Partial circle water sprinklers

3,022,012

Feb. 20, 1962

C. R. SHARP ET AL

PARTIAL CIRCLE WATER SPRINKLERS Filed May 18, 1959

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United States Patent Office

3,022,012

Patented Feb. 20, 1S62

3,022,012

PARTIAL CIRCLE WATER SPRINKLERS

Carl R. Sharp and John E. Streeter, Glendora, Calif., assignors to Rain Bird Sprinkler Manufacturing Corp.. Glendora, Calif., a corporation of California

Filed May 18,1959, Ser. No. §13.949

Claims. (CI. 239—230)

This invention relates to partial circle water sprinklers, more particularly to water sprinklers which utilize an oscillating mechanism driven by the jet of water which issues from the sprinkler. It is customary to install such sprinklers adjacent a walk or building to sprinkle a half circle, or at an internal corner to sprinkle a quarter circle, or at an external comer to sprinkle a three-quarter circle. Conventional sprinklers so installed are subject to the objection that the reaction between the water jet and the oscillating mechanism produces an objectionable secondary spray, which is not confined to the area to be watered but is directed outside this area onto the walkway, building, or other adjacent surface.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a partial circle water sprinkler in which such secondary spray is controlled and prevented from discharging outside the intended watering area.

A further object of this invention is to utilize the secondary spray to accomplish an improved distribution of water.

A still further object is to provide in a water sprinkler a novel reaction member essentially in the form of an S-tube through which the sprinkler jet flows in such a manner as to produce a reaction force tending to turn the sprinkler, and thus by causing intermittent flow of the water jet through the S-tube, intermittent turning of the sprinkler is accomplished.

A still further object is to provide a novel reaction member which, although particularly useful in the operation of partial circle sprinklers, is also useful in the operation of full circle sprinklers.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of an oscillating water sprinkler incorporating the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 2—2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatical view showing the reaction tube and nozzle during the initial movement of the entrance end of the reaction tube across the water jet issuing from the nozzle;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatical view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the diversion of the water jet through the reaction tube and indicating by arrows the direction of the resulting forces as well as the direction of movement of the reaction tube;

FIGURE 5 is a similar diagrammatical view showing the reaction tube displaced from the water jet;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view, along its longitudinal axis, of a modified form of the S-member wherein the major portion thereof is semicircular in cross section;

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatical view indicating the area of coverage of a conventional quarter circle sprinkler, and showing by hatched lines the area in which unwanted water is sprayed;

FIGURE 8 is a similar diagrammatical view showing the areas sprayed by use of the reaction tube.

The present invention may be incorporated in an otherwise conventional oscillating sprinkler, such as the type more fully shown and disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,256,737, issued September 23, 1941. An oscillating sprinkler of this type includes a stem 1 having a lower flanged end 2 which receives a washer 3. The stem 1 journals within a sleeve bearing 4 having a screw-threaded portion 5 which fits within a collar at the upper end of a riser pipe (not shown). It is customary to mount on the bearing 4 at its upper end a pair of adjustable stops 6, 5 which may be moved to various positions about the periphery of the bearing 4 so as to control the arcuate extent in which the spray is discharged.

Secured to the tipper end of the stem 1 by screw threads, or other means, is a body 7 having an upwardly 10 extending bore which communicates with an inclined nozzle boss 8. Screw-threaded into the nozzle boss 8 is a nozzle 9 which is upwardly inclined and directed laterally.

Extending above the body 7 is a frame 10 formed by 15 a pair of upwardly directed arms joined at their extremities so as to define a substantially rectangular opening 11. The opening 11 is bridged vertically by a pin 12 which supports an oscillating lever 13, arms 14 and 15 of which extend laterally between the vertical arms of the 20 frame 10. A spring 16 urges the oscillating lever 13 in one direction. In the drawing as illustrated, the spring urges the oscillating lever 13 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed from the bottom side along the section line 2—2.

Extending laterally from the body 7 and a portion of the frame 10 is a boss 17 having a depending journal pin 18 disposed at a slight angular relation with the axis of the body 7. The journal pin 18 supports a pair of coacting rocker elements 19 and 20, the lower one 30 of which is provided with a depending pin 21 adapted to engage the stops 6. The upper rocker element 20 includes an upwardly extending lug 22 which engages a depending lug 23 on the arm 14 of the oscillating lever 13.

The construction so far described is conventional.

The rocker elements 19 and 20 are interconnected by a spring (not shown) and the upper rocker element 20 is adapted to occupy two extreme positions whereby the lug 22 is in registry with the lug 23, as indicated by broken lines in FIGURE 2, or a position out of registry 40 therewith, as represented by solid lines in FIGURE 2.

When the lugs 22 and 23 are out of registry, the arm 14 of the oscillating lever 13 strikes the boss 17 to impart a small periodic arcuate movement to the body 7 in one direction; whereas when the lugs 22 and 23 interengage, 45 a somewhat similar small periodic arcuate movement is imparted to the body 7 in the opposite direction.

The lug 22 is shifted from one position to the other by means of the engagement of the pin 21 with the stops 6. That is, when the pin 21 engages one of the stops 59 6, the rocker elements 19 and 2® are shifted so that oscillation of the lever 13 will impart a step-by-step movement to the sprinkler body 7 in one direction. Then, upon engagement of the pin 21 with the other stop 6, a reverse action takes place so that the jet or nozzle 9 is caused to 55 progress backward and forward through an arc predetermined by the position of the stops 6. As stated previously, this mechanism in itself forms no part of the present invention, but it is essential to the understanding of the invention.

g0 The conventional oscillating sprinkler thus far described is provided with an impingement plate or inclined surface carried by the arm 15 of the oscillating lever 13. This plate or inclined surface is urged into a position intercepting the water jet from the nozzle 9 by ₆₅ means of the spring 16. The force of the water deflects the plate and consequently oscillates the lever 13. Such a plate, however, acts as a spoiler and deflects a portion of the water jet in a random manner so that all or a large portion of the area immediately around the sprinkler is γθ wetted.

Thus, if the sprinkler is mounted adjacent a house or sidewalk, this spray is directed against the building or

3,022,012 house, or onto the sidewalk. Even that portion of the spray which may be in the general direction of the main jet is usually offset axially from the main jet, so that at least at one extremity of the arcuate travel the spray is discharged in an area beyond the quadrant or other portion of the circle in which the jet is desired to cover, as indicated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings.

In the exercise of the present invention, a reaction tube 24 is substituted for the conventional plate. The reaction tube 24 is essentially S-shaped and is permanently fixed to the arm 15 of the oscillating lever 13, so that when the oscillating lever is in one extreme position an inlet end 25 of the reaction tube 24 is in alignment with the water jet issuing from the nozzle 9, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. The inlet end 25 of the tube 24 is preferably beveled so as to present a relatively sharp edge to the water jet.

The intermediate portion 26 of the reaction tube 24 extends laterally at an obtuse angle to the inlet end 25. A discharge end 27 of the reaction tube 24 is offset from, but in approximate parallelism with, the inlet end 25. The inlet end 25 and discharge end 27 are joined to the constricted intermediate portion 26 by an elbow or curved portions 28 and 28α. It is preferred that the passageway through the S-tube be constricted in the elbow or bend 28α.

Operation of the reaction tube is as follows:

With reference first to FIGURE 3, the spring 16 tends to move the reaction tube 24 in a direction to bring the beveled inlet end 25 into registry with a water jet 29 issuing from the nozzle 9. Essentially, as one edge of the inlet end 25 crosses the water jet 29 and before appreciable flow occurs through the reaction tube 24, there occurs a momentary force component tending to rotate the reaction tube 24 and oscillating lever 13 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 3. Consequently, this force augments the force exerted by the spring 16. Thus the reaction tube 24 is quickly drawn into the position shown in FIGURE 4.

As soon as the water jet 29 is deflected through and discharges from the reaction tube 24, two opposed reaction forces represented by A and B are established. Assuming the S-tube to be uniform in diameter, the magnitudes of these two forces will be substantially the same. However, the force A acts with respect to the axis C of rotation on a lever arm D, whereas the force B acts on lever arm E which is greater than D. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 4, the resultant force is in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow F toward the positions shown in FIGURE 5.

The jet flowing through the S-tube is a mixture of water and entrained air; consequently, constriction in the bend 28α produces a decrease in velocity as the air will compress, and there is also an increase in turbulence. The net result is that an additional reaction force B' is created which augments the force B.

Assuming that the lugs 22 and 23 are in alignment, the spring 16 returns the oscillating lever 13 and reaction tube 24 from the position represented in FIGURE 5, and as the reaction tube reaches the position shown in FIGURE 4, the oscillating lever 13 strikes the boss 17 to impart a slight arcuate movement to the body 7. Repeated oscillation causes this cycle to be repeated and the body 7 to advance in increments until one of the stops 6, acting on the rocker elements 19 and 20, shift the lug 22 into alignment with the lug 23.

Under this condition, the reaction tube 24 is forced laterally to approximately the broken line position shown in FIGURE 5, at which point the lug 23 engages the lug 22 to impart an impact force transmitted to the body 7 to turn it a slight amount in the opposite direction. This reverse oscillation continues until the body 7 has turned back through the present arc and the rocker elements 19 and 20 are again caused to operate.

It should be understood that the rate of movement of ⁴ ..

the reaction tube 24 from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to the position shown in FIGURE 4 is quite rapid, and that by reason of the sharp edge at the inlet end 25 there is virtually no splashing or misdirection of the water jet 29. Furthermore, when the jet issues from the reaction tube 24 it is issuing in a direction essentially parallel with its original direction, but it occurs at a reduced velocity due to the fact that energy has been absorbed in its flow through the reaction tube 24.

The flow through the reaction tube 24 has the effect of directing a portion of the water within the arc G shown in FIGURE 8, and tends to provide a more uniform distribution of the water over the area being sprinkled. That is, normally the water jet 29 covers the area H of FIGURE 8, but during its discharge through the reaction tube 24 the water is directed within the area G, minimizing the need of spoilers or other devices to break up the normal water jet. Due to the fact that the water is at all times discharging in essentially the same direction, there is virtually no splashing of.water outside the intended area, and thus the disadvantages as represented in the diagrammatical view of FIGURE 7 are avoided.

It should be noted that, while it is desired to have the jet discharge from the S-tube in a direction essentially parallel to the undisturbed jet to. confine the spray pattern from the S-tube to the boundaries of the main spray pattern, the axis of discharge from the S-tube may diverge upwardly or downwardly or diverge or converge laterally with respect to the undisturbed jet, to control the resulting spray pattern.

Reference is now directed to FIGURE 6. An S-shaped reaction member 30 may be substituted for the S-tube 24. The reaction member 30 comprises curved sections 31 and 32 which arc not only C-shaped in plan but also C-shaped in cross section so as to form troughs as distinguished from. tubes for the flow of the water. The curved trough sections may overlap to form a short tubular central section 33. The modified S-member 30 operates in the same manner as the S-tube 24 except that the. reaction force B'is not attained.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details of the constructions set forth, and it embraces such changes, modifications, and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.