Sprinkler device

[57] ABSTRACT

A water sprinkler device in which a water-operable motor drives a rotatable sprinkler head in an oscillating part-cycle movement so as to discharge water over a selected arcuate sector. The size of such sector may be manually adjusted or selected during operation of the sprinkler. The arcuate sector selected may be manually oriented with respect to the sprinkler device during operation. The radius of the arcuate sector may also be externally adjusted during operation of the device. The device comprises an inner and outer housing, a water turbine, alternate counterrotating gear transmission paths, a reduction gear train, and an overcenter actuating assembly. The sprinkler head is rotated in opposite direction depending upon the engagement of the head through one of the counterrotating gear transmission paths from the unidirectionally operating water turbine.

Claims, 12 Drawing Figures

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Patented Feb. 29, 1972

3/345,451

Sheets-Sheet 1

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Patented Feb. 29, 1972

3,645,451

Sheets-Sheet 2

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3,645,451 ί;

1;

1;

SPRINKLER DEVICE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is an improvement on the sprinkler device disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,047, granted on May 14, 1968, and my copending application Ser. No. 852,978 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,363. Like my prior sprinkler devices, the present device is concerned with the provision of a sprinkler which is adjustable during operation so as to discharge water over a selected arcuate sector. Most prior art sprinkler devices which have employed water turbines to rotate the sprinkler head have not been easily adjustable so as to vary the extent of the arc of rotation or oscillation of the sprinkler head, to vary the radius of the water discharged from the sprinkler device, and also to allow the sector to be repositioned or reoriented with respect to a circle over which water would be discharged if a full rotation of the sprinkler head was permitted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to disclose and provide a sprinkler device in which a sprinkler head is reversibly rotated or oscillated within an adjustable arc so that the sector over which water is discharged may be selected while the sprinkler is in operation. It is another object to provide such a device in which the means for reversing the rotation of the sprinkler head is accomplished through alternate gear transmission paths while the water turbine which rotates the sprinkler head rotates in only one direction. Still another object of the sprinkler device as above described is to be completely externally adjustable during operation by a simple handtool such as a screwdriver whereby the radius of the arcuate sector, the width of the arcuate sector, and the position of the arcuate sector may be varied. Yet one more object of the present invention is to provide a sprinkler device of the above- 35 ^the sprinkler device, described type which has a sealed inner housing containing the gears and levers to prevent the contamination of such components, such as by sand, which would interfere with the operation of the device. One further object is to provide a ₌______r..................

sprinkler device having the above-described adjustment capa- 40 ²® ^{t0 the free end of} a waterline embedded or recessed in the bilities while being inexpensive to manufacture and having a long maintenance-free useful life.

Generally stated, the sprinkler device of the present invention for discharging water over selected arcuate sector of a selected radius comprises, a housing having a water inlet, a 45 sprinkler head having a water outlet in fluid communication with the housing inlet, means within the housing on which the sprinkler head is mounted, water turbine means in the housing operable by the water admitted through the housing inlet so as to effect rotation or oscillation of the sprinkler head, and 50 means for reversing the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head which includes reversing gear means responsive to the arcuate position of the sprinkler head and includes a turbine drive gear alternately rotating one of a pair of counterrotating gear units, a gear carried by the means on which the sprinkler 55 head is mounted, and a movably mounted gear which continually engages the sprinkler head mounting shaft gear and alternately engages the counterrotating gear units so as to rotate the sprinkler head in opposite direction over the arcuate sector which is being watered while the turbine rotates in a single 60 direction. The device may also comprise means for varying the radius of the arcuate sector and means for orienting the arcuate sector with respect to the sprinkler housing. The sprinkler device may be of the popup type, as illustrated, or it may be of the axially fixed type.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section view of an exemplary embodiment of a sprinkler device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the plane 2—2 in FIG. 70

1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the plane 3—3 in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the plane 4—4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the plane 5—5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the plane 6—6 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the plane 7—7 of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the plane 8—8 of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the plane 9—9 of FIG.

3;

FIG. Ϊ0 is a sectional view taken along the plane 10—10 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the plane 11 — 11 of FIG.10;and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the plane 12—12 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, an exemplary embodiment of a popup-type sprinkler device for discharging water over a selected area is illustrated. Generally stated, the sprinkler device includes an outer housing 20 in which is disposed an inner housing 29, means 40 for externally selectively adjusting the rate of waterflow through the sprinkler device, water turbine means 50, means 60 to bypass a portion of the water entering the sprinkler device around the water turbine, means 70 for reversing the direction of rotation of the sprinkler including the overcenter actuating means 100. The sprinkler device also includes means 130 for mounting a sprinkler head 140 for rotation and vertical axial sliding movement so as to allow the sprinkler head 140 to pop up and rotate during operation of the device. Means 150 is provided for arcuately externally adjusting the sprinkler head 140 relative to the mounting means 130. There is also provided means for externally adjusting the arc of rotation of the sprinkler head 140 during operation of

The sprinkler outer housing 20 contains all operating parts therein when the sprinkler is not is use, and includes a lower housing portion 21 having water inlet means or fitting 22 having internal threads 23 mounting the sprinkler outer housing ground at the location where the sprinkler device is installed. The lower housing portion 21, above the inlet fitting 22, has an opening 24 of reduced diameter through which the water enters into the main chamber defined by the outer housing. The outer housing 20 also includes a tubular sidewall portion 25 and an upper housing member 26, which may be of inverted cup-shape, threadedly connected to the upper end of the sidewall portion 25 and sealed by a conventional O-ring 27 so as io provide a watertight enclosure. The upper housing member 26 has an opening 28 for receiving the sprinkler head 140.

Within the outer housing 20 of the sprinkler device, there is disposed an inner housing indicated generally at 29 having a lower section 30 sealingly seated on a shoulder 31 of outer housing 20 through an O-ring 32. The inner housing lower section has a lower wall to define a water inlet chamber which is sealed off from the outer housing main chamber except for the passage to be described. A first intermediate inner housing section 33 is disposed above bottom section 30 and is secured thereto through one or more fasteners 34. An inner housing partition wall indicated generally at 35 rests on the upper end of first intermediate inner housing section 33 and is secured to the first intermediate section 33 through one or more capscrews such as that shown at 36. Disposed above the partition wall 35 is the second intermediate inner housing section 37 threadedly connected to partition wall 35 and in sealing engagement therewith through a conventional O-ring 38. The upper end of the second intermediate section 37 is provided with a plurality of integral shoulders 39 which abut the inner surface of housing sidewall 25 at spaced-apart locations. The inner housing 29 is forced into watertight engagement with the shoulder 31 of the housing 20 when the upper outer housing member 26 is threadedly engaged into the housing sidewall 25 so that the lower end of member 26 engages the shoulders 39 of the inner housing 29 and forces the inner housing 29

3,645,451 downwardly so as to compress the O-ring 32 to effect the sealing engagement. The inner housing 29 is sealed to prevent contamination and may be filled with lubricant if desired.

The exemplary embodiment of the sprinkler device is provided with means 40 for selectively adjusting the rate of waterflow through the sprinkler device thereby controlling the pressure and the length of the water stream discharging from the sprinkler head 140. Such means 40 includes a throttle valve comprising a resilient flexible arm 41 secured to the housing lower portion 21 at one end through a shoulder screw 42 and carrying an integral closure portion 43 intermediate its ends and in vertical registry with the opening 24 in the housing lower portion 21. The closure member 43 is generally conical in shape so that its vertical movement in relation to the opening 24 varies the flow area of such opening and thus the rate at which water enters the sprinkler device. Vertical movement of plate 41 is effected entirely externally of the sprinkler device so that the radius of the arc over which water is discharged may be varied even during operation of the sprinkler device. Such external adjustment is provided through a longitudinally extending adjustment screw 44 disposed in an opening in a longitudinally extending boss 45 integrally formed on sidewall 25 of the outer housing 20 and threadably engaging the lower portion of the opening through the boss so as to be vertically adjustable through rotation thereof. The top end of the screw 44 has a slot 46 exposed through the top end of the sidewall boss portion so that a screwdriver or similar device may be inserted therein and rotated so as to selectively vary the vertical position of the screw 44. The lower end ofthe screw 44 bears on the free end of the valve arm 41 which projects in a passage drilled in housing 20 below the boss 45 so that rotation of the screw will effect the opening and closing of the area through which water flows into the sprinkler device.

The water turbine means 50 in the exemplary embodiment is disposed in a chamber 51 defined by the inner housing bottom section 30 and the inner housing first intermediate section 33. The bottom section 30, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, is provided with an upstanding integral projection 52 with a vertical passage 53 and an opening 53α into the chamber 51. The turbine means includes a shaft 52' secured in vertical position between the housing lower section 30 and first intermediate section 33 and rotatably supports a turbine wheel including a hub 54 from which a plurality of turbine blades 55 project radially outwardly. The turbine wheel is secured to the shaft 52' by a setscrew 56. It will be noted that the opening 54 in the projection 52 is positioned such that water discharging from the passage 53 in the projection through the opening 54 will impinge upon the turbine blades 55 so as to rotate the turbine wheel in only one direction.

Means 60 is provided to bypass a portion of the water entering the sprinkler device around the chamber 51 so that when a high flow rate of water is passed through the sprinkler friction losses may be reduced by not passing all of the water past the turbine. In the exemplary embodiment, as seen best in FIG. 12, such means comprises an opening 61 in the inner housing lower section 30 and a closure plate 62 pivotally mounted by a capscrew 63 received in the inner housing lower section 30. The closure member 62 may be selectively positioned so as to bypass a desired amount of water around the water turbine means in accordance with the flow rate through the sprinkler device by loosening the capscrew 63, positioning the closure plate 62 over all or a portion of the opening 61, and resecuring the capscrew 63. This adjustment may be readily manually made by removing the outer housing upper portion 26 so that the entire inner housing 29 may be withdrawn so that the capscrew 63 is readily accessible.

The sprinkler device of the present invention provides oscillatory or part-cycle arcuate movement of the sprinkler head 140 so as to discharge water over an arcuate sector of the ground. Accordingly, means 70 is provided for reversing the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head through alternately engageable gear transmission paths. Such means, in the exemplary embodiment, as seen best in FIGS. 1 and 7 through 10, comprises alternate gear trains disposed in the sealed chamber 71 defined by the inner housing first intermediate section 33 and partition wall 35. Disposed within chamber 71 is a support plate 72. The gear trains commence with the water turbine drive gear 73 fixedly mounted on turbine shaft 52' and extending into an undercut portion of support plate 72 within chamber 71. The gear 73, as seen in FIG. 7, is centrally disposed within the chamber and sprinkler device. Gear 73 drives a large spur gear 74 rotatably mounted on a shaft 75 which is supported in the inner housing first intermediate section 33 and partition wall 35. Adjacent gear 74 there is provided a gear 76 of equal size to gear 74 and in engagement therewith so as to rotate in an opposite direction; gear 76 is mounted on a shaft 77 similarly supported by the inner housing intermediate section 33 and partition wall 35. It will be noted that gear 76 has a lesser width or tooth face than gear 74, approximately equal to the width of drive gear 73 and is spaced upwardly from the upper surface of inner housing intermediate section 33 through an integral spacer or hub 78 so that gear 76 does not engage drive gear 73 which is disposed in a lower plane. Thus, as seen best in FIG. 8, the gears 74 and 76 rotate in opposite directions.

Counterrotating gears 74 and 76 carry pinion gears 80, 81, respectively which may be integral with gears 74 and 76 or may be otherwise secured for rotation therewith and are concentrically mounted on shafts 75, 77 so as to comprise counterrotating gear units. Gears 80, 81 project upwardly through openings 82 in support plate 72. Gears 80, 81 alternately engage movable gear 83 (see FIG. 10) which is rotatably mounted at one end of a pivot plate 84 which is pivotally mounted at an intermediate portion thereof about a centrally disposed hub 85 integral with support plate 72. A snapring 86 holds pivot plate 84 in vertical position. At the opposite end of pivot plate 84 there is provided a pin 87 projecting upwardly between the arms of a bifurcated lever 88 secured to shaft 89. The movable gear 83 remains in constant engagement with a spur gear 90 and in alternate engagement with gears 80, 81 so that gear 90 is driven in one direction or another in accordance with the position of pivot plate 84 and thus the position of movable gear 83. As will become clear from the subsequent description of the exemplary sprinkler device, movable gear 83 is always in one of the two engaging positions. Movement of gear 83 from engagement with one of the gears 80,81 into engagement with the other of such gears effects the reversal of rotation of driven gear 90 and, as will be seen, the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head 140. Driven gear 90 is mounted on a shaft 91 and is connected through a plurality of reduction gears which may reverse the direction of rotation, indicated generally at 92, to a gear 93 integrally mounted on the lower end of the means 130 for mounting the sprinkler head 140 for rotation and vertical axial sliding movement. Suitable speed reduction, for an exemplary sprinkler device, may be on the order of 1,000:1.

The means 70 for reversing the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head through the alternate gear transmission paths also includes overcenter actuating means indicated generally at 100. Such means 100, in the exemplary embodiment, is disposed in sealed chamber 101 within the inner housing second intermediate section 37. The shaft 89 connected to the lever 88 projects into chamber 101 and is secured at its upper end within such chamber to a bifurcated first lever arm 102 which engages the lower end of a pin 103 carried by a second curved arm 104 at one end thereof. The opposite end of second arm 104 is pivotally mounted on the opposite side of the center axis of the sprinkler device on a pivot pin 106. It will be seen that a hollow hub 108 projects upwardly from inner housing partition wall 35 and rotatably supports the concentric hollow shaft 109 which integrally carries a third arm 110 which carries a pin 111 at the free end thereof. Hollow hub 109 and third arm 110 are maintained in vertical position by a snapring 112. Vertically and concentrically positioned above snapring 112 is another hollow hub 113 (see FIG. 1) which is fixed so as to rotate with means 130 for mounting the

3,645,45 I sprinkler head 140 and carries as an integral extension a fourth arm 114. It will be seen that the pin 111 carried by the third arm 110 projects upwardly above arm 110 and is in the path of fourth arm 114. A bowed overcenter spring 115 is attached to a reduced diameter portion of pin 103 carried by second arm 104 and to pin 111 carried by third arm 110.

The stop limits for arcuate movement of third arm 110 (see FIG. 2) comprise fixed stop pins 116 and 116’ projecting upwardly into chamber 101 from partition wall 35. A pin 117 (see FIG. 6) is carried by an internal ring gear 118 and projects downwardly into the path of movement of third arm 110. Tne fourth arm 114 carries a pinion gear 119 mounted on a shaft 120 which meshes with internal ring gear 118. Internal ring gear 113 is maintained in its vertical position by another snapring 121, but is free to rotate on the hollow shaft 109.

The sprinkler device further comprises the means 130 for mounting the sprinkler head 140 for rotation and vertical axial sliding movement so as to allow the sprinkler head 140 to pop up and rotate during operation of the sprinkler device. It will be understood that the present invention may be employed in a sprinkler device having a vertically fixed sprinkler head so that means 130 provides only a rotatable mounting for such head. In the exemplary embodiment of a popup-type sprinkler, such means includes a cylindrical or tubular member 131 ₂₅which is rotatably secured in an opening in the partition wall 35. extends downwardly into chamber 71 where it carries the gear 93 which is continually in engagement with the last reduction gear in gear train 92, and extends upwardly through the hollow hub 108 of partition wall 35 so as to carry the snapring 112, the hub Π3 of the fourth arm 114, the internal ring gear 118, and the snapring 121 in chamber 101. Tubular member 131 projects upwardly out of chamber 101 through an opening in the upper wall of the inner housing intermediate section 37 and into the main chamber of outer housing 20. A conventional O-ring is carried by the tubular member 131 so as to seal the inner housing 29 from the main chamber of the housing 20 to prevent contamination of the inner housing in which the aforedescribed gears and lever arms are disposed. Tubular member 131 is provided with a longitudinally extending keyway 133 so as to rotate with hub 113 and fourth arm 114 and with internal ring gear 118.

Disposed within tubular member 131 is a longitudinally extending gear 134 mounted on a shaft 135 which projects upwardly into the sprinkler head 140 and terminates in an externally adjustable slotted portion 536 which is rotatably mounted in sprinkler head 140 and is prevented from vertical movement by a setscrew 137. When the shaft 135 is rotated so as to rotate gear 134, the pinion gear 119 rotates ring gear 118 so as to arcuately position the pin 117. The arc of rotation of the sprinkler head 140 may therefore be adjusted by such means as more fully explained hereinafter.

The sprinkler head 140 is carried by the mounting means 130 and includes an upper cylindrical body portion 141 and an enlarged lower portion 142 defining a shoulder 143. The ⁵⁵shoulder 143 supports a conventional O-ring 144 so as to provide a watertight seal for the sprinkler head 140 when the sprinkler head is in its operative raised position. The sprinkler head defines a chamber 145 in fluid communication with the main chamber of outer housing 20 and with a water outlet opening or nozzle 146 through which water is discharged.

Means 150 is provided for arcuately externally adjusting the sprinkler head 140 relative to the cylindrical or tubular member 131 and, in the exemplary embodiment, such means gg comprises a disc 151 nonrotationally mounted on tubular member 131 through keyway 133. Disc 151 is disposed within the chamber 145 of sprinkler head 140 and is retained therein through snapring 152. Disc 151 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced water passages 153 through which 70 the water passes from the chamber of housing 20 into the chamber 145 of sprinkler bead 140. An externally accessible adjusting screw 155' is threadedly mounted within the sprinkler head upper body portion 141 for releasably securing the sprinkler head body relative to the disc 151 and therefore rela- 75 tive to tubular member 131. The screw 155 may be tightened by a screwdriver from above the sprinkler device so as to bear against the disc 151 fixing these components in relation to one another. Thus, it will be seen that for any given position of tubular member 131, the sprinkler head 140 may be rotated in relation thereto upon loosening of screw 155 and thereafter securing the screw 155 by tightening thereof so that a given arcuate portion of a circle will be covered by the water discharged from the sprinkler head relative to the sprinkler *0 housing.

Operation of the sprinkler device will now be described, such operation being similar to the operation of the sprinkler device disclosed and claimed in my copending Pat. application Ser. No. 852,978 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,363. Drawing attention to FIG. 1, it will be seen that water enters through the inlet fitting 22, passes through the opening 24 at a flow rate as selected by the means 40 for varying the rate of waterflow through the device. The water then passes through the passage 53 in projection 52 and into the chamber 51 where it impinges upon the turbine blades 55 so as to rotate turbine shaft 52’ and turbine drive gear 73. Turbine drive gear 73 rotates clockwise (as viewed in FIG. 3) with the turbine so as to rotate gear 74 counterclockwise and gear 76 clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8. The smaller diameter gears 80, 81 thus rotate in opposite direction. Assume that the pivot plate 84 is initially positioned as shown in FIG. 10 wherein the movable gear 83 (as shown in full lines) engages gear 80 turning in a counterclockwise direction thereby rotating gear 90 in a counterclockwise direction. Such movement may rotate gear 93 on tubular member 131 clockwise through the reduction gear train 92 and therefore the sprinkler head 140 will rotate clockwise.

With pivot plate 84 in the most clockwise position as shown 22 in FIG. 10 in full lines, the first arm 102 will be in the position as shown in full lines in FIG. 2. In this condition, the curved or second arm 104 will be in the full line position as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the first arm 102 is pivoted to its limit in the counterclockwise position as viewed in FIG. 2. Now as4q sume that the third arm 110 is at the starting point of the clockwise arc of rotation of the sprinkler head, i.e., against stop pin 116’. In this position, spring 115 urges the pin 103 and the pin 111 toward one another along a line which passes on one side (above, as viewed in FIG. 2) of the axis of the pin 45 106 which carries the second arm 104.

As the sprinkler head 140 and tubular member 131 rotate clockwise, the ring gear 118 turns therewith so as to move pin 117 towards the third arm 110 and upon contact with same rotates the third arm in a clockwise direction. Arm 110 carries pin 111 which is moved away from pin 103 so as to extend or flex the overcenter spring 115 until the pin 111 passes the imaginary line passing through the axis of pin 103 and pin 111 toward one another on the opposite (lower, as viewed in FIG. 2) side of the pivot pin 106 causing the curved arm 104 to rotate counterclockwise and the first arm 102 to rotate clockwise in snap action fashion. Thus, the first arm 102 moves from its most counterclockwise position immediately to its most clockwise position, as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2, causing a like movement in bifurcated arm 88 which moves to the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 10, thereby pivoting plate 84 and moving movable gear 83 out of engagement with gear 80 and into engagement with gear 81. The third arm 110 and the pin 111 carried thereby is then in the position as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2. i.e., in engagement with stop pin 116.

The tubular member 131, the arm 114 and sprinkler head 140 will then begin rotating in a counterclockwise direction so that ultimately arm 114 will contact the upper end of pin 111 so as to force third arm 110 to rotate counterclockwise also. Again, when the pin 111 passes the line drawn through the axis of pin 103 and the pivot pin 106 the flex spring 115 will urge pin 203 and pin 111 toward one another on the opposite side of pivot pin 106. This, of course, results in the disengagement of movable gear 83 with gear 81 and engagement with gear 80.

3,645,451 ⁷ 8

The arc of rotation of the sprinkler head may be adjusted by changing the angle subtended by the fourth arm 114 fixed to tubular member 131 and a line drawn through the axis of tubular member 131 and the stop pin 117 mounted on internal ring gear 118. The adjustment of this angle may be accom- 5 plished completely externally of the sprinkler device and even during operation of the sprinkler device by rotating the slotted portion 136 of shaft 135 by a screwdriver of similar implement. Such rotation causes internal ring gear 118 to rotate relative to the tubular member 131 since gear 134 will rotate ·· pinion gear 119 and thus ring gear 118. A clockwise rotation of the shaft 135 causes gear 118 to rotate in counterclockwise direction. This increases the angle subtended by the fourth arm 114 and the line drawn through the axis of the sprinkler device and pin 117 (see FIG. 6). Opposite rotation of the shaft 135 decreases this angle and thus the arcuate sector over which water is discharged through the sprinkler head.

As previously indicated, the sprinkler head may be rotated with respect to the tubular member 131 so as to reposition the arcuate section over which water is discharged. For example, assume that the sprinkler housing is fixed to the water inlet pipe and an arcuate sector of 30° is selected, the centerline of such sector having a North compass orientation. If the particular 30° sector which is desired to be watered extends not northwardly of the sprinkler device housing but rather to the west, the sector may be pointed in such direction by loosening screw 155 and rotating the sprinkler head body counterclockwise until the nozzle 146 points in the westward direction whereupon the screw 155 is tightened and the sector is repositioned. 30

It will therefore be seen that the sprinkler device of the present invention provides water discharge over a variable selected arcuate sector which may be reoriented and these operations may be performed entirely externally of the sprinkler device and even while it is in operation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings.