The herein disclosed and claimed inventive concepts generally relates to a sprinkler head, and more particularly to a nutating sprinkler head for randomizing water distribution.
Irrigation systems such as center pivot systems have a structure from which down tube are suspended, with sprinkler heads attached to the down tubes. The sprinkler heads take a number of different forms and all try to create a uniform and random spread of water droplets, or a size which does not result in excessive evaporation. The sprinkling heads may also be mounted on top of the rotating structures of the center pivot systems, or on upward turned ends of the down tubes. Such sprinkler heads can operate in any orientation, because the force of the water stream is greater than the force of gravity on the lightweight sprinkler parts. However, for convenience the sprinkler head and its parts are described as being in the orientation as shown in the figures, with “upper”, “lower”, “top”, and “bottom” surfaces applied to the sprinkler parts in the orientation shown in the figures.
A large and uniform spray of water is preferable, so that the areas watered by a particular sprinkler head overlap with neighboring sprinkler head, and the ground under the sprinklers is uniformly covered.
Disclosed is a water distributing sprinkler head, which is made up of a sprinkler body which partially encloses a water delivery tube with an attached water nozzle. Water flows through the sprinkler body and exits out the water nozzle, which constricts the water stream to form the water stream into a more narrow stream of water. The sprinkler body includes a sprinkler body upper plate, and a sprinkler lower plate. Each of these are generally ring shaped, and have a passage for the stream of water or the water delivery tube to pass through. Each of the sprinkler body plates have a first side and a second side, which correspond to an upper side, and a lower side, as the sprinkler head is shown in the figures. The sprinkler body upper and lower plates are fixedly attached to the sprinkler body.
The sprinkler head also includes a water distribution cage. The water distribution cage is made up of a lower cage plate with a first and second side, and an upper cage plate with a first and second side. The upper and lower cage plates can also be called the swash plate, and the strike plate. The two cage plates are coplanar and held in a spaced apart relationship by one or more cage arms. The upper cage plate is trapped between the sprinkler body upper and lower plates, and there is sufficient room between the sprinkler body upper and lower plates for the upper cage plate to rock back and forth, as well as to rotate around the stationary sprinkler body plates.
The upper cage plate defines a passage for the water delivery tube lower end, and also has a pair of raised projections adjacent to the water passage. The projections are positioned opposite each other on a second (bottom) side of the upper cage plate (swash plate), and rest on the first (upper) surface of the sprinkler body lower plate. The projections serve to destabilize the water distributing cage, and to initiate a motion of the water distributing cage to rotate and tilt simultaneously, in a manner similar to a coin which is placed on its side and spun. The motion is called nutation, and at the end of the coin's spinning, it is rotating slowly, while rocking side to side, or nutating.
The water distribution cage has a generally circular lower cage plate first (top) side which has a generally peaked or pointed surface profile, preferably with an upturned edge at the periphery of the plate. This plate can be called the strike plate. The surface is incised by spirally radiating grooves which radiate from a central raised point in the center. The raised point in the center of the plate has a beveled top surface. This is so that when it is first struck by a stream of water, and water will deflect the plate to one side, a motion caused by the bevel. Once the strike plate is deflected to one side by the initial impact of water, the water stream then strikes the radiating groove on the strike plate, which initiates the spiral motion. The projections on the upper cage plate facilitate this initiation of motion, by keeping the cage from stabilizing when struck by the water stream.
The water distribution cage thus hangs freely from the pair of raised projections when said cage is without water and said sprinkler head is in a vertical position, with the bevel on the lower plate provided for deflecting the strike plate by an initial jet of water from the water directing tube. These structures plus the spirally radiating grooves serve to initiate a nutating motion in said water distribution cage after the initial deflection by the force of water.
Another feature of the sprinkler head are first and second resilient cushions. These can be rubber or rubber like material affixed or attached to the surfaces of the sprinkler body upper plate second (lower) edge and the sprinkler body lower plate first (top) plate. The resilient cushions are placed on these structure to interact with the first and second sides of the cage upper plate. The cushions serve to increase the friction between sprinkler body plates and the cage upper plate, to the cage upper plate nutates rather than spin on the sprinkler body. They also provide a dampening effect and reduction of wear between said sprinkler body plates and the upper cage plate surfaces.
The sprinkler head body described above can optionally include a top half and a bottom half, with the two joined by a hinged, and closed with a clamp or clasp. One feature of the clam shell configuration described above would be the inclusion of storage positions or slots for additional water nozzles, for replacement parts or to give the spread of water a different pattern with a different sprinkler nozzle.
The sprinkler head can have as an option a weight, with the purpose of the weight being to dampen the vibrations caused nutation and help prevent wind from blowing the sprinklers away from vertical when they are hung over the crop on rubber hose.
The sprinkler head can also include channels for collecting water flows from the outside of the sprinkler head, and directing the water collected into the flow of water through the water delivery tube. This has the effect of eliminating a drip from the sprinkler head, and having all water possible be send to impact the strike plate, and to be spread in a pattern determined by the surface and shapes of the strike plate.
While the presently disclosed inventive concept(s) is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the inventive concept(s) to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the inventive concept(s) as defined in the claims.
A preferred embodiment of the disclosed technology is shown
The sprinkler head 10 includes a clamshell top half 12, and a clamshell bottom half 14. The sprinkler head could be made as one unit, without the parts that allow it to open, but what is described here is a preferred embodiment, not THE preferred embodiment and not all possible embodiments. The embodiment shown in
Extending through both clamshell halves is a water delivery tube 16. Inserted in the water delivery tube is a water nozzle 20, which is shaped like a funnel to force the water into a more narrow stream, for more velocity and force when it hits the strike plate, and for more distance that the water is thrown from the sprinkler head. An inner deck 52 is exposed when the sprinkler body 18 is opened, and in the inner deck 52 is one or more storage positions 54, where extra nozzles 20 can be stored. Part of the storage positions is in the inner deck and part is in the bottom surface of the clamshell top half 12.
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While certain exemplary embodiments are shown in the figures and described in this disclosure, it is to be distinctly understood that the presently disclosed inventive concept(s) is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/771,488, filed Mar. 1, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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7273189 | Ide | Sep 2007 | B2 |
20100252654 | Sesser | Oct 2010 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20140312143 A1 | Oct 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61771488 | Mar 2013 | US |