US4027428A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for conserving soil water
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-07-01
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Granted: 1977-06-07
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Expires: 1995-07-01
Abstract
Abstract Natural soil is formed into clods ranging in size from a minimum dimension of about 5 mm to a maximum dimension of about 10 cm, and a hydrophobic agent is applied to the surface of the clods to increase the contact angle of water on the exposed grain surfaces of the clods to an angle greater than 90°, which makes the clods water repellent. The clods thus treated are employed to form the top layer of soil. The treated clods conserve soil water by allowing maximal intake of water and by constituting a barrier which reduces water evaporation. Such soil water conservation together with other advantages enable farming on land in regions which could never successfully be farmed before. An apparatus for forming and treating the clods has a lifting device for lifting the top layer of soil of a field to a screening device for breaking up the soil to have a maximum dimension of about 10 cm and to drop the broken up soil back to the field. A chamber having an open bottom surrounds the screening device, and nozzles direct a spray of liquid hydrophobic agent into the chamber to coat the clods. Alternatively, a blower may direct a powdered hydrophobic agent into the chamber. The screening device may be an apertured continuous belt, continuously moving and vibrating between a pair of horizontal axes, the soil being directed by the lifting device to the upper course of the belt.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel I. Hillel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 21:35
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09K; C09K17/00; C09K17/52; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A40/00; Y02A40/10; Y02A40/28; Y10; Y10S; Y10S47/00; Y10S47/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A process of conserving soil moisture in arid and semi-arid regions comprising the steps of: a. forming the top soil said regions into a layer of independent clods, said layer having a depth in the range of 2 to 15 centimeters, at least 90% of the mass of said layer being clods ranging in size from 5 millimeters in minimum dimension to ten centimeters in maximum dimension; b. coating the exposed grain surfaces of each clod with a hydrophobic agent to increase the contact angle of water on the grain surface to an angle greater than 90°.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
A process of conserving soil moisture in arid and semi-arid regions comprising the steps of: a. forming the top soil said regions into a layer of independent clods, said layer having a depth in the range of 2 to 15 centimeters, at least 90% of the mass of said layer being clods ranging in size from 5 millimeters in minimum dimension to ten centimeters in maximum dimension; b. coating the exposed grain surfaces of each clod with a hydrophobic agent to increase the contact angle of water on the grain surface to an angle greater than 90°.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the top soil comprises forming said layer with at least 90% of the mass thereof having clods ranging in size from a minimum dimension of half a centimeter and a maximum of 10 centimeters.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the steps of coating comprises penetrating said hydrophobic agent into the periphery of each clod at least 1 millimeter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said step of coating comprises spraying a liquid hydrophobic agent on said clods in a chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said step of coating comprises dusting a powdered hydrophobic agent on said clods.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said step of forming comprises agitating said top soil on a screen whereby said clods drop through said screen to form said layer, and wherein said step of coating comprises spraying said dropping clods with a liquid hydrophobic agent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said step of coating comprises coating said clods with a silicone.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrophobic agent is an aqueous solution.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrophobic agent is an aqueous emulsion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrophobic agent is a solution of a hydrophobic material in an organic solvent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 1 where said hydrophobic agent is an emulsion of a hydrophobic material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said step of coating comprises coating said clods with a monomolecular layer of said hydrophobic agent.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said step of coating comprises coating said exposed grain surfaces of said clods without filling the micropores of said clods.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 1, further comprising adding an additional material to said hydrophobic agent whereby the micropores of said clods are filled by said step of coating said exposed grain surfaces of each clod with a hydrophobic
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said step of coating comprises coating said clods with a hydrophobic agent selected from the group consisting of sodium methyl siliconate, silanolate, dimethyl siliconate, silane and dimethyl siloxane.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said step of coating comprises coating said clods with a concrete water-proofing agent.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
114 words
A process of conserving soil moisture in arid and semi-arid regions comprising the steps of: a. lifting a portion of soil said regions from the top layer of soil in a field; b. forming said lifted soil into clods at least 90% of the mass of which is clods ranging in size from 5 millimeters in minimum dimension to 10 centimeters in maximum dimension; c. coating the exposed grain surfaces of each clod by monomolecular adsorption with a hydrophobic agent to increase the contact angle of water on the grain surface to an angle greater than 90°; and d. depositing said coated clods in said field to a depth of 2 to 15 centimeters.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
114 words
A process of conserving soil moisture in arid and semi-arid regions comprising the steps of: a. lifting a portion of soil said regions from the top layer of soil in a field; b. forming said lifted soil into clods at least 90% of the mass of which is clods ranging in size from 5 millimeters in minimum dimension to 10 centimeters in maximum dimension; c. coating the exposed grain surfaces of each clod by monomolecular adsorption with a hydrophobic agent to increase the contact angle of water on the grain surface to an angle greater than 90°; and d. depositing said coated clods in said field to a depth of 2 to 15 centimeters.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-06-06 | 1980-12-06 | 1981-06-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-06-06 | 1984-12-06 | 1985-06-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-06-06 | 1988-12-06 | 1989-06-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |