Back to results
US 3,998,244 AGranted
Drip irrigation valve with helical flow path
OwnerClarence Bentleyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drip irrigation valve comprising an outer member having a passageway and an inner member mounted in the passageway for axial movement. An axially and circumferentially extending rib is provided on a first of the members and cooperates with a confronting surface of a second of the members to provide a helical flow path. Dams are provided in the flow path to increase the resistance to fluid flow. To increase the flow rate, the members are moved axially to take one or more of the restrictions out of the flow passage. To make the valve pressure compensating, one of the member is resilient and can be resiliently deformed by the fluid at inlet pressure to increase the resistance to flow provided by the restrictions.
Claims33
A drip irrigation valve comprising:
- an outer member having a passageway;
- an inner member in said passageway of said outer member, said members being relatively axially movable;
- an axially and circumferentially extending rib on a first of said members;
- a second of said members having first and second peripheral surface sections;
- said rib being engageable with the first peripheral surface section to the extent that said rib substantially radially confronts said first peripheral surface section to define a flow passage, said members being positionable so that the flow passage has a plurality of turns with each of said turns extending at least part way around the inner member;
- means for admitting fluid under pressure to one end of the flow passage whereby the fluid can flow through the flow passage and be discharged at the other end of the flow passage;
- and
- said rib being out of engagement with the second peripheral surface section whereby the flow passage terminates at the second peripheral surface section and the length of the flow passage and the flow rate through said flow passage can be varied by relatively axially moving the members to change the axial position of said rib relative to said first and second peripheral surface sections.
5 more elements
A pressure compensating drip irrigation valve comprising:
- an outer member having a passageway;
- an inner member in said passageway of said outer member, said members having confronting surfaces;
- first means on the confronting surfaces of said members for defining a flow passage extending axially and circumferentially of the inner member said first means including a circumferentially extending rib which extends around said inner member a plurality of turns;
- a plurality of resilient dams on at least one of the members for at least partially defining a plurality of restrictions in said flow passage with at least some of said restrictions being in series whereby flow through said passage is retarded;
- at least a portion of a first of said members being resiliently deformable in a direction to vary the effective cross sectional area of the flow passage;
- means including said portion of said first member for defining a chamber;
- means for admitting fluid under pressure to said flow passage;
- means defining an outlet communicating with said flow passage whereby the fluid can flow from the admitting means through said flow passage to the outlet;
- and
- said chamber being communicable with the admitting means to receive fluid under pressure from the admitting means whereby said portion of said first member is subject to being resiliently deformed an amount which is related to the pressure of the fluid at the admitting means to thereby vary the effective cross sectional area of said flow passage.
7 more elements
A drip irrigation valve for fluid under pressure comprising:
- means defining a fluid passage having a fluid passage inlet and a fluid passage outlet, said fluid passage inlet being adapted to receive the fluid under pressure;
- said fluid passage having opposed surface regions on opposite sides of the fluid passage;
- said means including a plurality of resilient walls in said fluid passage, each of said walls extending from one of said surface regions toward the other of said surface regions to define therewith a restricted orifice;
- at least some of said orifices being arranged in series whereby fluid flowing through the fluid passage can pass through a plurality of said orifices and be subjected to pressure drops;
- and
- each of said walls being of sufficient resilience to flex in response to an upstream pressure increase resulting from clogging of the associated orifice whereby the fluid passage is self-cleaning.
3 more elements
A drip irrigation valve for fluid under pressure comprising:
- means defining a fluid passage having a fluid passage inlet and a fluid passage outlet, said fluid passage inlet being adapted to receive the fluid under pressure;
- said fluid passage having opposed surface regions on opposite sides of the fluid passage;
- said means including a plurality of resilient walls in said fluid passage, each of said walls extending at least substantially completely between said surface regions of the fluid passage and terminating in an end closely adjacent one of the opposed surface regions;
- each of the resilient walls defining with the adjacent opposed surface region a restricted orifice;
- at least two of said orifices being arranged in series whereby fluid flowing through the fluid passage can pass through a plurality of said orifices and be subjected to pressure drops;
- and
- each of said walls being of sufficient resilience to flex in response to an upstream pressure increase resulting from clogging of the associated orifice whereby the fluid passage is self-cleaning.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.