1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to irrigation systems and more particularly to a horizontally oriented, in-line automatic shut-off control device placed upstream of a water distribution member to shut off and prevent water flow to the water distribution member in the event a malfunction or damage occurs to the water distribution member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lawn and grass areas are typically irrigated by in-ground sprinklers, which may or may not pop-up when water flows from a supply source. Most systems are automatically operated either by a timer or by some type of ground moisture sensing arrangement.
Conventional water distribution members in the form of sprinkler heads are prone to breakage for a variety of reasons. For example, sprinkler heads may be run over by lawn mowers or be stepped on by a person walking across the lawn.
Breaking one or more of the sprinkler heads results in the majority of the water in the system being disbursed through the broken heads, instead of all of the heads as programmed. This is not only a waste of water, but can be quite expensive in areas where water shortages are common. Water is a precious commodity in many areas, such as desert developments and the like. In addition, the area around the broken sprinkler head can be damaged by the excessive water flow to this area. With automated systems, breakage of a sprinkler head is often not detected until extensive damage occurs. Moreover, the entire system may be shut down until appropriate repair can be made, thus causing other areas in need of water to be damaged.
The inventors of the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,051,951 address these issues. However, it was found that applications wherein the shut-off control devices must be oriented horizontally or less than vertically presented additional problems. These problems are addressed by the present invention.