FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patents Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10; Rule 13)
1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
NOVEL INFILTROMETER
2. APPLICANT(S)
(a) NAME: Excel Crop Care Limited
(b) NATIONALITY: An Indian Company
(c) ADDRESS:
184-87, Swami Vivekanand Road, Jogeshwari, Mumbai 400 102, Maharashtra, India.
3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION:
The following COMPLETE specification particularly describes the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a device for measuring infiltration rate and runoff rate of fluid, the said device can be conveniently used e.g. for measuring infiltration of water, solution, or any fluid into soil.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Infiltration capacity of soil is the rate at which water can penetrate downward into the soil. It is one of the important factors which determine fertility. Infiltration rate should be appropriate to obtain desired results. Low infiltration rates result either in run-off or water-logging. Very high infiltration rates result in leaching of nutrients deeper into the soil where the roots cannot reach.
Infiltration and run-off rates depend on nature and texture of various layers of soil. The soil may be amended to suitably modify infiltration rates. Hence it is important to determine movement of water in soil or measure the infiltration and run-off rates. Determination of soil permeability is routinely required in agricultural and in some construction projects.
An infiltrometer reported in US4956993 comprises a small reservoir within a large reservoir concentrically arranged. The inner diameter of the said reservoir is 6 feet and height 12 feet. This device is not convenient to use. Moreover, it occupies large space even at the time of non-use.
DE4311032 describes a double ring tension infiltrometer which determines the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of soils.
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US5157959 describes a ponded infiltrometer including a bubble chamber formed in a base that supports a liquid reservoir. A unit change in water height in the reservoir causes a unit change in tension. The water flow from the reservoir can be calculated from the change in tension in the reservoir over time.
An infiltrometer is also described in DE4041960, comprising a sensor system mounted in the measuring cylinder of infiltrometer which measures the conductivities of liquid along the cylinder using a number of electrodes. This device is particularly used for locating the concentrates of contaminants in soil.
An automated tension infiltrometer is described in US4884436, which is comprising of a soil contacting base to which is mounted a porous plate for interfacing the infiltrometer with the soil to be analyzed. The device is further comprising of Marriotte column, a bubble tower and transducers.
Thus, the infiltrometers of prior art are either complicated or not convenient to use and moreover, it is not possible to accurately determine run-off rate in addition to infiltration rate by using infiltrometers of the prior art.
Thus, there is a need for an infiltrometer which is simple & inexpensive, easy to use, accurate, not occupying lot of space while not in use, and which also accurately measures the rate of run-off from various layers of soil in addition to measuring downward infiltration.
OBJECTS OF INVENTION
The main object of present invention is to provide a device for measuring infiltration rate and run-off rate of water/fluid into soil.
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Another object of invention is to provide an infiltrometer which is simple, inexpensive and easy to operate.
Still another object of invention is to provide an infiltrometer which can be used to determine soil permeability vertically as well as horizontally across various layers of soil.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a method to determine soil permeability using the infiltrometer of present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 shows the side view of a sheet of the device (marked as 1 in Fig. 5
showing the complete device) wherein a bent pipe is inserted
Fig.2 shows back side of sheet 1 wherein multiple bent pipes are inserted
at different distances.
Fig. 3 shows the side view of sheet 1 with a measuring cylinder for
collection of water at the end of the bent pipe.
Fig. 4 is the sketch of 2nd 85 3rd sheets of the device which are similar.
Fig. 5 shows complete device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Water may penetrate into soil downwards as well as horizontally across various layers of the soil. In certain soils where the porosity is consistently good across vertical layers, water infiltrates downwards to a significant extent due to gravity. On the other hand, if underground layers of soil are less porous, water moves in horizontal direction or it results in run-off without appreciable infiltration. Thus infiltration of water into soil is a function of soil structure and texture.
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The infiltration profile of soil makes it suitable or unsuitable for a particular crop, depending on its root-system. Roots of various crops penetrate and spread into soil to different extent and depth.
Infiltration profile of soil once known, can be suitably altered by appropriate soil management practices. Hence it is important to measure the infiltration rate accurately in vertical as well as horizontal direction. The infiltrometer of present invention precisely and accurately measures the same.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an infiltrometer is comprising of following components :
Pipe(s) optionally bent from one side are inserted and fixed into a sheet at different distances as shown in Figs. 1 85 2. Another two sheets optionally bent from one side at right angle as shown in Fig.4. One more sheet is optionally bent from two parallel sides in a similar way. The sheets are preferably made up of a hard material such as a metal or an alloy like steel. The sheets can be arranged and fixed to form a cube with the help of any fixing means such as screw or clip.
The soil where infiltration rate is to be measured is dig in a manner so as to keep a substantially intact cube of soil in the middle as shown in Fig.6. The dimensions of the said soil-cube are selected in such a way so as to resemble in size and shape with the size and shape of the sheets of infiltrometer when arranged cubically, accommodating the soil-cube within it i.e., covering vertical sides of the cube. The vertical sides of the cube of soil are made substantially plane and perpendicular to the surface. The first mentioned sheet as shown in Fig.2 is placed on a plane vertical side of the soil-cube so that the horizontal end of the pipe is
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perpendicular to the vertical plane side of the soil-cube. This first sheet is then pushed to insert the pipes into the plane side of the soil-cube to maximum possible extent. A hammer may be used for this purpose. Sheets 2 and 3 (of which one side is optionally bent at right angle) are then attached at right angle to the first sheet with the optionally bent side (if bent) overlapping the first sheet. The fourth sheet may be then be attached at right angle to 2nd and 3rd sheets to make a cube of sheets covering the soil-cube as shown in fig. 5. The top side of each sheet is kept above the soil surface to accommodate some water. After arranging in the manner as aforesaid, the sheets can be fixed together with the help of screw or clips. After attaching all four sheets as described above, the corners are then sealed with material such as bentonite. If there are minute gaps between the sides of the soil-cube and the sheet of the infiltrometer, fine powdery soil may be filled from the top to fill the gaps. The top-side borders adjacent to sheets may be sealed with bentonite.
Moisture-meter can be inserted into the pipes attached to sheet if straight pipes are used. Alternatively, the volume of water coming out through pipes over a period of time can be measured.
Water is then poured in the top-side space of the cube. It percolates depending on the permeability of soil in vertical and horizontal directions. The water coming out from the pipes may be collected and its volume against time may be measured to determine infiltration rate and run-off rate across the layers of soil.
Optionally, pipes may be inserted as described above in more than one sheets. Other sheets with pipes are fixed in an identical manner as the first one to which the pipes are attached, as described above.
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This device not only measures infiltration profile accurately, but it is also easy to use. Moreover it is flexible in the sense that the sheets can be dismantled and kept so that it does not occupy huge space while not in use.
The device of present invention also provides an additional distinct advantage over prior art. In the devices of prior art where concentric rings are inserted into the soil, the soil from sides become loose while inserting the device, due to which small gap is created between the wall of the device and soil. Water flows downward through this gap giving erroneous result. On the other hand, in the device of present invention, the outlet pipes are inserted perpendicular to the sheet, extending inwards of the device and hence the actual outlet point is away from the side/wall of the device.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the shape of the device is not a limitation, although rectangular shape is easy to handle, operate and obtain accurate data. Device comprising of three sheets or any number of sheets of convenient shape resulting (after arrangement) in confinement of the soil block can be used. The size of the sheets may vary depending on the requirement i.e., the depth up to which it is necessary to measure the infiltration rate. The suitable material of construction of the device includes any sufficiently hard and durable material such as stainless steel.
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CLAIMS:
1. A device for measuring infiltration rate comprising of a first sheet with
one or more outlet pipes inserted preferably perpendicular to the plane of
the sheet; second and third sheets optionally with some length of one
side thereof bent at right angle; a fourth sheet optionally with some
length of two opposite sides bent at right angle on the same side; a
means such as screw/ clamp for fixing the position of the sheets after
arranging them in order to cover vertical sides of a block of soil.
2. A device for measuring infiltration rate comprising of sheet/sheets
which can be arranged to enclose vertical sides of a block of soil; one or
more of the said sheets provided with one or more outlet or pipes
inserted preferably perpendicular to the plane of the sheet; a means for
fixing the position of the sheet/sheets after arranging them in order to
cover vertical sides of a block of soil.
3. A device as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the said outlet pipes are straight on one side of the sheet making a right angle with the plane of the sheet, and optionally bent downwards from the other end emerging from the other side of the sheet, so as to facilitate collection of water/fluid therefrom.
4. A device as claimed in any of the claims 1-3, wherein the said pipes are inserted at various distances from the top of the sheet.
5. A device as claimed in any of the claims 1-4, wherein the said pipes are optionally inserted in more than one sheets.
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6. Any component of the device as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, which is meant or sold for the purpose of making the device of any of the claims 1-5.
7. A device as claimed in any of the claims above, wherein one or more of the said pipes are either straight or bent from one side.
8. A method of measuring infiltration rate comprising the steps of
(a) Digging the soil in such a way so as to leave a block of soil intact in
the middle, the shape and dimensions of the said block of soil resembling
the shape and dimensions of the device of present invention,
(b) Arranging the device claimed in any of the above claims so as to
substantially enclose vertical sides of the said block of soil and preferably
extending above the surface of soil,
(c) Optionally sealing the corners/joints with material such as bentonite
(d) Pouring fluid in the space confined by the said extended part of the device above surface of the soil
(e) Measuring the horizontal and/or vertical flow of the fluid through the said block of the soil over a period of time using moisture meter or volume of fluid coming out from the outlets.
For Excel Crop Care ltd.

(Dr. Jyotsna Kapadia) Sr.- Manager - IP
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ABSTRACT
This invention describes a device for measuring water/solution infiltration rate into soil. Using the said device the downward infiltration as well as horizontal run-off across various layers of soil can be quantitatively measured. The device is inexpensive, easy and convenient to operate. Moreover it gives precise as well as accurate results.
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