Abstract: Device and method are disclosed for feeding drippers into a produced dripping line in speeds as high as 1800-2000 drippers a minute. The drippers are fed into the production line by a cylindrical feeder equipped with a helix worm made on its cylindrical face, which is adapted to engage the helix into a respective recession or protrusion made on a dripper, and to linearly forward it toward a dripping pipe production section while providing accurate control on the speed of movement of the dripper and the spacing between each two consecutive drippers in the produced pipe. The use of a helical worm to engage the drippers provides smooth and gradual mechanical engagement of the feeding device with each dripper, thus ensuring silent and non-vibrating assembly even when in very high production speeds.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a drip irrigation device by continuously extruding a tube and simultaneously feeding a plurality of dripper units in succession within the tube as it is extruded. Each dripper unit is arrested as it arrives at a first location which is a short distance downstream of the extrusion head where the extruded tube is still tacky, and is then moved transversely to bring it into light contact with the tacky surface of the extruded tube to cause the dripper unit to lightly adhere to the tube and to begin to move axially with it. A short distance downstream of the first location where the dripper unit has attained the same axial velocity as the extruded tube, the dripper unit is pressed into firm bonding contact with the tacky inner surface of the extruded tube.