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US 5,685,497 AGranted
Towing assembly for center pivot irrigation system
OwnerWarren E. Coleinventor
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OwnerWarren E. Coleinventor
Estimating the term…
This invention is a towing attachment for each wheeled tower in a center pivot irrigation system in the form of a pair of auxiliary support wheels rotatably supported for rotation about axes generally perpendicular to the pipe and which can be lowered to a position to lift the tower and tower supporting and driving wheels to a position spaced above the ground surface thereby enabling the center pivot irrigation pipe to be detached from the center pivot and towed longitudinally to another site of use with the center pivot pipe then being connected to a different center pivot forming an axial extension of another well casing with the towing attachment auxiliary support wheels then being elevated to lower the tower and tower supporting and driving wheels into engagement with the ground surface for irrigating the new site.
A towing assembly for a center pivot irrigation system including an elongated pipe supported in elevated position by supporting towers with each supporting tower including a front and rear supporting and driving wheel mounted for rotation about an axis generally parallel to the pipe for movement of the pipe and towers in a circular path, said towing assembly comprising a front and rear auxiliary supporting wheel on each tower, means supporting each of said auxiliary supporting wheels from a tower for arcuate swinging movement in a vertical plane about a generally horizontal axis generally perpendicular to said pipe and rotational axes of the supporting and driving wheels and means moving said auxiliary support wheels arcuately about said axes generally perpendicular to the pipe from an elevated position in spaced relation to the ground surface to a lowered position to engage the ground surface and lift the supporting and driving wheels off the ground surface to support the irrigation system while being towed in a direction longitudinally of the pipe to a new site of use with the supporting and driving wheels off the ground surface, said means moving said auxiliary support wheels also raising said auxiliary support wheels in an arcuate swinging movement about said axes generally perpendicular to the pipe to lower the towers to engage the supporting and driving wheels with the ground surface and elevate the auxiliary support wheels from the ground surface to enable the irrigation system to pivot about a center pivot at the new site.
A towing assembly for a center pivot irrigation system including an elongated pipe supported in elevated position by supporting towers with each supporting tower including a front and rear supporting and driving wheel mounted for rotation about an axis generally parallel to the pipe for movement of the pipe and towers in a circular path, said towing assembly comprising a front and rear auxiliary supporting wheel on said tower, means supporting each of said auxiliary supporting wheels from the tower for arcuate swinging movement in a vertical plane and for rotation about axes perpendicular to the pipe and rotational axes of the supporting and driving wheels and means moving said auxiliary support wheels from an elevated position in spaced relation to the ground surface to a lowered position to engage the ground surface and lift the supporting and driving wheels off the ground surface to support the irrigation system while being towed longitudinally of the pipe to a new site of use with the supporting and driving wheels off the ground surface, said means moving said auxiliary support wheels also raising said auxiliary support wheels to lower the towers to engage the supporting and driving wheels with the ground surface to enable the irrigation system to pivot about a center pivot at the new site, said means supporting each of the towing wheels from the tower including a supporting arm having one end pivotally supported from the tower for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the pipe and to the rotational axis of the supporting and driving wheels, said supporting arm including means journaling an auxiliary supporting wheel from an outer end portion of said arm for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the pipe and perpendicular to the rotational axes of the supporting and driving wheels, said means moving the auxiliary support wheels being connected to said support arms in spaced relation to the pivotally supported end thereof for pivoting the support arms in a vertical plane and moving the auxiliary support wheels in a vertical plane, said means moving the auxiliary support wheels including cables attached to said support arm adjacent an outer end thereof, said cables being entrained over supported pulleys above and below the support arm and connected with a power device to power the support arm arcuately in a vertical plane to lift the tower and the supporting and driving wheels when the auxiliary support wheels are lowered into engagement with the ground surface and forced downwardly to simultaneously lift the supporting and driving wheels, said power device also moving the auxiliary support wheels to an elevated position above the ground surface for simultaneously lowering the supporting and driving wheels into engagement with the ground surface, the pulleys above the support arm being rigidly supported from the tower to enable the auxiliary support wheels to be lifted to a position above mature crops to eliminate plant damage during movement of the center pivot irrigation system about a center pivot, said means moving the auxiliary support wheels including a reversible electric motor supported from an upper end of a tower and including a pair of sprocket output gears, a sprocket chain engaged with each sprocket gear, said sprocket chain including end portions attached to said cables for positively moving the auxiliary support wheels upwardly and downwardly.
In an irrigation system including an elongated irrigation pipe having one end communicated with a source of pressured water, a plurality of spray nozzles on said pipe oriented in longitudinally spaced relation, a plurality of longitudinally spaced supports connected to said pipe, ground engaging driven support means on each of said supports to move said pipe along a ground surface, auxiliary ground engageable support means mounted on each of said longitudinally spaced supports, means moving said auxiliary ground engageable support means arcuately downwardly and upwardly about a horizontal axis generally perpendicular to said pipe, said downward movement lifting said ground engaging driven support means upwardly out of contact with the ground surface, said upward movement lowering the ground engaging driven support means into supporting engagement with the ground surface and lifting said auxiliary ground engageable support means upwardly out of contact with the ground surface, said auxiliary ground engageable support means supporting said pipe, supports and ground engaging driven support means in elevated position for movement in a direction longitudinally of said pipe for movement to a new site when the auxiliary ground engageable support means is moved downwardly.
In combination with a center pivot irrigation system including a center pivot support stand, an elongated irrigation pipe having one end rotatably supported by said stand and communicated with a source of pressured water, a plurality of spray nozzles on said pipe oriented in longitudinally spaced relation, a plurality of longitudinally spaced supports connected to said pipe, ground engaging driven support means on each of said supports to move said pipe in a circular path about the center pivot support stand, auxiliary ground engageable support means mounted on each of said longitudinally spaced supports, means moving said auxiliary ground engageable support means downwardly and upwardly, said downward movement elevating said ground engaging driven support means above the ground surface, said upward movement lowering the ground engaging driven support means into supporting engagement with the ground surface, said auxiliary support means supporting said pipe and supports for movement in a direction longitudinally of said pipe for movement to a new site, said auxiliary ground engageable support means is a pair of freely rotatable wheels supported for rotation about axes perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said pipe, said ground engaging driven support means on each support is a pair of tandem driven support wheels on each support rotatable about axes parallel to said pipe for movement of the pipe in a circular path, said auxiliary support wheels on all of said supports being moved downwardly and upwardly simultaneously from a control at the center pivot support stand for converting the irrigation system between an irrigation mode and a longitudinal towing mode in a short time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.