Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6814305
-
Patent Number
6,814,305
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, August 13, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 9, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Mar; Michael
- Gorman; Darren
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 239 242
- 239 206
- 239 22211
- 239 22217
- 239 227
- 239 233
- 239 237
- 239 247
- 239 252
- 239 255
- 239 214
- 239 223
- 239 224
- 239 230
- 239 243
- 239 251
- 239 258
- 239 463
- 239 479
- 239 483
- 239 498
- 239 503
-
International Classifications
- B05B1510
- B05B300
- B05B302
- B05B308
- F23D1104
-
Abstract
A reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head includes a sprinkler body incorporating a fixed nozzle; a spray plate mounted for rotation in one or the other of two opposite directions about a first axis arranged coaxially with a stream emitted from the nozzle, and for back and forth tilting motion about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the spray plate having a pair of substantially parallel grooves for selectively receiving the stream, depending on a direction of tilt of the spray plate; and a shift lever formed with an aperture sized to receive the stream. The shift lever is mounted at one end for rotation about a third axis parallel to the first axis, and is enabled to shift the stream from one of the pair of grooves to the other of the pair of grooves to thereby reverse the direction of rotation of the spray plate.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Typical reversible, adjustable arc sprinklers employ various mechanisms to reverse the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head including, for example, mechanical trippers and magnets. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,838; 4,763,839 and 4,540,125. There remains a need, however, for a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler of simple and reliable construction.
The present invention provides a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head that is driven by the flow of water from a fixed nozzle. In the exemplary embodiment, the sprinkler head is of the type in which a fixed nozzle is mounted within a sprinkler body, and a rotatable spray plate is supported by a cap releasably secured to the body, in axially spaced relation to the nozzle. The spray plate is mounted in a cage that is, in turn, mounted on a shaft for rotation about a first vertical axis through the sprinkler body. The spray plate is also mounted within the cage for tilting movement about a second, horizontal axis, perpendicular to the first axis. The spray plate is formed with a pair of parallel water distribution grooves that are shaped to redirect a vertical stream emitted from the nozzle into a generally radially outwardly directed stream. A center barrier between the two distribution grooves is centered relative to the nozzle, such that when the spray plate tilts in one of two opposite directions, it will receive the stream in one or the other of the two distribution grooves. The spray plate is caused to rotate on the shaft about the first axis in a direction dependent upon which groove receives the stream, which, in turn, is dependent upon the direction of tilt of the spray plate about the second axis.
The distribution grooves have generally vertically oriented inlets and generally horizontally oriented outlets, and the grooves may be covered by a correspondingly shaped “shield” that confines the stream in the respective grooves.
The spray plate cage, as noted above, is secured to one end of a rotatable shaft, and the other end of the shaft may be secured within a viscous retarder “motor” of the type described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 33, 823; 5,058,806; and 5,288,022, for controlling the speed of rotation of the spray plate. The cage also supports a horizontally extending shift lever for free rotation about a third axis that is parallel to the first vertical axis. The shift lever is formed with a generally round-shaped aperture that is arranged so that the stream emitted from the nozzle passes through the aperture, upstream of the spray plate grooves. The shift lever is pivotable between a pair of tabs on the spray plate cage and, as explained in greater detail below, serves to deflect the stream sufficiently to cause the spray plate to tilt and thus allow the stream to move from one to the other of the two grooves and thereby reverse the rotation direction of the spray plate.
A generally cylindrically shaped stop assembly is also secured to the sprinkler cap, above the nozzle and surrounding at least a portion of the spray plate cage and the shift lever. The stop assembly includes a first ring component having a first reversing stop formed in an interior surface thereof. A second ring component of the stop assembly is mounted on the first ring component and includes a second reversing stop that is rotationally adjustable relative to the first stop, it being understood that the arcuate distance between the stops (and through which the outer end of the shift lever travels) determines the arc through which the spray plate rotates. Specifically, the shift lever rotates with the stop assembly about the first axis until it contacts one of the reversing stops. Then while the spray plate continues to rotate, the shift lever is forced to rotate about the third axis, moving from is center position and engaging the stream thus shifting the stream away from the spray plate center barrier. This then causes the spray plate to tilt, resulting in a reversal of the direction of rotation of the spray plate.
In its broader aspects, therefore, the invention relates to a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head comprising a sprinkler body incorporating a fixed nozzle; a spray plate mounted for rotation in one or the other of two opposite directions about a first axis arranged coaxially with a stream emitted from the nozzle, and for back and forth tilting motion about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the spray plate having a pair of substantially parallel grooves for selectively receiving the stream, depending on a direction of tilt of the spray plate; and a shift lever formed with an aperture sized to receive the stream, the shift lever mounted at one end for rotation about a third axis parallel to the first axis, the shift lever enabled to shift the stream from one of the pair of grooves to the other of the pair of grooves to thereby reverse the direction of rotation of the spray plate.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head comprising a sprinkler body incorporating a nozzle having a discharge orifice; a cap releasably mounted on the body; a spray plate mounted in a cage for tilting motion relative to the cage about a horizontal axis; the cage and spray plate mounted in the cap for rotation relative to the sprinkler body about one vertical axis perpendicular to said horizontal axis, the spray plate having formed therein a pair of substantially parallel grooves adapted to be sequentially aligned with the nozzle for receiving a stream from the nozzle, the pair of grooves separated by a center barrier and configured to cause rotation of the cage and spray plate in one of two opposite directions, depending on which groove is engaged with the stream; a shift lever extending substantially horizontally and mounted on the cage for confined pivotal rotation about another vertical axis, parallel to the one vertical axis, the shift lever having an inner portion with an aperture therein through which a stream emitted from the nozzle may pass; and a stop assembly secured in the cap and including a first annular ring formed with a fixed reversing stop, and a second annular ring mounted on the first annular ring for rotation relative to the first annular ring, the second annular ring having a movable reversing stop adjustable relative to the fixed reversing stop; and wherein the shift lever is arranged to rotate with the cage and spray plate about the one vertical axis between the fixed reversing stop and the movable reversing stop, and to rotate about another vertical axis after engagement with one of the fixed reversing stop and movable reversing stop.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a side elevation of a sprinkler head, with parts removed for clarity;
FIG. 2
is a plan view of the sprinkler head shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is an exploded elevation, illustrating a spray plate assembly and a stop assembly for attachment to the cap shown in
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 4
is a side elevation of a cap component for the sprinkler head shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 5
is a perspective view of the spray plate assembly including a retarder motor, spray plate and spray plate cage in assembled relationship;
FIG. 6
is an exploded perspective view of the spray plate and spray plate cage for use with the sprinkler head shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 7
is an inverted perspective view of the stop assembly shown in
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 8
is a bottom plan view of the cap shown in
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 9
is a side elevation, partly in section, of a shift lever component, taken from the spray plate cage as shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
;
FIG. 10
is a partial front elevation, partly broken away, illustrating how a stream of water impinges on the spray plate on start-up;
FIG. 11
is an elevation similar to
FIG. 10
, but illustrating the stream entering one of two grooves on the spray plate after start-up;
FIG. 12
is a bottom perspective view of the spray plate, spray plate cage and stop assembly in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 13
is a front elevation, similar to
FIGS. 10 and 11
, but illustrating the manner in which the shift lever acts to shift the stream from one groove to the other;
FIG. 14
is a front elevation similar to
FIGS. 10
,
11
and
13
, but illustrating the stream fully shifted into the other of the two grooves; and
FIG. 15
is a front elevation of an assembled sprinkler head in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to
FIG. 1
, a sprinkler head
10
is illustrated in part, showing a sprinkler body
12
including an inlet
14
and a nozzle
16
that is arranged to emit a single stream coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the sprinkler head. The sprinkler body
12
is provided with a pair of upstanding struts or supports
18
and
20
that extend upwardly from respective radially outwardly extending base portion
19
and
21
. The struts
18
,
20
are adapted to mount a cap
22
(see
FIGS. 4
,
8
and
15
) that supports a rotatable spray plate assembly
24
and a stop assembly
126
(FIG.
3
). The inlet
14
is adapted to be secured to a water supply component such as a fixed riser or the like. An integral nut
26
can be utilized to thread the sprinkler head onto the water supply component.
The struts
18
,
20
terminate at an annular ring
28
provided with a plurality of radially outwardly directed tabs
30
by which the cap
22
can be secured in a known fashion, e.g., in a press and twist configuration.
The cap
22
(
FIG. 4
) includes a lower annular ring
32
and an upper annular ring
34
connected by four upstanding struts (three of which are shown at
36
,
38
and
40
) on 90° spacing. The upper annular ring
34
is formed with an integral center hub
42
that includes an annular ring
44
on the underside of the hub, and a plurality of upstanding tabs
46
on the upper side of the hub. The hub
42
supports the spray plate assembly
24
shown in exploded view in FIG.
3
. The spray plate assembly
24
includes a spray plate
48
, a spray plate cage
50
, and a viscous retarder motor
52
. The viscous retarder motor
52
slows the speed of rotation of the spray plate
48
as described further herein, and may be constructed as disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 33,823; 5,058,806 and 5,288,022. The retarder motor
52
is press fit and snapped into place within the hub
42
of the cap
22
, with a lower portion of the motor engaged by annular ring
44
and a middle portion of the motor engaged by the tabs
46
. The latter may be formed with horizontally oriented ribs
51
(
FIGS. 4 and 8
) on interior surfaces thereof that are engaged in the groove
54
in the motor housing. A motor shaft
56
is received in a bushing
58
on the spray plate cage
50
so that the spray plate cage and spray plate rotate about a first vertical axis A coincident with shaft
56
, and is slowed by the viscous retarder motor
52
. Axis A is also coincident with the longitudinal axis of the sprinkler body, passing through the center of nozzle
16
.
With reference also to
FIGS. 5
,
6
,
9
and
10
, the spray plate
48
is formed with a pair of side-by-side parallel grooves
60
,
62
separated by a center wall or barrier
64
. The grooves are generally vertically oriented at an inlet end
66
thereof, but transition to an almost horizontal orientation at an outlet end
68
(see FIG.
6
). The spray plate
48
is also formed with a pair of vertically oriented, aligned mounting tabs
70
,
72
having apertures
74
,
76
, respectively, by which the spray plate is pivotally mounted on a pair of aligned pins
78
,
80
on the spray plate cage
50
, for swinging movement about a horizontal axis B defined by the pins
78
,
80
.
The inlet end
66
of groove
60
is flared at
84
, and the center barrier
64
is chamfered at
86
so that, on start-up, more of the stream emitted from nozzle
46
will enter groove
60
than
62
, causing the spray plate to tilt about axis B, resulting in all of the stream flowing into groove
60
. Because the stream exit point for the groove
60
is offset from the axis of rotation A of the plate, the plate will rotate about axis A to distribute the stream in a part circular pattern. This action will be described in greater detail below.
A cover or shield
88
(
FIG. 6
) including side walls
90
,
92
may be snapped into place over the open faces of the grooves
60
,
62
to confine the stream to the grooves between the inlet and outlet ends
66
,
68
.
The spray plate cage
50
that carries the spray plate
48
includes a top surface
94
and a pair of side walls
96
,
98
that confine movement of the spray plate
48
on the pins
78
,
80
. Specifically, the spray plate
48
is free to tilt back and forth between two stop surfaces
100
,
102
(best seen in
FIG. 10
) of the side walls
96
,
98
. Note that the back wall
104
is open in the area above reference number
105
, allowing the tab
72
to be attached to the pin
80
.
The bushing
58
extending above the top surface
94
includes an aperture
106
that receives the retarder shaft
56
in a friction, spline or other suitable fit.
A second bushing
108
projecting from a lower bar
110
extending between the side walls
96
,
98
is formed with a blind bore for receiving a pivot pin
112
formed with an integral head
114
that serves to mount a shift lever
116
via hole
118
for rotation about a second vertical axis C coincident with the pin
112
. An extended lever portion
120
of the shift lever
116
is thus free to move back and forth between a pair of depending tab stops
122
,
124
at the lower end of the back wall
104
. An aperture
125
in the shift lever interacts with the stream emitted from the nozzle as explained further herein.
Referring now to FIG.
3
and especially
FIG. 7
, the stop assembly
126
includes an inner annular ring
128
having a first fixed reversing stop
130
. The annular ring
128
is also formed with a pair of diametrically opposed, part annular walls
132
,
134
that terminate at radially outwardly directed attachment flanges
136
,
138
. These flanges are formed with grooves
140
,
142
, respectively, on the lower side thereof (note: in
FIG. 7
, the stop plate assembly is inverted from its normal orientation shown in FIGS.
3
and
14
). The upper sides of the flanges
136
,
138
are each formed with a pair of opposed wedge elements
144
,
146
that taper inwardly and are undercut to form seating surfaces
148
,
150
on each flange for receiving tabs
152
,
154
on the interior of the cap ring
32
(at the upper end of the ring). Tabs
156
,
158
,
160
and
162
(at the lower end of the cap ring
32
) cooperate with tabs
30
to secure the cap
22
to the annular ring
28
of the sprinkler body, but also assist in locating the stop assembly
126
when attaching it to the cap
22
. Vertical tabs
164
,
166
also force the assembler to properly locate the stop assembly for interaction with the tabs
152
,
154
. Squeezing the cap ring
32
at points indicated by arrows D provides the space necessary to seat the stop assembly within the cap, and apertures
168
,
170
in the flanges
136
,
138
permit the assembler to verify that the tabs
152
,
154
are correctly seated.
The stop assembly
126
also includes an outer ring
172
, telescoped over the inner ring
128
, utilizing a snap fit or other suitable attachment mechanism that allows ring
172
to rotate relative to ring
128
. Outer ring
172
is formed with a second, movable reversing stop
174
that is radially inwardly offset from the ring
172
, such that it rides on the edges
176
of the inner ring. The user is thus able to move reversing stop
174
relative to the fixed reversing stop
130
to obtain a desired arc through which the spray plate will rotate before reversing direction. Ring
172
may be provided with circumferentially spaced ribs
178
(or other suitable surface texture) to facilitate rotation of the ring.
Before describing the operation of the sprinkler head, reference is made to
FIG. 9
where the shift lever
116
is shown in enlarged form. The aperture
125
is adapted to receive a stream S emitted from the nozzle
16
. The inlet to the aperture
125
is tapered as shown at
180
to facilitate entry of the stream as described below. The main portion of the aperture is tapered outwardly in a downward direction, opposed points describing an arc of about 23°. At its widest point, opposed points of the tapered inlet describe a 90° arc.
With reference now especially to
FIGS. 10-14
, it will be appreciated that on start-up, the stream S exiting nozzle
16
passes through the aperture
125
in the lever
116
, and the aperture shape creates a venturi effect that causes the lever to “center up” around the stream. The stream initially impinges on the barrier
64
of the spray plate
58
, and the beveled or chamfered edge
86
deflects more water into groove or channel
60
, preventing a “null” or “equalization” of the stream that would otherwise cause the plate not to rotate, i.e., to stall. The force of the stream S entering the spray plate groove
60
, and coming into contact with the side of the center barrier
64
tilts the spray plate
68
in a counterclockwise direction about axis B (FIG.
11
), with the spray plate
48
engaged with stop surface
102
on the spray plate cage
50
. The stream passing through the groove
60
is directed it to an offset exit position relative to the axis of rotation A of the spray plate assembly, thus causing the spray plate
48
and cage
50
to rotate about axis A in a first direction (counterclockwise as viewed in FIG.
12
).
Turning to
FIG. 12
, as the spray plate assembly
24
rotates about axis A, the shift lever
116
rotates with the plate about the same axis, until a remote end of the lever portion
120
comes into contact with fixed reversing stop
130
. This causes the shift lever to stop rotating with spray plate
48
on axis A, and to begin rotation about axis C (pin
114
). As the spray plate assembly continues to rotate, the shift lever
116
will be forced to enter the stream S (FIG.
3
). As the shift lever
116
moves into the stream, it deflects the stream away from the center barrier
64
, allowing the upward force created by the stream being arced outward to the offset exit point of the groove
60
to overcome the force on the center barrier. This causes the spray plate to pivot about axis B (pins
78
,
80
) and to tilt in a clockwise direction to the position shown in FIG.
14
. Now the stream S shifts to groove
62
. Once the stream enters groove
62
, reversal of the direction of the spray plate
58
occurs. The shift lever
116
will remain in contact with the stream S until the spray plate
68
has shifted (i.e., until the spray plate tilts into engagement with stop
104
, see
FIG. 14
) and the spray plate assembly has started to rotate in the opposite or reverse direction. As rotation in the opposite direction continues, the shift lever
116
will come off the stop and the venturi effect within aperture
125
will once again center up the shift lever
116
on the stream S. The lever
116
will eventually contact the adjustable reversing stop
174
, and the reversing process will be repeated.
Rotation of ring
172
relative to ring
128
on the stop assembly
52
will vary the arc of coverage of the stream and thus vary the sprinkling pattern, as desired.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head comprising a sprinkler body incorporating a fixed nozzle; a spray plate mounted for rotation in one or the other of two opposite directions about a first axis arranged coaxially with a stream emitted from the nozzle, and for back and forth tilting motion about a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, said spray plate having a pair of substantially parallel grooves for selectively receiving the stream, depending on a direction of tilt of the spray plate; and a shift lever formed with an aperture sized to receive said stream, said shift lever mounted at one end for rotation about a third axis parallel to said first axis, said shift lever enabled to shift the stream from one of said pair of grooves to the other of said pair of grooves to thereby reverse the direction of rotation of the spray plate.
- 2. The sprinkler head of claim 1 wherein said spray plate is supported in a cage having a pair of stop surfaces for confining the tilting motion of the spray plate.
- 3. The sprinkler head of claim 2 wherein said cage also includes a pair of tab stops engageable by a portion of said shift lever, beyond said aperture.
- 4. The sprinkler head of claim 1 wherein said aperture in said shift lever is shaped to provide a venturi effect which centers the stream within the aperture.
- 5. The sprinkler head of claim 3 and further comprising a pair of reversing stops arranged for engagement by a remote end of said shift lever, said shift lever normally rotating with said spray plate until said shift lever engages one of said reversing stops, causing said shift lever to cease rotating about said first axis and commence rotating about said third axis.
- 6. The sprinkler head of claim 5 wherein, when said shift lever rotates about said third axis between said tab stops, the shift lever causes the stream to shift to the other of said pair of grooves which, in turn, causes said spray plate to tilt and reverse the direction of rotation.
- 7. The sprinkler head of claim 1 wherein rotation of said spray plate is slowed by a viscous retarder motor.
- 8. The sprinkler head of claim 1 wherein said pair of grooves are each comprised of a vertical inlet portion and a generally horizontal, radially outward outlet portion.
- 9. The sprinkler head of claim 1 wherein said aperture in said shift lever is flared at an inlet portion thereof, describing an angle of about 90° between two diametrically opposed surfaces thereof.
- 10. A reversible, adjustable arc sprinkler head comprising a sprinkler body incorporating a nozzle having a discharge orifice; a cap releasably mounted on the body; a spray plate mounted in a cage for tilting motion relative to the cage about a horizontal axis; the cage and spray plate mounted in said cap for rotation relative to said sprinkler body about one vertical axis perpendicular to said horizontal axis, said spray plate having formed therein a pair of substantially parallel grooves adapted to be sequentially aligned with said nozzle for receiving a stream from said nozzle, said pair of grooves separated by a center barrier and configured to cause rotation of said cage and spray plate in one of two opposite directions, depending on which groove is engaged with the stream;a shift lever extending substantially horizontally and mounted on said cage for confined pivotal rotation about another vertical axis, parallel to said one vertical axis, said shift lever having an inner portion with an aperture therein through which a stream emitted from said nozzle may pass; and a stop assembly secured in said cap and including a first annular ring formed with a fixed reversing stop, and a second annular ring mounted on said first annular ring for rotation relative to said first annular ring, said second annular ring having a movable reversing stop adjustable relative to said fixed reversing stop; and wherein said shift lever is arranged to rotate with said cage and spray plate about said one vertical axis between said fixed reversing stop and said movable reversing stop, and to rotate about said another vertical axis after engagement with one of said fixed reversing stop and movable reversing stop.
- 11. The sprinkler head of claim 10 wherein said cage also includes a pair of tab stops engageable by a portion of said shift lever, beyond said aperture.
- 12. The sprinkler head of claim 10 wherein said aperture in said shift lever is shaped to provide a venturi effect which centers the stream within the aperture.
- 13. The sprinkler head of claim 10 wherein rotation of said spray plate is slowed by a viscous retarder motor.
- 14. The sprinider head of claim 10 wherein said pair of grooves are each comprised of a vertical inlet portion and a generally horizontal, radially outward outlet portion.
- 15. The sprinkler head of claim 10 wherein said aperture in said shift lever is flared at an inlet portion thereof, describing an angle of about 90° between two diametrically opposed surfaces thereof.
US Referenced Citations (9)