Self-propelled irrigation system of the reciprocable cable type

Claim 1

A SELF-PROPELLED IRRIGATION SYSTEM COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING WATER-SUPPLY CONDUIT, AN ELONGATED HORIZONTALLYDISPOSED WATER-DISTRIBUTING PIPE HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLYCONNECTED TO SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE ABOUT SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT AS AN AXIS, A MAIN MOBILE SUPPORT DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE ADJACENT THE OTHER END THEREOF AND FIXEDLY-CARRYING SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE, A PLURALITY OF DISCHARGE NOZZLES SPACED ALONG SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF FOR SPRAYING WATER ONTO THE LAND AS SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE MOVES ABOUT SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT AS AN AXIS, A PLURALITY OF INTERMEDIATE MOBILE SUPPORTS ARRANGED TRANSVERSELY OF AND AT SPACED LOCATIONS ALONG SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE BETWEEN SAID MAIN SUPPORT AND SAID ONE END OF SAID PIPE, MEANS ON EACH INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR SUPPORTING THE ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE, A MAIN RATCHET WHEEL DRIVE MEANS ON SAID MAIN SUPPORT, A SUBSIDIARY RATCHET WHEEL DRIVE MEANS ONE EACH OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTS, A FLEXIBLE MEMBER DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF AND IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE AND HAVING ONE END OPERATIVELY-CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT AND HAVING THE ONE END OPERATIVELY-CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE MEANS FOR LONGITUDINALLY RECIPROCATING SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER IN A PATH PARALLEL TO SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE, MEANS DRIVINGLY-CONNECTED EACH OF SAID MAIN AND SAID SUBSIDIARY RATCHET WHEEL DRIVE MEANS TO SAID RECIPROCABLE FLEXIBLE MEMBER INCLUDING A RATCHET WHEEL DRIVE PAWL, AND A CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY-CONNECTED TO THE DRIVE PAWL OF EACH SUBSIDIARY RATCHET WHEEL DRIVE MEANS AND OPERABLE TO ACTIVATE THE RATCHET WHEEL AND THE ATTENDANT DRIVE MEANS OF AN INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAGGING OF AND OUT OF LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT WITH THE MAIN SUPPORT AND THE OTHER INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTS, AND OPERABLE TO DEACTIVATE THE DRIVE PAWL AND THE ATTENDANT DRIVE MEANS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT IN ACCORDANCE WITH RESTORATION OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT TO THE POSITION OF LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE MAIN SUPPORT AND THE OTHER INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTS.