Suspended pipe assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139017-B2
Application number	US-201715722062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2017
Priority date	Oct 6, 2016
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A suspended pipe assembly comprising a first suspended pipe, a second suspended pipe, a third suspended pipe, and a number of suspenders for suspending the pipes from an elevated pipe or pipes of a mobile irrigation system or other fluid distribution system. The first suspended pipe and second suspended pipe are connected together via a fixed joint. The second suspended pipe and third suspended pipe are connected together via a live joint such that the second suspended pipe and third suspended pipe can expand longitudinally relative to each other. Additional suspended pipes can be connected to each other via alternating fixed and live joints. The suspenders allow the suspended pipes to expand longitudinally relative to the elevated pipe and prevents the suspended pipes from warping side-to-side.

First claim

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1. A suspended pipe assembly comprising:
a pipe section configured to be suspended from a section of an elevated pipe, the suspended pipe section having opposed first and second ends; and
a plurality of suspenders configured to support the suspended pipe section below the elevated pipe, each suspender comprising a link connected between the suspended pipe section and the elevated pipe, the link being configured to move only in a substantially vertically extending plane extending substantially parallel to the elevated pipe so that the suspended pipe section is configured to translate along the substantially vertically extending plane as the suspended pipe section expands and contracts.

2. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 1 , the link being selected from a group consisting of a rigid flat bar, a rigid tube, and a rigid beam.

3. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 1 , wherein the links of the suspenders have equal lengths such that the suspended pipe section is offset from the elevated pipe at equal distances near the suspenders.

4. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 1 , wherein the suspenders each further comprise:
an upper bracket configured to connect the link to the elevated pipe; and
a lower bracket configured to connect the link to the suspended pipe section, the link being configured to pivot relative to the upper bracket and lower bracket.

5. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 4 , wherein the suspenders each further comprise a first fastener connecting the link to the upper bracket and a second fastener connecting the link to the lower bracket, the first fastener and second fastener extending perpendicularly to the substantially vertically extending plane and being configured to prevent the link from moving out of the substantially vertically extending plane.

6. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 1 , wherein one of the ends of the suspended pipe section is part of a heat-fused joint.

7. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a live joint configured to connect one of the ends of the suspended pipe section to another suspended pipe section such that the connected end of the suspended pipe section is free to translate longitudinally relative to the other suspended pipe section as the suspended pipe sections expand and contract.

8. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 7 , wherein the live joint is a telescoping joint.

9. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 7 , wherein the live joint is an expanding bellows joint.

10. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 7 , wherein the live joint is a flexible joint.

11. A suspended pipe assembly for use with an irrigation system having a plurality towers and a plurality of spans each extending between adjacent towers, each span including a span pipe, the suspended pipe assembly comprising:
a pipe section configured to be suspended from one of the span pipes, the suspended pipe section having opposed first and second ends; and
a plurality of suspenders configured to support the suspended pipe section below the span pipe, each suspender comprising a link connected between the suspended pipe section and the span pipe, the link being configured to move only in a substantially vertically extending plane extending substantially parallel to the span pipe such that the suspended pipe section is configured to translate along the substantially vertically extending plane as the suspended pipe section expands and contracts.

12. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 11 , the link being selected from a group consisting of a rigid flat bar, a rigid tube, and a rigid beam.

13. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 11 , wherein the links of the suspenders have equal lengths such that the suspended pipe section is offset from the span pipe at equal distances near the suspenders.

14. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 11 , wherein the suspenders each further comprise:
an upper bracket configured to connect the link to the span pipe; and
a lower bracket configured to connect the link to the suspended pipe section the link being configured to pivot relative to the upper bracket and lower bracket.

15. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 14 , wherein the link is connected to the upper bracket via a first fastener and connected to the lower bracket via a second fastener, the first fastener and second fastener extending perpendicularly to the substantially vertically extending plane and being configured to prevent the link from moving out of the substantially vertically extending plane.

16. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 11 , wherein one of the ends of the suspended pipe section is part of a heat-fused joint.

17. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a live joint configured to connect one of the ends of the suspended pipe section to another suspended pipe section such that the connected end of the suspended pipe section is free to translate longitudinally relative to the other suspended pipe section as the suspended pipe sections expand and contract.

18. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 17 , wherein the live joint is a telescoping joint.

19. The suspended pipe assembly of claim 17 , wherein the live joint is an expanding bellows joint.

20. A suspended pipe assembly for use with an irrigation system having a plurality towers and a plurality of spans each extending between adjacent towers, each span including a span pipe, the suspended pipe assembly comprising:
a poly pipe section configured to be suspended from one of the span pipes, the poly pipe section having opposing first and second ends; and
a plurality of suspenders configured to support the poly pipe section below the span pipe, the suspenders each comprising:
an upper bracket configured to be connected to the span pipe;
a lower bracket configured to be connected to the poly pipe section;
a rigid link having opposing first and second ends;
a first fastener connecting the rigid link to the upper bracket near the first end of the rigid link; and
a second fastener connecting the rigid link to the lower bracket near the second end of the rigid link, the rigid link being configured to move relative to the upper bracket and the lower bracket only in a substantially vertically extending plane extending substantially parallel to the span pipe such that the lower bracket is configured to translate in the substantially vertically extending plane as the poly pipe section expands and contracts, the first fastener and second fastener being configured to prevent the rigid link from moving out of the substantially vertically extending plane, the rigid link of each suspender having equal lengths such that the poly pipe section is offset from the span pipe at equal distances near the suspenders.

Assignees

• Lindsay Corp

Inventors

• Korus Thomas J

Classifications

• A01G25/092 Primary

  movable around a pivot centre · CPC title

• F16L51/02

  making use of a bellows or an expansible folded or corrugated tube · CPC title

• F16L3/18 Primary

  allowing movement in axial direction · CPC title

• F16L3/12

  comprising a member substantially surrounding the pipe, cable or protective tubing · CPC title

• F16L27/12

  allowing substantial longitudinal adjustment or movement (by use of screw-thread F16L15/02) · CPC title