Adjustable Bolt-On Brace for Irrigation Tower Wind Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Field irrigation system towers experience destabilization and damage due to strong winds, requiring frequent monitoring and adjustments to prevent buckling and torqueing, which can harm crops and equipment.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable bolt-on brace attachment is provided, consisting of three ¾ inch threaded rods spanning between weight-bearing poles, secured by galvanized steel clamps, allowing for adjustable lengths from 15 to 49 inches to stabilize field irrigation towers, accommodating leg diameters from ⅞ inch to 2½ inches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If standard field irrigation towers are used without additional stabilization, then the device complexity is low, but the stability under strong wind conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilization system is divided into three separate adjustable brace attachments, each independently attached to one face of the tower. Each brace consists of separate components (rod, clamps, bolts) that can be assembled and adjusted independently, allowing the stability enhancement to be implemented in modular segments rather than as a single complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The brace attachments incorporate adjustable threaded rods with nuts that allow dynamic adjustment of the brace length and tension. This enables the stabilization system to adapt to different wind conditions and tower configurations, optimizing stability while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through adjustability rather than fixed complex structures.
2Reliability
If frequent monitoring and adjustments are made to prevent destabilization, then the reliability is improved, but the loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable brace attachments are pre-installed on the tower before strong wind conditions occur. The braces can be adjusted in advance to the appropriate tension and configuration, so that when strong winds occur, the tower is already stabilized and requires no monitoring or adjustments during the storm event.
Solution Approach 2:
The brace attachments provide preemptive structural support that cushions the tower against destabilizing forces before they act. By installing the braces in advance with proper tension, the system prepares the tower to resist wind loads without requiring reactive monitoring or adjustments during severe weather conditions.
3Strength
If the tower structure is strengthened to prevent buckling and torqueing, then the strength is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The strength enhancement is achieved through three separate brace attachments rather than a single complex reinforcement structure. Each brace is a simple triangular truss assembly that can be manufactured and installed independently, distributing the strengthening function across multiple simple components rather than one complex component.
Solution Approach 2:
The brace attachment combines different materials (galvanized steel rods, aluminum or steel clamps, stainless steel bolts) to create a composite structure that achieves high strength through material properties and geometric configuration rather than complex structural design. The triangular bracing geometry provides inherent structural strength.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an adjustable bolt-on brace attachment for strengthening standard field irrigation towers and tapered sections of field irrigations towers to stabilize a tower. In one aspect of the present invention, an attachment for stabilizing field irrigation towers allows the user to easily assemble the adjustable bolt-on brace in the field wherein three threaded ¾ inch rods span between the each of the three weight bearing poles of the field irrigation system. Each ¾ inch threaded rod is spanned between each pair of weight-bearing poles of a tower attaching at each pole by a galvanized steel two-sided clamp which is double bolted-on to each pole. The adjustable threaded rods may span from 15 inches to 49 inches of each of three tower faces and adjustable double sided steel clamps fit field irrigations tower legs sizes from ⅞ inch to 2½ inches diameter.