Methods and apparatus for transporting emitters and/or manufacturing drip line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10420293-B2
Application number	US-201715853135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Oct 22, 2013
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transporting or delivering elastomeric emitters and inserting elastomeric emitters into drip line are disclosed herein, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for manufacturing drip line to form an irrigation assembly or system. In one form, the apparatus comprises a feeder, conveyor, emitter drive mechanism and guide bar for insertion into an extruder to bond the elastomeric emitter to an inner surface of the extruded tube. Friction reducing apparatus and methods are further disclosed as well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for transporting elastomeric emitters comprising:
a feeder for dispensing emitters;
a conveyor coupled to the feeder on a first end and connected to an emitter drive mechanism on a second end;
an emitter drive mechanism aligned with and coupled to the second end of the conveyor and including a controller for operating the drive mechanism to drive emitters in a desired direction and at a desired pace or interval; and
a guide bar coupled to the emitter drive mechanism and moveable between a first position wherein the guide bar is at least partially disposed within an extruder so that the guide bar may be used to bond emitters to tubing extruded from the extruder and a second position wherein the guide bar is removed from the extruder so that the extruder may be used to make tubing without emitters, wherein at least one of the conveyor and guide bar define at least one recess for receiving a portion of an emitter dispensed by the feeder so that a remainder of the emitter rests substantially on an upper surface of the conveyor and/or guide bar.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conveyor and emitter drive mechanism are coupled to the guide bar and moveable together with the guide bar between the first and second positions.

3. An apparatus for manufacturing drip line with elastomeric emitters comprising:
a feeder for dispensing emitters;
a conveyor coupled to the feeder on a first end and connected to an emitter drive mechanism on a second end;
an emitter drive mechanism aligned with and coupled to the second end of the conveyor and including a controller for operating the drive mechanism to drive the elastomeric emitters in a desired direction and at a desired pace or interval;
a guide bar coupled to the emitter drive mechanism and moveable between a first position wherein the guide bar is at least partially disposed within an extruder so that the guide bar may be used to bond the elastomeric emitters to tubing extruded from the extruder and a second position wherein the guide bar is removed from the extruder so that the extruder may be used to make tubing without emitters, wherein at least one of the emitter drive mechanism and guide bar include at least one recess for receiving a portion of an emitter dispensed by the feeder so that a remainder of the emitter rests substantially on an upper surface of the conveyor and/or guide bar; and
a bonding mechanism for bonding the elastomeric emitter to the tubing extruded from the extruder to form drip line with elastomeric emitters.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the conveyor and emitter drive mechanism are coupled to the guide bar and moveable together with the guide bar between the first and second positions.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the conveyor is at least one of an air conveyor, a belt conveyor and a roller conveyor and the at least one recess is an elongated slot running the length of the conveyor, and the feeder dispenses the elastomeric emitters onto the conveyor in a single file line and in a consistent orientation such that a portion of the emitter is disposed in the slot and a remainder of the emitter rests substantially on an upper surface of the conveyor.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a conveyor bridge disposed between the second end of the conveyor and the emitter drive mechanism and coupling the second end of the conveyor to the conveyor bridge.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the conveyor bridge defines a tapered channel capable of receiving misaligned emitters from the conveyor and aligning the emitters for the emitter drive mechanism.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the emitter drive mechanism includes a belt drive for moving emitters through the emitter drive mechanism and into the guide bar and wherein the belt drive defines a tapered channel with a widened opening for receiving misaligned emitters and a narrowed exit for aligning the emitters with the guide bar to ensure a smooth emitter transition from the emitter drive mechanism to the guide bar.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the at least one recess is an elongated slot running the length of the guide bar such that a portion of the emitter is disposed in the slot and a remainder of the emitter rests substantially on an upper surface of the guide bar to ensure smooth movement of the emitters through the guide bar when driven by the emitter drive mechanism.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the guide bar is adjustable to accommodate the emitters as first emitters and second emitters different from the first emitters.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second emitters are at least partially composed of a rigid polymer and the guide bar includes a removable insert wherein the insert is disposed in the guide bar for accommodating the first elastomeric emitters and the insert is removed from the guide bar for accommodating the second rigid polymer emitters.

12. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the guide bar includes a tip comprising at least one of a roller insert and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) insert for assisting in bonding the emitter to the extruded tubing and preventing bending of the emitter during movement of the emitter through the guide bar, and the at least one recess is an elongated slot defined by both the guide bar and insert within which at least a portion of the emitter is disposed so that a remainder of the emitter rests substantially on an upper surface of the guide bar.

13. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a lubricant applied to at least a portion of one of the feeder, conveyor, emitter drive mechanism or guide bar to reduce friction between the emitter and the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the lubricant is a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) applied to a surface of the feeder and a surface of the guide bar to reduce friction between the emitter and these surfaces.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the lubricant is mineral oil applied to a surface of the guide bar to prevent sticking of the emitters to the guide bar.

16. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the bonding mechanism includes a tractor wheel that presses down on an exterior surface of the extruded tube over at least one of the emitters disposed in the guide bar to bond upper surfaces of the at least one emitter to an inner surface of the extruded tube.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the tractor wheel is contoured to shape of the extruded tube so that pressure is applied evenly to the extruded tube and at least one emitter.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the at least one emitter has a width and the tractor wheel has a radius of contour that does not extend beyond the width of the at least one emitter to prevent lines from being formed in the extruded tube by outside edges of the tractor wheel.

19. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a water tank for cooling the extruded tubing after the emitter has been bonded with the extruded tubing;
a perforator in line with the water tank for creating a plurality of outlet openings through the extruded tubing proximate to the emitters bonded therein; and
a reel for coiling the extruded tube into desired lengths of drip line.

20. An apparatus for transporting emitters comprising:
a feeder for dispensing emitters;
a conveyor coupled to the feeder on a first end and connected to an emitter drive mechanism on a second end;
an emitter drive mechanism aligned with and coupled to the second end of the conveyor and including a control

Assignees

• Rain Bird Corp

Inventors

• Zakarian Berj
• Feith Raymond P
• Edris Mark Richard
• Ensworth Mark M

Classifications

• B29C48/10

  flexible, e.g. blown foils · CPC title

• B29L2023/22

  Tubes or pipes, i.e. rigid (bent tubes not for use as pipe couplings B29L2023/004) · CPC title

• A01G25/026 Primary

  Apparatus or processes for fitting the drippers to the hoses or the pipes · CPC title

• B29L2031/70

  Agricultural usage or equipment · CPC title

• A01G25/023

  Dispensing fittings for drip irrigation, e.g. drippers · CPC title