Linear irrigation system with pickup shoe

Claim 2

An irrigation system comprising an elongated pipe, a plurality of wheeled supports for said pipe, means driving said supports, and means communicating the elongated pipe with a source of water, and a plurality of alignment means mounted in spaced linear relation along the path of movement of the wheeled supports over the area to be irrigated, each of said supports including means engaging the alignment means for retaining the pipe in substantially straight condition.

Claim 3

The structure as defined In claim 1 wherein said alignment means includes a plurality of stationary members disposed in aligned relation, said means on each support including a projection engageable with the spaced members for adjusting the position of each support in relation to each of said members whereby each of the supports will be positioned in the same relationship to each of the stationary members thereby aligning the supports with each other.

Claim 4

The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said wheeled supports includes a wheel thereon, said projection extending laterally from the wheel, each of said members being in the form of an upstanding member having an upper end adapted to receive and position the projection on the wheel as the wheel is driven so that the projection on the wheel on each of the supports will be released from the upstanding member at the same time.

Claim 5

In a linear irrigation system, a water supply pipe adapted to extend in substantially a straight line from one edge portion of an area to be irrigated to another edge portion, said pipe including a longitudinally continuous slot adjacent the upper portion thereof, and a longitudinally continuous, normally closed closure member extending throughout the length of the slot and disposed in closed relation to the slot by pressure of water in the pipe.

Claim 6

In a linear irrigation system, a water supply pipe adapted to extend in substantially a straight line from one edge portion of an area to be irrigated to another edge portion, said pipe including a longitudinally continuous slot adjacent the upper portion thereof, and a longitudinally continuous, normally closed closure member extending throughout the length of the slot and disposed in closed relation to the slot by pressure of water in the pipe.

Claim 7

The structure as defined in claim 4 wherein said closure member is in the form of a flexible flap having one longitudinal edge attached to the pipe and the other edge being free of the pipe and engaging the inner surface of the pipe so that the flap bridges the slot.

Claim 8

The structure as defined in claim 5 together with a pickup shoe slidably engaging said pipe in bridging relation to the slot, a water intake pipe extending upwardly from the shoe for receiving water from the shoe, and means carried by said shoe engaging the closure member and forcing the free edge thereof downwardly away from the interior surface of the pipe to open the slot to enable discharge of water from the interior of the pipe into the shoe and intake pipe.

Claim 9

The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said shoe is hollow and provided with an arcuate configuration, a seal member engaged between the periphery of the shoe and the pipe for sealing the shoe peripherally, said means for opening the closure member being disposed within the peripheral confines of the shoe.

Claim 10

The structure as defined in claim 7 wherein said means for opening the closure member includes a downwardly extending projection extending into the pipe and engaging the outer surface of the closure member for depressing the free edge of the closure member to an open position.

Claim 11

The structure as defined in claim 8 wherein said projection is in the form of a hollow member having a curved portion extending around the interior periphery of the pipe and terminating in an elongated tubular member having open ends and an arcuately curved bottom surface conforming with the interior bottom surface of the pipe to provide an intake for water at the bottom portion of the pipe to enable intake of water even though the pipe is not completely full.

Claim 12

The structure as defined in claim 6 together with a pump communicated with the intake pipe, a prime mover for driving said pump, a carriage supporting the pump and prime mover with the prime mover serving to drive the carriage along the slotted pipe, an elongated transversely extending discharge pipe carried by the carriage and being communicated with the discharge of the pump, said elongated pipe having a plurality of discharge heads thereon for discharging water therefrom, said elongated pipe including a plurality of sections interconnected by flexible couplings, the sections of the pipe being supported outwardly of the carriage by a plurality of wheeled towers, means driving each of the wheeled towers, and alignment means mounted stationarily in relation to the area to be irrigated along the path of movement of each driven tower, and means associated with each tower and Each alignment means for orienting each tower in relation to the alignment means during movement thereof for maintaining the towers in alignment with each other and in alignment with the carriage.

Claim 13

The structure as defined in claim 10 wherein said alignment means includes a plurality of upstanding members mounted on a rigid baseplate supported in the area to be irrigated, said means associated with each tower and each alignment means including at least one wheel means on each tower and a projection on each wheel means engaging the upstanding members during movement of the wheeled towers and aligning all of the wheeled towers at each upstanding member.

Claim 14

The structure as defined in claim 11 wherein said wheel means is in the form of a wheel and said projection is a laterally extending projection, said upstanding member and laterally extending projection having coacting cam means to accurately align the wheeled towers with each other at each of the alignment means.

Claim 15

The structure as defined in claim 12 wherein said means for driving the wheeled towers is a single drive means whereby the association of the alignment means and the means on each tower will enable the single drive means for all of the towers to assure that each tower has the same relationship with the alignment means at each of the alignment means as the towers traverse the area being irrigated.