Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Flow control
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-22
2001-08-14
Bagnell, David (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Flow control
C405S118000, C405S049000, C052S011000, C052S016000, C404S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273640
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to irrigation systems and, more particularly, to liners for irrigation ditches.
In many parts of the world, irrigation of farmland is done by diverting water from rivers and streams, and the like, through ditches to the land to be watered. These ditches may be many miles in length and substantial maintenance is required on natural ditches, i.e., ditches with earth walls. Where the sources of the irrigation water are mountain streams, the ditches may meander in rugged country to reach the many fields that are irrigated by a single ditch.
It will be appreciated that natural ditches deteriorate throughout the year. Ditch walls collapse; debris fills the ditch when water is not flowing. In addition, substantial water is lost by absorption through the dirt walls. Also, animals burrow through earthen ditch banks, with a resulting loss of water.
Where the irrigation ditch is in flat, accessible ground, it is possible to line the ditch with a permanent material, such as concrete. This requires, however, substantial equipment for delivering and forming the concrete to the ditch. Concrete lined ditches are also very expensive to construct. It is desirable to provide a ditch liner that can be installed relatively inexpensively and in remote locations.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a transportable ditch liner that can be readily installed with simple tools.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a transportable, lightweight ditch liner that can be readily conformed to the path of existing natural irrigation ditches.
Many objects, advantages and novel features of the irrigation ditch liner will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the apparatus of this invention may comprise an irrigation ditch liner system. The irrigation ditch liner system comprises a plurality of connectable liner sections including at least one straight conduit section and one corrugated conduit section, each conduit having a semi-cylindrical body portion defining a conduit interior diameter, integral vertical walls extending from the semi-cylinrical body portion, and end sections having extending end flanges with an interior diameter greater than said conduit interior diameter.
In a preferred embodiment, a connecting joint is provided with an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall and the outer wall having converging end portions to engage extending end flanges of adjacent liner sections, where the inner wall has a diameter substantially the same as the conduit diameter to form a smooth connection region.
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patent: 2657074 (1953-10-01), Schwester et al.
patent: 3313319 (1967-04-01), Osborn et al.
patent: 3315704 (1967-04-01), Shire
patent: 3336950 (1967-08-01), Fochler
patent: 4257716 (1981-03-01), Woodrow
patent: 1248204 (1971-09-01), None
Bagnell David
Fast Ditch, Inc.
Lagman Frederick L.
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