Irrigation system for precise water and chemical application

• US 4,763,836 A
• Filed: 11/07/1986
• Issued: 08/16/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James P. Bordovsky, William M. Lyle
• Original Assignee: James P. Bordovsky, William M. Lyle
• Inventors: Lyle, William M., Bordovsky, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Forman, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US06/909,727
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 239/69, 239/70, 239/727, 239/731, 239/732, 239/733, 239/734, 239/737, 239/739, 239/740, 239/225.1, 239/243
• US Class Current: 239/69
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/09 Watering arrangements making use of movable installations on wheels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/097 guided or propelled along a water supply line with supply line traversing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

Apparatus for precise water and liquid chemical application to agricultural fields is provided comprising a control platform with two motors, each motor driving a separate set of drive wheels. The speed of the first platform motor being selectable, the speed of the second motor being controlled by a variable frequency AC motor controller which receives a signal from a linear position transducer which senses the positional relationship of the control platform to a pre-determined path so as to maintain the platform on a pre-determined path. A second variable frequency AC motor controller receives a signal from a second linear position transducer between the control platform and a plurality of span sections supported by a plurality of motorized, wheeled towers which is operable to maintain alignment between the towers and the control platform, and the span sections are provided with switches operable to switch the motors of the towers on and off momentarily as required to keep them in alignment with each other. Water and chemicals are transported independently along the span sections and into separate nozzle systems at appropriate pressures for dispensing, each span being provided with at least one chemical and one water nozzle system. The nozzles of each nozzle system may be oscillated vertically under direction of a programmable controller, and each nozzle system may be positioned horizontally along the span section. The chemical nozzle systems may be further directed by the programmable controller to dispense chemicals only from certain nozzle systems at any given time. The apparatus may be used for low energy precision application agricultural methods.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in an irrigation system comprising:

three spaced towers on wheels operable to transport said towers through a field as a unit;

span structures connecting said towers in a preselected alignment;

an AC drive motor on each tower to drive a wheel of each tower;

a variable frequency AC motor controller operable to vary the speed of said motors in unison;

sensing means responsive to a variation in said alignment caused by one of said towers lagging behind or moving ahead of said other towers; and

a switch responsive to said sensing means operable to stop said motor of said tower if ahead or stop motors of adjacent towers if one said tower is behind, until said alignment is re-established, then an electronic circuit to stop all said tower motors momentarily, then restart in unison.

2. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation comprising:

an elevated span section supportably connected to two spaced mobile towers;

separate water and chemical manifolds positioned along said span section adapted to receive water and chemicals from supply sources;

at least one flexible drop tube connected to each said separate manifold in a manner to receive liquid from said separate manifold for dispensing water of chemical form said separate manifold;

first positioning means to position all of said drop tubes for said chemical manifold in unison and independently of other said drop tubes vertically relative to a field without vertically repositioning said chemical manifold; and

separate AC motor drive means for each said tower to propel said apparatus through said field at a selected speed.

3. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said apparatus has a plurality of said span sections connected end-to-end, extending in a linear alignment across said field, and each pair of adjacent span sections is connected at their adjacent ends to one of said towers;

and further comprising

control means to control independently the time interval during which chemical is dispensed from each said span section.

4. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation as recited in claim 3, wherein said first positioning means comprises:

a separate reel on said manifold mounted coaxially with its respective manifold for each said drop tube;

rotation means to independently rotate each said manifold and its respective reels about their longitudinal axis for winding up or down said drop tubes on said reels; and

control means associated with said rotation means to wind said drop tube up and down in an oscillatory sequence.

5. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation as recited in claim 4, wherein each said tower drive means comprises at least one wheel and an AC motor for driving said wheel;

and further comprising a variable frequency controller operable to control uniformly the motor speed of all said tower motors.

6. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation as recited in claim 5, further comprising control means effective either:

when an individual said tower falls behind the other towers, to stop the motors of adjacnet towers until said linear alignment is re-established, stop all said tower motors and then accelerate all said towers at a uniform rate to said selected speed, or

when an individual said tower moves ahead of the other towers, to stop the motor of said individual tower until said linear alignment is re-established, stop the motors of all said other towers, and then accelerate all said towers at a uniform rate to said selected speed.

7. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a separate truss structure positioned along each said span section and interposed between said span section and said manifolds to support said manifolds; and

means connected to said structure operable to move said manifold back and forth between said support towers.

8. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation, as recited in claim 2, further comprising a second positioning means to position all of said drop tubes for said water manifold in unison and independently of other said drop tubes vertically relative to said field without vertically repositioning said water manifold.

9. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation as recited in claim 2 in which said first positioning means in operable to cycle said drop tubes for chemical between two vertically spaced positions.

10. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation as recited in claim 9, further comprising means to dispense chemical while said drop tubes cycle between said vertically spaced positions.

11. An irrigation system comprising:

a plurality of elongate span sections interconnected with each other end-to-end and supported by a plurality of mobile, wheeled towers;

a separate AC motor to drive each said tower;

means for uniformly regulating the speed of said towers in a manner effective to substantially maintain said interconnected span sections in alignment substantially perpendicular to a predetermined path of travel;

a separate chemical nozzle system and a separate water nozzle system supported by each said span section;

each said chemical nozzle system and water nozzle system including a manifold positioned along each said span section, at least one flexible drop tube for each said manifold connected at a first end to said manifold in a manner to receive water or chemicals, and a dispensing nozzle connected at the other end of each said flexible drop tube;

transport means for independently transporting water and liquid chemicals along the length of said interconnected span sections and into said plurality of nozzle systems for separately dispensing water and liquid chemicals;

horizontal movement means for independent movement of each said separate chemical nozzle system and water nozzle system horizontally along each said span section;

vertical movement means for moving said nozzles on said drop tubes vertically relative to said field, said nozzles on any one said nozzle system moving in unison and independently of nozzle movement on another said nozzle system; and

means for independently controlling the amounts of chemical and water dispensed.

12. An irrigation system as recited in claim 11,

wherein said means for uniformly regulating the speed of said towers comprises a first variable frequency controller for controlling the speed of all said AC motors in unison.

13. An irrigation system as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a control platform having a drive wheel and a separate electric drive motor for said wheel positioned on each side of said control platform; and

a second variable frequency controller for regulating the speed of one of said separate drive motors relative to the other said drive motor in a manner effective to substantially maintain said control platform on said predetermined path at a substantially constant operator-selected speed.

14. An irrigation system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a programmable control means for controlling the flow of liquid chemicals from each said chemical nozzle system independently.

15. An irrigation system as recited in claim 12 wherein said vertical movement means includes:

a separate reel on each said manifold mounted coaxially with its respective manifold for each drop tube;

rotation means to independently rotate each said manifold and its respective reels about their longitudinal axis for winding up or down said drop tubes on said reels; and

programmable control means associated with said rotation means to wind said drop tubes up and down.

16. An irrigation system as recited in claim 15, further comprising programmable control means for controlling the flow of liquid chemicals from each said chemical nozzle system independently.

17. An irrigation system as recited in claim 16 wherein said programmable control means further controls the dispensing of chemicals from each said chemical nozzle system in synchronization with the movement of each said nozzle system.

18. Apparatus for use in a low energy precision application irrigation system comprising:

a row of towers in a side-by-side spaced relation mounted on drive wheels adapted to move said towers in unison in the same direction along a field;

an elevated span member interconnecting and supported by each pair of adjacent towers;

an AC motor on each tower to drive the drive wheel for said tower;

a variable frequency controller which communicates with each said tower motor so all said tower motors operate at the same speed;

a sensor to detect a misalignment of any one tower in said row of towers to the other towers in said row; and

means responsive to said sensor to correct said misalignment by

(i) stopping the movement of said one tower along said field when said one tower is ahead of said other towers,

(ii) stopping the movement of adjacent towers along said field when said one tower is behind said other towers,

until said misalignment is corrected,

stopping all said tower motors, then restarting all said motors in unison, and acclerating all said motors uniformly to said same speed.

19. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation system as recited in claim 18, including:

at least one elevated manifold supported by and extending along said row of towers, said manifold adapted to convey a liquid;

at least one vertically disposed conduit between each pair of adjacent towers connected at one end to said manifold to convey liquid from within said manifold to the other end of said conduit;

a separate vertically and horizontally moveable nozzle at said other end of each said conduit to dispense said liquid; and

means for moving said conduit and said nozzle vertically in an oscillating manner between two vertically spaced positions relative to said field.

20. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation system as recited in claim 19 in which said manifold is rotatable about its longitudinal axis;

and

each said vertically disposed conduit is sufficiently flexible to wind up on said manifold when the manifold is rotated in one direction and to unwind from said manifold when the manifold is rotated in the opposite direction.

21. Apparatus for use in low energy precisions application irritgation system as recited in claim 20 in which said apparatus has two separate, elevated manifolds, each said manifold adapted for receiving and carrying a separate liquid and having its own separate vertically disposed conduits and nozzles;

and

programmable control means capable of selectively directing the flow of liquid to said conduits disposed between any given pair of adjacent towers.

22. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation system as recited in claim 21 in which each said motor is reversible;

and further comprising means to cycle said conduits between two vertically spaced positions while dispensing liquid.

23. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation system as recited in claim 22 including:

a wheeled platform connected along one side to the tower on one end of said row of towers;

an AC motor on said platform to drive said platform at a selected speed;

steering means to steer said platform in a predetermined direction;

a sensing device to detect a difference in the advance in said direction of said row of towers relative to said platform; and

a speed regulator responsive to said sensing device to reduce said difference in advancement by changing the speed of all said tower means in relation to said platform motor until said difference has been corrected.

24. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation system as recited in claim 23 in which said wheeled platform has two motors, a first of said motors adapted to drive a wheel on a first side of said platform and the second of said motors adapted to drive a wheel on the second side of said platform;

and

said steering means comprises a sensing mechanism to detect a departure of said platform from said direction of movement advance along said field, and a third speed regulator responsive to said sensing mechanism to vary the speed of said second motor on said platform in relation to said first motor on said platform to reduce said departure by changing the rate of movement of one side of said platform in relation to the other side of said platform until said departure has been corrected.

25. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation system as recited in claim 20, further comprising a programmable control means for sequencing the vertical oscillatory movement of said nozzles, which occurs in response to rotating said manifold.

26. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation system as recited in claim 25, wherein said programmable control means are adapted to synchronize spraying of liquid from said nozzle in each said manifold independently while said manifold rotates to change the vertical position of said nozzles from a first vertical position to a second vertical position.

27. Apparatus for use in low energy precision application irrigation systems comprising:

a control platform with a plurality of wheels, and first and second alternating current motors, said first and second motors being independently coupled to drive wheels on opposite sides of said platform, the first of said motors being operated at a predetermined substantially constant speed;

a first AC motor controller operable to control the speed of said second motor;

means for sensing deviation of said platform from a predetermined path, said sensing means operable to cause said first AC motor controller to vary the speed of said second motor as required to correct said deviation;

a plurality of interconnected elongate span sections connected at one end to said control platform;

a plurality of wheeled towers supporting said span sections, each of said towers being provided with a AC motor to drive a wheel of said tower;

a second AC motor controller operable to control the speed of all the motors of said towers;

means for sensing misalignment between said control platform and said interconnected span sections operable to cause said second motor controller to control the speed of all said motors of said towers as required to correct misalignment between said control platform and said interconnected span sections;

said span sections being provided with switches at said tower either to

(1) stop the motors of adjacent towers when an individual tower falls behind the adjacent span sections and their towers, stopping the motors of all towers after correct alignment is re-established and then accelerating all of said towers at a uniform rate to the speed determined by said second motor controller, as modified by said means for sensing misalignment between said control platform and said interconnected span sections, or

(2) stop the motor of an individual tower when said tower moves ahead of the adjacent span sections and their towers, stopping the motors of all towers after correct alignment is re-established, and then accelerating all of said towers at a uniform rate to the speed determined by said second motor controller, as modified by said means for sensing misalignment between said control platform and said interconnected span sections;

a plurality of rotatable chemical manifolds supported from said span section, each span section being provided with at least one rotatable chemical manifold;

means for transporting a chemical along said span sections and into said rotatable chemical manifolds at a desired pressure;

a plurality of rotatable water manifolds supported from said span section, each span section being provided with at least one rotatable water manifold;

means for transporting water along said span sections and into said rotatable water manifolds;

means for regulating water pressure in said rotatable water manifolds to a level effective in low energy precision application irrigation techniques;

means for independently positioning said rotatable chemical manifolds and said rotatable water manifolds in a horizontal plane substantially perpendicular to said predetermined path and substantially parallel to said span section;

said rotatable chemical manifolds and said rotatable water manifolds being provided with a plurality of flexible drop tubes in fluid communication with said rotatable chemical manifolds and said rotatable water manifolds, each of said flexible drop tubes terminating in a nozzle;

said rotatable chemical manifolds and said rotatable water manifolds being provided with means for storage of said flexible drop tubes when said nozzles are raised by rotation of said rotatable chemical manifolds and said rotatable water manifolds;

programmable control means for rotating said rotatable chemical manifolds and said rotatable water manifolds independently of each other, thereby separately controlling the timing and amplitude of the oscillations of the chemical application nozzles and the water application nozzles in a plane substantially perpendicular to said span sections and substantially parallel to said motorized towers; and

programmable control means for selectively supplying said liquid chemicals separately to each rotatable chemical manifold at a predetermined time.