US2986339A - Sprinkler - Google Patents

Description

w. E. KOVlCK Erm. 2,986,339

SPRINKLER May 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1958 WILLIAM 5. K0 wax JOHN A. ROVER INVENTORJ HUEBNER & WORREL A77Z RNEK9 y 1961 w. E. KOVICK EIAL 2,986,339

SPRINKLER Filed Jan. 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //l 7 Me so we T Me /10 W/LL/AMEKOV/CK JOHN A. ROVER INVENTOR HUEBNER & WORREL A7TORNEK5 United States Patent 2,986,339 SPRINKLER William E. Kovick and John A. Royer, Fresno, Calif., assignors to Buckner Manufacturing Company, Inc., Fresno, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Jan. a7, 1958, Ser. No. 711,390

9 Claims. Cl. 239-230 The present invention relates to a fluid motivated sprinkler adapted to discharge fluid over a predetermined distribution pattern and more particularly to such a sprinkler in which the relative saturation of diflerent areas within the fluid distribution pattern is controllable.

Fluid driven, rotary, oscillated, traveled and reciprocated sprinklers are well-known and have taken numerous forms in the past. For example, the impact-driven, stepped progression rotary sprinkler provides fluid conducting nozzles which emit one or more streams of water in inclined trajectories and rotates in incremental steps around a predetermined upright axis.

When it is desired to distribute water substantially uniformly over a generally circular area circumferentially of the sprinkler, such sprinklers and others are satisfactory for the purpose. However, when it is desired to irrigate certain segments of the area more or less thoroughly than other segments of such area, such sprinklers, as known prior to the subject invention, are not satisfactory. For example, in the irrigation of a golf course, it is conventional to position a series of rotary sprinklers in substantial alignment longitudinally of the fairways and on such centers that their spray patterns overlap. Although this overlapping has been found necessary to obtain adequate coverage along the margins of the fairways, the overlapped areas frequently receive too much water when the sprinklers are adjusted to provide adequate irrigation for the non-overlapped areas.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid motivated sprinkler in which the relative saturation of different areas within the distribution pattern of the sprinkler is controllable.

Another object is to enable substantially uniform distribution of water in an area in which a plurality of sprinklers are arranged so as to have overlapped spray patterns.

Another object is to enable the predetermined control of the speed of movement of sprinklers so as to efiect speed variations in selected sequence and extent.

Another object is to resist movement of a movable sprinkler through a predetermined segment of its path of movement.

Other objects are to provide a sprinkler of the nature described which is simple and economical to construct, adjust and operate; dependable in action; durable in construcfion; and adapted for use in various types of motivated sprinklers and in various operational environments.

These, together with other objects, will become more fully apparent upon reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sprinkler embodying the principles of the present invention and shown connected to a fluid supply conduit.

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged, fragmentary vertical section of the sprinkler with portions thereof shown in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a substantially horizontal section taken on an horizontal plane at a position represented by line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the sprinkler rotated ninety degrees from the position in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating application of the subject sprinkler to strip irrigation as on a golf course or the like.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a supply conduit 10 is fragmentarily illustrated in cross section in Fig. 1 and provides an upwardly disposed substantially cylindrical, internally threaded outlet receptacle 11, such as the side outlet of a pipe T. A sprinkler 14, incorporating the features of the present invention, includes an elongated upwardly disposed tubular housing 15, having a cylindrical lower threaded section 16 screw-threaded in the receptacle of the conduit and thus rigidly secured thereto, a hexagonal wrench manipulating section 17, a substantially cylindrical externally smooth collar mounting section 18, and a substantially cylindrical spring mounting section 19 diametrically smaller than the collar mounting section. An annular shoulder 20 is therefore provided between the collar and spring mounting sections.

An elongated cylindrical tube 25 is rotatably concentrically mounted within the housing 15 and includes a lower radially extended flange 26 in longitudinally endwardly spaced relation to the lower section 16 of the housing, and an externally threaded end 27 upwardly extended from the spring mounting section 19 of the housing. A plurality of washers 28 and 29 are interposed the flanges of the tube and the housing in circumscribing relation to the tube. Preferably the washers 28 are made of rubber or other compressible wear-resistant material and are respectively in engagement with the flange and the housing while the intermediate washer 29 between the rubber washers is made of Teflon. The tube is in fluid communication with the supply conduit '10 for conducting fluid upwardly through the housing.

A generally Y-shaped fluid distributing body 35 includes a tubular center section 36 screw-threaded on the upper end 27 of the tube 25, an upwardly laterally extended short tubular section 37 in communication with the center section, and an upper, oppositely laterally extended, longer, tubular section 38 likewise in communication with the center section and generally oppositely extended from the short section in substantially the same plane therewith. Nozzles 39 and 40 are screw-threaded on outer ends of the long and short lateral sections for directing jets of fluid outwardly of the body.

A cylindrical post 45 is rigidly upwardly extended from the center section 36 of the fluid distributing body 35, and a cylindrical sleeve 46 is rotatably fitted on the post. A mounting bar 47 is rigidly secured to the bushing and transversely outwardly extended therefrom in super-adjacent relation to the short lateral section 37. A fluid deflecting member 48 is mounted on the bar and is adapted for movement with the bar between a position in the path of fluid ejected from the nozzle 39 and a position out of said fluid path. A counterweight 49 is mounted on the sleeve on the opposite side thereof from the mounting bar. An arcuate abutment plate 50 is rigidly secured to the short lateral section 37 adjacent to its outer end and provides an upper disk-shaped portion rotatably fitted on the upper end of the post. A coiled spring 51 encircles the bushing and has opposite ends respectively connected to the sleeve and to the disk-shaped portion of the abutment plate for yieldably urging the mounting bar into engagement with the abutment plate. Thus, the spring urges the fluid deflecting member into its position in the path of the jet of water being ejected from the nozzle 39. The tube 25 and described elements borne thereby constitute a sprinkler head and are so referred to for descriptive convenience. The sprinkler structure now described is well-known as an impulse or impact operated sprinkler and typifies sprinklers which conveniently embody the principles of the present invention.

In operation, water under pressure is delivered upwardly through the tube 25 into the. upper sections 37 and 38' the bar strikes the abutment plate 50 to rotate by impact the fluid distributing body and the tube 25 within the housing 15 an incremental amount. The stream of water again forces the fluid deflecting member away and the action is repeated to rotate the fluid distributing body in stepped progression around an upright axis coaxial with the tube 25.

The subject invention provides an annular collar 55 having a concentric intermediate bore 56 fitted on the collar mounting section 18 f the housing 15, an upper diametrically enlarged bore 57 circumscribing the spring mounting section 19, and a lower diametrically enlarged bore 58 depending in circumscribing relation to the upper end of the wrench head 17. The collar provides diametrically opposite, radially outwardly extended brake segments 60 providing outwardly disposed convex surfaces 61 substantially concentric to the tube 25 and having opposite ends 61a. The braking surfaces 61 may be constructed to extend over arcs of any desired extent but for strip irrigation preferably traverse approximately ninety degrees, are in the same horizontal plane, are of the same radius, and are concentric. The collar provides diametrically opposite retracted surfaces 62 interconnecting opposite ends of the braking surfaces spaced inwardly from a circle containing the braking surfaces. The collar also has a substantially cylindrical mounting portion 64 axially extended from the braking portions. An annular ledge 65 is provided between the mounting portion and the braking portions. A setscrew 66 extends radially through one of the retracted surfaces of the collar and has an inner end which engages the mounting section 18 of the housing for adjustably securing the collar in rotatably adjusted positions on the housing.

An O-ring 7i), preferably of Teflon, and a brass washer 71 circumscribe the spring mounting sections 19 of the housing 15 with the O-ring disposed adjacent to the fluid distributing body 35 and with the washer adjacent to the collar 55. A coiled compression spring 72 encircles the spring mounting section and bears against the shoulder 20 within the upper bore 57 and against the washer for urging the O-ring into engagement with the fluid distributing body.

A mounting bracket 76 includes a substantially circular hub 77 rotatably journaled on the mounting portion 64 of the collar 55 and supported on the ledge 65. The bracket includes diametrically aligned arcuate arms 78 radially outwardly extended in opposite directions from the hub and then extended longitudinally of the housing 15 in laterally spaced relation to the collar. The bracket also includes coaxial sleeves 79 integral with the arms and each having an open outer end 80 and an annular inner rim 81 circumscribing an inner open end 82. The sleeves also provide internal threads 83 adjacent to their outer ends. The axis of the sleeves extends substantially diametrically of the tube 25 and is in the same plane as the braking surfaces 61 of the collar 55.

Tubular holders 86 are longitudinally slidably fitted in the sleeves 79 and provide axial bores 87 concentric to the sleeves. Each holder has an annular partition adjacent to its outer end. Cylindrical friction pads or wiping members 89, preferably of resiliently compressible material, such as rubber or the like, are compressibly fitted in the bores 87 of the holders against the partitions and extend inwardly toward the collar slidably through the inner open ends 82 of the sleeves 79.

An adjustment bolt is screw-threaded in each of the outer ends 30 of the sleeves 79 and includes a manipulating head 96 and a shank 97. The shank has an inner socket 98 substantially concentric to the bore 87 in its respective sleeve, and coiled springs 99 are interposed the partitions 88 and their respective shanks, being fitted in the socket of the latter. Each spring is maintained under slight compression so as yieldably to urge its respective holder and thus the friction pad mounted therein in inwardly extended position through the inner open end 82 of the sleeve. The extent of the compression of the springs and thus their pad urging effect are adjustable by means of the adjustment bolts.

It will be evident from the foregoing that the mounting bracket 76 is freely rotatably mounted on the collar 55 for rotation in a substantially circular path concentric to the tube 25. A driving finger 165 is rigidly secured to the center section 36 of the fluid distributing body 35 and longitudinally extended in laterally spaced relation to the housing 15 into the path of rotation of the arms 78 of the mounting bracket. The structural arrangement is such that the driving finger engages one of the arms incident to rotary movement of the fluid distributing body thereby to impart rotation to the bracket.

Operation The operation of the described embodiment of the subject invention is believed to be readily apparent and is briefly summarized at this point.

The operation of the sprinkler 14 is conveniently described in connection with the irrigation of a golf course and the illustration in Fig. 5 is provided for this purpose. The sprinklers 14 are arranged in substantially equally spaced relation along a line and so that their spray patterns overlap. For purposes of reference, each sprinkler distributes water over a substantially circular area generally indicated by the numeral 110, and the overlapped segments of the spray patterns are indicated by the numeral 111. Further, the points of intersection of the circular spray patterns are indicated by the numeral 112. Each sprinkler is adjusted so that its braking portions 60 are centered on an imaginary line joining the sprinklers. The precise positions of the braking portions depend on several factors such as the spacing of the sprinklers, and the magnitude of the spray areas 110, both of which determine the points 112 of spray pattern intersection. The end edges 61a of each braking portion should lie approximately along radial lines extended through said points of intersection and the axis of sprinkler rotation. Thus it follows that the length of the braking surfaces 61 depends on the length of the are between adjacent points 112 of spray pattern intersection. The length of the braking surfaces, therefore, varies with known characteristics of the sprinkler on which the subject invention is employed and establishes the spacing which must be maintained between the sprinklers for effective action of the subject speed controlling apparatus. Physical adjustment of the collars 55 is accomplished by loosening the set screws 66 and rotating the collars on theirrespective housings 15. The setscrews are then tightened to secure the collars rigidly in the described positions.

The bolts 95 of each sprinkler 14 are also adjusted in such a manner that the pads 89 engage the braking surfaces 61 when the bracket 76 is rotated to position the pads in opposed relation to such surfaces.

Fluid is delivered from the conduit 10 upwardly into each sprinkler 14 through the tubes 25 and the fluid distributing bodies 35. Each sprinkler rotates in stepped progression, as is well-known and described above. Considering the action of one sprinkler only, the finger Strikes an arm 78 of the mounting bracket 76 during each mistress increment of rotation of the fluid distributing body to impart incremental rotary movement to the bracket. When the friction pads 89 are opposite to the retracted surface 62 of the collar 55, the fluid distributing body rotates at a predetermined speed as if the device of the present invention were not employed and water is distributed onto overlapped areas 111 from the upper sections 37 and 38 of the body.

However, when the pads 89 contact the braking surfaces 61, frictional engagement between the pads and the surfaces retards rotary movement of the bracket 76. The extent of frictional engagement between the pads and the braking portions 60 is adjusted by threading the bolts 95 inwardly or outwardly. The speed of rotation of the fluid distributing body is thereby reduced from its speed when the pads do not engage the braking portions, that is when the pads are opposite to the retracted surfaces. Because of the slower movement, a greater quantity of water is allowed to fall on the non-overlapped segments of the area being sprinkled than on the overlapped areas 111. In this manner the distribution of water in the entire area 110 being sprinkled can be controlled and regulated to be substantially uniform notwithstanding overlapping of spray patterns. Obviously, more water can be sprinkled on the non-overlapped areas by threading the bolts 95 inwardly to reduce the speed of rotation while less water is obtained when the speed is increased by threading the bolts outwardly. If desired, the pads can be entirely removed so that the speed of rotation of the sprinkler is uniform circumferentially of its path of movement thereby rendering the speed controlling apparatus ineffective.

It is therefore evident that the subject invention enables control of the amount of fluid distributed over predetermined segments of an area to be irrigated. Although the invention has been described in connection with the irrigation of golf courses, it has utility in other environments where it is desired to control the quantity of water being distributed over a predetermined area to be sprinkled. Further, although the invention has been described in connection with a specific type of rotary fluid sprinkler, its application is not to be so limited inasmuch as the mounting bracket 76 can be driven by numerous types of fluid or otherwise motivated sprinklers regardless of the specific manner in which the movement is achieved.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rotary fluid sprinkler, a support, tubular fluid conducting means rotatably mounted in the support for rotation about a predetermined axis having an end adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure and an opposite end adapted during rotation of said means to distribute fluid in a predetermined area about said axis, said fluid conducting means including fluid motivated means for imparting rotation thereto, a bracket freely rotatably mounted on the support independently of said fluid conducting means for rotation about said axis relative to the conducting means, a friction pad mounted on the bracket in radially spaced relation to said axis and movable with the bracket in an arcuate path concentric to said axis, a driving finger secured to the fluid conducting means and extended into the path of travel of the bracket for engagement with and thereby for imparting movement to the bracket incident to movement of the fluid conducting means, and a brake member rigidly secured to the support and extended therefrom into the path of the pad for frictional engagement 'by the pad so as to resist movement of the bracket and thereby the fluid conducting means during a portion of its path of movement.

2. In a rotary fluid sprinkler including an upwardly disposed housing, and a fluid conductor adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure journaled in the housing for rotation about an upwardly disposed axis and having an upper fluid ejecting portion laterally out wardly extended from said axis and movable in-a predetermined path substantially concentric to said axis incident to fluid ejection therefrom; apparatus for controlling the speed of rotation of the conductor during portions of said predetermined path comprising a driving member rigidly secured to the conductor and extended in laterally spaced relation to the housing for movement with the conductor in a predetermined path, a brake member rigidly secured to the housing and radially outwardly extended therefrom in a predetermined plane, a driven bracket freely rotatably mounted on the housing in the path of the driving member so that movement is imparted to the driven member incident to engagement by the driving member, and means mounted in the bracket in substantially the same plane as the brake member frictionally engageable with the brake member during a portion of the travel of the bracket for reducing the speed of rotation of the conductor and disengageable from the brake member during other portions of the travel of the bracket for allowing increased speed of rotation.

3. In an impact-driven, rotary fluid sprinkler, an upwardly disposed tubular housing, an elongated substantially cylindrical fluid conducting tube mounted in the housing for rotation about a substantially upright axis having a lower end adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure and an end upwardly extended from the housing, a fluid distributing body rigidly secured to the upwardly extended end of the tube adapted for rotary movement with the tube about said axis incident to discharge of fluid from the distributing body, a mounting bracket, means freely rotatably mounting the bracket on the housing for rotation about said axis, a friction pad mounted on the bracket in radially outwardly spaced relation to said axis for rotation with the bracket in a predetermined path of travel substantially concentric to said axis, a brake member rigidly secured to the housing and radially outwardly extended therefrom into the path of travel of the pad for frictional engagement by the pad for resisting movement of the bracket during part of its rotation about said axis, and a driving finger rigidly secured to the distributing body and extended into the path of rotation of the bracket for imparting rotary movement to the bracket about said axis incident to rotary movement of the distributing body.

4. In an impact-driven, stepped progression, rotary fluid sprinkler; an upwardly disposed tubular housing; an elongated substantially cylindrical fluid conducting tube mounted in the housing for rotation about a substantially upright axis having a lower end adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure and an end upwardly extended from the housing; a fluid distributing body rigidly secured to the upwardly extended end of the tube adapted for rotary movement about said axis in stepped progression incident to discharge of fluid from the distributing body; a driving finger rigidly secured to the distributing body and extended longitudinally thereof toward the housing for movement in a predetermined path during rotation of the body; an annular collar rigidly mounted in circumscribing relation on the housing having diametrically related oppositely radially outwardly extended braking portions providing outwardly disposed convex brake surfaces substantially concentric to said axis; a mounting bracket including an annular hub rotatably mounted on the collar, diametrically related arms radially oppositely extended from the hub transversely in the path of movement of the driving finger, one of the arms being engageable by the finger upon rotation of the distributing body to impart rotary movement to the bracket in stepped progression around said axis, and coaxial sleeves secured to the arms in radial relation to the axis in the same plane as the braking portions of the collar and providing inner and outer open ends; resiliently compressible friction pads; means individually slidably mounting the pads in the sleeves for movement inwardly and outwardly of the inner ends of the sleeves; plugs releasably fitted in the outer ends of the sleeves; and compression springs individually interposed the pad mounting means and the plugs yieldably urging the pads inwardly of the inner ends of the sleeves for frictional engagement with the convex surfaces of said brake portions during rotation of the bracket thereby yieldably resisting rotation of the distributing body during part of its rotary movement.

5. In a rotary fluid sprinkler; an upwardly disposed tubular housing; an elongated substantially cylindrical fluid conducting tube mounted in the housing for rotation about a substantially upright axis having a lower end adapted for fluid connection to a source of fluid under pressure and an end upwardly extended from the housing; a fluid distributing body rigidly secured to the upwardly extended end of the tube adapted for rotary movement about said axis incident to discharge of fluid from the distributing body; a driving finger rigidly secured to the distributing body and extended longitudinally thereof toward the housing for movement in a predetermined path during rotation of the body; an annular collar rigidly mounted in circumscribing relation on the housing having a radially outwardly extended brake member providing a convex braking surface substantially concentric to said axis; a mounting bracket including an annular hub rotatably mounted on the collar, an arm radially outwardly extended from the hub transversely in the path of movement of the driving finger and engageable thereby upon rotation of the distributing body to impart rotary movement to the bracket around said axis, and a sleeve secured to the arm in radial relation to the arm in the same plane as the brake member of the collar and providing inner and outer open ends; and a resiliently compressible friction pad mounted in the sleeve and extended inwardly of the inner end of the sleeve for frictional engagement with the brak ing surface of said brake member during rotation of the bracket and yieldably to resist rotation of the distributing body during a portion of its rotary movement.

6. In a rotary, impact-driven, fluid sprinkler, a support, a fluid distributing body adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure and rotatably mounted in the support for rotation about a predetermined axis and for discharging fluid over a predetermined area incident to rotary movement, drive means operatively associated with the distributing body resistably rotating said body in stepped progression about said axis, a brake member rigidly mounted on the support and extended outwardly therefrom in substantially radial relation to the axis of rotation of the body, a wiping member, means supporting the wiping member and being freely rotatably mounted on the support for free rotation of the wiping member about said axis in a predetermined path, the brake being adjacent to said path for intermittent frictional engagement of the wiping member with the brake member during such rotation thereby to retard the speed of rotation of the wiping member during such frictional engagement, and drive means rigidly mounted on the body and extended into the path of movement of said supporting means for engagement therewith upon rotary movement of the body to impart rotary movement to said supporting means, said drive means being separable from said wiping member supporting means.

7. In a fluid sprinkler having a housing adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure, and a sprinkler head rotatably mounted'onthe housing to receive fluid therethrough from such a source and being rotated relative to the housing by discharge of such fluid, which head includes as a part thereof nozzle means for spraying the fluid over a predetermined distribution pattern during its rotation; an apparatus for controlling the relative saturation of different areas in the distribution pattern comprising a friction member, means interconnecting the friction member and the sprinkler head for simultaneous movement with the friction member having a predetermined path of revolutionary travel circumscribing said axis, and a brake member mounted in fixed position on the housing having a braking surface disposed in the path of travel of the friction member for intermittent engagement by the friction member during revolution of said member thereby intermittently impeding rotation of the sprinkler head, said friction member and brake member being disengaged during portions of the revolution of the friction member whereby the revolutionary speed of the head and friction member is relatively higher than during said period of engagement, said interconnecting means incuding a bracket mounting the friction member and freely rotatably mounted on the housing and a driving finger rigidly mounted on the sprinkler head and engageable with the bracket for imparting rotation to the bracket incident to rotation of the head.

8. In a rotary fluid sprinkler including an upwardly disposed housing, and a fluid conductor adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure journaled in the housing for rotation about an upwardly disposed axis and having an upper fluid ejecting portion laterally outwardly extended from said axis and movable in a predetermined path substantially concentric to said axis incident to fluid ejection therefrom; apparatus for controlling the speed of rotation of the conductor during portions of said predetermined path comprising a driving member rigidly secured to the conductor and extended in laterally spaced relation to the housing for movement with the conductor in -a predetermined path, a brake member rigidly secured to the housing and radially outwardly extended therefrom in a predetermined plane, a driven bracket freely rotatably mounted on the housing in the path of the driving member so that movement is imparted to the driven member incident to engagement by the driving member, and means mounted in the bracket in substantially the same plane as the brake member frictionally engageable with the brake member during rotation of the bracket for reducing the speed of rotation of the conductor, said brake engaging means being adjustable radially of said axis toward and away from the brake member for increasing and decreasing the extent of frictional engagement of said means with the brake member.

9. In an impact-driven, rotary fluid sprinkler, an upwardly disposed tubular housing, an elongated substantially cylindrical fluid conducting tube mounted in the housing for rotation about a substantially upright axis having a lower end adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure and an end upwardly extended from the housing, a fluid distributing body rigidly secured to the upwardly extended end of the tube adapted for rotary movement with the tube about said axis incident to discharge of fluid from the distributing body, a mounting bracket, means freely rotatably mounting the bracket on the housing for rotation about said axis, a friction pad mounted on the bracket in radially outwardly spaced re lation to said axis for rotation with the bracket in a predetermined path of travel substantially concentric to said axis, a brake member rigidly secured to the housing and radially outwardly extended therefrom into the path of travel of the pad for frictional engagement by the pad for resisting movement of the bracket during part of its rotation about said axis, and a driving finger rigidly secured. to the distributing body and extended into the path of rotation of the bracket for imparting rotary movement to the bracket about said axis incident to rotary movement of 9 the distributing body,-said pad being mounted in the bracket for adjustable movement radially inwardly and outwardly of said axis toward and away from the brake member for enabling adjustment of the extent of frictional engagement of the pad with the brake member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,600,987 Gallice June 17, 1952 10 Unger Jan. 13, 1953 Lazzarini Oct. 6, 1953 Landry May 1, 1956 Halt Oct. 27, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Aug. 18, 1955

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