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US 5,174,499 AGranted
Irrigation system
OwnerSaleh A. Al-Hamlaninventor
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OwnerSaleh A. Al-Hamlaninventor
Estimating the term…
An irrigation system includes one or more valve assemblies which are connected in series to a pressurized source of water. Each valve assembly includes a cylindrical housing, a ball valve, an inlet and two outlets with one outlet generally opposite from the inlet in a lower portion of the housing. The other outlet is disposed in an upper portion of the housing and adapted to direct water to an area of ground for irrigation. A pit and float are associated with each valve assembly and arranged so that some of the irrigation water will flow into the pit and raise the float. The float is connected spring biasing element and a U-shaped pivotal member. This U-shaped pivotal member maintains a spring in a compressed or energy-stored condition and releases the spring biasing element when the float reaches a predetermined level so that the ball valve will spring upwardly to close the upper outlet and redirect the water to another assembly. Water pressure will then maintain the valve in that position.
An irrigation system for use with a pressurized source of water comprising a hollow valve housing which defines an upwardly extending hollow cylindrical portion having a first annular outlet in an upper portion thereof, said housing also defining an inlet in a lower portion thereof for connecting said housing to the pressurized source of water, said housing further defining a second annular outlet in the lower portion thereof, a ball-shaped gate member disposed within said housing and adapted to move upwardly and downwardly within said cylindrical portion, and seat means associated with each of said outlets for closing each of said outlets when said gate member is pressed thereagainst by water pressure, means for defining a pit, and float means disposed in said pit, an upwardly-extending pipe connected to said first outlet and extending above said pit, outlet means in an upper portion of said upwardly-extending pipe so that when said ball-shaped gate member is in a first position against said seat means associated with said second outlet to thereby close said second outlet, water from the pressurized source flows through said inlet, said housing, said first outlet and said upwardly extending pipe and out of said outlet means to fill said pit, a rod connected to said gate member and extended upwardly through said upwardly-extending pipe, and a spring having a first portion fixed to said rod and a displaceable biasing member engaging a second portion of said rod and said spring, positioning means for maintaining said biasing member and said spring in a force stored position and means for releasing said biasing member and said spring from said force stored position in response to the upward movement of said float as a result of an increase in the water level in said pit so that the force on said rod exceeds the force of the flow of water against said ball-shaped gate member whereupon the ball-shaped gate member springs out of said seat means which is associated with said second outlet and upwardly into engagement with said seat means which is associated with said first outlet to thereby close said first outlet and direct the flow of water through said second outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.