The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 16, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 31, 2001
Timothy A. Abbott, South Bend, IN (US);
Other;
Abstract
An irrigation system for selectively providing water to various plants in a relative same area with different rates of application of water. The system has a first valve for connecting a water supply with a tube in a edging. The edging has vertical web with a flange for locating the tube in a fixed position within the area with respect to various plants. A plurality of second control valves are located on the tube in a plane tangent to the web such that a first end cap on each of the control valves is below an apex of the tube. Each second valve is characterized by a body having a first projection that extends into the tube. The body has a stepped axial bore that extends into the first projection to meet a cross bore for communicating water presented to the tube into the stepped axial bore. The stepped axial bore is connected to an outlet port in a first end cap by an internal port. The first end cap has a radial groove that snaps on to a rib that surrounds the port to resiliently join the first end cap to the body. The stepped axial bore has a radial groove that receives a rib formed on a cylinder of a second end cap to join the second end cap to the body. The cylinder of the second end cap has an axial passage through which stepped bore is connected to the outlet port. The second end cap is rotatable from a first position where the cylinder covers the internal port to seal the stepped bore from the outlet port to a second position where water presented to the stepped bore is communicated to an outlet port in the first end cap for distribution to an individual plant to promote optimum growth for an individual plant.