Self-propelled irrigation system of the reciprocable cable type with mobile supportsactuated by propelling shoes

Claim 1

A SELF-PROPELLED IRRIGATION SYSTEM COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING WATER-SUPPLY CONDUIT, AN ELONGATED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED WATER-DISTRIBUTING PIPE HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED 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 SUPPORTING THE ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE, A RECIPROCABLE FLEXIBLE MEMBER DISPOSED IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE AND HAVING ONE END OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT AND HAVING THE OTHER END OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PIPE, EACH OF SAID MAIN AND INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTS BEING PROVIDED WITH A GROUND-ENGAGING PROPELLING SHOE AND A SHOE ARRANGED IN LINEAR ALIGNMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID PROPELLING SHOE AND SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE GROUND, A MAIN RATCHET DRIVE WHEEL MEANS ON SAID MAIN SUPPORT AND DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER, A SUBSIDIARY RATCHET DRIVE WHEEL MEANS ON EACH OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTS AND DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER, A FIRST MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING THE PROPELLING SHOE ON EACH OF SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTS TO THE ADJACENT SUBSIDIARY RATCHET DRIVE MEANS, A SECOND MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING THE PROPELLING SHOE ON SAID MAIN SUPPORT TO SAID MAIN RATCHET DRIVE WHEEL MEANS ALSO ON SAID MAIN SUPPORT, AND A CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE RATCHET WHEEL OF EACH SUBSIDIARY RATCHET DRIVE WHEEL MEANS AND OPERABLE TO ACTIVATE THE RATCHET WHEEL AND THE ATTENDANT PROPELLING SHOE 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 RATCHET WHEEL AND THE ATTENDANT PROPELLING SHOE 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.