US2596577A - Rotary sprinkler - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1952 c. w. M BRIDE 2,596,577

ROTARY SPRINKLER Filed May 5, 1948 W Q. INVENTOR.

CLEEIEO w. CBRIDE:

ATTORNEY Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTARY SPRINKLER Cleao W. McBride, Burley, Idaho Application May 5, 1948, Serial No. 25,220

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a rotary sprinkler suitable for watering lawns or other areas.

The main object of the invention is to devise a rotary sprinkler for producing a uniform distribution of water over the circular area covered by the sprinkler. For this purpose, I have devised a sprinkler in which the amount of water supplied to the different portions of the circular area is in proportion to the segmental area. In other words, the amount of water supplied to the outer portion of the circular area is greater than the amount of water supplied to the inner portion of the area.

Another feature of my sprinkler is a special arrangement of sprinkler arm with discharge apertures so arranged that the streams which issue from points of greatest discharge pressure cover the outer part of the coverage area, and the inner part of the area is covered by streams issuing at lower pressures.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the sprinkler;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the sprinkler;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the sprinkler taken along the cutting plane 3 -3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 illustrates a step in the formation of the sprinkler arms; and

Figure 5 illustrates another step in the formation of these arms, both figures being on a reduced scale with respect to Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, the sprinkler is provided with a suitable base I on which is mounted a pipe elbow 2 having internal threads 2a in one end thereof for receiving a hose connection and having the other leg 2b arranged vertically. A short length of pipe 3 screwed into the elbow leg 2b forms a tubular post or standard for supporting the sprinkler on the base I. A cap 4 is threaded on the upper end of pipe 3 and is provided with a tubular stem 4a forming a bearing for a threaded sleeve 5 surrounding the stem. The sleeve 5 is provided at its lower end with a knurled ring portion 5a. A bearing ring 6 surrounds the stem 4a above the sleeve 5 and is held in position on the stem by an outwardly flaring end portion 4b on the stem which is formed after the sleeve 5 and ring 6 are placed on the stem.

A rotary head 1 is secured to the sleeve 5 by internal threads formed in the lower end 01 a vertical cylindrical cavity 1a formed in the head,

so that head 1 is mounted for rotation about the axis of the vertical standard 3. The cavity la extends above the upper end of the bearing stem 4a and into a hexagonal portion of the head. Three tubular sprinkler arms 8, 8 and 8" each formed of a single linear tube extend radially from alternate faces of the hexagonal section of the head I and their inner ends communicate with the cavity la. These arms may be secured to the head 1 in any suitable manner, such as by soldering or welding, but I prefer to mount the arms in the head by threaded connections between the end of the arms and the head on horizontal axes as shown in Figure 3. A suitable locknut 8a (Figure 3) may be provided for each arm to securely hold the arm in properly adjusted position. The outer end of each arm is closed by a suitable plug 8!) threaded into the end of the arm so that it may be removed for cleaning out sediment which may accumulate in the arm.

The proper distribution of water by my sprinkler is secured by the special shape of the arms and by the special distribution of the discharge openings in the arm. As illustrated by the arm 8 in Figure 2, each arm extends outward horizontally from the head i for about one-half its length, and then it bends downwardly in generally a circular arc until the outer end of the arm is substantially in a vertical direction. Also, as shown in Figure 1 each arm extends radially outwardly from the head I in a straight line for a short distance and then curves away from its radial axis and in the direction of rotation of the head as indicated by the arrow 9 in Figure 1. The outer downwardly curved portion of each arm is provided with a number of discharge apertures formed in the outer wall of the arm, and these holes or apertures are spaced apart to provide a greater supply of water for the outer portion of the circular area covered by the sprinkler than for the inner portion. For example, in the specific embodiment shown in the drawing, seven discharge apertures are formed in the downwardly curved portion of each arm, and the streams of water proceeding from the apertures follow generally the paths indicated by the dashed lines 8d. From these lines it will be seen that the holes adjacent the outer ends of the arms supply water to the inner portion of the coverage area, while the holes nearest the sprinkler head supply water to the outer portion of the coverage area. Since the water pressure decreases along each arm towards its outer end, the streams which are projected porting axes of" the arms. angular position of the arms, it is possibletovary from the points of greatest pressure are used to cover the outer portion of the coverage area, and a larger coverage for a given pressure is obtained. To secure proper distribution of the water over the coverage area, the discharge holes 80 are relatively widely spaced at the outer end of the arms and decrease in spacing towards the head 7. This provides a greater density of distribution of the discharge apertures in the region of the arm whichisupplies the outer portion of. the coverage area.

Since the sprinkler arms are all alike, at description of the formation of one arm will sufilce for all. The sprinkler arm is formed fromsa straight length of tubular stock, say 5 inches of A; inch tube. The discharge openingsyarexfirst bored in the tube while it isstill straight,.,and a suitable distribution of the holes is secured if the first hole is located inch from the end, of the tube, and the other six holes are provided with the following center to center spacing from theadjacent hole:-% i,-%fi;-e; /4",ii%",-1 6". A suitable size' for the discharge 110165131 dia-meter. *After the holes have been-drilled in the tube, the two ,bendsmay bej-formed-in thetubein planes at right angles to each other,'and the orderof forming the bends is not 9 important. --'1"he;outerend'of -the tube-may first be bent as shown in Figure 5 so the discharge'apertures are positioned on theouter surfaee'ofzthe-arc, and

.then the other end of the. tube :may be bent in the 'planewat rightangles .to the. first bend, as

:shown in-Figure 4. If-desired, the bend shown inFigure 4 may be formed before the bend shown in'Ffigure 5.

The threaded connection between the: sprinkler arms-and the, rotary-head; permits the arms to be adjusted in angular position aboutthe sup- By adjusting the the reaction force set up by the discharge streams :and serving to rotate the sprinkler head. -It is preferred to adjust the arms so that, the outer curved portions -of=;the armsare tilted: somewhat with respect to the: verticalplane in' the desired: direction of rotation of the? head, see armB" in "Figure 2. The reaction force driving the rotary .head'is increased asthe arms-aretilted :to a

greater anglewith respect-tothevertical. For

the purpose of preventing-the.streams fromone arm from following the same circular pathszas "the streams of. anotherarm, the three arms may "be tilted to diiferent angles.

By .actual test.- I. have found. that any: sprinkler 10 "byway' of limitation.

. gives substantially, uniform distribution oventhe 4 entire coverage area. The extent of the circular area covered by the sprinkler is determined by the pressure of the water supply.

My invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described and illustrated herein, because it is obvious that any desired number of sprinkler arms may be employed instead of the three illustrated in the drawing. It will also be understood that the specific dimensions given herein are for the purposeofillustration and not I claim: A rotary sprinkler comprising a rotary head mounted for rotation on a vertical axis and having a plurality of tubular sprinkler arms mounted thereon, each of said arms comprising a single linear tube having one end thereof closed and the other end thereof being secured to said head .onahorizontal axis extending radially from said head, the outer end portion of each arm being curved generally downwardly insubstantially a,

circular'areofsubstantially and having a plurality: of discharge apertures formed in the outer wall of said curved portion and spaced along thelength thereof by a spacing-which decreases progressively from the outer end of. the arm toward the rotary head, the-apertures nearest the-end of each arm being .directed to supply :Water to the innerportion-ofthe coverage area and the I apertures :nearest .the sprinkler head being directed to supply water to .the outer por- -tionof the-coverage area.

CLEAO 1W1 MCBRIDE;

.BEFERENCES ..CITED The." following: references are of record :in-- the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES: PATENTS ;I.Germany Jan, 22, 1931

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