Irrigating apparatus

Abstract

Irrigating apparatus including an improved valve is provided. The valve includes a two-piece shaft construction which is low in cost and can readily replace an existing valve in an irrigating system. The valve is employed in each of a plurality of outlet pipes communicating with a manifold supply pipe containing the irrigating water. The valve has transversely-extending, elongate, handles which are manipulatable by a T-wrench. Through the T-wrench, the valve can be remotely operated so that one need not stoop over to open, close, or adjust the valve. The transverse handles are located both above and below the outlet pipe to enable it to be used on either side of the manifold pipe, so that a single pipe section can be used for discharging water in either direction from the manifold.

Description

This invention relates to an irrigating system and particularly to such a system having improved flow-control valves.

An irrigating system typically includes a large supply manifold from which a plurality of outlet pipes extend transversely at suitable intervals. A valve is located in each outlet pipe to individually control flow of water therefrom. The valve in accordance with the invention has a shaft extending through the outlet pipe with a transverse elongate handle which can be manipulated by an operator by means of a T-wrench. Consequently, the operator can walk along the manifold and individually manipulate each valve of each outlet pipe to obtain the desired flow without stooping over at all. This not only substantially reduces the amount of time involved but also the amount of fatigue.

In a preferred form, the transverse handles are located both above and below the outlet pipes. The manifold and outlet pipes can be fabricated in sections which can then be suitably connected together. With this handle arrangement, the outlet pipes can extend from either side of the manifold with handles being above the outlet pipes and readily accessible in all instances. Hence, special pipe sections need not be made for a particular installation.

The valve itself includes a valve body of generally circular configuration having a resilient outer surface which enables the body to conform with and seal the transverse outlet pipe in which it is located. The valve body has a passage extending diametrically thereacross receiving two shafts which extend outside the outlet pipe to the handles. The shafts preferably have offset ends which overlap within the valve body passage to enable both shafts to turn together. Both of the shafts preferably are affixed in the valve body by suitable fasteners which can be manipulated from a common side of the valve body for easier installation in an existing pipe, to replace the existing valve therein. The transversely-extending handles are located outside the pipe at the ends of both shafts with the upper one manipulated by the T-wrench.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an improved irrigating system with an improved flow-control valve therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve for an irrigating system which can be opened and closed without the need for the operator stooping over.

A further object of the invention is to provide an irrigating system with an improved valve having handles expending on opposite sides of an outlet pipe to enable the pipe to extend in either direction from a manifold.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a valve for an irrigating system having separate shafts which enable the valve to replace an existing valve relatively easily and quickly.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic view in perspective of an irrigating system in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in perspective of a manifold, transverse water outlet pipe, and valve in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, exploded view in perspective of the valve of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view in transverse cross section taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the irrigating apparatus includes a supply manifold pipe 10 of suitable diameter and length to which irrigation water can be suitably supplied from a source (not shown). The manifold pipe 10 can be prefabricated, if desired, in appropriate lengths with ends connected by suitable means, such as by flanges or by welding. Transversely-extending water outlet pipes 12 are positioned at appropriate intervals along the manifold 10 and communicate therewith. The pipes 12 can be affixed by welding or by other means, such as flanges 14.

A valve 16 employed in each of the outlet pipes 12 is shown more particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4. The valve 16 includes a valve body 18 of generally circular configuration having a metal core 20 and an outer resilient sheath 22. The sheath has a circular edge 24 extending beyond the core 20 and has diametrically-opposite, enlarged portions 26 which provide a better seal around openings 28 in the pipe through which valve stems extend. The enlargements 26 also provide frictional resistance between the valve body 18 and the interior of the pipe 12 to enable the body 18 to stay in any open or partially open position against the force of the water passing thereby.

The core 20 forms a diametrically-extending passage 30 through the valve body 18 with valve stems or shafts 32 and 34 extending through the pipe openings 28 and into the passage 30. The shafts 32 and 34 have suitable cooperating ends, shown in the form of offsets 36 and 38, which overlap within a central portion of the passage 30, the core being strong enough to keep the shafts aligned against water pressure on the valve. The offsets prevent one of the shafts from turning relative to the other. The shafts preferably are identical, as shown, to reduce manufacturing costs.

The shafts 32 and 34 are affixed to the valve body 18 by fasteners which preferably can be manipulated from one side so that assembly of the valve 16 within the pipe 12 can be accomplished quickly and easily. This is also important when the valve 16 is to replace an existing, old-style gate valve. In the specific embodiment, the shafts 32 and 34 have threaded openings 40 and 42 therein which receive threaded fasteners or screws 44 and 46, respectively. These extend through openings 48 and 50 on a common side of the valve body 18 so that the shafts and valve body can be assembled in the pipe by an installer inserting a screw driver through the outlet of the pipe.

Elongate members or handles 52 and 54 are functionally integral with the ends of the shafts 32 and 34 and preferably are located in the same plane as the valve body 18. This enables one to tell the position of the valve body 18 by the positions of the handles 52 and 54.

The elongate handles 52 and 54 enable the valve to be manipulated by a T-wrench 56 shown in FIG. 2. The wrench 56 has a long stem or rod 58 terminating at the upper end in a handle 60 suitably affixed thereto, and terminating at the lower end in an inverted, U-shaped, engaging member. The U-shaped member 62 has flared lower ends to facilitate positioning of the member over the upper handle 52 of the valve 16.

With the T-wrench 56, one can simply walk along the manifold 10 and manipulate each of the valves 16 as he goes therealong with the T-wrench, without stooping over. This reduces fatigue and greatly reduces the time necessary to manipulate all of the valves. The handle 60 is parallel to the engaging member 62 which is parallel to the handle 52 when received thereon. Since the handle 52 is parallel to the valve body 18, the operator knows the position of the valve body by the position of the wrench handle 60.

By employing both of the handles 52 and 54, the irrigating sections can be prefabricated and joined with other sections to direct the water to either side of the manifold without the need for specially fabricating or constructing left-hand and right-hand sections. One of the handles will be up and readily accessible regardless of the direction of the outlet pipes 12.

Various modifications of the above described embodiment of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenor of the accompanying claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. Irrigating apparatus comprising a manifold, a plurality of outlet pipes spaced along said manifold, communicating therewith, and extending outwardly therefrom for discharging water from said manifold, a valve for each of said outlet pipes having a flat valve body within the corresponding outlet pipe and having shaft-receiving means receiving shaft means extending generally vertically through the outlet pipe in both upper and lower directions, said valve body being pivotable between an open position and a shut position, said shaft means comprising a first shaft having a first portion extending part way through said shaft-receiving means of said valve body, said first shaft also extending outwardly through a wall of the pipe and having a second, transversely-extending portion outside said pipe, bent away from said first portion and extending in one direction therefrom, a second shaft having a first portion extending part way through said shaft-receiving means of said valve body, said second shaft also extending outwardly through the wall of said pipe diametrically opposite said first shaft, said second shaft having a second, transversely-extending portion outside said pipe, bent away from the first portion of said second shaft and extending in one direction therefrom, said second portions of said first and said second shafts extending in a common direction and being parallel to one another and to said flat valve body, inner ends of said first portions of said first shaft and said second shaft having interengaging means cooperating with one another to prevent one shaft from turning relative to the other shaft but not to prevent movement of said shafts in opposite directions away from one another, and means for affixing said first and second shafts to said valve body.

2. Irrigating apparatus including a pipe of circular transverse cross section, a valve structure for said pipe comprising a generally flat valve body having a passage extending diametrically therethrough and having openings on a common side thereof to receive first and second fasteners, a first shaft having a portion extending part way through said passage and having means to receive a first fastener extending through said valve body into said passage, said first shaft also extending outwardly through a wall of said pipe and having a transversely-extending portion outside said pipe, a second shaft having a portion extending part way through said passage and having means to receive a second fastener extending through said body into said passage, said second shaft also extending outwardly through the wall of said pipe diametrically opposite said first shaft, said second shaft having a transversely-extending portion outside said pipe, said transversely-extending portions of said first and said second shaft being parallel to each other and parallel to said flat valve body, inner ends of said shafts in said passages having offsets cooperating with one another to prevent one shaft from turning relative to the other but not to prevent movement of said shafts in opposite directions away from one another, and first and second fasteners extending through said valve body openings and into the receiving means of said first and said second shafts.