AU611918B2

AU611918B2 - A syphon tube

Info

Publication number: AU611918B2
Application number: AU18394/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Philip Martin Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-06-24
Filing date: 1988-06-24
Publication date: 1991-06-27
Anticipated expiration: 2008-06-24
Also published as: AU1839488A

Description

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4- 1 I COM4MON WEAL T11 COFAUG T R&L. XA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATIONh (Origina1) I- I 43 FOR OFFICE USE l classInt.Class Application z4umbert Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: 0 00Published: Jriority.- Namne of Appl2Xcant-.

,,-,Adress of Applicant; "Actual Inventor(s)..

Address for Service: P11ILIP HARTIN JONES Criffith Farm W'ater Services Bridge Road GRIFFITH 2680 in the State of New South Wales in the Commonwealth of Aut-ralia Phil1ip M.a-rtin Jones DAVIES COLLISON, Patent Attorneys,, I Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

Complete specification for the invention entitled: A SYPHON TUBE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me- S8 394/86 0000 0o 0 0 0 oo oo 00 00 0 0 0 0o 0 0 0 G 00 0 000000 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 "A SYPHON TUBE" 0 0 0 00 o o0 The present invention relates to a syphon tube and is particularly, but not essentially, concerned with a syphon tube for use in irrigation purposes.

oooo In the application of water to crops in an a 5 irrigation system, various means may be used in the 0 0 4 o o0 transfer of the water from the feeding chanrels to a cropying area which is below the level of the water in the feeding channels. The feeding channels are delineated from the cropping area by banks and in one arrangement water stops can be built into the bank which are opened as desired- The water then flows from the feeding channel to the cropping area. Alternatively, pipes, which may be valved, have been placed through the banks, and in yet another arrangement syphon tubes are placed over the bank.

The use of irrigation syphon -tubes disposed over 1a banks has substantial advantages over the other proposals in that: they can be removed after use and the land can lie readily reformed, thereby eliminating the problem of damage to fixed water outlets.

A known irrigation syphon tuhs is shown in Figjure 1. The known tube is generally made from a plastics material such as PVC and is "V1" shaped to define an apex 1 and depending legs 2 with the depending legs mak,-.ng an angle of about 90 to 1200 between each other at the ape-x.

A valve or tap 3 is provided at the apex 1 whic., provides 0 1 **0VV0 communication between the interior of the open-eilded pipe 0 0at the apex and atmosphere. In use, the illustrated 0 0 0syphon tube is placed over the bank with one log 2 in the 0 15 witer in the feeding channel and the other leg 2 on the dry side of the bank. A cap is then placed over the leg 2 00al on the dry side and air is withdrawn from the interior of .1 oathe pipe through thq valve or tap 3 by an air pump. Once o all of the air is exp-illed and replaced with water, the 0 0 20 valve on tap 3 is closed and the cap r'emoved from the dry leg 2. Water then flows through the syphon tube from the feeding channel under atmospheric prcssure.

0000 To stop the flow, the valve or tap 3 is opened to .0 00 allow air into the tube.

The known syphon tube shown in Figure 1 is a simple piece of apparatus but its cost is substantially increased by the requirement to incorporate the valve or tap 3, and it would be advantageous to do away with this requirement.

According to t~present invention there is provided a syphon tube for vithdrawing liquid frQm a body of the liquid comprising a tube whicrh is bent to define in apex intermediate open ends thereof, a suction pipe having one open end within the tube at the apex and the othcr 0 0 00 0 00 00 ~.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 000 0 oC 0 open end exteriorly of the tube at a locat ion remote from the apex whereby when one open end of the tube is disposedl below the surface of the body of 'Che liquir' with the apex thereabove, the other open end of the pipe is capable of also being located below said surface.

Further according to the present invention, there iz provided a method of syphoning liquid from a body of the liquid which comprises disposing a syphon tube substantially as des' ribed in the immediately preceding paragraph with the ne end of the tube and the other end of the sucti n below the surface of the body of liquid and with the other end of the tube below the level of said surface, closing the other end of the tube, withdrawing air from the tube out through the other end of the suction pipe, opening said other end of the tube to permit liquid from the body of liquid to flow thereout arpd opening the othe~r en d of the suction pipe to the body of liquid.

By the present invention, the function of the valve or tap 3 in the described prior art is removed by locating the other end of the suction pipe below the surface of the body of liquid. In order to withdraw air from the sy-phon tube, an air pump or other suction device may be fitted onto the other end of the suction pipe and when all the air has been withdrawn, the air pump is disconnected from the other end of the suction pipe with said other end remaining below the surface of the body of liquid. In order to stop the syphon f low and empty the syphon tube, an air hose is placed over the other end of the suction pipe and opened to atmosphere.

The suction pipe may be disposed at least substantially inside or outside of the syphon tube. Where the suction pipe extends at least substantially exteriorly of the tube, it may pass through the wall of the tube at or adjacent the apex.

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Two embodiments of a syphon tube in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURJS 1 is a side view of a syphon tube in accordance with the prior art, FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a .irst embodiment of syphon tube in accordar-9 with the invention, FIGURE 3 is a partial plan view of the syphon tube of Figure 2, FYGURE 4 is a view from one end of the syphon tube of Figure 2,I o FIGURE 5 is a sectional side view of the syphon tube of Figure 2, FIGURE 6 is a side view of the syphon tube of Figure 2 in use, and FIGURE 7 is a side view of a second embodiment of syphon tube in Rccordance with the present invention.

The syphon tube shown in Figures 2 to 6 comprises a rigid tube 12 of plastics material such as polyvinyl chloride. Other materials may,, alternatively be used. The tube 12 is substantially V-shaped to define opposed equal length straight legs 14 and 16 which meet at an apex 18 at an angle of approx.Lmately 1200. In this respect, the tubo 25 12 is similar to the prior art tube of Figure 1.

The legs 14 and 16 have respective open ends 2G and 22. An air outlet port 24 projects from the upper surface of the leg 14 adjacent the open end 20 and extends through the wall of the leg 14 to communicate with a connector 26 supported on the upper inner surface of the.

leg 14. A suction pipe 28 of cross-sectional area substantially smaller than that of the tube 12 extends from the connector 26 inside the leg 14 along the upper inside r.urface of the tuk-e 12 to the apex 18. The port 24 and connector 26 may be bonded to the wall of the leg 14 and the rigid small bore suction pipe 28 may be supported by this connection. Alternatively, the suction pine 28 may also be supported in the leg 14 by, for example, bonding along its length, partially or completely, to the inner surface.

In use as shown in Figure 6, the syphon tube is disposed on a bank 30 dividing an irrigation feeding channel 32 from a cropping area 34. The irrigation 10 feeding channel 32 contains a body of water 36. The oc syphon tube 10 is disposed with the leg 14 in the body of water 36 with at least the open end 20 and the port 24 below the surface 38. On the cropping area side, the leg 16 extends downwardly to the extent that the open end 22 15 is below the level of surface 38.

To prime the syphon tube 10, a cap (not shown) is disposed over the open end 22 of leg 16 and a hose of an air pump (not shown) is disposed over the port 24. The air pump is activated and air is withdrawn from the inside 2G of the tube 12 at the apex 18 by way of the suction pipe 28, the connector 26, the port 24 and the air pump. As the air is withdrawn, water from the feeder channel 32 is sucked up the leg 14 through the open end 20 and over the apex 18 into the leg 16. At this stage, the air pump may 25 be deactivated and its air hose disconnected from the port 24. In order for the water to now flow the cap is removed from the open end 22. With this arrangement, the syphoning effect is maintained without the requirement for a valve or tap at the outlet port 24 since the body of water 36 itself acts to close off communication of the port with atmosphere.

In order to stop the water flow through the syphon tube, a hose is placed over the port 24 in communication with atmosphere thereby allowing air back into the tube 12.

In the arrangement of Figure 7, the tube 12 is identical to that in Figures 1 to 6 but the suction pipe 28' is supported primarily exteriorly of the leg 14 between a support connector 40 and a connector port 42.

Alternatively, the pipe 28' may be mounted cirectly to the leg 14 by for example bonding along part or all of its length and passing through the wall of the tube 12 at the apex 18. As shown in Figure 7, the support connector is bonded to the wall of the leg 14 adjacent the open end of the leg 14 and has a passage 44 therethrough allowing communication between the suction pipe 28' and atmosphere. The connector port 42 is disposed at the apex of the tube 12 by bonding to the tube surface and has a passage 46 therethrough communicating with an opening 48 in the upper surface of the tube 12 at the apex whereby an air pump connected to the support connector 40 may withdraw air frorm the inside of the tube 12 at the apex.

It will be appreciated that the support connector 40 has no communication with the interior of the tube 12 other than by way of opening 48. The syphon tube shown in Figure 7 is used in precisely the same manner as the syphon tube It will be appreciated that many modifications and variations may be made to the described embodiments while still retaining the principles of the invention as defined in the claims and all such modifications and variations should be considered a'j .ithin the scope of the invention. In particular it will be understood that the suction pipe may be flexible.

Claims

1. A syphon tube for withdrawing liquid from a body of the liquid comprising a tube which is bent to define an apex intermediate open ends thereof, a suction pipe having one open end within the tube at the apex and the other open end exteriorly of the tube at a location remote from the apex whereby when one open end of the tube is disposed below the surface of the body of the liquid with the apex thereabove, the other open end of the pipe is capable of also being located below said surface.

2. A syphon tube as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the suction pipe is secured relative to the tube such that the other open end thereof is adjacent the one open end of the tube.

3. A syphon tube as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the suction pipe is bonded along its length to the tdbe.

4. A syphoi ':ube as claimed in any one of Claims I to 3, wherein the suction pipe extends adjacent the upper side of the tube when the apex is upwardly disposed relative to the open ends of the tube.

A syphon tube as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the suction pipe extends at least substantially within the tube.

6. A syphon tube as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the suction pipe extends at least substantially exteriorly of the tube and projects through the tube wall at or adjacent the apex. T,'

7. A syphon tube as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each leg of the tube between the apex and a respective one of the open ends thereof is substantially linear.

8. A syphon tube substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of syphoning liquid from a body of the liquid which comprises disposing a syphon tube as claimed in Claim 1 with the one end of the tube and the other end of the suction pipe below the surface of the body of liquid and with the other end of the tube below the level of said surface, closing the other end of the tube, withdrawing air from the tube out through the other end of the suction pipe, opening said other end of the tube to permit liquid from the body of liquid to flow thereout and opening the other end of the suction pipe to the body of liquid. i0 ny-i-te:- r--st-c c o m bn -io- itfeme -r -Esatur-es-de-scd-r-bed-herxeirn-; Dated this 24th day of JUNE 1988. PHILIP MARTIN JONES By his Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON "i c t 1