. The major point 47 is also aligned with the sprinkler heads 42 so that when all of the diamond shaped figures are pointing upwardly the operator knows that the sprinkler heads 42 are properly oriented for irrigation.

In operation, the engine 20 is started in a particular direction and this drives the bull gear 22 and the secondary sprocket gears 38 so that the pipes 12 and the wheels 32 are caused to rotate in the same direction, thereby turning the wheels 14 of the wheel-mounted irrigating pipes 12 so that the whole assembly moves along the field. It is sometimes necessary to reverse the direction of the assembly in order to align, for example, the sprinkler heads 42 so that they are properly directed over the field. In such case the engine is stopped and re-started in the opposite direction so that the whole assembly is moved in the rearward direction until proper alignment is obtained, as is visually indicated to the operator by the panels 44 and the figures 45.

The engine 20 which is utilized is a two-cycle, eight horsepower, internal combustion, gas powered engine. The engine 20 is constructed in such a manner that it can run in either of two directions, depending on the direction in which it is started. The particular engine utilized in the preferred embodiment of the invention is known in the trade as Fujiheavys Robbin Engine, Model E.C. 17DS and is manufactured in Tokyo, Japan.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the engine 20 includes an output drive shaft pulley 46 which turns a driving belt 48 connected to a larger pulley 50 on the end of the drive shaft 52 of the reduction gear assembly 24. The reduction gear assembly 24 has a low speed, output pinion gear 54 which engages with and drives the bull gear 22.

The motor 20 is connected by means ofa cable 56 to a control case 58, mounted on the cross support 18, which houses a battery. The engine receives fuel through a line 60 to a hollow coupling 62 mounted in the cross support 18.

As is more clearly depicted in FIG. 3, the cross support 18 is hollow and is used to store a growing seasons supply of gasoline fuel for the engine 20. The coupling 62 passes through the upper surface of the cross support 18 and is attached to the midpoint of a hollow, T- shaped pipe 64 which extends the length of the hollow interior of the cross support 18. The distal ends of the T-shaped pipe 64 are equipped with ball-check valves 66 which serve the purpose of closing off either open end of the T-shaped member 64 whenever the corresponding end of the cross support 18 is tilted upwardly so that the fuel drains to the opposite end of the cross support 18. This prevents air from being sucked into the fuel line 60.

The terms and expressions which have been employed here are used as terms of description and not of limitations, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, it being recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved, mobile irrigating system of the type having a plurality of wheel mounted irrigating pipes coupled in line to a central, internal combustion engine powered unit which turns the irrigating pipe wheels by turning the line of coupled pipes wherein the improvement comprises a sealed, hollow cross support structure for the central power unit, the hollow space of the cross support constituting a fuel tank for the engine, and indicator means mounted on selected ones of the wheels and aligned with each other to indicate the rotational orientations of the pipes about their longitudinal axes.

2. An improved, mobile irrigating system as recited in claim 1 wherein a hollow, T-shaped pipe is mounted within the hollow cross support, a hollow fitting passes into the hollow of the cross support and is sealed to the midpoint of the T-shaped pipe to establish fluid communication therebetween, the distal ends of the T- shaped pipe being positioned within the ends of the hollow cross support, and check valve means mounted within the distal ends of the T-shaped pipe, whereby fuel within the hollow cross support may be sucked through the T-shaped pipe by the engine regardless of the attitude of the cross support with respect to gravitational forces which might cause the fuel within the cross support to accumulate at one end.

3. An improved, mobile irrigating system as recited in claim 2 wherein the central power unit comprises a pair of opposed, parallel axles and the cross support is elongated and rigidly connected between the pair of axles.

4. An improved, mobile irrigating system as recited in claim 2 wherein the hollow of the cross support is sufficiently large to accommodate a seasons supply of fuel for an internal combustion engine.

5. An improved, mobile irrigating system as recited in claim 1 wherein the indicator means comprise a plurality of sector shaped panels, each panel being attached to a separate wheel and laying flat in the plane of the wheel and each panel having a figure graphically depicted thereon, the figure having a major point extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal axes of the pipe.

6. An improved, mobile irrigating system as recited in claim 5 wherein at least one pipe has at least one sprinkler head mounted thereon and an indicating panel is attached to the wheel mounted on the one pipe with the major point of the figure being aligned with the sprinkler head.

Claims

2. An improved, mobile irrigating system as recited in claim 1 wherein a hollow, T-shaped pipe is mounted within the hollow cross support, a hollow fitting passes into the hollow of the cross support and is sealed to the midpoint of the T-shaped pipe to establish fluid communication therebetween, the distal ends of the T-shaped pipe being positioned within the ends of the hollow cross support, and check valve means mounted within the distal ends of the T-shaped pipe, whereby fuel within the hollow cross support may be sucked through the T-shaped pipe by the engine regardless of the attitude of the cross support with respect to gravitational forces which might cause the fuel within the cross support to accumulate at one end.

4. An improved, mobile irrigating system as recited in claim 2 wherein the hollow of the cross support is sufficiently large to accommodate a season''s supply of fuel for an internal combustion engine.