Flow-reducing device particularly useful for trickle irrigation

Claim 2

A flow-reducing device particularly for trickle irrigation, comprising, a housing, a flow-retarding member disposed therein, said member being formed with a large number of holes extending therethrough from one face to the opposite face thereof, said housing including an inlet communicaTing with one of said holes, constituting the inlet hole of the member, and hole-bridging means providing flow paths between the holes at both faces of said member to direct the fluid entering through the inlet hole to flow through said holes in succession, passing back and forth from the one to the opposite face of the member, and then to exit through an outlet hole in the member.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1, wherein said hole-bridging means comprises a plurality of recesses formed on both faces of the flow-retarding member, each recess bridging a pair of the holes, the pair of holes bridged on one face by one recess leading to separate recesses on the opposite face, and walls in contact with both said faces of the flow-retarding member to direct the fluid to flow through said recesses.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 2, wherein said flow-retarding member is relatively thin having a thickness which is a small fraction of its length.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 2, wherein there are a plurality of said flow-retarding members, and a separator member between each pair, said separator member being formed with a hole providing communication between the outlet hole of one of the respective pair of flow-retarding members and the inlet hole of the other flow-retarding member of the pair.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 4, wherein each of said flow-retarding and separator members is in the form of an annular disc.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes an inner sleeve, and an outer sleeve, and said flow-retarding member is in the form of a strip helically wound around the inner sleeve and enclosed by the outer sleeve.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 1, wherein said flow-retarding member is in the form of a removable insert, and said housing defines a compartment for said insert, said compartment being open at least at one end to permit removal and insertion of the flow-retarding member insert.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 7, wherein said compartment is curved, and said flow-retarding member insert is of flat flexible material flexed to assume the curvature of the compartment.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 7, for applying to a fluid supply pipe having an opening in a wall thereof, wherein said housing includes curved flexible inner and outer walls defining said compartment and clampable onto the supply pipe, and an inlet stem carried by said inner wall for passing through the pipe wall opening, the flow-retarding member insert being disposed in the compartment between the outer and inner housing walls and being removable from the open end thereof, said inlet stem including a passageway communicating with the inlet opening of the flow-retarding member insert.

Claim 11

A trickle device including an inlet and an outlet for application to a water supply pipe to provide a slow water trickle therefrom, said device comprising: a housing having an outer wall and a spaced inner wall; mean carried by said inner wall for attaching the housing to a water supply pipe to extend laterally of and parallel to the axis of the water supply pipe when applied thereto; said outer and inner walls defining an axially extending compartment of rectangular section and open at at least one end; the inner wall of the compartment including said inlet, the latter communicating with the water flowing through the water supply pipe; and a flow-retarding insert in said compartment and removable from said open end thereof, said insert being of rectangular section and formed with a circuitous path for the water to travel from said inlet to the outlet thereof.

Claim 12

A trickle device including an inlet and an outlet for application to a water supply pipe to provide a slow water trickle therefrom, said device comprising: a housing having an outer wall and a spaced inner wall; mean carried by said inner wall for attaching the housing to a water supply pipe to extend laterally of and parallel to the axis of the water supply pipe when applied thereto; said outer and inner walls defining an axially extending compartment of rectangular section and open at at least one end; the inner wall of the compartment including said inlet, the latter communicating with the water flowing through the water supply pipe; and a flow-retarding insert in said compartment and removable from said open end thereof, said insert being of rectangular section and formed with a circuitous path for the water to travel from said inlet to the outlet thereof.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 10, wherein said inner and outer walls are of flexible material enabling same to be clamped onto the water supply pipe and firmly holding the insert in the compartment; and wherein said inlet is in the form a stem adapted to pass through an opening in the water supply pipe when the device is clamped thereto.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 10, wherein said flow-retarding insErt includes a member formed with a plurality of holes extending therethrough from one face to the opposite face thereof, said insert being further formed with a plurality of recesses on both faces thereof, each recess bridging a pair of the holes, the pair of holes bridged on one face by one recess leading to separate recesses on the opposite face.