Abstract
This application is for a System for Warning of Excess Water Saturation of a Root Ball. The System for Warning of Excess Water Saturation of a Root Ball can indicate historical and real-time water levels within a soil. For example, the System for Warning of Excess Water Saturation of a Root Ball can detect water levels within the soil for a planting pit so that a user can be informed of the soil saturation conditions and appropriately react. A method for installing and customizing such a system is also described. A method for measuring and calculating the percolation rate of the soil is also described.
Claims
1. A water monitoring system for monitoring water saturation of a soil, said water monitoring system comprising: a network of perforated tubing adjacent to a bottom surface of a planting pit housing said soil; a vertical pipe associated with said network of perforated tubing; a bladder housed within said vertical pipe, said bladder being buoyant; a shaft attached to said bladder; a vertical pipe cap with a cavity adapted to fit said shaft; a fastener adapted to prevent said shaft from descending below said vertical pipe cap through said cavity; and, a retention mechanism for controlling a vertical movement of said shaft; whereby said bladder is configured within said vertical pipe such that said bladder floats on top of a surface of a water collected by said network of perforated tubing from said soil; and, whereby said shaft attached to said bladder visually indicates a water level height of said water by moving with said bladder floating on top of said surface.
2. The water monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a sump associated with said vertical pipe.
3. The water monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said fastener is a nut attached to a top end of said shaft.
4. The water monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein a root ball is planted within said soil; and, wherein a bottom of said network of perforated tubing is a below a bottom of said root ball.
5. The water monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a meshed surface covering said network of perforated tubing.
6. The water monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said retention mechanism includes a spring and a retention clip.
7. The water monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm; whereby said shaft activates said alarm when a water level raises said shaft attached to said bladder to an alarm point.
8. The water monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising an infrared relay sensor.
9. The water monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising: a controller; and, a transmitter; wherein said transmitter is capable of communicating with a receiver; and, wherein said receiver is capable of receiving data from said transmitter related to the movement of said shaft.
10. The water monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein said receiver is connected to a computer network.
11. A method for customizing a water monitoring system for monitoring water saturation of a soil, said method comprising: installing a network of perforated tubing along a bottom surface of a planting pit housing said soil; installing a vertical pipe with a vertical pipe cap to be associated with said network of perforated tubing; installing a shaft attached to a bladder within said vertical pipe, said bladder being buoyant; disengaging a retention mechanism within said vertical pipe cap; marking a first point on said shaft indicating the point at which said bladder floats within a water body within said vertical pipe; and, installing a fastener attached to said shaft.
12. The method for customizing a water monitoring system for monitoring water saturation of a soil according to claim 11, further comprising: severing said shaft at a second point below said first point; installing said fastener at a point adjacent to said second point; and, choosing a mode of operation for said water monitoring system; whereby engaging said retention mechanism operates said water monitoring system in a historical mode; and, whereby disengaging said retention mechanism operates said water monitoring system in a real-time mode.
13. The method for customizing a water monitoring system for monitoring water saturation of a soil according to claim 12, further comprising planting a root ball within said soil; wherein said root ball is planted such that a bottom surface of said root ball is above a bottom surface of said network of perforated tubing.
14. A method for measuring a water percolation rate of a soil, said method comprising: installing a network of perforated tubing along a bottom surface of a tree planting pit housing said soil; installing a vertical pipe with a vertical pipe cap to be associated with said network of perforated tubing; installing a shaft attached to a bladder within said vertical pipe, said bladder being buoyant; installing a fastener attached to said shaft; disengaging a retention mechanism within said vertical pipe cap; watering said soil with a water; observing said shaft rise to an apex watering height from said watering; observing said shaft descend from said apex watering height to a base height; and, calculating a percolation rate based on said watering of said soil and said shaft descending from said apex watering height to said base height.
15. The method for measuring a water percolation rate of a soil according to claim 14, further comprising measuring a time applicable to said shaft descending from said apex watering height to said base height.
16. The method for measuring a water percolation rate of a soil according to claim 15, further comprising measuring a volume of said water for watering said soil.
17. The method for measuring a water percolation rate of a soil according to claim 16, further comprising sending a water percolation data to a computer network.
18. The method for measuring a water percolation rate of a soil according to claim 17, further comprising receiving a recommendation data from said computer network.
19. The method for measuring a water percolation rate of a soil according to claim 18, wherein said recommendation data is based on said water percolation data.
20. The method for measuring a water percolation rate of a soil according to claim 18, further comprising said recommendation data is based on a global positioning coordinate.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of a Warning System installed in a planting pit.
[0036] FIG. 2 is a cutaway side perspective view of the Warning System and the planting pit of FIG. 1.
[0037] FIG. 3 is a cutaway side perspective of a second embodiment of a Warning System installed in a planting pit.
[0038] FIG. 4 is a cutaway side perspective of the Warning System and the planting pit of FIG. 3 displaying a soil saturated with water and a raised water level.
[0039] FIG. 5 is a cutaway side perspective of the Warning System and the planting pit of FIG. 3 displaying an unsaturated soil that previously had a raised water level from FIG. 4.
[0040] FIG. 6 is a cutaway side perspective of a vertical pipe with a retention mechanism engaged with a shaft.
[0041] FIG. 7 is a cutaway side perspective of the vertical pipe of FIGS. 6 with a retention mechanism disengaged from the shaft.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] FIGS. 1 and 2 demonstrate a first embodiment of a Warning System 1 from various perspectives.
[0043] FIG. 1 demonstrates the Warning System 1 from a top-down perspective. The Warning System 1 is shown comprising of a tubing network 2 and a vertical pipe 4. The tubing network 2 is shown with perforations for receiving liquids such as water. These perforations can be covered by materials such as a mesh sleeve so that only liquids can pass through and solids such as soil and dirt are blocked. The tubing network 2 and the vertical pipe 4 are installed within a planting pit 20. The planting pit 20 is filled with a soil 22. A tree 26 is planted within the planting pit 20. A root ball 24 of the tree 26 is planted within the soil 22 of the planting pit 20. As shown, the soil 22 within the planting pit 20 surrounds the tubing network 2, the vertical pipe 4, and the root ball 24.
[0044] FIG. 2 demonstrates the Warning System 1 of FIG. 1 from a cutaway side perspective. The tubing network 2, the vertical pipe 4, and the root ball 24 of the tree 26 are shown within the soil 22 of the planting pit 20. Extending from the vertical pipe 4 is a sump 6. The sump 6 is a reservoir for collecting excess liquids such as water within the soil 22. The tubing network 2, the vertical pipe 4, and the sump 6 (if installed) all collect excess water within the soil 22 of the planting pit 20. Thus, if the soil 22 is saturated, the water can be collected by the tubing network 2, the vertical pipe 4, and the sump 6 instead of remaining in the soil 22 and potentially creating anaerobic soil conditions that can damage the root ball 24 and kill the tree 26. The sump 6 and the vertical pipe 4 are also a centralized area for a user to collect and remove excess water collected by the Warning System 1. The tubing network 2 is installed such that the bottom surface of the tubing network 2 is installed at a height lower than the bottom surface of the root ball 24.
[0045] FIG. 2 further demonstrates within the vertical pipe 4 is an installation comprising of a shaft 10, a bladder 12, and a vertical pipe cap 16. The bladder 12 is buoyant and rises as the water level rises within the tubing network 2, the vertical pipe 4, and the sump 6 (if installed as shown). As the bladder 12 moves, the attached shaft 10 moves too. A fastener 16 is attached at the top of the shaft 10 for preventing the shaft 10 from descending below the vertical pipe cap 14. Thus, even when there is no water within the tubing network 2, the vertical pipe 4, and the sump 6, the shaft 10 is supported by the fastener 16 and the top of the shaft 10 remains at the top of the vertical pipe cap 14. A cavity within the vertical pipe cap 14 is fitted such that the cavity is large enough for the shaft 10 to move through the cavity. The cavity is also small enough such that the fastener 16 attached to the shaft 10 does not fit through the cavity and will be stopped by the vertical pipe cap 14.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 2, the shaft 10 is fitted such that the length of the shaft 10 is the length from the top of the vertical pipe cap 14 to the resting position of the bladder 12 in conditions in which there is little to no excess water within the Warning System 1. Conditions in which there is little to no excess water within the Warning System 1 exist when the water level within the tubing network 2 and the vertical pipe 4 has not exceeded a 0 water level height. When a sump 6 is installed as shown, the water level exceeds the 0 water level height only after the sump 6 reservoir has been filled. Thus, as the water level in the tubing network 2, vertical pipe 4, and the sump 6 rises beyond a 0 water level height, the shaft 10 and top-attached fastener 16 rise too. Because the length of the shaft 10 has been adjusted for a length from the top of the vertical pipe cap 14 to the resting position of the bladder 12 at a 0 water level height, a rise in the height of the shaft 10 and the fastener 16 beyond the vertical pipe cap 14 indicates excess water within the soil 22.
[0047] FIGS. 3 through 5 demonstrate a second embodiment of a Warning System 1 from various perspectives.
[0048] FIG. 3 demonstrates the Warning System 1 from cutaway side view. The Warning
[0049] System 1 consisting of a tubing network 2 is shown installed within a planting pit 20 and a soil 22 supporting a root ball 24 of a tree 26. In this demonstrated configuration, there are two vertical pipes 4, two shafts 10, two bladders 12, two vertical pipe caps 14, and two fasteners 16. Unlike the previous embodiment as demonstrated in FIG. 2, no sump 6 is installed.
[0050] FIG. 4 demonstrates the Warning System 1 from FIG. 3 after a volume of water 30 has saturated the soil 22. As the water 30 saturates the soil 22, the water 30 enters the tubing network 2 and the vertical pipe 4 and a water level height 32 rises within the Warning System 1. The rising water level height 32 forces up the buoyant bladder 12, which consequently also forces up the shaft 10 and the fastener 16. Thus, the risen height of the shaft 10 and fastener 16 indicates that the water level height 32 has arisen within the planting pit 20 and that the soil 22 has been saturated by the water 30.
[0051] FIG. 5 demonstrates the Warning System 1 from FIG. 3 after the water 30 that saturated the soil 22 has passed and the water level height 32 has pushed up the shaft 10 and the bladder 12 as demonstrated in FIG. 4. Here, the Warning System 1 has been set in a historical mode. In this historical mode, a retention mechanism 18 has been engaged with the shaft 10. Thus, the shaft 10 can move in an upwards direction through the vertical pipe cap 14 and its corresponding cavity, but the retention mechanism 18 prevents the shaft 10 from moving in a downwards direction. Thus, even if there is no water in the planting pit 20, the soil 22, the vertical pipes 4, or the tubing network 2, the shaft 10 and the bladder 12 remain at the height pushed up by the water level height 32 from FIG. 4. Hence, the Warning System 1 indicates in this historical mode that the soil 22 has been saturated with water at some point in the past since the last time the shaft 10 and the bladder 12 were reset.
[0052] FIGS. 6 through 7 demonstrate a retention mechanism 18 being engaged and disengaged with a shaft 10 within a vertical pipe 4.
[0053] FIGS. 6 and 7 demonstrate the vertical pipe 4 housing the shaft 10 attached to a bladder 12 and a fastener 16. The shaft 10 goes through a cavity within a vertical pipe cap 14. Another cavity displayed within the vertical pipe cap 14 allows pressure within the vertical pipe 4 (e.g., air pressure) to equalize as liquids and other materials enter the vertical pipe 4. In FIG. 6, the retention mechanism 18 is positioned such that it is engaged with the shaft 10. The shaft 10 is positioned though a cavity within the retention mechanism 18. The retention mechanism allows the shaft 10 to move in an upwards vertical direction but prevents the shaft 10 from moving in a downwards vertical direction. Thus, a rising water level within the vertical pipe 4 can raise the bladder 12 and the shaft 10, but after the water has passed, the shaft 10 remains at its risen height. Hence, engaging the retention mechanism 18 with the shaft 10 enters the Warning System 1 into a historical mode in which the historically highest water level within the planting pit 20 and the soil 22 is displayed by the shaft 10.
[0054] In FIG. 7, the retention mechanism 18 is shown disengaged from the shaft 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the retention mechanism 18 is rotated such that the shaft 10 is not positioned through the retention mechanism 18 while still being positioned through the cavity of the vertical pipe cap 14. Thus, a rising water level within the vertical pipe 4 can raise the bladder 12 and the shaft 10. As the water level drops, the shaft 10 will move back down with the falling water level until the fastener 16 prevents the shaft 10 from moving downwards any farther. Hence, disengaging the retention mechanism 18 from the shaft 10 enters the Warning System 1 into a real-time mode in which the real-time water level within the planting pit 20 and the soil 22 is displayed by the shaft 10.
