Patent Application
20230331514
Agricultural drip tape typically comprises relatively thin (6-15 mils) plastic tubing that has spaced slits cut into it along its length that when supplied and filled with pressurized water permits the water to drip or slowly flow from the slits onto the surrounding ground to irrigate adjacent crops. One common variation is about ⅝″ in diameter when expanded but lays flat when empty and not in use.
Drip tape is used by both commercial and hobby farmers. Commercial users can have dedicated machines that can roll up long lengths of tape at the end of a growing season with relative ease. These devices, which typically include gas powered motors are relatively expensive, large, and heavy making them impractical for use by a hobby farmer or small commercial farm. Hobby farms typically pull up tape by hand and may find winding and storage of used tape both time consuming and impractical opting to buy new tape each year rather than deal with untangling previously used tape pulled from the garden the season before.
Embodiments of the present invention comprise a relatively-lightweight portable device for easily and cost-effectively rolling lengths of drip tape in the field. Embodiments, which each comprise a framework and a rotating mandrel, utilize a battery powered drill to provide the power necessary to operate the device and neatly wind lengths of drip tape onto the mandrel while in some variations also squeezing excess water retainer therein out of the tape. The resulting rolls of tape can be slid off of the mandrel and stored for use next season.
The terms and phrases as indicated in quotes (“ ”) in this section are intended to have the meaning ascribed to them in this Terminology section applied to them throughout this document including the claims unless clearly indicated otherwise in context. Further, as applicable, the stated definitions are to apply, regardless of the word or phrase’s case, to the singular and plural variations of the defined word or phrase.
The term “or” as used in this specification and the appended claims is not meant to be exclusive, rather the term is inclusive meaning “either or both”.
References in the specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “a preferred embodiment”, “an alternative embodiment” and similar phrases mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least an embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all meant to refer to the same embodiment.
The term “couple” or “coupled” as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to either an indirect or direct connection between the identified elements, components or objects. Often the manner of the coupling will be related specifically to the manner in which the two coupled elements interact.
Directional and/or relationary terms such as, but not limited to, left, right, nadir, apex, top, bottom, upper, lower, vertical, horizontal, back, front and lateral are relative to each other and are dependent on the specific orientation of an applicable element or article, and are used accordingly to aid in the description of the various embodiments and are not necessarily intended to be construed as limiting.
The term “approximately,” as used in this specification and appended claims, refers to plus or minus 10% of the value given.
The term “about,” as used in this specification and appended claims, refers to plus or minus 20% of the value given.
The terms “generally” and “substantially,” as used in this specification and appended claims, mean mostly, or for the most part.
As used herein, a “Handheld Drill refers to an electrically portable drill designed to be held in a user’s hand during use. Often handheld drills are battery powered with a removable battery pack being located at a base of the drill below the handle thereof.
As used herein the term “Chuck” refers to any clamp or mechanism on the rotating portion of a portable drill to which one or more of drill bits, shanks, sockets, and driver bits can be secured.
As used herein “Drip Tape” refers to a generally flexible elongated tube, typically plastic, having holes or slits distributed along its length that when empty lies flat comprising front and back sides connected at longitudinally extending folded edges. Typical drip tapes used agriculture are about ⅝″ wide when flat and have wall thicknesses of about 5-15 mm although other sizes are known.
As used herein any reference to axis, axis of rotation, axial length and related terms refer to the direction defined by the drip tape mandrel’s axis of rotation. Typically, this axis also corresponds to the longitudinal dimension of the drip tape frame.
The frame 100 is illustrated by itself in
The illustrated embodiment of the frame 100 comprises a pair of parallel spaced longitudinal base rods 120 that extend substantially the entire length of the frame from a distal end to a proximal end. A laterally-extending horizontal distal end rod 160 is attached to the distal end of each longitudinal rod. Further, a pair of cradle support rods 165 extend between the longitudinal base rods proximate their proximal ends. Together, the longitudinal base rods, the cradle support rods and the distal end rod form the frame’s base. The base is elevated off an underlying surface by way of a pair of parallel spaced vertical distal foot rods 175 and a set of four proximal foot rods 180. The foots rods lift the base about 1-2″ off an underlying surface.
Four vertically-extending cradle rods 170 that rise above the base are provided near the distal end of the frame forming in conjunction with this portion of the base a drill cradle 130. The drill cradle is configured to receive the bottom end of a battery-operated portable drill 400 therein with the bottom of the battery resting on the longitudinal base rods 120 and the associated cradle support rods 165. The cradle rods stabilize the drill and hold the drill in place during operation preventing it from rotating to the left or right when activated.
A pair of vertical bearing rods 110 extend upwardly above the base spaced about a couple of inches behind the distal end rod 160 and are generally parallel to the front foot rods 175. The parallel vertical bearing rods are spaced apart a distance similar or slightly greater than the diameter of a hub portion 210 of the mandrel 200. At an intermediate position along the lengths of the vertical bearing rods a horizontal bearing rod 150 is provided spanning the spacing therebetween. During use, the mandrel hub rests upon the horizontal bearing rod and is constrained on its right and left sides by the vertical bearing rods forming a hub slot portion 145 of the mandrel cradle 135.
One or more horizontal spacer rods 155 are secured to the proximal facing side of the vertical bearing rods 110 at a location above the base but below the horizontal bearing rod 150. The diameter of these rods is typically greater than the thickness of the mandrel flange 220. One or more stopper rods 140 are secured to the proximal facing side of the spacer rods to form a flange slot portion 185 of the mandrel cradle 135 into which the mandrel flange is received. The stopper rods are relatively short compared to the vertical bearing rods 110 covering only a bottom portion of the mandrel flange below the longitudinal axis of the mandrel 200.
In operation, as will be discussed further below, the vertical bearing rods 110 inhibit side to side motion of the mandrel 200 in the frame 100; whereas the horizontal bearing rod 150 sets the vertical position of the mandrel. The flange slot 185 formed by the spacing between the stopper rod(s) 155 and vertical bearing rods acts to restrain the axial movement of the mandrel during use.
As can be seen in
The mandrel 200 is illustrated by itself in
The circumferential flange 220 has a diameter significantly greater than the diameter of the hub 210 and a flange thickness. The thickness of the flange corresponds with the spacing of the flange slot portion 185 between the vertical bearing rods 110 and the one or more stopper rods 140 so that it can be received therebetween.
On the proximal side of the flange 220 along the mandrel’s axis of rotation, a drill attachment head 230 is provided. As shown, the attachment head is hexagonal in shape and configured to receive a suitably sized standard socket thereover, although in variations the head can comprise any suitable shape corresponding with a mating attachment associated with a drill 400. For instance, in variations the head can be square or in other variations the head can be recessed, such as to receive a hex key secured to the drill therein.
As illustrated, the mandrel 200 is comprised primarily of PVC and is constructed from commonly available PVC pipe fittings. The attachment head 230 comprises a bolt that is secured to the center of the flange. As can be appreciated, the mandrel can be fabricated from other suitable materials of various diameters and configurations.
At the end of a growing season usually after the associated plants have been harvested, the gardener or farmer carries the winder along with a portable drill to the location in a field where lengths of drip tape have previously been laid. The frame is placed on a relatively flat piece of ground or other underlying surface and prepared for use.
As indicated in block 510, the mandrel is slid into place in the frame. Specifically, the hub portion 210 is slid between the vertical bearing posts 110 into the hub slot portion 145 and the bottom of the circumferential flange 220 is slid into the flange slot portion 185 until the hub portion bottoms out on the horizontal bearing rod 150.
Next as indicated in block 520, a bottom end of a portable drill, typically the battery, is placed in the drill cradle 130 and a suitable socket 410 is secured to the chuck 420 of the drill is connected to the socket head 230. The drip tape winder is then ready for use.
As indicated by block 530, the end of a suitable length of drip tape 300 is passed under at least one of the two longitudinal rods 120 of the tape guide portion 195, pulled upwardly and secured in the hub’s tape slit 240.
The drill is then actuated to rotate the mandrel 200 and pull the tape 300 around the hub 210 forming a roll as indicated in block 540. Often the user will hold the drip tape apply a small amount of tension as it slides through the user’s hand to draw the tape against a longitudinal rod 120 and force excess water from the tape prior to its being received on the mandrel.
Finally, as shown in block 550, the wound roll of drip tape 300 is slid off the end of the mandrel 200 and stored for future use usually during the next growing season. As can be appreciated, the entire process can be repeated many times until all or substantially all the tape in a field has removed from the field and wound.
The various embodiments and variations thereof, illustrated in the accompanying Figures and/or described above, are merely exemplary and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. It is to be appreciated that numerous other variations of the invention have been contemplated, as would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure. All variations of the invention that read upon appended claims are intended and contemplated to be within the scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63331613 | Apr 2022 | US |
