Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Mobile distributor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-25
2004-10-19
Brinson, Patrick (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Mobile distributor
C239S752000, C239S750000, C305S199000, C305S165000, C305S169000, C180S009100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06805311
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the agricultural field, and more specifically to mobile irrigation systems in which a suspended irrigation pipe is carried over a field in a circular or lateral linear path to irrigate the underlying crops. The present invention is a track driven support tower for such suspended irrigation pipes or lines, which reduces crop damage by means of its narrow track and width and further reduces field damage by means of the large area of the elongate track which spreads the load of the tower and pipe over a larger surface area.
2. Description of Related Art
The development of mobile irrigation systems has opened up large areas of land which would otherwise be too arid for growing certain crops which require larger amounts of water. These systems comprise a relatively long irrigation pipe or line suspended over the crops by a series of mobile towers, which carry the line in a linear or circular path to irrigate the underlying crops.
While such irrigation systems have provided great benefit to large farming operations by allowing them to grow more profitable crops and/or to produce greater yields per acre, such systems are not without their drawbacks. Most conventional mobile irrigation systems use two or more wheels and tires to support the pipe tower(s), rather than a track system as in the present invention. While such wheeled systems function adequately to provide motion for the tower and to carry the overlying irrigation pipe or line, the considerable weight of the overlying irrigation pipe and the water therein (which may comprise a run of over one hundred feet) results in a considerable load on the wheels and tires of the support tower(s). This often results in the wheels and tires forming deep ruts in the underlying surface, particularly when that surface has been softened by irrigation.
These ruts and tracks then interfere with other machinery (harvesters, etc.) operated in the field subsequent to the irrigation operations. In some cases, the tracks and ruts produced by the irrigation equipment can be so large or deep that other types of equipment are damaged by repeated use over such areas. Moreover, the production of such ruts and tracks leads to water collection in the ruts and uneven irrigation of the crops in the fields, as well as wasted water which collects within the ruts. Such deep ruts and tracks have also been known to cause the wheels of the irrigation towers to become stuck during later passage through the same area or track, particularly if the track has been filled with water and the ground is excessively soft as a result.
Another problem with conventional wheeled mobile irrigation towers is crop damage due to the relatively wide wheel and tire necessary to support the heavy weight of the overlying irrigation pipe and support tower. For example, a pipe having an internal diameter of only six inches and a span of one hundred feet would carry on the order of 150 gallons of water weighing about 1200 pounds. When the weight of the pipe, its support structure, the support towers, and mobile structure (wheels, propulsion motor(s), etc.) are added to the weight of the water, it will be seen that each tower must support a considerable load. Hence, most such towers utilize relatively large diameter and wide tires in an attempt to distribute the load over a relatively wide area. This results in a relatively large percentage of the crop being knocked down or damaged, due to the passage of the wide wheel, tire, and other tower structure thereover.
While track driven mobile irrigation systems have been developed in the past in an attempt to overcome at least the problem of the system becoming mired in its own ruts or tracks, as well as to spread the weight of the apparatus over a relatively large area, such prior art systems do nothing to provide the narrowest possible track width in order to reduce damage to crops to the greatest possible extent. While it may seem obvious to reduce the width of the tower structure which passes through the crops, this has not been accomplished to the maximum possible degree in any of the devices of the prior art of which the present inventor is aware.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a track drive for a mobile irrigation system which provides a relatively narrow track and drive system width in order to reduce damage to crops to the greatest extent possible, but which track is relatively long in order to provide the greatest practicable contact area for the track and hence the lowest possible unit pressure for the overlying structure. The present track drive accomplishes this by means of a single, central drive wheel and a pair of outlying support wheels disposed to each end of the track length to provide a relatively long track span or length. Intermediate track support may be provided by additional idler wheels between the central drive wheel and outlying support wheels, if so desired. The single drive wheel precludes need for drive shafts extending alongside the device to provide motive force for plural wheels, thus reducing the overall width of the assembly. The drive wheel is also dished to provide an interior volume which houses the drive motor and gearbox for the assembly, again greatly reducing the overall width of the assembly.
The present track drive system also includes an independent suspension system for the central drive wheel and outlying wheels, allowing the device to traverse uneven ground while still maintaining maximum contact with the underlying surface to spread the system load and maintain traction. The single, larger diameter central drive wheel is in contact with both the upper and lower track segment at all times, in order to produce continuous drive force to the track.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, are discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,541,026 issued on Jun. 9, 1925 to Arthur R. Blewett, titled “Tractor Machine,” describes an endless track and wheel assembly having a single, central sprocketed drive wheel with forward and rearward non-driven wheels. The central drive wheel contacts the track tangent to both its lowermost and uppermost portions of its rim, thus simultaneously driving the track from both its lower and upper peripheries. However, the Blewett track and wheel assembly differs from the present track drive system in several respects. First, it is noted that all three wheels are linked together by a common structure, thus preventing any relative motion between wheels for traversing uneven surfaces more smoothly. Second, the track is considerably wider than the wheels, as would be necessary to spread the load over a relatively large area in view of the short length of the assembly (all three wheels are spaced apart by only a small fraction of their diameters). It is also noted that Blewett does not provide any means of supporting an overlying structure with his track and wheel assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,613,598 issued on Jan. 11, 1927 to Edward R. Armstrong, titled “Traction Appliance For Automobiles,” describes an assembly adapted for installation on an automobile or the like. The assembly includes a specially modified wheel with a solid tire having a series of transverse slots, with a rigid frame including a pair of opposed track end wheels and a track passing around the end wheels and central main wheel. The track engages the transverse slots of the main wheel to drive the vehicle. The structure is thus generally like the structure of the Blewett '026 U.S. patent discussed immediately above, with the rigid structure failing to provide relative articulation between the wheels to better accommodate surface irregularities. As in the Blewett '026 apparatus, Armstrong makes no provision for supporting any overlying structure, as the sole attachment to the vehicle is by means of the drive axle to which the wheel is attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,966,783 issued on Jul. 17, 1934 to Maurice A. Balaam, title
Brinson Patrick
Litman Richard C.
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