Center pivot irrigation system with improved worm gear wheel drive

摘要

A center pivot irrigation system having an improved worm gear wheel drive assembly for driving the wheels of support towers for moving a water distribution pipe around a central pivot axis. The improved worm gear wheel drive assembly includes a worm pinion connected to a shaft driven by a drive motor, a spur gear reduction assembly, and a wheel gear connected to one of the wheels of the support tower. The spur gear reduction assembly has an input side spur gear intermeshed with the worm pinion, and an output side spur gear intermeshed with the wheel gear. The improved worm gear wheel drive assembly enables the worm pinion to operate at a higher rotational speed and lower torque, thereby increasing the mechanical efficiency of the drive assembly as compared to conventional drive arrangements for center pivot irrigation systems.