Patent ID: 8457799

Claim:
An automatic gated-pipe actuator for controlling flow of an irrigation material to an agricultural region through an irrigation gate in a gated-irrigation pipe, the automatic gated-pipe actuator comprising: a gate valve for coupling to the gated-irrigation pipe; a gate actuator removably coupled to the gate valve and for actuating the gate valve; and an automatic gated pipe gate control unit for controlling actuation of the gate valve, the control unit having a processor unit proximate to and communicatively coupled with the gate actuator, wherein the gate control unit is programmed with at least one operating instruction for independently and automatically the gate actuator without receiving instruction from a remote source; wherein upon instruction from the gate control unit according to the at least one operating instruction, the gate actuator will actuate and alter the disposition of the gate valve, thereby altering the flow of irrigation material through the irrigation gate and to an agricultural region, and wherein the gate control unit is adapted to control the gate valve to alter the disposition of the gate valve between a plurality of different open positions and a closed position, each open position providing for a different flow rate of irrigation material through the irrigation gate.