Traveling sprinkler incorporating automatic water supply valve docking station
AssigneeNelson Irrigation Corporation
InventorsJoseph Daniel Sinden, Rex Daniel Ness, Chad Daniel Leinweber, Richard John Berrier, Craig Nelson, Barton R. Nelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A docking station module for fluidly connecting a mobile irrigation apparatus to a stationary hydrant water supply valve mounted on a water supply pipe, the module comprising a hydrant valve actuator resiliently suspended from a frame for floating movement in at least three mutually substantially perpendicular directions relative to the hydrant water supply valve.
Claims75
A docking station module for fluidly connecting a sprinkler on a mobile irrigation apparatus to a stationary hydrant water supply valve mounted on a water supply pipe, the module comprising a frame;
- a hydrant valve actuator in fluid communication with a hose adapted to feed water from the hydrant water supply valve to a sprinkler, said hydrant valve actuator resiliently suspended from said frame for floating movement in at least three mutually substantially perpendicular directions relative to said frame and to said hydrant water supply valve.
A docking station module for fluidly connecting a mobile irrigation apparatus to a stationary hydrant water supply valve mounted on a water supply pipe, the module comprising a hydrant valve actuator resiliently suspended from a frame for floating movement in at least three mutually substantially perpendicular directions relative to the hydrant water supply valve;
- wherein said hydrant valve actuator is suspended from the frame by a plurality of vertically-oriented springs;
- and
- wherein said module includes a housing and at least one pair of resiliently substantially horizontally-oriented, compressible tie rods that are connected by means of universal bushings between said frame and said housing.
A docking station module for fluidly connecting a mobile irrigation apparatus to a stationary hydrant water supply valve mounted on a water supply pipe, the module comprising a hydrant valve actuator resiliently suspended from a frame for floating movement in at least three mutually substantially perpendicular directions relative to the hydrant water supply valve;
- and
- wherein said hydrant valve actuator is attached to a housing, said housing provided with a tapered shroud extending forward of the housing for guiding the docking station module into alignment with the hydrant water supply valve.
A traveling sprinkler apparatus comprising:
- a cart adapted for movement along a path defined by water supply pipe having a plurality of spaced hydrants thereon;
- a sprinkler mounted on said cart;
- a power source carried on the cart for moving the cart along the path;
- a docking station including a housing having a body portion and a valve actuator adapted for successively engaging the plurality of spaced hydrants, and for opening valves contained in said hydrants, said docking station resiliently suspended from said cart for substantially free-floating movement relative to said cart and to said hydrants;
- and
- a hose operatively connected between said valve actuator and said sprinkler.
An automatic traveling sprinkler comprising:
- a cart including a cart frame;
- a plurality of wheels attached to said cart frame, including a pair of drive wheels for moving said cart between a plurality of water supply valves projecting upwardly from a water supply pipe;
- a power supply supported on said cart frame and operatively connected to said pair of drive wheels;
- a sprinkler mounted on said cart frame;
- a floating docking station resiliently suspended from said cart frame for movement in plural directions relative to said cart frame, said docking station supporting a valve actuator adapted to engage and open one of said water supply valves when said docking station has aligned said valve-actuating cylinder with said one water supply valve;
- and a hose extending between said valve-actuating cylinder and said sprinkler.
An automatic sprinkler comprising a wheeled cart having a frame and an electromechanical drive thereon for moving the cart along a path defined by a plurality of spaced water supply valves;
- a docking station mounted on said frame for free-floating movement in at least three mutually perpendicular directions relative to said frame and adapted to align with and engage, successively, individual ones of said plurality of water supply valves as the cart approaches the water supply valves, wherein the docking station supports a valve actuator having a plunger operable to open the water supply valve;
- and a pressure accumulator supported on said cart frame and arranged to supply the valve actuator with water under pressure.
An automatic traveling sprinkler comprising:
- a cart including a cart frame;
- a plurality of wheels attached to said cart frame, including a pair of drive wheels for moving said cart between a plurality of water supply valves projecting inwardly from a water supply pipe;
- a power supply supported on said cart frame and operatively connected to said pair of drive wheels;
- a sprinkler mounted on said cart frame;
- and a floating docking station resiliently suspended from said cart frame for limited movement in plural directions relative to said cart frame, said docking station supporting a valve-actuating cylinder adapted to engage and open one of said water supply valves when said docking station has aligned said valve-actuating cylinder with said one water supply valve;
- wherein said docking station includes a housing and a tapered shroud for guiding the docking station into alignment with the water supply valve;
- and wherein said docking station is resiliently suspended from said cart for free-floating movement relative to said cart.
An automatic traveling sprinkler comprising a cart;
- first means on the cart for moving the cart along a path defined by a water supply pipe;
- second means for aligning with, engaging and actuating, successively, a plurality of water supply valves arranged along the pipe;
- a sprinkler mounted on the cart and in fluid communication with said second means;
- and third means mounted on said cart for controlling operation of said first and second means.
A method of operating a water supply valve actuator carried on a wheeled mobile irrigation cart having at least one sprinkler thereon comprising:
- (a) moving the wheeled mobile irrigation cart to a position where the water supply valve actuator is aligned directly over a water supply valve supported on a water supply pipe;
- (b) driving a valve actuator component downwardly into the water supply valve to open the water supply valve, using water under pressure stored in at least one pressure accumulator supported on the wheeled mobile irrigation cart, thereby permitting water to flow to the sprinkler through a hose converted to the water supply valve actuator;
- (c) after a predetermined time interval, halting flow of water to the sprinkler and recharging said at least one pressure accumulator with water from the water supply pipe;
- then
- (d) withdrawing the valve actuator component from the water supply valve;
- and
- (e) moving the wheeled mobile irrigation cart to another water supply valve on the water supply pipe.
A method of operating a water supply valve actuator carried on a wheeled mobile irrigation cart having at least one sprinkler thereon comprising:
- (a) moving the wheeled mobile irrigation cart to a position where the water supply valve actuator is aligned directly over a water supply supported on a water supply pipe;
- (b) driving a valve actuator component downwardly into the water supply valve to open the water supply valve, using water in a pressure accumulator mounted in the wheeled mobile irrigation cart obtained from a previously opened water supply valve to thereby feed water through a hose converted to said water supply valve actuator to said sprinkler;
- and
- (c) before withdrawing the valve actuator component, recharging the pressure accumulator with water for use in opening the next water supply valve to be opened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.