Automatic irrigation system

Claim 2

An irrigation system for use in combination with a plurality of spaced irrigation basins, said system comprising: a water supply system supplying water under pressure; a pipe line means coupled to said water supply system disposed to pass into and out of each of said basins in turn; a plurality of valve means, each disposed in a respective basin and coupled to said pipe line means; said valve means having an entrance opening through which water enters from said pipe line means; a first exit opening through which water exits said valve means to enter said basin; and a second exit opening through which water exits said valve means to re-enter said pipe line means to flow to the next basin; said valve means including gate means for preventing water from exiting said first opening; said valve means further including a float means coupled to said gate means and responsive to the water level in said respective basins to actuate said gate means whenever said water reaches a predetermined level in said respective basins to close said first opening; and means disposed on the downstream side of said valve means and adapted to prevent water from exiting from said second opening whenever said first opening is opened; said gate means being further responsive to said water pressure within said pipe line means to maintain said first opening closed after it has been closed.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein: said float means includes a float responsive to the water level in the respective basin; said gate means includes a gate member disposed within said valve means so that when said gate member is against said first opening the water pressure therein tends to urge said member thereagainst to keep the first opening shut; and a rod passing through the opening to connect said gate member to aid float so that the weight of said float urges the member away from said first opening and the buoyancy of said float lifts the member towards the said first opening.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 wherein: said means disposed on the downstream side of said valve means includes a U-shaped pipe so that the water first rises and then descends.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 wherein said valve means include: a hollow body disposed in each basin and having a circular flange port forming said first opening and said pipe line means communicating with said body; said gate means including a truncated cone-shaped gate portion within said hollow body with the outer surface of said gate mating with said circular flange portion in a closed position to provide a substantially water-tight seal; said float means including a float disposed outside the body and a rod connecting said gate to said float so that the water level within the basin urges the float upward to urge said gate to close said first opening.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4 wherein said means disposed on the downstream side of said valve meAns includes a U-shaped pipe so that the water first rises and then descends.

Claim 7

The irrigation system according to claim 15 wherein said truncated cone shaped gate means displays to said water pressure a surface area sufficiently large to maintain said gate in a closed position once the float has closed the gate.

Claim 8

The irrigation system according to claim 6 and further comprising: a. spring means for forcing said gate member into an open position when water pressure within said body member is below a predetermined level.

Claim 9

An irrigation system for use in irrigation basins comprised in combination: a pressurized water source, a supply line connected to said pressurized source of water; at least one full flow bank U-shaped riser interposed in said supply line so that the water first rises and then falls and dividing said line into banks; a plurality of feeder lines connected to each formed bank of said supply line, said feeder line being disposed in rows with said feeder line disposed to pass through each irrigation basin; a plurality of float activated valve means inserted in said feeder lines, at least one in each of said irrigation basins, and having an opening to allow water to flow into said respective basins, said valve means including a gate means and a float means, said float means being disposed to rise a sufficient distance when the water level in said basin rises to a select level to cause the gate means of said valve means to close said respective opening; at least one full flow feeder line U-shaped riser connected within each of said feeder lines with the height of said feeder line riser being higher than said respective opening of said valve means to hold a head of water of sufficient height such that the water pressure developed at the gate means of said valve means is sufficient to maintain said gate means against said opening once it has been closed by the float action; the height of said bank riser being higher than any of said feeder line risers to hold a head of water of sufficient height such that the pressure of the water in said bank riser prevents the flow of water into the next bank of said supply line until the valve means of a preceding bank are substantially all closed.

Claim 10

An irrigation system for use in irrigation basins comprised in combination: a pressurized water source, a supply line connected to said pressurized source of water; at least one full flow bank U-shaped riser interposed in said supply line so that the water first rises and then falls and dividing said line into banks; a plurality of feeder lines connected to each formed bank of said supply line, said feeder line being disposed in rows with said feeder line disposed to pass through each irrigation basin; a plurality of float activated valve means inserted in said feeder lines, at least one in each of said irrigation basins, and having an opening to allow water to flow into said respective basins, said valve means including a gate means and a float means, said float means being disposed to rise a sufficient distance when the water level in said basin rises to a select level to cause the gate means of said valve means to close said respective opening; at least one full flow feeder line U-shaped riser connected within each of said feeder lines with the height of said feeder line riser being higher than said respective opening of said valve means to hold a head of water of sufficient height such that the water pressure developed at the gate means of said valve means is sufficient to maintain said gate means against said opening once it has been closed by the float action; the height of said bank riser being higher than any of said feeder line risers to hold a head of water of sufficient height such that the pressure of the water in said bank riser prevents the flow of water into the next bank of said supply line until the valve means of a preceding bank are substantially all closed.

Claim 11

The irrigation system according to claim 8, wherein said float activated valve means is comprised of: a. a hollow body member having a circular flange part; b. said gate means including a truncated cone shaped gate member positioned within said hollow body member with the outer surface of said gate member mating with said circular flange part, in the closed position, to provide a water-tight seal; c. said float means having a float member and a rod connected to said gate member and said float member to urge said gate member to a closed position when the water level in said basin rises above the selected level.

Claim 12

The irrigation system according to claim 8 and further comprising: a. a high-low pressure valve converting said supply line to said pressurized source of water, said pressure valve closing when the pressure in said supply line is substantially the same pressure as said pressurized source of water, and closing when the pressure in said supply line is so low as to indicate a rupture in the irrigation system.