AU689003B2 - Sprinkler guard - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

*f *e o *ft k Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: JACKDOR PTY LTD James Ward PORKER and Kayleen Ruth PORKER FVT jy Address for Service: Kf:EWMAFIpB RNt PA'ITEr TJEt SCoI\\.o- Co 5 t-rqf t, CPo Go< -sZr A :elii t nt[ -saa Invention Title: "Sprinkler Guard" Details of Associated Provisional Application No: PM 9999 dated 13th December, 1994 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to the applicant.

I

-1- This invention relates to a guard for use on a sprinkler of the type which may be mounted at the top end of a spike or stake, and used for example for watering vines or other plants.

PRIOR ART No prior art of the type described herein is known to the Applicant.

However, reference can be made to the sprinkler guard assembly, the subject of Australian Patent Application No A-33166/93 in the name of DOOHAN and SANT. That is probably the closest art known, because it does provide a guard which partly surrounds and partly covers a sprinkler of the pop-up type, but is more tubular than discoid in shape. Further reference may be made to a spray shield unit, the subject of Australian Patent Application No A-71077/91 in the name of MONSANTO, where a shield unit performs a secondary function of providing mounting means for a sprayer. A still further disclosure exists in the Australian Patent Application No 67947/87 having an acceptance number of 585689. That has a similarity to the aforesaid application 33166/93 in that it is generally tubular but has an upper radially outstanding flange.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is common in large vineyards or other irrigated areas to have numbers of sprinklers which are interconnected and which are operable to water S 20 relatively small areas, the sprinklers usually standing between 10 cm and cm above ground level. There are however, a number of difficulties with this arrangement of irrigation which are encountered including: a. Insects frequently crawl into the water ways of a sprinkler head by climbing the stake on which it is retained, and partial or complete blockage may occur. In addition, flying insects also crawl into the water ways of a sprinkler head also causing partial or complete blockage. Both types of blockages require attention by an operator.

-2b. Because the area most watered is the area closest to the sprinklers there is a tendency for weeds to grow and they may grow above the level of the sprinkler head and interfere with its free operation.

c. Rainfall or heavy irrigation invariably causes dirt to be splashed upon the sprinkler head in the form of mud. When dried, the dirt can cause either partial or complete blockage of the sprinkler head. In addition, the depositing of dirt on the sprinkler head causes the bearing surfaces of rotary sprinklers to suffer increased wear as a result of penetration of dirt particles.

Although replacement of the sprinkler head is not very expensive, when large numbers are involved, there is a considerable time wastage in replacement as well as the cost of the purchase of the sprinkler heads.

d. When labour is required to work a field which is under irrigation, quite frequently the sprinklers in use become damaged and need to be replaced, because their presence is not clearly evident to a i. worker.

In this invention there is provided a guard which is interposed between a 020 sp, inkier head and a stake already well known in the art, and extends radially outwardly by sufficient distance to overcome the aforementioned problems.

The guard may be of general discoid in shape but slope downwardly in a partdome fashion thereby making it difficult for crawling insects to climb up the stake and over the guard. Although the guard can be made of other materials, it has been found that if it is formed from white plastic, the white colour has the dual effect of discouraging insects which become vulnerable to preying birds when seen against the white background, and the \white guard also indicates very clearly to a worker the existence of a sprinkler head. The guard -3significantly reduces the incidence of dirt and dust either blocking the sprinkler head or increasing the wear rate of a rotary type sprinkler head. The guard also assists the irrigation process in preventing weeds from blocking the area in the immediate vicinity of the sprinkler head, the guard acting to maintain an area around the sprinkler head free from weed foliage.

While the invention need not necessarily be limited to any one of the abovementioned details, an embodiment is described hereunder in some further detail with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig 1 is an exploded assembly diagram detailing the relative position of the sprinkler guard with respect to a stake and sprinkler head.

In Fig 1, a sprinkler well known in the art comprises a rotary sprinkler head 10 which screws into a female thread 11 at the upper end of a stake 12 which is arranged to be inserted in the ground, the stake 12 having outstanding nipple 13 which is hollow, and has barbs to retain a hose, the hollow nipple being in communication with the outlet of the sprinkler head 10 to provide a conduit space for passage of irrigating water.

The invention is characterised by a discoid guard 14 which is convex upwardly, and which has a central aperture 15 through which the threaded end 16 of sprinkler head 10 passes, to clamp the guard between the sprinkler head S 10 and the stake 12.

The guard 14 in this embodiment is formed from white plastic, and being upwardly domed, provides an upper surface on which insects are vulnerable to predators if they settle, and a lower surface difficult for crawling insects to negotiate in attempting to reach the sprinkler head. The guard acts to divert mud otherwise spattered upwardly during heavy rain or irrigation. It is very inexpensive and easy to position between the sprinkler heads and the stakes, and because of its white colour it significantly improves the visibility of landed -4flying insects to preying birds and significantly improves identification of sprinkler heads to operators. As detailed in Fig 1, the guard is of sufficient diameter to reduce the amount of dust which will penetrate the wearing surfaces of the sprinkler head, and also at the same time deflect weeds, which may grow beneath the sprinkler, away from the sprinkler head.

The invention can of course be varied in many ways, and for example, the guard 14 may by of conical rather than dome shape. It will be recognised by those skilled in the art that the guard is suitable for many different types of sprinkler and stake assemblies including non-rotary sprinkler heads and nonthreaded connection between the sprinkler head and stake.

If the deflector is formed in a conical shape, it can provide a wetted surface when the sprinkler is in operation which not only cleans the dust, but also spreads the water flow other than through the sprinkler nozzle, so that run off is reduced.

a So

S

I

Claims (7)

1. A guard for a sprinkler at the upper end of a stake, said guard comprising a plate-like deflector below a head of said sprinkler, a means for holding said guard fast with respect to said stake to retain said guard below said head of said sprinkler, said deflector extending laterally outwardly from said stake

2. A guard according to claim 1 wherein said plate-like deflector is generally discoid in shape, and when in use, is generally horizontal, with a central axis which is generally vertical.

3. A guard according to claim 2 wherein said generally discoid shaped deflector has an upwardly convex upper surface.

4. A guard according to any preceding claim wherein said deflector comprises moulded polymeric material and has a smooth surface.

A guard according to any preceding claim wherein said deflector is made of a material the colour of which promotes the visibility of said deflector and the visibility of insects crawling upon said deflector.

6. A guard for a rotary sprinkler which is useful when the S* sprinkler is threadably mounted at the top end of a stake, with its head above an upper end of the stake, comprising a plate like deflector, a wall defining an aperture extending through the deflector, the deflector and its said aperture being of such size and shape that, when retained to said stake upper end by said sprinkler, said deflector extends laterally outwardly from said stake.

7. In combination, a stake which projects generally vertically from the ground when in use, a sprinkler having a head and a depending hollow tail which engages said stake, walls defining a continuous waterway through the top end of said stake and said sprinkler, -6- I and a guard according to any one of the preceding claims retained between said stake and said sprinkler, DATED this 13th of December, 1995 JACKDOR PTY LTD :SrR By its Patent Attorney r REG 16P M O DR~ N k C o 2 2 .1 0 (C 0 %A *f -7- ABSTRACT A guard (14) is interposed between a sprinkler head (10) and a stake (12) and extends radially outwardly from the sprinkler head, preferably being circular and partly domed in shape to be upwardly convex, and extends sufficiently to discourage insects from settling on its upper surface or from climbing the stake and penetrating the water passageways of the sprinkler head S e o *I