Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
31)
,
The present invention relates to apparatus used for carrying
out systems for irrigating the ground known under the names of
"punctual irrigation", "localized irrigation" or "drip irrigation".
Contrary to conventional irrigation by aspersion which
5 seeks to reconstitute natural rain artificially, it is known that,
in punctual irrigation systems, the water is brought to the precise
point of use, i.e. in fact to the immediate vicinity of each plant;
this supply is effected in very small quantities and for a controlled
lapse of time, in order to obtain adequate moistening of the cultiva-
10 ted land over the strictly necessary surface, with minimum waterconsumption.
In practice, different apparatus for punctual irrigation
have been proposed, but the known constructions are generally
expensive and, further, they are difficult, if not impossible to
15 re-useO
In fact, it should be observed that, in principle, known
apparatus comprise a supply pipe on which is branched a series
of individual low-flow branch connections, each of said branch
connections being provided at its free end with a "drip" device which
20 acts as pressure reducer and as drip dispenser. Of course, each of
these drip devices must be disposed near each plant cultivated,
so that the distance between the branch connections corresponds
to that of the plants.
Under these conditions, it is readily appreciated that
25 a given apparatus can be suitable for only one well determined
type of crops in lines, whether it be horticultural, market garden
or arboricolous crops. In certain constructions, the drip devices
fixed on a supply pipe made of rubber of synthetic material can
be recovered, but, on the contrary, this main pipe, perforated
30 by the withdrawn drip devices, cannot be re-used with drip devices
provided in a spaced apart relationship different from the original
one.
It is this drawback which the present invention mainly
intends to remedy, this with the aid of an improved apparatus
35 which in addition enables the rate of flow of each of the branch
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connections to be regulated or even interrupted, particularly easily.
The apparatus according to the invention comprises, in
combination, on the one hand a main suppIy pipe made of an elasti-
cally deformable material and presenting in transverse section
5 at least one longitudinal part with inwardly curved section, and
on the other hand a series of individual branch connections of
which each is constituted by a small tubular element with end
sharpened in the form of a trocar, adapted to be branched simply
by being driven by force into the above-mentioned longitudinal
10 part of the main pipe.
It will be understood that the efforts exerted on the wall
of this pipe when water passes therethrough under pressure tend
to deform the longitudinal part of curved section towards the outside
so that this deformation not only improves tigh-tness of the branch
15 connections, but also, and especially, it hermetically closes the
perforations resulting from the withdrawal of the tubular elements
which constitute said branch connections.
The invention will be more readily understood on reading
the following description with reference to the accompanying dra-
20 wings, in which:
Fig. I is a schematic section illustrating the arrangementof a punctual irrigation apparatus according to the invention.
Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sections of the flow regular
mounted on the branch connection shown in Fig. 1, along the planes
25 indicated respectively along 11-11 and 111-111 (Fig. 1).
Fig. 4 reproduces Fig. I after closure of the regulator
and interruption of the circulation of water in the main pipe.
Fig. 5 illustrates a variant embodiment of the regulator.
Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of each of the branch
30 connections.
Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of an apparatus made accor-
ding to another embodiment of the invention.
Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus illustrated
in Figs. I to 4 comprises a flexible hose I made of rubber or synthe-
35 tic material presenting a certain elasticity. Fig. 4 shows the section
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of this hose I at rest, ;.e. when it is subjected to no internal pres-
sure, and it will be noted that this section is not perfectly circular,
in that it comprises depressions 1~, three in the embodiment shown,
of inwardly curved section, said depressions extending, of course,
5 over the whole length of the hose, which is preferably made by
extrusion.
With this hose 1 are associated individual branch connections
of which each is constituted by a small tubular element 2 of right-
angled section, of which one end is bevelled to form a trocar,
10 as shown at 2a. It will be appreciated that this sharp end 2a allows
each small tube 2 to be driven by force into the wall of the hose
1, it being noted that this penetration must be carried out in the
central part of any one of the depressions or curved parts la.
It should be observed that the bent section of the tube
15 2 facilitates handling thereof when the branch connection envisaged
is placed in position, at the same time as it limits penetration
by avoiding any risk of accidental perforation of the hose 1. This
right-angled section also enables the branch connection to self-orient
freely in contact with the ground when the hose 1 is moved, this
20 freedom of orientation preventing the tubes 2 from being torn
out when tractions are exerted on the hose.
It will be understood that, when the main hose 1 is supplied
with water under pressure, its wall is subjected to an effect of
inflation (shown schematically in Fig. 1 in the form of small arrows)
25 which tends to deform the longitudinal depressions la towards the
outside. This effort obviously improves the tightness of the connec-
tion around the wall of each bent tube 2. Furthermore, and in
particular, if it is assumed that this tube 2 has been withdrawn
from the hose I in order to change the mutual spaced apart relation-
30 ship of the branch connections with a view to adapting the apparatusto another type of crop, the inflation due to the internal pressure
closes the perforation made previously and prevents any untimely
leakage, even in the case of the pressure of the water supplied
in the main hose belng relatively high. This particular arrangement
35 facilitates re-use of the apparatus according to the invention.
The rate of flow of water which passes through each branch
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connection may be very low by using tubes 2 of very small diameter,
so that, without pressure reducer, an entirely satisfactory punctual
or drip irrigation is obtained. However, when it is desired to change
the rate of flow of each branch connection without affecting the
5 pressure of the water circulating in the main pipe, a regulator
will advantageously be used, mounted on the free end of the bent
tubes 2.
In Figs. I to 4, this regulator is constituted by a body
3 of substantially pyramidal section, pierced axially with a bore
10 3a (Fig. 2) of which the end facing the apex of the said section
is of circular section, of radius slightly smaller than the outer
radius of the tube 2; this bore 3a widens out to define four channels
3b (Fig. 3) separated from one another by partitions 3~, which
form a free space sufficient for screwing, into the terminal edge
15 of said partitions, the tube 2 provided to this end with a helical
thread 2b (Fig. 1).
It will be understood that9 when the body 3 is in a position
such as the one illustrated in Fig. 1, the water which emerges
from the end of the tube 2 may flow to the outside through the
20 channels 3b which in addition form an anti-splash nozzle. To regulate
the rate of flow, it suffices to screw or unscrew the body 3 on
the tube 2 in order to change the useful section revealed by the
end of this tube in the said channels. In the position of Fig. 4,
the flow is completely stopped, the terminal edge of the tube
25 2 being hermetically applied against the wall of the bore 3a.
In the variant of Fig. 5, it has been assumed that the
body of the regulator, referenced 3', was arranged to comprise
only two inner channels 3'b. Functioning remains identical.
For certain applications, it may prove advantageous to
30 provide the small tubular element which constitutes each branch
connection with a flexible tube such as the one shown at 4 in Fig.
6, said flexible tube being connected by simple fitting. This flexible
tube 4 thus ensures punctual irrigation of a plant located at a
certain distance from the main hose 1, its end being retained in
35 place with the aid of any support.
In the embodiment envisaged in Fig. 6, each branch connec-
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tion comprises a tubular element 6 of rectilinear section, fastwith a body 7 which allows easy manipulation of said element
whilst limiting penetration thereof in the main hose 1. The ends
of this element 6 project on either side of the body 7, the end
5 6a being provided to be bevelled whilst the opposite end 6b receives
by fitting the above-mentioned flexible tube 4 or a regulator of
the type illustrated in Figs. I to 4.
Fig. 7 shows another embodiment for at least certain
of the individual branch connections. Each of them comprises a
10 plurality of straight metal tubes 8 ~ast with a single body 9 arranged
so as to form a manifold for the same outlet orifice 9~? oriented
parallel to the main hose 1. The rate of flow through orifice 9a
obviously corresponds to the sum of the elementary rates of flow
through each tube 8.
It must be understood that the preceding description has
been given only by way of example and that it in no way limits
the domain of the invention, the replacement of the details of
execution described by any other equivalents not departing from
the scope thereof. In particular, each tubular element may be
20 arranged to issue one or more jets instead of the drip flow as
set forth hereinabove.
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