Feb. 19, 1963 H. MEUCHE WATER SPRINKLER Filed Jan. 23, 1962 3,078,045 WATER SPRINKLER Howard Meuche, Fort Branch, 1nd., assigner to Powered Staplers, Inc., Princeton, Ind. Filed .lan 23, 1962, Ser. No. 168,170 3 Claims. (Cl. 239-98) This invention relates to fluid distribution devices and more particularly to water sprinklers of the type including movable distribution parts adapted particularly for use in gardens and the like.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide an improved fluid distribution device the construction of which is adapted for improved life with minimum maintenance.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved water sprinkler having an oscillatory movement provided by a simplified drive whereby to facilitate production and reduce costs.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved oscillatory drive for a water sprinkler which avoids the necessity for employing gear and/ or crank type mechanisms in the same.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide for the fabrication of a water sprinkler of extremely simple components which can readily be mass produced.

To achieve the above and other of its objectives, the

-invention contemplates, according to an embodiment thereof, an arrangement whereby a ball or like member is displaced between outlets which selectively provide for the discharge of water, the resulting selective discharge of water providing for an oscillatory movement which is utilized for water distribution purposes.

A feature of the invention is the technique employed to convey the aforesaid ball or like member to a Zone whereat a change of position of the ball or like member is initiated.

A further feature of the invention involves the use of an inlet conduit or pipe to define an axis of rotation relaltive to which the aforesaid oscillatory movement takes place.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in the particular ball seating and displacement arrangement employed in the preferred embodiment of the invention as well as the arrangement employed for guiding the ball from one seat to another for diverting fluid flow.

Advantageously, as will appear, the construction proposed in accordance with the invention diverts little or no hydraulic force from the fluid stream for providing the aforenoted oscillatory motion or, in other words, oscillation is provided without affecting the force with which the fluid is delivered.

Furthermore, an oscillating force is provided, in accordance with the invention, which can be readily overcome by a manual force or other such force when required.

The above objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a water sprinkler provided in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view, partially sectioned, of part of the sprinkler illustrated in FIG. l, partially broken away to illustrate some internal details;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view, partially sectioned, of a portion of FIG. 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a side view, partially sectioned, of the structure of FIG. 3, partially broken away.

The water sprinkler illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a stand 10, a water inlet conduit 12, a casing 14 rotatable 'atent on said conduit, distribution pipes 16 and 18 and a hose coupling device 20.

Stand 10 can be fabricated, for example, from a flat strip of aluminum or other material having suitable strength which is rolled into a tubing to provide for suitable structural reinforcement.

More particularly, the stand 10 comprises horizontal sections 22 and 24, which are intended to rest on the ground and inclined sections 26 and 28 terminating in a clamp section Sil, the clamping force of which is manually adjusted by means of a wing nut arrangement 32.

The stand 1d supports inlet conduit 12 in preferably horizontal position, said conduit defining an axis 34 which constitutes the axis of rotation of the casing 14.

As will be shown, the casing 14 is provided with an inlet in which is accommodated the conduit 12, the conduit 12 and the casing 14 being concentric about the axis 34, and the casing 14 being freely rotatable relative to said conduit.

It is required of the stand 10 that it support the conduit 12 and thus the casing 14 at a sufficient height relative to theground or other supporting surface such that pipes 16 and 1S can move freely without interference with the ground or other supporting surface.

In FIG. 1, it will be further noticed that the pipes 16 and 13 are provided with axially distributed sprinkler hole's 36 wherethrough the water to be distributed exits.

From FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that pipes 16 and 18 each include a horizontal section 38 and a further section 46, the sections 40 lying generally in a plane perpendicular to the axis 34 and cooperatively confining an angle A, preferably in the order of about although a wide range of this angle is possible.

As seen in FIG. 2, with the sections' 40' symmetrically aligned on opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through the center axis of the structure, holes 36 are arranged at an angle B, relative to the vertical, in the order of 10. A variation in the magnitude of this angle is also possible provided that a reaction force will be established, as next described below.

More particularly, water is selectively distributed via the holes 36 in one of the pipes 16 or 18 at a time whereby ,a reaction or propulsion force is selectively generated which rotates the casing 14 in clockwise or counterclock- Wise direction relative to the axis 34. This permits the generation of the oscillatory motion required to permit water to be distributed in different directions on`opposite sides of the axis 34. i

The means contemplated by the invention for effecting a selective distribution by either pipe 16 or pipe 18 is best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, and in FIG. 4 is also best seen the means for permitting water or like fluid to enter casing 14.

More particularly, casing 14 is provided with a cylindrical wall 42 which cooperatively with end plates 44 and 46 defines a substantially closed chamber 48, the end plates being held against the cylindrical wall 42 by means of Ibolts S0 or the like.

The end plate 44 may, for example, be fabricated of Lucite, which permits visual access to the interior of the casing. The remaining members ofthe casing 14 may be of aluminum or other suitable material having the requisite structural strength and adapted for resisting deterioration despite extensive exposure to water.

End plate 46 is provided with an inlet opening 52 generally circular in shape and concentric with axis 34. A bushing 54, also concentric with the axis 34, is inserted through the end plate 46 of the casing 14 and is accommodated within inlet opening S2. Bearing 54 is provided with an interior bore 56 wherein said conduit 12 is accommodated.

Conduit 12 is provided with a shoulder 58 and a threaded portion 60 adapted for accommodating a nut (not shown), the nut an`d said shoulder sandwiching 'therebetween the bearing 54 to prevent axial displacement therebetween.

End plate 46 is rotationally fixed relative to the bearing 54 and the bearing 54 is rotatable on the conduit 12. The conduit 12 thus not only constitutes a water inlet means, but further constitutes a means supporting the casing 14 and vthe pipes 16 and 18 thereon.

Mounted atop the conduit 12 is a ball deflector member 62, the purpose of which will become hereinafter apparent. The deflector 62 is maintained fixed relative to the conduit 12 and relative to the axis 34 by means of a hollow rivet 64. Rivet 64 not only constitutes a fixing member for defiector 62, but further constitutes a means of communication between the interior of conduit 12 and the chamber 48 within the casing 14. Thus, water proceeding from a hose (not shown) passes via conduit 12 and via the interior of rivet 64 into chamber 48.

Pipes 16 and 18 include end portions 66 and 68 extending through the cylindrical wall 42 of the casing 14 and constituting, within the chamber 48, respective ball seats.

The hollow nature of pipes 16 and 18 permits the hydraulic force of the water supply to force water through pipes 16 and 13 selectively and outwardly via sprinkler holes 36.

Freely accommodated in chamber 48 is a ball 70. This ball is preferably a metal ball of aluminum or like material which is of a dimension such that the ball is adapted to seat in one of end portions 66 or 68.

Casing 14 is provided with an interior portion 72 defining a fiat surface 74 positioned between end portions or seats 66 and 68. Surface 74 constitutes a guide or ramp by means of which ball 70 passes between the aforenoted seats.

Defiector 62 includes extremities 76 and 73 having positions of interference relative to the path of movement of ball 70 when the latter is accommodated in one of the seats 66 or 68, as will become hereinafter apparent. It is the function of extremities 76 and 78 to displace the ball 70 from the seat in which it is located whereby the ball may exchange positions and be relocated.

A structural characteristic which must be noted relative to extremities 76 and 78 is that they are so shaped as to make contact with the ball 70, when the latter is seated in one of the end portions 66 or 68, between the center of the ball and the line of contact of the ball with its seat. This assures a ready displacement of the ball from its seat whereby the direction of distribution of the water can be changed.

Furthermore, with the ball 70 in one of its seats, the surface 74 is spaced from the ball by, for example, thirty to'sixty-thousandths of an inch, in order to assure that the., ballmay readily clear from its seat upon engagement by deflector 62.

`A further structural characteristic which must be noted is that the cross-sectional area of the water inlet relative chamberi42 such as, for example, constituted by the ,interior of rivet 64, is slightly greater than the total cross-sectional area of the holes 36 of one of sections 40 ofpipes 16 and 18, so that a pressure is built up Within the casing 48 suicient to hold ball 70 in the seat within which it is accommodated while not interfering with the displacement ofthe ball from its seat by deiiec tor '62. i

Additionally, it is to be noted that in the normal position of rest, end portions vor seats 66 and 68 are located below the defiector 62.

In operation, water entering the chamber 48 carries ball 70`into one of the seats 66 and 68 whereby fluid flow is limited to the other of the pipes, they uid flowing outwardly from the latter said pipe by means of the associated holes 36. This creates a reaction or propulsion force which causes casing 14 to rotate in a corre- 4 spending direction around the axis 34. Ball 70 in its seat is concomitantly carried towards one of the extremities of detiector 62 and ultimately makes contact with this extremity. When contact is made, ball 70 is displaced from its seat and moves under the influence of gravity along surface 74 to the other of said seats. A return to its original seat is blocked by deflector 62. In the meantime, the pipe in the end portion of which the ball 70 was originally accommodated, continues to move in the aforesaid direction of motion until its section 40 assumes a substantially vertical position. Ball 70 then closes off the other of the pipes whereby fluid fiow is diverted and the reaction force causes the casing 14 to rotate in opposite direction.

By the above disclosed action, liuid is ejected or sprinkled first through the holes 36 of one pipe and then through the holes of the other pipe. A reversing of direction of rotation of casing 14 is assured due to the action of ball 7i) which first cuts off fluid ow through one pipe and then through the other pipe. Ball 70 is maintained rby hydraulic pressure in one of the end portions 66 or 68 until physically displaced therefrom by one of the extremities of detiector 62. Movement of the ball 7l) into operative association with any one pipe seals oft the same and prevents fiuid flow therethrough.

Sections 38 of pipes 16 and 18 being fixed to sections 40 of these pipes in cantilever relationship may be substantially of any desired length and the holes 36 therein may be positioned to deliver a fan-like spray, thus effectively increasing the width of spray delivered.

From the above it will be seen that an oscillatory motion is provided without the use of gears and/or cranks. or the like and that, in fact, a selective distribution of water through one bore or another is effected by very simple means. The components of the above-noted structure may be very simple and may be fabricated with mass production techniques at low cost.

There will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications and variations of the structure set forth above. These modifications and variations, however, will no-t depart from the scope of the invention if defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A water sprinkler comprising a rotatable casing having an inlet for the supply of water, first and second means on said casing for selectively distributing water from said casing and, in so doing, causing said casing to rotate in respective opposite directions, said first and second means having openings in said casing, a ball loosely accommodated in said casing and adapted for selectively closing the openings of said means whereby water in the casing flows selectively through the said means, distribution of water from one of said means causing said casing to rotate and displace the opening of the other cf said means and the ball therein to elevate the same above the opening of said one means, and stationary means in the casing in a position of interference to defiect said ball from the opening in which the ball is located whereby the ball is adapted to move downwardly into the o-pening of the other of said means and whereby the flow of water is diverted.

2. A water sprinkler comprising a casing defining a Asubstantially closed chamber, a conduit extending into said casing and opening into said chamber, said casing being rotatable on said conduit, means on said conduit whereby the latter is adapted for being connected to a source of water, first and second pipes defining sprinkler openings distributed therealong, said pipes including end portions constituting ball seats within said chamber, said casing including an internal portion defining a fiat surface extending substantially between said seats, a ball within said chamber and adapted for selectively engaging in one of said seats whereby to block ofi the corresponding pipe and whereby fluid tiow is restricted to the other of said pipes, the flow of water through the sprinkler openings in said other pipe generating a reaction force which rotates said casing on said conduit; and a deector in said casing and fixed relative to said conduit and including extremities in positions to contact said ball between the center of the same and the seat in which the ball is accommodated whereby to deect said ball from the seat in which the ball is accommodated as said casing rotates, the ball thereby moving along said surface to the other seat and the ow of water being diverted from one pipe to the other.

3. A water sprinkler comprising a casing deiining a substantially closed chamber, a conduit extending into said casing and opening into said chamber, said casing being rotatable on said conduit, means on said conduit whereby the latter is adapted for being connected to a source of water, first and second pipes defining sprinkler openings distributed therealong, said pipes including end portions within said chamber, said casing including an internal portion defining a at surface extending substantially between said end portions, a ball within said cham- 20 ber and adapted for selectively seating in one of said end portions whereby to block oi the corresponding pipe and whereby fluid flow is restricted to the other of said pipes, the ow of water through the sprinkler openings in said other pipe generating a reaction force which rotates said casing on said conduit, said end portions being spaced from said iiat surface such that the ball seated in said end portions is spaced from said surface, and a deector fixed in said casing to deflect said ball from the seat in which the ball is accommodated upon rotation of said casing whereby the ball moves along said surface to the other seat and the iiow of water is diverted between pipes.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,564,639 Cuppett et al Aug. 14, 1951 2,670,993 Nordenstarn Mar. 2, 1954 2,722,457 Livingston Nov. 1, 1955