Abstract:
A mobile apparatus for irrigating container-grown plants suitable for use as a nursery irrigation system has a remote water storage tank, which utilizes the same overhead pipe to deliver and remove the water to a plant tray to base of the plant without contacting the leaves of the plant under an automatically controlled system.

Description:
This invention relates to an irrigation system for container grown plants in a nursery, and more particularly an irrigation system that is mobile, uses one pipe for the delivery and removal of the water, while avoiding imbedded floor plumbing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In plant nurseries, it is necessary to water the plants on a daily basis. The best method for watering plants is by providing water to the root ball from below, thereby avoiding wetting the plant leaves. Wet leaves may lead to leaf fungus. Leaf fungus, of course, is a major problem in the industry and is best prevented, rather than remedied. Prevention of this problem is preferred, because it is environmentally friendly and efficient. 
     Many watering systems are known that provide water to a tray within which the plants sit, thereby watering the root ball from below. However, these systems require fixed plumbing in the floor or the location of a large water tank next to the plant tray. The existing systems also require separate pipes to deliver and remove the water. 
     Fixed plumbing for watering plants from below creates a problem for the flexibility of the space involved in supporting the plants. For example, some nurseries desire to remove tables and use the space for Christmas trees. The use of extensive fixed plumbing or water storage tanks limits the usability of the floor space in a nursery. Floor space is almost always at a premium in the nursery business. 
     Such a fixed system also makes the inventory process more difficult, as a fork lift or other equipment must be maneuvered around the fixed floor pipes and water tanks. The existing watering systems for plants further require manual operation, which adds to the cost of operation. 
     Clearly, automation of the system and recycling of the water can lead to great efficiency. Yet, such a watering system is lacking for the plant nurseries of today. With natural resources in short supply, it is best to conserve whenever possible. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Among the many objectives of the present invention is the provision of a nursery irrigation system that requires no fixed floor plumbing. 
     A further objective of this invention is the provision of a nursery irrigation system that has one pipe to deliver and remove water from the plant tray. 
     Yet a further objective of this invention is the provision of an irrigation system that allows the water storage tank to be remotely located from the plant tray. 
     A still further objective of this invention is the provision of a nursery irrigation system that can be easily disassembled and reconfigured to allow the maximum and flexible use of the selling floor space in a nursery. 
     Another objective of this invention is the provision of an irrigation system that can be automatically controlled, allowing unattended system operation. 
     These and other objectives of the invention (which other objectives become clear by consideration of the specification, claims and drawings as a whole) are met by providing a mobile apparatus for irrigating container-grown plants suitable for use as a nursery irrigation system with a remote water storage tank, that utilizes the same overhead pipe to deliver and remove the water under an automatically controlled system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of the mobile nursery irrigation system  100  of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a view of tray assembly for the delivery and draining of water according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a view of system  100  showing the flow of water through the apparatus for the delivery of water to a tray of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a view of components found underneath a plant tray  170  showing the flow of water for the delivery of water to a plant tray of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  depicts a perspective view of tray pipe tee  156  showing the flow of water through the tee from solenoid valve pipe extension  154  to tray vertical pipe  158  for delivery of water to a plant tray  170  of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a view of apparatus  100  showing the flow of water through the apparatus for the drainage of water from a plant tray  170  of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  depicts a view of the components found under a plant tray  170  showing the flow of water for the drainage of water from a plant tray  170  of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  depicts a view of tray pipe tee  156  showing the flow of water through the tee from tray vertical pipe  158  to tray drain extension pipe  172  for drainage of water from a tray of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Throughout the figures of the drawings, where the same part appears in more than one figure of the drawings, the same number is applied thereto. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The mobile apparatus for irrigating container-grown plants from below the root ball, or from the bottom of the container or the tray holding the plants, has a water storage tank. The tank can be remotely located away from the plant trays and can service multiple plant trays. Overhead piping connects the tank to the plant trays. In a preferred form, the water storage tank may be located in a back room, away from the main selling floor. 
     The mobile irrigation apparatus uses a centrifugal pump to deliver water to the multiple plant trays and a venturi vacuum pump to remove the water from the trays. Each individual plant tray has an input pipe with a solenoid valve that can be electrically controlled, allowing for timed or remote control of the system. The delivery and drain piping of the system is located overhead and close to the ceiling, thereby facilitating more flexible uses of the selling floor and allowing easy rearrangement of the plant trays, by removing and reattaching the plant tray piping system. 
     The preferred material for the piping on the irrigation system is rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), but any other suitable piping rigid material, such as copper, steel or aluminum may be used. Rigid PVC provides superior results because it is lightweight but prevents pooling that can occur with the sagging of a flexible pipe. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the ease of adding and removing plant trays from the system is readily apparent. The mobile nursery irrigation system  100  is composed of five main parts, a main delivery assembly  102 ; a main drain assembly  103 ; a tray delivery assembly  104 ; a tray drain assembly  105 ; and a controller  106 . 
     The main delivery assembly  102  has a storage tank  108  connected to outflow pipe  110 , which feeds into centrifugal pump  112 . The output from centrifugal pump  112  flows into through the centrifugal pump output pipe  114  into the main delivery pipe tee  116 . 
     Joined to the vertical end of the main delivery pipe tee  116  is check valve flow inflow pipe  118 , which is attached to main delivery check valve  120 . The outflow from main delivery check valve  120  flows into main delivery ascending pipe  122 , through main delivery elbow  124  into main delivery pipe  126 , where connections to each individual tray delivery assembly  104  are made. Main delivery check valve  120  prevents backflow from the main delivery ascending pipe  122  into water storage tank  108 . 
     Multiple tray drain assembly  105  are attached to main drain assembly  103 . Main drain assembly  103  consists of main drain pipe  140 , which feeds into main drain elbow  138  which is connected to main drain descending pipe  136 . Main drain descending pipe  136  feeds into the vertical opening of venturi vacuum pump  134 . 
     Connecting into one horizontal opening of venturi vacuum pump  134  is the delivery/drain interconnection pipe  135 , and connecting into the other horizontal opening is tank input pipe  132 . Water flows through tank input pipe  132  into tank elbow  130  and to tank input vertical pipe  128 , from where it flows into storage tank  108 . The delivery or drain interconnection pipe  135  allows water to flow from the main water drain assembly  102  into the inlet of the venturi vacuum pump  134 , thereby providing the motive flow to create the vacuum necessary to remove the water from the plant trays  170 . 
     Each tray delivery assembly  104  has a tray delivery input tee  142  which tees off of main delivery pipe  126 . The vertical opening of tray delivery input tee  142  is connected to tray delivery input pipe  144 , which is further connected to tray delivery input elbow  146 . Attached to the other opening of tray delivery input elbow  146  is tray delivery input pipe extension  148 , which connects the input side of to tray delivery solenoid valve  150 . 
     Connected to the output side of tray delivery solenoid valve  150  is solenoid valve pipe extension  154 , which is further connected to one of the horizontal openings of tray pipe tee  156 . Attached to the vertical opening of tray pipe tee  156  is tray vertical pipe  158  leading to a plant tray  170 . 
     Adding  FIG. 2  to the consideration, tray vertical pipe  158  is connected to tray flexible hose  161 . Tray flexible hose is connected to vacuum shut off valve  168 . Vacuum shut off valve  168  is connected to plant tray  170 . Vacuum shut off valve  168  acts under positive pressure from the centrifugal pump  112  to allow water to flow on to the plant tray  170 . When under vacuum from venturi vacuum pump  134 , the vacuum shut off valve  168  allows water to flow freely from the plant tray  170  back to the flexible hose  161  through the drain system  103 , until there is no water remaining on the plant tray  170 . When no water remains, the vacuum shut off valve  168  closes, thereby maintaining the vacuum in the drain system  103 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , attached to the other horizontal opening of tray pipe tee  156  is tray drain assembly  105  and tray drain extension pipe  172  in particular. Tray drain extension pipe  172  is further connected to train drain elbow  174 , which is attached to tray drain check valve input pipe  176 . The other end of tray drain check valve input pipe  176  is attached to tray drain check valve  178 . The output of tray drain check valve feeds into tray drain pipe  180 , which is attached to tray drain tee  182 . Tray drain tee  182  tees into main drain assembly  103  in general and main drain pipe  140  in particular. 
     Tray drain check valve  178  prevents back flow from the main water drain assembly  103  into plant tray  170 . Connected to the solenoid valve control wires  152  is controller  106 . Controller  106  includes a timing mechanism to allow for timed and remote control of the system. Thus, watering or irrigation times may be easily set. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , with controller  106  connected to the tray delivery solenoid valve  150  by solenoid valve control wires  152 , water can be delivered through main delivery assembly  102  to tray delivery assembly  104 , and in particular through tray pipe tee  156 , to a plant tray  170 . Thus, water flow to the plant tray  170  is controlled properly. 
     Adding  FIG. 4  to the consideration, water flows through tray flexible hose  161  into vacuum shut off valve  168  and then into the plant tray  170 . In this fashion, water to each plant tray  170  is controlled. 
     Adding  FIG. 5  to the consideration, the operation of tray pipe tee  156  diverts water from solenoid valve pipe extension  154  into tray vertical pipe  158  to allow the delivery of water to plant tray  170 . Such a diversion provides a good control of the water flow thanks to tray delivery solenoid valve  150 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 6 , venturi vacuum pump  134  brings about the flow of water from the plant tray  170  through tray pipe tee  156  of tray drain assembly  105  into main drain assembly  103  of the present invention for the purpose of draining a plant tray  170 . The flow of water is shown away from plant tray  170  back to tank  108  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Adding  FIG. 7  to the consideration, the operation of positive pressure ball valve can be seen to effectuate the draining of water plant tray  170  into tray flexible hose  161 . Again, the flow of water is shown away from plant tray  170  back to tank  108  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Adding  FIG. 8  to the consideration, the flow of water through tray pipe tee  156  is shown in the drainage of water from tray vertical pipe  158  to tray drain extension pipe  172 . Clearly reemphasized such a diversion provides a good control of the water flow thanks to tray delivery solenoid valve  150  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     This application—taken as a whole with the abstract, specification, claims, and drawings being combined—provides sufficient information for a person having ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention as disclosed and claimed herein. Any measures necessary to practice this invention are well within the skill of a person having ordinary skill in this art after that person has made a careful study of this disclosure. 
     Because of this disclosure and solely because of this disclosure, modification of this method and device can become clear to a person having ordinary skill in this particular art. Such modifications are clearly covered by this disclosure.