US 4,378,089 AGranted

Surface irrigation apparatus

AssigneeTate & Lyle Limited

InventorsJohn D. Wilken, Martin E. Parkes, Graham G. Curtis, David W. Shepherd

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Abstract

Surface irrigation apparatus comprises a carriage movable along an irrigation canal. A dam is supported by the carriage in such a way that water flowing along the canal is incident upon the dam and is checked thereby and the carriage is pushed along the canal in the direction of flow. The carriage is provided with means for arresting its movement at desired positions along the canal. Preferably, the arresting means comprises on the carriage one or more arms which are releaseably engageable with stops on the canal although the arresting means could take the form of one or more brakes operated in accordance with the position of the carriage. The carriage also has means, such as syphon tubes, for transferring water from the canal to land to be irrigated.

Claims17

Dependent claims

Surface irrigation apparatus comprising a carriage movable along an irrigation canal, a dam supported by the carriage and extending toward the canal in such a way that in use water flowing along the canal is incident upon the dam and is checked thereby, the sole means of moving the carriage along the canal in the direction of flow being the force of the water against the dam, means for arresting movement of the carriage at desired positions along the canal carried by the carriage comprising two arms supported by the carriage in such a way as to be releasably engageable with stops mounted along opposite sides of the canal respectively, means for controlling the residence time of the carriage at each stationary position carried by the carriage, means for releasing the arresting means in response to the control means, and means supported by the carriage for transferring water from the canal to land to be irrigated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.