Irrigation system
View Patent ↗A fully automated irrigation system to irrigate regular and irregular shapes of land. The system includes a water delivery pipe assembly configured to travel linearly while irrigating adjacent to a stationary row of water main spaced access valves. The system includes an automated connector configured to supply water from the access valves to the water delivery pipe assembly. The connector includes a swing arm, a compensator, a valve coupler, a lift and a swinger. The swing arm facilitates positioning a coupler body above a next-up access valve and facilitates positioning the delivery pipe assembly. The compensator compensates for distance change between a coupled-to access valve and the delivery pipe assembly when the assembly travels linearly. A coupler body resides at an outer end of the swing arm. The lift raises and lowers the swing arm to couple and uncouple respectively the coupler body along the row of access valves. The lift also holds the swing arm above the ground while the swinger swings the swing arm proximate to the next-up access valve for subsequent coupling the coupler body thereto. The system benefits from employment of a battery swap power supply and from employment of a high efficiency cart drive.
1 . A apparatus to propel a water delivery pipe assembly, the apparatus utilizing at least two rechargeable batteries, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of drive motors to propel ground travel;
a shutdown to halt the propelling of the ground travel;
a swapping hardware to enable a utilized rechargeable battery of the at least two rechargeable batteries that powered the propelling to be swapped out subsequent to the halting with a charged rechargeable battery of the at least two rechargeable batteries; and
a start-up to initiate subsequent ground travel, the subsequent travel powered by the charged rechargeable battery of the at least two rechargeable batteries.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the shutdown halts ground travel at a designated location.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 and wherein the water delivery pipe assembly is configured to ground travel linearly and conclusion to the linear travel is at the designated location.
4 . The apparatus of claim 2 and wherein the water delivery pipe assembly is configured to center pivot rotate and conclusion to the center pivot rotation is at the designated location.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the apparatus further comprises the at least two rechargeable batteries.
6 . The apparatus of claim 2 and wherein the apparatus further comprises the at least two rechargeable batteries.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least two transport wheels and one of the transport wheels is driven by a inherent-locking gearbox and a second of the transport wheels is driven by a non-locking gearbox.
8 . The apparatus of claim 2 and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least two transport wheels and one of the transport wheels is driven by a inherent-locking gearbox and a second of the transport wheels is driven by a non-locking gearbox.
9 . A apparatus to propel a water delivery pipe assembly, the apparatus utilizing at least two transport wheels, the apparatus comprising:
a drive motor;
a inherent-locking gearbox, when driven by the drive motor, to turn one of the at least two transport wheels and, when not driven by the drive motor, to prevent the one of the two transport wheels from turning;
a non-locking gearbox driven by the drive motor to turn a second of the at least two transport wheels.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 and further comprising:
a drive gearbox; and
wherein the drive motor drives the drive gearbox and the drive gearbox drives both the inherent-locking gearbox and the non-locking gearbox.
11 . The apparatus of claim 9 and further comprising:
a shutdown to halt the propelling;
swapping hardware to enable a rechargeable battery that powered the propelling to be swapped out subsequent to the halting with a charged rechargeable battery; and
a start-up to renew propelling, the new propelling powered by the charged rechargeable battery.
12 . The apparatus of claim 10 and further comprising:
a shutdown to halt the propelling;
swap out hardware to enable a rechargeable battery that was powering the propelling to be swapped out subsequent to the shutdown with a charged rechargeable battery; and
a start-up to renew propelling, the new propelling powered by the charged rechargeable battery.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 and wherein the water delivery pipe assembly is configured to ground travel linearly and the propelling is halted at a designated location.
14 . The apparatus of claim 12 and wherein the water delivery pipe assembly is configured to center pivot rotate and the propelling is halted at a designated location.
15 . A method for propelling a water delivery pipe assembly utilizing at least two rechargeable batteries, the method comprising:
employing a plurality of drive motors to propel ground travel;
halting the propelling of ground travel;
enabling a rechargeable battery of the at least two rechargeable batteries that was powering the propelling to be swapped out subsequent to the halting with a charged rechargeable battery of the at least two rechargeable batteries; and
renewing ground travel, the new travel powered by the charged rechargeable battery of the at least two rechargeable batteries.
16 . The method of claim 15 and wherein halting is at a designated location.
17 . The method of claim 16 and wherein conclusion to linear ground travel is the designated location.
18 . The method of claim 16 and wherein conclusion to center pivot rotation is the designated location.
19 . The method of claim 15 and further comprising:
employing at least two transport wheels with one of the transport wheels driven by a inherent-locking gearbox and a second of the transport wheels driven by a non-locking gearbox.
20 . The method of claim 15 and further comprising:
employing at least two transport wheels with one of the transport wheels driven by a inherent-locking gearbox and a second of the transport wheels driven by a non-locking gearbox;
employing a drive gearbox driven by a drive motor with the drive gearbox driving both the inherent-locking gearbox and the non-locking gearbox.