Valmont Industries, Inc.

Don Newbold

Owen W Sherwin

An average speed spinner water drive system for a center pivot irrigation system has a first group of sprinklers spaced along the main conduit which are continuously on, and a second group of pairs of sprinklers, each pair having an associated spinner drive which is sequenced on to drive the system. By sequencing sprinklers in combination with spinner drives, applicant's average speed system delivers an amount of water which is directly proportional to the speed of the system through the field. Each support tower is provided with a totally mechanical and hydraulic alignment control for sensing when it is behind the next outermost section of conduit and sequencing on its spinner drive to bring it into alignment. A percentage timer is used to set the speed of the system and thus the amount of water applied to the field. The percentage timer has a hydraulic motor turning a shaft with two individually adjustable cams to operate hydraulic start and stop valves. An overwatering timer mounted on the next to outermost support tower measures the time delay between 'on' intervals of the master spinner drive and stops the system if the delay exceeds a predetermined period. The overwatering timer includes a cylinder with a free floating piston and water is applied to opposite ends of the cylinder with a mechanically operated valve at one end to shut off the system when the piston is driven to that end.

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Fremont, NE, United States of America

Don Newbold