U.S. patent application number 11/806070 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-17 for pipe insert.
Invention is credited to James-Wallace Belford, Avraham Ronen.
Application Number | 20080011376 11/806070 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38443034 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080011376 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Belford; James-Wallace ; et
al. |
January 17, 2008 |
Pipe insert
Abstract
There is provided an insert to be sealingly mounted into a plug
hole of a pipe having a sealing area surrounding the plug hole. The
insert comprises an internal unit and a fastener. The internal unit
and the fastener have corresponding cooperating sealing portions
and mounting portions. The sealing portion of the internal unit is
formed with a flange adapted to be forced into the plug hole. The
flange and the sealing portion of the fastener have corresponding
sealing surfaces. These surfaces are adapted to sealingly clamp
therebetween the sealing area of the pipe, when the insert is
mounted into the plug hole. One of the sealing surfaces being in
the form of a sealing edge and the other being in the form of a
conical surface. When the fastener is mounted onto the internal
unit, the sealing portions of the internal unit and the fastener
form therebetween a chamber. The chamber is in fluid communication
with the outside environment, allowing atmospheric pressure within
the chamber.
Inventors: |
Belford; James-Wallace;
(Kibbutz Magal, IL) ; Ronen; Avraham; (Kibbutz
Magal, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Gary M. Nath;THE NATH LAW GROUP
112 South West Street
Alexandria
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
38443034 |
Appl. No.: |
11/806070 |
Filed: |
May 29, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11442231 |
May 30, 2006 |
|
|
|
11806070 |
May 29, 2007 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
138/89 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16L 47/28 20130101;
F16L 41/14 20130101; A01G 25/023 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
138/089 |
International
Class: |
F16L 55/11 20060101
F16L055/11 |
Claims
1. A control gate mounted sealingly to an irrigation pipe, the gate
being adapted to receive an adjusting element to limit the fluid
flow therethrough and out of the pipe.
2. A control gate according to claim 1, comprising a plug manually
movable between a non-operative and an operative position wherein
in the operative position the plug substantially stops the fluid
flow out of the pipe.
3. A control gate according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting
element is replaceable.
4. A control gate according to claim 1, wherein for a given fluid
pressure in the pipe the adjusting element adjusts the flow of
fluid exiting the pipe to a single flow.
5. A control gate according to claim 1, wherein the flow adjusting
element comprises an aperture through which the fluid passes when
exiting the pipe.
6. A control gate according to claim 1, wherein the gate has an
axis and comprises a nozzle, the fluid flows through the gate along
the axis and the nozzle diverts the flow of fluid in a direction
transverse to the axis.
7. A control gate according to claim 1, wherein the irrigation pipe
is a lay flat irrigation pipe.
8. A control gate according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting
element is adapted to connect to an irrigation element.
9. A control gate according to claim 8, wherein the irrigation
element is a drip irrigation pipe.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to pipe inserts to be sealingly
mounted on a pipe such as, for example, pipe connectors, in
particular for use with flexible pipes such as for example lay-flat
pipes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A lay-flat pipe is a pipe which, when unpressurised, is
substantially flat and, when pressurized by a relatively low
pressure, has a substantially circular cross section, similar to a
fire hose. Such pipes are usually made of a flexible material and
are mainly employed in irrigation systems, where they may be used
as manifold pipes.
[0003] In the field of irrigation, such pipes are normally formed
with plug holes disposed along the pipe, the pipe area surrounding
each plug hole being used for mounting thereon pipe inserts for
connection thereto of additional irrigation means such as branch
pipes or the like, as disclosed for example in GB 2,187,622.
Alternatively, inserts may be used to plug holes that are not in
use, such as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,654. In
both cases, the inserts have to be sealingly mounted into the plug
holes to prevent leakage of liquid from the pipe, the pipe area
surrounding each plug hole thus constituting the pipe's sealing
area.
[0004] Inserts of the above kind normally comprise an internal unit
and a fastener, each having a sealing portion and a mounting
portion, such as disclosed in GB 2,187,622 mentioned above. The
sealing portion of the internal unit is formed with a flange
adapted to be forced into a plug hole. The mounting portion of the
fastener is adapted to be snapped or screwed onto the mounting
portion of the internal unit, so as to clamp the sealing area of
the pipe surrounding the plug hole between the sealing portions of
the internal unit and the fastener. The flange is usually formed
with a raised edge adapted to facilitate sealing contact with the
pipe's sealing area.
[0005] In flood irrigation, the insert may be in the form of a
control gate which controls the flow of fluid exiting the pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,524 discloses a pipe having a `continuous type`
control gate which includes a plate that is fixed to the pipe and
which may be pivotally rotated to provide a continuous range of
fluid flows out of the pipe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to the present invention there is provided a
control gate mounted sealingly to an irrigation pipe, the gate
being adapted to receive an adjusting element to limit the fluid
flow therethrough and out of the pipe.
[0007] Generally, the control gate comprises a plug manually
movable between a non-operative and an operative position wherein
in the operative position the plug substantially stops the fluid
flow out of the pipe.
[0008] Typically, the adjusting element is replaceable.
[0009] Preferably, for a given fluid pressure in the pipe the
adjusting element adjusts the flow of fluid exiting the pipe to a
single flow.
[0010] Typically, the flow adjusting element comprises an aperture
through which the fluid passes when exiting the pipe.
[0011] Preferably, the gate has an axis and comprises a nozzle, the
fluid flows through the gate along the axis and the nozzle diverts
the flow of fluid in a direction transverse to the axis.
[0012] Typically, the irrigation pipe is a lay flat irrigation
pipe.
[0013] If desired, the adjusting element is adapted to connect to
an irrigation element.
[0014] Preferably, the irrigation element is a drip irrigation
pipe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] In order to understand the invention and to see how it may
be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by a
way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a lay-flat pipe to be used in
conjunction with an insert according to the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an insert according to one
embodiment of the present invention, mounted into a plug-hole of
the lay-flat pipe of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the insert shown in FIG.
2;
[0019] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of an internal unit of the
insert shown in FIG. 2;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a side view of the internal unit shown in FIG. 4,
when mounted into a plug-hole of the lay-flat pipe shown in FIG.
1;
[0021] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the internal unit and a
fastener of the insert shown in FIG. 2;
[0022] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the
insert shown in FIG. 2; and
[0023] FIGS. 8 to 12 are perspective views of an insert according
to another aspect of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a standard lay-flat pipe 70, having a plug hole
72.
[0025] In FIGS. 2 to 6, one example of an insert 10 in accordance
with the present invention is shown, mounted into the plug hole 72
to urge the pipe to have, at the vicinity of the plug hole 72, a
sealing area 76 with an edge 74 of diameter D.sub.PH (seen in FIG.
3). The insert 10 has a longitudinal axis X-X and comprises an
internal unit 20, a fastener 30 and a connector 50 coaxially
mounted on the internal unit.
[0026] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the internal unit is shown
comprising a sealing portion 21 and a mounting portion 24. The
sealing portion is formed with a flange 22 of external diameter
D.sub.F such that D.sub.F>D.sub.PH. The flange 22 is formed with
a rounded sealing edge 23 having axial extension H.sub.F. It also
has an integral wing-shaped protrusion 28, to facilitate the
insertion of the flange 22 into the plug hole 72. The mounting
portion 24 of the internal unit 20 has a fastener engaging part 24a
with a bottom thread 25, a connector engaging part 24b with a top
thread 26, and a spacing 24c therebetween. The connector engaging
part 24b is of a smaller diameter than the fastener engaging part
24a. The internal unit 20 is further formed with a recessed region
42 between the flange 22 and the fastener engaging part 24a, and
with keyways 27 axially extending from the recessed region 42 to
the region of the spacing 24c. A lumen 150 having a peripheral
lumen face 155 extends axially through the internal unit 20.
[0027] The fastener also comprises a sealing portion 31 and a
mounting portion 33. The sealing portion is formed with an internal
conical surface 32, which has an axial extension H.sub.C such that
H.sub.C>H.sub.F, and which has a narrow end with a small
diameter D.sub.C2 and a wide end with a large diameter D.sub.C1,
such that D.sub.C1>D.sub.F>D.sub.C2. The mounting portion 33
is formed with an internal thread 34, for screwing the fastener 30
onto the bottom thread 25 of the internal unit 20. The fastener 30
further comprises a plurality of radial fastening protrusions 35,
adapted to assist the user to grasp the fastener 30 when screwing
it onto the internal unit 20. The mounting portion of the fastener
is formed with an integral stopper 60 to ensure the spacing between
the connector 50 and the fastener 30 is kept free when both the
fastener and the connector are mounted on the mounting portion of
the internal unit.
[0028] In operation, the wing shaped protrusion 28 of the internal
unit 20, is first forced through the plug hole 72 of the pipe 70,
followed by the flange 22. Once the flange 22 is inserted into the
plug hole 72, the fastener 30 is screwed onto the bottom thread 25
of the internal unit 20, until the sealing area 76 of the pipe 70
is securely clamped between the conical surface 32 at a sealing
region 32' thereof and the rounded sealing edge 23. The connector
50 is then mounted on the top thread 26 of the internal unit 20.
Fluid communication of the pipe 70 with an outside environment of
the pipe is provided by the lumen 150 of the internal unit 20.
[0029] In this position, a chamber 40 is created between the
recessed region 42 of the internal unit 20 and the area of the
conical surface 32 of the fastener disposed between the narrow end
D.sub.C2 of the conical surface 32 and its sealing region 32', such
that the edge 74 of the plug hole 72 is disposed in the chamber 40.
The keyways 27 which extend between the chamber 40 and the area of
the spacing 24c between the fastener 30 and the connector 50
provide fluid communication of the chamber 40 with the outside
environment, maintaining atmospheric pressure therein. In the event
of leakage from the pipe 70 in the sealing region 32', the liquid
will flow into the chamber 40. Due to the atmospheric pressure
within the chamber 40, pressurization of the liquid will not take
place, and thus the risk of liquid penetrating into the layers of
the pipe 70 is reduced, consequently reducing the possibility of
extensive damage or rupture of the pipe 70.
[0030] In addition to the above measures, due to the fact that
clamping of the sealing area 76 of the pipe is achieved between the
relatively short axial extension H.sub.F of the sealing edge 23 and
the extended conical surface 32 and it may take place at a
plurality of locations along the conical surface 32, which allows
the use of the insert 10 with pipes having different thicknesses,
whereby the risk of leakage in the pipe is reduced, Furthermore,
due to the rounded shape of the sealing edge, the risk of damage to
the sealing area 76 of the pipe 70 is significantly reduced.
[0031] Attention is now drawn to FIG. 7. In an embodiment, the
internal unit 20 of the insert 10 is optionally provided with an
additional sealing edge that is formed on a seal 100. The seal 100
is located on a face 110 of the flange 22 that faces axially out of
the pipe 70. In addition to the sealing region 32', the pipe 70 in
this embodiment is also securely clamped at a secondary sealing
region 132' which is formed between the conical surface 32 of the
fastener 30 and the seal 100, when the fastener 30 is screwed onto
the internal unit 20. The seal 100 is located about the axis X-X
and has a diameter D.sub.S at the secondary sealing region 132'
which is larger than the diameter D.sub.PH of the edge 74. This
ensures that the pipe 70 overlies the seal 100 after the internal
unit 20 is forced through the plug hole 72. The seal 100 is made of
flexible or elastic material such as Silicone rubber, NBR, EPDM,
EPM or SBR.
[0032] It is noted that the internal unit can sealingly mount into
the plug hole of the pipe using, inter alia, at least one of the
seal 100 or the rounded sealing edge 23.
[0033] Attention is now drawn to FIGS. 8 to 11 to show embodiments
of the invention which may be used for example in flood irrigation
to distribute fluid into furrows of a field. In these embodiments,
the inserts of the pipe function as control gates which control the
flow of fluid exiting the pipe.
[0034] In an embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the insert's
internal unit 20 has a slit 140 that is formed in the spacing 24c
and communicates with the lumen 150. A strip 160 having three flow
adjusting elements 175, each including a circular aperture 170
(only two are shown), is placed through the slit 140 into the
lumen. Each aperture is located about an auxiliary axis X' and has
a different diameter D.sub.E. All the apertures have a smaller
diameter than the diameter of the lumen and therefore each aperture
limits the flow of fluid exiting the pipe via the control gate.
[0035] The strip may be moved to locate any given adjusting element
in the lumen and in axial alignment with the longitudinal axis. By
moving the trip the adjusting element located in the lumen may be
replaced by its neighboring adjusting element. For a given internal
fluid pressure in the pipe, the fluid flow exiting the pipe is
defined according to the diameter of the adjusting element wherein
a smaller or larger diameter D.sub.E causes the flow of fluid
exiting the pipe 70 to respectively decrease or increase.
[0036] The strip is additionally provided with a plug area 210
which, when moved into an operative position in the lumen,
substantially plugs the internal unit to stop the flow of fluid
exiting the pipe via the lumen.
[0037] Optionally, the insert is provided with a nozzle 180 that is
mounted at an inner end thereof (not shown) to an outer end 185 of
the internal unit 20. A diverting portion 200 of the nozzle 180,
which extends along a diverting axis Y, is located at an outer end
of the nozzle 180 and a cavity 190 of the nozzle 180 is formed
therein and opens out to the inner and outer ends of the nozzle
180. When the nozzle is mounted to the internal unit, the cavity is
in fluid communication with the lumen and the diverting axis Y is
transverse to the longitudinal axis X-X. Therefore, fluid exiting
the pipe 70 via the nozzle will be diverted to flow in a direction
Y transverse to the longitudinal axis X-X.
[0038] The nozzle may be useful, for example, in the event that the
pipe undergoes elongation which causes a given insert to move in
relation to its respective furrow. If this occurs, the nozzle may
be mounted to the insert and adjusted to re-direct the fluid into
the furrow.
[0039] Attention is now drawn to FIGS. 10 to 11. In an embodiment,
the internal unit 20 has an internal thread 165 (shown in FIG. 12)
that is formed on the lumen face 155 and a disk 220 is threadingly
engaged in the internal thread. The disk 220 has a flow adjusting
element 175 which includes a circular aperture 170 having a
diameter D.sub.E that extends axially along the longitudinal axis
X-X when the disk is located in the internal unit 20.
[0040] In the same manner as the strip 160, the disk 220 adjusts
the flow of fluid exiting the pipe 70 via the lumen 150 according
to the diameter D.sub.E of the aperture 170. For a given internal
fluid pressure in the pipe, the replacement of the disk 220 by a
disk having a smaller or larger diameter D.sub.E causes the flow of
fluid exiting the pipe 70 to respectively decrease or increase. The
aperture of each disk is of a smaller diameter than the diameter of
the lumen and therefore limits the flow of fluid exiting the pipe
via the control gate. A plug 230 of the internal unit, which is
attached thereto, may be threadingly engaged in an operative
position on the top thread 26 of the internal unit to substantially
stop the flow of fluid exiting the pipe via the internal unit
20.
[0041] Different crops being irrigated may require different fluid
flows or a given crop may require different fluid flows at various
stages of its growth. The ability to choose the flow of fluid
exiting the pipe from a pre-defined set of flows as opposed to
choosing it from a continuous range as in the prior art, results in
a more efficient and precise irrigation which leaves less room for
human error. In the field, an operator attempting to set adjacent
`continuous type` control gates to a similar fluid flow may
erroneously set them to different fluid flows. The probability of
such an error occurring may be amplified in the event that several
pipes each having a large number of control gates are set in the
field. Providing the operator in the field with a pre-defined set
to chose from decreases the probability of such errors
occurring.
[0042] Attention is now drawn to FIG. 12. The disk may be in the
form of an adjuster 240 with an internal thread at the aperture.
The adjuster 240 is adapted to threadingly receive a connector 250
that is adapted, in turn, to connect to an irrigation element 260.
The irrigation element may be any element used in irrigation such
as a drip irrigation pipe, a sprinkler, a valve or a pressure
regulator. Therefore, the adjusting element (shown in 11), which
may be used in flood irrigation to adjust the fluid flow exiting
the pipe, may also be used to adapt the control gate for use with
an irrigation element.
[0043] Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains
will readily appreciate that numerous changes, variations and
modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the
invention mutatis mutandis.
* * * * *