Abstract:
A poly pipe installation device constructed from a frame supporting a trenching tool for making a trench with side berms, a pipe roll supporting axles for a poly pipe roll so that the roll can be unwound to place the poly pipe into the trench. The poly pipe roll unrolls the pipe past a guide and under a wheel to position the pipe in the trench where it then partially buried with dirt drug off of the berms with angled drag chains. The poly pipe roll being unrolled is one of up to four rolls that are supported off of a horizontal turntable rotates each roll into the unrolling position and that also supports and stores multiple pipe rolls so that long runs of pipe can be laid quickly.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/093,592 filed by Trussell on Dec. 18, 2014 entitled Poly Pipe Unrolling and Placement which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     RESERVATION OF RIGHTS 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to intellectual property rights such as but not limited to copyright, trademark, and/or trade dress protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to improvements in farm machinery associated with poly pipe irrigation. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements particularly suited for providing a controlled irrigation pipe placement. In particular, the present invention relates specifically to a device for creating a pipe trench, placement of the pipe in the trench, and partial burying of the uninflated pipe. 
     2. Description of the Known Art 
     As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, poly pipes are known in various forms and unrolling has been a labor intensive endeavor such that an improved poly pipe installation device is needed to overcome these limitations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a poly pipe installation device using a trenching tool for making a trench with side berms so that a poly pipe roll can be unwound to place the poly pipe into the trench. The poly pipe roll is supported off of a turntable that supports multiple pipe rolls so that long runs of pipe can be laid quickly. The poly pipe roll unrolls the pipe past a guide and under a wheel to position the pipe in the trench where it then partially buried with dirt drug off of the berms with angled drag chains. It is an object of this invention to quickly place polypipe for irrigation. Another object of this invention is to secure the polypipe in place to resist wind and other environmental factors until the pipe is filled with water. A still further object of this invention is to provide multiple rolls that can be easily positioned into place for unrolling to provide for reduced installation times for long runs of polypipe. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, along with features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or become apparent by reviewing the following detailed description of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification and which are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals have been employed throughout wherever possible to indicate like parts in the various views: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a roll pipe placement device. 
         FIG. 2  is a magnified view of the roll pipe placement device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the roll pipe placement device. 
         FIG. 4  is a back view of the roll pipe placement device. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view showing the installation process. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the roll on the placement device being deployed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 through 6  of the drawings, one exemplary embodiment of the present invention is generally shown as a roll pipe placement device  100 . The present invention is directed to a roll pipe placement device  100  for laying down a flattened poly pipe  12  from a spiral pipe roll  10  where the poly pipe  12  is wound around an axle tube  14 . The roll pipe placement device  100  is constructed from a frame  200 . The frame  200  includes a vertical front frame  200  connected by a left connecting gusset  300  and a right connecting gusset  302  to a horizontal back frame  400  that supports a pipe turntable  500 . The pipe turntable  500  holds four rolls  10  which an unrolling position immediately behind the front frame  200 . The other three rolls  10  are held in storage positions. By holding four rolls  10  at one quarter mile of pipe  12  per roll, the device  100  can hold one mile worth of irrigation poly pipe  12  at a time. After one roll  10  is depleted, the turntable  500  is rotated to move a roll  10  from a storage position into the deployment position and another quarter mile of pipe  12  can be placed. Each of these may be understood by looking at the construction of these parts of the device  100 . 
     The roll pipe placement device  100  is mounted to a tractor using a three point hitch setup mounted on a vertical front frame  210 . The vertical front frame  210  includes a bottom cross arm  212  and top cross arm  214  connected by a left side post  216  and a right side post  218 . These form the base for mounting the three point hitch  220  and the placement for the top pin connection  222 , left pin connection  224 , and right pin connection  226 . 
     The vertical front frame  210  is also used to mount the ditch plow  230  for forming a small ditch  20  in the ground  30 . The ditch  20  is where the poly pipe  12  is laid to support the pipe  12  and keep the pipe  12  in position from moving around in the field where it is being used. The ditch plow  230  is constructed using a center vertical post  232  with an extendable lower leg  234 . The a hydraulic plow ram  236  is used to control the extension of the extendable lower leg  234  out of the center vertical post  232  so that the operating depth of the ditch plow  230  can be controlled independently of the height of the vertical front frame  210  and the pipe placement wheel  428  that is discussed later. The hydraulic plow ram  236  is connected with a first plow ram hose  238  and a second plow ram hose  240  that are connected to a control valve  270 . A plow foot is connected to the bottom of the extendable lower leg  234 . The plow foot  242  includes a left angle face  244  and a right angle face  246  connected by a cross brace  248 . When moved through the ground  30 , the ditch plow  230  forms a ditch  20  with a bottom furrow  22  between a left side  24  and a right side berm  26 . The pipe  12  will be laid in the bottom furrow  22  and then parts of the berms  24 ,  26  will be put on the pipe to hold the empty pipe  12  in place. 
     The vertical front frame  210  is also used to mount the outriggers shown as the outward frame  250  for storage of the device  100  and as a base for the roll lifting crane  253 . The outward frame  250  includes a left arm  252  and a right arm  284 . 
     The left arm  252  supports both a roll lifting crane  253  and is used to connect to the left ground leg  276 . 
     The roll lifting crane  253  is used to lift the heavy spiral pipe rolls  10  up onto the pipe turntable  500 . The roll lifting crane  253  includes a vertical crane arm  254  supporting an upper arm pivot  256  to pivotally support the pivoting lift arm  258 . The pivoting lift arm  258  extends outward to support a roll lift chain  260  and spacer bar  262 . The roll lift chain  260  is used to connect to the end lift loop  538  on the center roll axle  536  to lift the rolls  10  into position. Lifting is done using a hydraulic roll arm ram  264  that is triangularly connected between the pivoting lift arm  258  and the vertical crane arm  254 . The hydraulic roll arm ram  264  is control via the first arm ram input hose  266  and second arm ram input hose  268  connected to the control valve  270 . The control valve  270  is a dual function selective control valve typically used on tractors for front end loader or top and tilt control on three point implements. The hydraulic rams could be directly connected to the selective control valves on the tractor, but the present invention deemed a simple two hose connection to be more efficient. Thus, the present invention teaches a control valve  270  with a first tractor supply hose  272  and second tractor supply hose  274  just to use the tractor&#39;s hydraulic pump instead of having to duplicate a pumping system on the implement itself. 
     The left ground leg  276  is used as the first of three ground contact points for storage of the device  100 . The left ground leg includes a left leg lock  278  controlling the position of the left height adjustable leg  280 . A left ground foot  282  is connected to the bottom of the left height adjustable leg  280  to spread out the weight of the implement and give a lower ground contact pounds per square inch for storage of the device. 
     The right arm  284  supports the right ground leg  286  with a similar right leg lock  288 , right height adjustable leg  290 , and right foot  292 . 
     The left connecting gusset  300  and right connecting gusset  302  are simple quarter inch thick plate gussets to strengthen the connection between the vertical front frame  210  and the arms  402 ,  404  of the horizontal back frame  400 . 
     The horizontal back frame  400  includes a left horizontal arm  402  and a right horizontal arm  404 . Connected across the arms  402 ,  404  are the bottom roll bar  406 , turntable lock bar  416 , wheel cross arm  424 , first turntable cross arm  430 , and second turntable cross arm  440 . 
     The bottom roll bar  406  is used to guide the unrolling pipe  12  down under the wheel  428  to place the pipe in the bottom furrow  22 . This makes sure that the pipe  12  always in front of and below the wheel  428  during the unrolling process, even when the roll spins past the usual take off point. The bottom roll bar  406  includes a left roll support  408  and right roll support  410  that pivotally mount the unrolling cross arm  414 . 
     The turntable lock bar  416  is used to lock the turntable  500  in position for unrolling one of the four rolls being carried by the turntable  500 . In this manner, when one roll  10  runs out, the turntable  500  is unlocked and another roll  10  is simply rotated into the front unrolling position using the turntable  500 . The turntable lock bar  416  includes a lock handle catch  517  mounted off of the right horizontal arm for catching the lock handle  421  and holding the turntable lock bar  416  in a locked position. The lock handle  421  controls the rotation of the pivoting lock bar  422  and the upper lock extensions  423 . The upper lock bar extensions  423  selectively engage with the U shaped extension catch  550  to lock the turntable  500  in position. The turntable lock bar  416  is pivotally mounted by the left lock support  418  and right lock support  420 . 
     The wheel cross arm  424  is welded to the left horizontal arm  402  and right horizontal arm  404 . The wheel cross arm  424  is used to mount the lower wheel supports  426  for pivotally mounting the pipe placement wheel  428  beneath the horizontal back frame  400 . The wheel  428  engages the unrolling pipe  12  and guides it to the furrow bottom  22  and temporarily holds the unrolled pipe  12  in position. The first turntable cross arm  430  is welded to the left horizontal arm  402  and right horizontal arm  404 . A left angled pipe burying drag chain  432  and a right angled pipe burying drag chain  434  drag across the left and right berms  24 ,  26  to drag dirt  28  back onto the pipe as it comes out from under the wheel  428 . In this manner, the lightweight pipe  12  does not blow out of position in the wind and is held in the bottom furrow  22 . 
     A second turntable cross arm  440  is welded to the left horizontal arm  402  and right horizontal arm  404  for additional strength for the frame  400 . A rear ground leg  442  is mounted to the second turntable cross arm with a rear leg lock  444  holding a rear height adjustable leg  446 . At the bottom of the rear height adjustable leg  446  is the rear ground foot  448 . This is the third foot  282 ,  292 ,  448  that forms a three point plane for supporting the device  100  on the ground. 
     The pipe turntable  500  is designed to fit four rolls  10  of pipe  12  with a front unrolling position  600 , two side storage positions  602 ,  604 , and one back storage position  606 . The pipe turntable  500  is supported off of a lower turntable post  502  connected to the first turntable cross arm  430  and the second turntable cross arm  440 . The lower turntable post supports the pivoting upper turntable post  504  that rides on a bearing joint between the two pieces of pipe. The upper turntable point  504  supports the central pivot frame  506  made with a first table side frame  508  connected to a second table side frame  510  connected to a third table side frame  512  connected to a fourth table side frame  514  that is then connected back to the first table side frame  508 . The table side frames  508 ,  510 ,  512 ,  514  are supported with a central pivot body  516  having post arms  522 ,  524 ,  526 ,  528  that extend to the table side frames and a center bearing  518  and extension flange  520  reinforcing the connection to the pivoting upper turntable post  504 . The table post arms are shown as the first table post arm  522  holding the first roll support  530 , the second table post arm  524  holding the second roll support  540 , the third table post arm  526  holding the third roll support  542 , and the fourth table post arm  528  holding the fourth roll support  544 . Each roll support  530 ,  540 ,  542 ,  544  is constructed with a first roll side J arm  532  using a first axle pin  533  to support one end of a center roll axle  536  which then extends across to a second roll side J arm  534  securing the axle with a second axle pin  535 . The center roll axle  536  terminated in an end lift loop  538  which keeps the axle in position in the J arms  532 ,  534  and can also be used to lift the roll  10  into position with the crane  253 . Each roll support  530 ,  540 ,  542 ,  544  is constructed with a pair of U shaped extension catches  550  that use a rotating lock pin  552  to lock to the upper lock bar extensions  423  to secure the turntable  500  in the associated orientation while that roll is being used. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  shows a schematic view of the operation of the roll pipe placement device  100  placing the pipe  12  into the ground  30 . Beginning on the right side of the drawing, the plow  230  digs a trench or ditch  20  into the ground  30  with a bottom furrow  22  and berms  24 ,  26  on each side of the bottom furrow  22 . The pipe  12  is then unwound off of the roll  10  past the unrolling guide bar  414  and the pipe  12  is positioned in the bottom furrow  22  by the wheel  428 . The angled drag chains, with left chain  432  shown, then take part of the dirt  28  from the berms  24 ,  26  and drag the dirt  28  on top of the poly pipe  12  in the bottom furrow  22  of the ditch  20  to hold the pipe  12  in position. Once the pipe is filled with water it will generally remain in position, so this dirt is to hold it in position until the first irrigation is performed. By being placed in the bottom furrow  22  of the trench  30  and having the small amount of dirt  28  placed along the length of the pipe  12 , the pipe  12  is partially secured from disturbance from wind, animals, or other disturbances while it is uninflated. 
     Reference numerals used throughout the detailed description and the drawings correspond to the following elements:
         Spiral pipe roll  10     Poly pipe  12     Axle tube  14     ditch  20     bottom furrow  22     left side berm  24     right side berm  26     dirt  28     ground  30     Roll pipe placement device  100     Frame  200     Vertical front frame  210     Bottom cross arm  212     Top cross arm  214     Left side post  216     Right side post  218     Three point hitch  220     Top pin connection  222     Left pin connection  224     Right pin connection  226     Ditch plow  230     Center vertical post  232     Extendable lower leg  234     Hydraulic plow ram  236     First plow ram input hose  238     Second plow ram input hose  240     Plow foot  242     Left angle face  244     Right angle face  246     Cross brace  248     Outward frame  250     Left arm  252     Roll lifting crane  253     Vertical crane arm  254     Upper arm pivot  256     Pivoting lift arm  258     Roll lift chain  260     Spacer bar  262     Hydraulic roll arm ram  264     First arm ram input hose  266     Second arm ram input hose  268     Control valve  270     First tractor supply hose  272     Second tractor supply hose  274     Left Ground leg  276     Left leg lock  278     Left height adjustable leg  280     Left ground foot  282     Right arm  284     Right Ground leg  286     Right leg lock  288     Right height adjustable leg  290     Right foot  292     Left connecting gusset  300     Right connecting gusset  302     Horizontal back frame  400     Left horizontal arm  402     Right horizontal arm  404     Roll bar  406     Left roll support  408     Right roll support  410     Unrolling cross arm  414     Turntable lock bar  416     Lock handle catch  517     Left lock support  418     Right lock support  420     Lock handle  421     Pivoting lock bar  422     Upper lock extensions  423     Wheel cross arm  424     Lower wheel supports  426     Pipe placement wheel  428     First turntable cross arm  430     First angled pipe burying drag chain  432     Second angled pipe burying drag chain  434     Second turntable cross arm  440     Rear ground leg  442     Rear leg lock  444     Rear height adjustable leg  446     Rear ground foot  448     Pipe turntable  500     Lower turntable post  502     Pivoting Upper turntable post  504     Central pivot frame  506     First table side frame  508     Second table side frame  510     Third table side frame  512     Fourth table side frame  514     Central pivot body  516     Center bearing  518     Extension flange  520     First table post arm  522     Second table post arm  524     Third table post arm  526     Fourth table post arm  528     First roll support  530     First roll side J arm  532     First axle pin  533     Second roll side J arm  534     Second axle pin  535     Center roll axle  536     End lift loop  538     Second roll support  540     Third Roll Support  542     Fourth Roll Support  544         

     From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention well adapted to obtain all the ends and objects herein set forth, together with other advantages which are inherent to the structure. It will also be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     When interpreting the claims of this application, method claims may be recognized by the explicit use of the word ‘method’ in the preamble of the claims and the use of the ‘ing’ tense of the active word. Method claims should not be interpreted to have particular steps in a particular order unless the claim element specifically refers to a previous element, a previous action, or the result of a previous action. Apparatus claims may be recognized by the use of the word ‘apparatus’ in the preamble of the claim and should not be interpreted to have ‘means plus function language’ unless the word ‘means’ is specifically used in the claim element. The words ‘defining,’ ‘having,’ or ‘including’ should be interpreted as open ended claim language that allows additional elements or structures. Finally, where the claims recite “a” or “a first” element of the equivalent thereof, such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.