DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY DRIVING AN IRRIGATION INSTALLATION

• US 3,721,254 A
• Filed: 02/03/1971
• Issued: 03/20/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pierre L. Rutten
• Original Assignee: Pierre L. Rutten
• Inventors: Rutten, Pierre L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwadron, Martin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gerard, Richard
• Application Number:
  US05/112,182
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 239/63-70 137/78,624.13,624.15,624.16,624.17
• US Class Current: 137/78.2
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1866 For controlling soil irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86421 Variable

Abstract

This invention relates to a device for automatically controlling the manoeuvres of motorized obturators controlling the distribution of irrigation water, composed of a cyclic programmer, an evaporation tank which automatically controls the starting of the programmer and means, controlled by the programmer and independent of the obturators, for injecting a determined amount of water into the tank, during each cycle of the programmer.

Claims

1. A device for automatically controlling flow in an irrigation installation having at least one main water distribution pipe to which at least one branch line is connected in shunt through a motorized obturator, which device comprises a cyclic programmer for sequentially controlling the operation of said obturator;

an evaporation tank open to the atmosphere and containing water for evaporation at a speed according to ambient climatic conditions, said programmer being remote from the irrigation installation;

means responsive to the level of the water in said tank and operable to automatically control the starting of the programmer when the level of the water in the tank reaches a reference level; and

means for injecting a predetermined amount of water into said tank during the course of each cycle of the programmer, said injecting means being controlled by the programmer and independent of said obturator.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means for controlling the automatic starting of the programmer are constituted by two electrodes immersed in the tank, between which a low intensity current circulates as long as the two electrodes are immersed in the water of the tank, which electrodes are placed inside an enclosure pierced with holes which constitutes a tranquillization chamber.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means for controlling the automatic starting of the programmer are constituted by two electrodes immersed in the tank, between which a low intensity current circulates as long as the two electrodes are immersed in the water of the tank, comprising electronic filtering means for eliminating the current pulses which would be caused by the agitation of the surface of the liquid contained in the tank.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said injection means includes an automatic pipette controlled by said programmer and operable to inject a predetermined amount of water into said tank, said automatic pipette having means to adjustably set said predetermined amount of water injected and being independent of said obturator.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the automatic pipette is constituted by a piston driven inside a cylinder by a small electric motor which also drives a cam which controls the automatic stopping of said motor at the end of a revolution.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said programmer includes means for programming a selected opening time duration for said obturator to correspondingly adjust the quantity of water delivered through said distribution pipe.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means responsive to the water level in the tank includes two electrodes, one of which can be adjustably positioned with respect to the base of the tank.