US3117724A - Moving sprinkler head - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1964 H. E. RAY

movmc SPRINKLER HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8, 1963 INVEN TOR. HARRY E A ATTORNEK Jan. 14, 1964 H. E. RAY 3,117,724 movmc SPRINKLER HEAD Filed Feb. 8, 196a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A A IA/II VIIIIIIIIIIII/ IN VENTOR. flaw) .5? Kay United States Patent 0 3,117,724 MSVENG HEAD Harry E. Bay, Chicago, Ill., msignor to A. J. Gughton Co, Chicago, ill, a corporation of lllinois Filed Feb. 8, 1963, filer. No. 258,114 15 Qlaims. (Cl. 239-97) This application is a continuation-impart of application Serial No. 129,664, filed August 7, 1961, and allowed on August 9, 1962.

This invention pertains to improvements in water turbines, particularly as adapted to use in sprinkling heads of the underground, pop-up type in which the water is fed from the distributing lines into a sprinkler unit containing some form of water-actuated mechanism, usually a turbine type motor, to elevate and maintain the sprinkling nozzle in a raised operative position, and at the same time to impart a suitable rotary movement to the nozzle whereby to direct the spray over a selected area.

Sprinkler heads of the class described have been contrived in a variety of forms heretofore in attempts to produce dependable and efiicient operation under the low power and adverse environmental conditions to which they are exposed, and those devices of this class which could be counted successful have been of a relatively complex and expensive construction or difiicult to install and service.

More particularly the improvements hereinafter described relate to the provision of a low-mass turbine wheel made very light in weight and resistant to corrosion by use of a moldable synthetic materials, together with a non-stalling impact or striker means adapted to nudge the spray head a few degrees with each revolution of the turbine Wheel and which is in the form of an annular Weight having a central mounting hole considerably larger in diameter than the diameter of a headed pin employed to capture this weight loosely for a complex reactive motion which may be both angular and linear with respect to the pin, and which can be utilized in either a vertical or horizontal plane in a manner to be explained, without danger of freezing up or seizing on its spindle due to corrosion, sand or contaminants in the water, notwithstandhrg that the turbine wheel has very little drive even at higher water pressures.

A further aspect of the improved impact means the fact that it can be used in a multiple or single-pulse-perrevolution system and with or without substantial dynamic balance.

Additional objects and aspects of utility and novelty relate to the provision of an improved throttle or adjustment valve means coasting with the new turbine Wheel in either of its forms in a simple body or head which will accept either type of turbine wheel, together with still further features which will appear as the following description proceeds in view of the annexed drawings in which:

PEG. 1 is a vertical sectional view, shown with reference to the ground line, and taken through the complete head with parts of the nozzle, turbine, and stepping mechanism shown in elevation;

FIG. 2 is a sectional detail through parts of the turbine and nozzle subassembly;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the turbine means as it would be seen looking upwardly in a direction along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the body of the head looking into the water inlet nipple;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail through the nozzle shroud;

PEG. 6 is a vertical section through a sprinkler head 3,ll7,?2-i Patented Jan. id, 1954 2 similar to that of FIG. 1 but housing a modified type of turbine shown in elevation therein;

7 is a perspective detail of the modified turbine viewed from above;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the modified turbine wheel;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the turbine wheel with spindle removed;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section through the modified turbine wheel with the striker or impact arm shown in elevation.

In the construction depicted in FIG. 1, the sprinkler head comprises a body it preferably formed as a bronze forging providing a large chamber 11 above a bottom wall 12 from which depends an internally threaded inlet nipple 13 to which the underground water supply pipe (not shown) is to be connected, such sprinkler heads generally being used in large numbers in a system arranged to cover a substantial area of ground, the several heads and bodies 10 being substantially buried with their top portions flush with the ground surface, as indicated in FiG. 1, and the water distributing pipes which feed these heads being likewise laid underground and interconnecting with the nipples is on the bottoms of the various heads.

The water is utilized at the pressure existing in the usual supply mains but is admitted into the chamber 11 through a plurality of small inlet ports 14 (FIGS. 1 and 4-) piercing the bottom wall thereof and provided with an adjustable throttle vane 16 pivotally mounted within the nipple on said bottom wall by means of a stacked pin 17 having a screw-driver slot 17X accessible on the inside of the turbine chamber, the vane being of a size such that all of the ports may be exposed, or less than all may be closed off to regulate speed of the turbine, there being a jet stream passage it: counterbored into the bottom wall 12 through the nipple to by-pass some of the incoming water for issuance from a jet orifice \19 at an angle to the turbine blades.

The body '13 is surmounted by a removable cover plate 29, having a seating flange 21, a sealing flange 22, and a thickened central land 23 bored to provide a bearing and guide opening 24 for the nozzle and shroud assembly, as will more fully appear hereafter.

The cover plate is provided with a gasket 26 and secured on the body by screws 27 with the bearing and guide bore 24 substantially concentric with a vertical axis through the chamber and the inlet nipple.

The improved stepping turbine includes a turbine wheel 39 (FIGS. 1 to 3) preferably molded from a li ht-weight corrosion resistant synthetic material, such as nylon, said turbine wheel comprising a hub portion 31, provided with a central bore 32 adapted to float loosely on the shank portion of a spray tube it? on which the wheel is rotatably maintained by means of retaining washers 41, 41 seated in grooves in the spray tube on opposite sides of said hub, it being therefore understood for purposes of this description that the turbine wheel is supported by, and floats freely about, the spray tube 44 and that the tube is, itself, free to rotate about the same vertical axis as the turbine wheel.

As viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, the upper axial face of the turbine wheel is an annular web 34- which presents a flat top surface on the underside of which are integrally formed a plurality of depending turbine vanes 35 radiating from said hub, there being also a pair of diametrically opposite pin blocks 36 (FIG. 3) integral with the hub and extending in a radial direction for part of the distance toward the periphery of the top web.

The hub pin blocks 36 are provided with radiallyaligned bores into each of which is press-fitted a headed carrier pin 5%) of predetermined diameter (FIG. 2 also) which is substantially less than the diameter of the appertaining head portions 51 for reasons to appear.

Loosely captured on each of the carrier pins 54} by said head portions is an annular striker weight 54 preferably made of brass and having a bevelled inner peripheral margin 55 for clearance on the side proximate to the corresponding pin block as well as a substantially oversize bore 56 which is considerably larger in diameter than the appertaining bearing pin 55) with the result that said striker members hang or depend eccentrically and loosely from their respective carrier pins and are capable of shifting a considerable amount radially of the pins, particularly in the up and down directions with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and are additionally capable of an angular rotary and rocking motion on and about said pins 50 by reason of which they yield with a compound rolling and upwardly shifting motion which causes them to climb up on the carrier pins when the lowermost portions are struck by an angularly moving finger, as will appear.

Staked into the lower end of the nozzle tube 40 (FIG. 2), to extend radially therefrom, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, is a long striker finger or pin 42 which is disposed at such a level, and is of such a length, as to lie in the path of the lower parts of the pendent strikers 54, so as to strike the latter successively and repetitiously as the turbine wheel rotates freely about the nozzle tube, with the re sult that the nozzle tube is nudged in intermittent steps around a circuit of travel to interrupt the water spray, as will appear more fully.

The nozzle tube 4% (FIG. 2) has a central bore 43 of substantial diameter for upward passage of water directly from the inlet ports 14, the upper end 44 of the tube being closed and there being three equidistantly-located spray orifices 45 provided for spray coverages of less than 180 and only two such orifices for greater coverage patterns, the same being located adjacent said closed end and respectively pitched upwardly and outwardly from the internal passage so as to throw the escaping water stream in an outwardly arcuate trajectory calculated to give a desired zone coverage in relation to the available pressure and the variable pattern factor contributed by the stepping or nudging action of the striker mechanism.

Disposed at about the mid-region of the nozzle or spray tube is a peripheral bearing flange 47 which is of a diameter to seat the flanged base 61 of the shroud tube 60 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, suitable spacing being achieved by addition of a needed number of spacer washers 48, the spray tube being adapted to rotate while the shroud tube is held stationary, as will appear.

The upper end 64 of the shroud tube is open (FIG. 5) and provided immediately therebelow is a circumferentially-elongated discharge outlet 65 having upwardly chamfered deflecting lips 66 before which successively sweep the three orifices 45 of the spray tube as the latter is stepped around its circuit by action of the turbine and striker means, the upper opening 64 of the shroud being effectively closed by the closed end 44 of the nozzle tube, the opening 64- being provided for leakage relief of interfering spray from the two spray orifices which are masked while the third orifice passes the shroud window, there being some interference with the spray if such relief is not provided.

In order to hold the shroud tube 69 stationary while the nozzle tube 40 rotates, a sliding keyway 67 (FIG. 5) is milled or cast in the wall of the shroud tube to interfit with a keying pin 68 (FIG. 5) provided at the margin of the bore in the cap.

In operation, a substantial number of the sprinkler heads shown in FIG. 1 will be installed in a coverage pattern of suitable orientation and spacing with the bodies buried so that their cap plates 20 are about on a level with the ground surface, underground feed pipes (not shown) being connected to the respective nipples 13 and the entire system being controlled by some form of remote master valve (not shown).

Water under the available service pressure will be admitted to the turbine chamber through the angular jet passages 13, 19, as well as the ports 14, modified if necessary by adjustment of the throttle vane 16, the jet stream striking the turbine blades to rotate the wheel slowly at a speed determined by the setting of the throttle vane, the pressure beneath the wheel also providing a lifting force which elevates the turbine wheel, and with it the nozzle tube at and the shroud tube 60 seated thereon, to the operative spraying position indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1 with the shroud and nozzle at a substantial level above the ground.

The turbine wheel rotates slowly, some part of the admitted water passing more or less directly up through the center of the spray or nozzle tube 4!), and as a result of the Wheel rotation the pendent striker members 54 impinge upon the lowermost portions of the striker finger 42 to nudge the nozzle tube a few degrees at each impact, the strikers tending to yield and rise in a sort of gyratory motion over the finger immediately following the initial impact, this yielding action of the strikers being a complex motion resultant from both angular and radial or linear displacements of the strikers owing to the largely oversize bores 56 thereof relative to the diameter of the carrier pins 59, it being noted also that the movement and pressure of the water in the turbine chamber tends to exert a lifting or displacing effect upon the strikers, which is partially offset by the chamfer 55 at the proximate inner mar ins of the strikers, it being desired to utilize some of this eifect after the initial impact.

Thus, the initial impact of each blow of the striker 54 on finger 42 moves the spray tube only a short distance before the resultant forces on the striker cause it to yield rearwardly and upwardly and in effect climb with a rolling action over the striker finger, by reason of which the tutbine wheel is never stalled, it being understood of course that the power available from a turbine of the size and arrangement required is quite small and the attendant operating environment and variables are likewise unfavorable, due to such things as variations in water pressure, and clogging from sand, grit, and corrosive and like deposits, to mention particular sources of trouble tending to cause spasmodic action in such devices.

The nozzle tube must not be moved too rapidly if the optimum water distribution is to be procured, in cons'e quence of which the turbine motor can not be permitted to generate any momentum or gain speed, and the weight of the turbine wheel is kept low, as is the mass of the striker collars, the weight of the latter being just suflicient to provide the needed inertia to impart a moving blow to the nozzle tube.

The speed of the turbine wheel may be regulated after installation by adjustment of the throttle vane 16 which has a screw-drive slot in the head 17 of its pivot pin or rivet, it being merely necessary to remove the turbine unit and turn the throttle vane as necessary by use of a screw driver, the speed of the turbine wheel being adjusted between the limit for one revolution of 35 to 55 seconds, and the usual average being one revolution in 45 seconds.

As a result of the construction described, a dependable stepping action is achieved and the nozzle tube advanced in small steps to cause the several spray orifices to pass in succession before the relatively stationary shroud window 65, the angular length and orientation of which (by turning the cover plate or the sprinkler head itself to the required position) will distribute the water to the desired area served by the unit in question, it being understood that said distributing window or outlet in the shroud may be shortened or lengthened in the circumferential or angular direction to cover less or more: area, as desired, it being usual to omit the shroud tube: altogether where full 360 coverage is required.

When the water supply is shut ed the turbine wheel restsin the full-line dropped position shown in FIG. 1, and the nozzle tube and shroud drop with it so that the top 65 of the shroud lies about flush with the top of the cover plate 20.

The described turbine and stepping mechanism is less costly to manufacture and service than other reliably operative constructions, some of which have resorted to complicated gearing or centrifugal or cam driving expediencies in order to provide for consistent operation.

Servicing of the described sprinkler head is quite easy for the reason that the entire turbine and stepping mechanism is a complete subassembly and can be lifted free once the cover plate is removed and a completely new unit can be substituted, including a new shroud, if necessary, and all of the critical operative structure is exposed for inspection on removal from the body.

The turbine wheel may be economically molded from a synthetic resin or like material with the opposite radial bores for the striker carrier pins 50 formed in the same operation, so that said pins, equipped with striker collars 54-, may simply be pressed into assembly to complete the turbine wheel.

Since the turbine wheel must float about the nozzle tube, fabrication of this wheel from a light-weight, non-metallic, moldable material, such as nylon, having good bearing qualities, contributes to the efficiency, such a material being unaffect d by sand and like gritty substances present in many water supplies.

A major portion of the momentum needed to nudge the spray tube a few degrees is thus stored in the brass striker collars which are yieldable in the compound angular and linear f eedoms of movement pointed out, so that the turbine wheel is loaded a minimum by the advancing appendages, all of which, it should be noted, lie in the jet turbidity area beneath the wheel in a position and attitude to be acted upon in some degree by the riving force of the water from the jet orifice 19 toward and into the more or less central vortex above ports 14 as the water passes up into the spray tube, and in this connection the freely pendent mounting of the strikers further distinguishes over prior devices seeking to utilize centrifugal impact means which first require that suificient energy be supplied from the turbine to positively throw the striking element into an operative position before the advancing impact can occur, thereby adding an undesirable loading factor on the water motor.

In contrast to the action of certain prior sprinkler turbines, the reactive force components acting upon the striker members in the present device tend to act mainly and first on the striker weights themselves, rather than to be transmitted immediately to the turbine wheel, and the force of the water upon the strikers following the instant of impact tends automatically to aid the yielding of the strikers in simultaneously rising and rolling over the striker finger.

The urbine wheel described in view of F165. 1 to 5 is a multiple-pulse device and may be considered as substantially dynamically balanced although perfect balance is not necessary to satisfactory operation, so t. at no precision control is needed in the manufacture of the device to assure actual balance, reasonable uniformity of production parts being sufficient to prevent any troublesome imbalance.

Such a turbine and impact system will yield two impacts per revolution on the striker arm and will accordingly nudge the spray nozzle twice per revolution with about two degrees of displacement per impact or a total of four degrees per revolution, which is considered desirable for most patterns of water distribution, the time for each revolution being preferably between and 45 seconds.

It is not ordinarily desirable to employ high water pressures in sprinkling systems of the class described, a good average pressure being around 30 to pounds per square inch, with higher pressures producing increasingly undesirable distribution patterns and being likely to cause the water to become a mist and very wasteful and ineffectual for the intended purposes. Economy of water, both volumetrically in relation to cost and objectively in elfecting a good sprinkling pattern about each individual head, is of great importance even in small systems, but becomes of controlling importance in very large systems; and, whereas fast turbine speeds are not desired on the one hand, consistently reliable drive is necessary on the other hand to prevent stalling at individual heads, because otherwise some area is deprived of water and possibly some other area will be too wet. These criteria are incompatible since the turbine and its impact mechanism are of necessity required to be a low-energy system, while the water pressure prescribed do not afford a particularly large driving power, so that the operating conditions inherently favor stalling, it being important to observe also that at each impact the system loses energy and is momentarily in a condition to stall.

Thus, the problem is to produce a consistently reliable driving force acting at a um'form rate to move the nozzle more or less uniform angular distances at each impact, and to achieve these results in a marginal low-energy system which is continually exposed to the abrasive and corrosive and clogging actions of gritty and chemical substances in the water, and which, in many territories will also be exposed to severe temperature extremes and the dangers of winter-lay-up corrosion which cause moving parts in many systems to be seized fast even by small amounts of residual grit, mud, or chemical deposit to such an extent that the initial pressures, when the system is again turned on, Will not free the motors or turbines, and each head must be opened and serviced.

The described eccentric annular striker weights 54 are of a character to provide excellent non-stalling operation in a multiple-pulse system (i.e. at least two pulses per revolution) but in a single pulse system (one pulse per revolution) only one striker weight will be used and it becomes desirable to change the operation from that of several impact weights or strikers working in a vertical plane, to that of a single striker working in a horizontal plane, with attendant requirements necessitating the modified construction now to be described in view of FIGS. 6 to 10.

A modified turbine wheel 7% of the single-pulse type is depicted in FIG. 7, and comprises a spindle 71 having said wheel loosely captured thereon by the same arrangement of C-washer (FIG. 8) described for the embodiment of FIG. 3, so that the wheel floats freely about said spindle, the latter having fixed thereon a radial striker arm 72 rotatable therewith and provided with a downturned end 73 constituting a striker pawl adapted to be hit by the eccentric annulus or striker weight 75 secured on the turbine wheel.

The turbine wheel of FIG. 7, like that of FIG. 2, is molded from a synthetic material such as nylon and is essentially of the same general configuration as to the number and size of blades, but with a number of notable diiierences including the fact that the end of each blade is relieved or notched, as at 76 to provide a clearance path for the striker pawl '73 while permitting the latter to orbit in a path which can en age the impact weight '75 in a centrifugally outward pc on which is nevertheless within the peripheral bou "aries of the turbine blade with suitable rotational cls ance within the body 16X.

Another difference in the modified turbine wheel is the provision, best seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, of a cross-web 77 integrally formed across tie bottoms of a number of blades in the sense of a chord of the peripheral circle of the bottom tips of the blades, so as to span the distance across the gap left by orn .g one blade between the two to which said web is 3o'ned, said web affording a platform or support adapted to carry the striker annulus 75 for action in a horizontal plane about its headed pin spindle 78, which is fixed in this web.

As in the case of the supporting pins is" for the annular strikers 54 working in vet cal planes in the embodiment or" FIG. 2, the s r le pin for the single-pulse striker weight or annulus of P188. 7 and 8 has a diameter con- 7 siderably less than the bore of the weight, while its head 78A is suificiently larger than the bore to prevent escape of the weight and has sufiicient clearance to permit the weight to shift linearly or roll angularly with complete freedom about or relative to said pin.

Thus, when the modified or single-pulse turbine wheel 7i is housed in the body or head 19X (FIG. 6) to operate therein in all essential respects in the same manner (except as to speed) as the turbine of FIG. 1, the rotation of the turbine wheel will cause the striker weight 75 to move outwardly of the axis of the pin and the spindle by centrifugal force to a position in which it will strike the impact pawl 73, which will cause the annulus to yield inwardly in a generally linear and possibly radial direction with concurrent forces also tending to cause the weight to turn or roll or move angularly about its own vertical axis and that of the pin spindle, with a resultant complex reaction much like that of the impact weights 54 in the first-described multiple-pulse arrangement, with the difference that the angular or rolling action does not act against gravity and is not aided directly by any lifting component of turbulence.

Since the device of P16. 7 produces only one impact per revolution, but must nevertheless usually displace the nozzle the same angular amount per revolution as the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, it must have a mass capable of producing an impact which will displace the nozzle not two, but four degrees per impact, and for this reason, the striker annulus 75 is considerably heavier than the weights 54 and is preferably made of stainless steel.

Thus, the single-pulse turbine produces fewer pulses per revolution and is in this sense slower than the multiple-weight form, but has the advantage of reducing the frequency of stall-inducing impact reactions and striking a harder blow at each impact which is more favorable for overcoming the retarding etfects of foreign matter. Such a turbine is especially suited for reliable operation in bad water territories carrying considerable undissolved or gritty solids.

In order to provide some measure of dynamic balance for the single-pulse wheel, a counterbalance is provided in the form of a cylindrical brass slug 79 molded in a pocket 89 formed at an appropriate position as part of one of the turbine blades at a point between the endwise clearance notch 75A thereof and the hub of the wheel.

The turbine wheels in both forms of the invention are loosely fitted with extra clearance upon their respective spindles in order to discourage accumulation of foreign matter in the bearing zones and assure an easy breakaway motion response after periods of idleness; and these clearance provisions alone make precise dynamic balance an impossibility. In addition, particularly as respects the single-pulse embodiment of the anrular eccentric striker weight, such balance can only be approximated by reason of the shifting positions of the weight in response to the several forces from time to time acting upon it, due to rotation of the wheel, impacts, and turbulence, etc.

The eccentrically- shiftable striker weights 54 and 75 are particularly advantageous in that they both aid in prevention of stalling in both the horizontal and vertical modes of angular travel and tend to be much freer from sticking tendencies due to formation of corrosive deposits formed during periods of idleness. The compound or multi-directional freedom of movement in response to impact owing to the generously oversize hole in the Weight is considered mainly responsible for such non-stalling performance and is just as effective with the single weight of larger mass and impact potential as with the lighter multiple weights.

1 claim:

1. In a spray head, a body member having a chamber into the bottom of which water under pressure is admitted, a tubular nozzle and means mounting the same in said chamber for rotative movement about a vertical axis, the lower end of said tube being open in the chamher to passage of water upwardly to a closed upper end region thereof having radially-opening discharge orifices adjacent thereto; a turbine wheel floating free on said nozzle in said chamber to rotate about said axis; and means for intermittently coupling said wheel to said nozzle to change the angular position of the latter about said axis and comprising at least one radially-extensive spindle member mounted on said wheel, a weight having a bore engaging said spindle to hang in loose eccentri pendency therefrom; a radial striker member extending from said tube beneath said weight at a level to be struck thereby at a point of impact below the axis of eccentricity whereby to cause the weight to swing upwardly and permit passage therebeneath of said striker member, whereby the turbine wheel and nozzle are only momentarily drivingly intercoupled with a minimized loading of Wheel suilicient to turn the nozzle a small amount at each impact.

2. In a sprinl; er head having a turbine wheel and a nozzle tube rotatable about a vertical axis concentrically with the axis of rotation of the turbine wheel, improvements in a nozzle-moving mechanism for intermittently and transiently coupling the nozzle and wheel to turn the nozzle small amounts at intervals, said striker mechanism comprising: in combination with said wheel and nozzle tube, a pair of diametrically opposite radial carrier rods on the wheel; a radial striker finger on the nozzle tube situated at a level beneath the carrier rods, and striker means in the form of an annular weight mounted on each carrier rod by means of a central bore of substantially larger diameter than the appertaining rod so that the striker will normally hang in eccentric pendency to a level to strike the finger on rotation of said wheel, the striker weights by reason of the oversize bore and eccentric pendency yielding following initial impact of the finger and tending to turn and rise simultaneously to a level permitting the finger to pass freely therebeneath to relieve the loading on the turbine wheel very quickly after such impact.

3. In a sprinkler head of the type including a turbine wheel freely rotatable about a vertical axis which is coincident with the axis of an elongated nozzle member likewise freely rotatable about the same vertical axis and which is adapted to discharge water from an axial end region thereof remote from said turbine wheel into zones circumambient of said axis responsive to angular movements of the nozzle member thereabout, improvements comprising, namely: means for intermittently drivingly coupling and decoupling the turbine wheel and nozzle member as a function of rotation of the wheel, said means comprising an impact member attached to the nozzle member to lie on a radius of said axis therefrom and at a level beneath said turbine wheel, and a round pendulous weight supported by suspensory means carried by the wheel at a position radially outward from the axis of rotation of the wheel to swing and rotate about a lateral axis radial to the first-mentioned axis and located in a plane of travel above the plane of angular movement of said impact member, said suspensory means rendering said weight capable of eccentric rotation in an epicyclic manner about said lateral axis as well as capable of displacement in a radial sense relative to the lateral axis, said weight depending as aforesaid from the lateral axis with a lower body portion thereof lying in the path of angular travel of the impact member to strike the latter for momentary intercoupling therewith responsive to rotation of the turbine wheel, whereby to move the nozzle member through a small angle with subsequent decoupling reaction in said weight in moving in a resultantly upward direction relative to said lateral axis and over and beyond the impact member with subsequent gravitational return to pendent condition.

4. A sprinkler head comprising a body having a turbine chamber with a bottom door and an open top and adapted to be disposed in the ground with said top about 9 level w ithe surface, a removable cover for said top; a water inlet connection communicating into the chamber throu h said floor and including a plurality of ports disposed about a central vertical axis through said chamher and floor, together with an offset jet passage providing a turbine driving stream; a light-weight turbine wheel in said chamber freely rotatable about a nozzle tube which is itself rotatable about said axis and has an upper nozzle portion projecting through said top; a throttle member mounted to turn about said axis on the outer side of said floor by pin means engaged in the floor, and having a portion exposed in the chamber and provided with a tool-engaging formation for adjustment to close or open said ports for regulation of the speed of said turbine wheel, said adjustment being effective by removal of said turbine wheel and nozzle through open top and application of a tool in said tool-engag' ing formation to turn the throttle member as aforesaid; and means releasably intercoupling the wheel and nozzle tube to effect a small angular movement of the nozzle by the wheel at least once per revolution of the latter.

5. In. a sprinkler head a forged body providing a chamr g a bottom floor, an open top, removable cover exterior of said fioor; a tubular nozzle member mounted to project through a bearing open in said cover so as to be rotatable about a central axis through the cover,

C1 lmber, inlet connection; a light-weight turbine wheel floating freely on said nozzle member to rotate about the latter; duct means directing water from said inlet connection angularly against the turbine wheel to rotate the same; a radially-projecting striker member on the nozzle member situated at a level below said wheel; a pair of pending striker weights and means loosely carrying each of the same on diametrically opposite sides of said wheel to swing pendently from, and roll eccentric..lly about, said carrying means with respective lower portions depending norma ly into the path of said striker member to be struck by the latter responsive to rotation of said wheel and to react in a resultant turning and rising movement relative to said carrying means to permit passage of the striker member therebeneath with minimired loading on the wheel.

6. The construction set forth in claim 5 further characterized by the provision of a plurality of water ports disposed about said axis in said floor and communicating from said inlet connection into said chamber in adjacent rel Ion to the bottom of said tubular nozzle member, together with a throttle vane pivotable about said axis to open and close a predetermined number of said ports for regulating the speed of said wheel.

7. A construction according to claim 5 further characterized in that said nozzle member is free to shift axially upward to a predetermined level above said cover, and said turbine wheel has a top web constituting the same, in effect, a plunger displaced by water under pressure entering said chamber, and said wheel and nozzle memher are interconnected for joint axial movement up and down along said axis in the chamber, whereby on entry of water under pressure as aforesaid, the wheel rises to elevate the nozzle member to said level and is rotatable by the wheel in the manner set forth.

8. in a sprinkler head, a water turbine wheel freely rotatable concentrically about a rotatable nozzle member, said wheel having a striker weight pendent from a radialensive support thereon by means of a circumambiently loose fit of the striker Weight so as to be vertically-shiftable on said axis whereby the weight is rotatable eccentrically about said axis, said nozzle member havin impact member disposed radially of the wheel axis at a level in the path of travel of a lower pendent portion of said striker below said support axis to be hit a driving blow by said latter portion on rotation of the turbine wheel for the purpose of turning said nozzle member a few degrees on each such impact, the eccenly-er 10 tricity of the striker on its axis support being sufficient to permit the striker to risingly roll over said impact member about said radially-extensive axis following the initial driving impact in each instance whereby to alleviate stalling of the turbine wheel.

9. In a sprinkler head having a turbine chamber, a turbine wheel rotatable therein, a water inlet admitting water under pressure thereto to rotate the wheel and nozzle means adapted to be rotated relative to a certain axis by said wheel to direct water admitted from the inlet m a predetermined path or" travel about said axis dependent upon rotation of the wheel, improvements in means for effecting intermittent motion of the nozzle means by the wheel comprising, namely: at least one pin member having a shank portion embedded in said wheel at a position located radially outwardly of the axis of rotation of the wheel, and a head portion on the shank spaced from the wheel, a weight annular in form with a central hole which is substantially larger in diameter than the diameter of said pin shank but less than the iameter of the head thereof, said annular weight being mounted on said shank and retained thereon by said head but free to move radially of the shank owing to the difference in diameter between the annulus hole and shank, whereby the weight can shift radially of the pin axis; and striker means extended radially from said nozzle means and having a path projecting into the path of said weight in a particular eccentric position of the weight on said pin to hit and move the striker means responsive to rotation of said wheel, and to yield thereafter from s id particular eccentric position sufficiently to pass said striker means so as to relieve the load on said wheel resulting from the impact and prevent stalling of the wheel, said weight being returned to said particular eccentric position as a function of its weight to again hit the striker means as a repeated function or" turning of the turbine wheel.

10. A spray-directing turbine motor operable in a sprinkler head comprising a turbine wheel of molded light-weight plastic material having impeller blades disposed radially about a hub, a main spindle fitt ng freely with said hub to support the wheel for rotation thereabout in a horizontal plane of reference Within said head; means providing a support for an impact member between successive impeller blades; pin means fixed in position on said support means and providing a small pin spindle parallel with said main spindle; an impact weight of cylindrical configuration having a central bore substantially larger in diameter than the diameter of said pin spindle and seating loosely about the latter on said support, said pin spindle having retaining means preventing escape of the weight but permitting complete angular and linear displacements about the axis of said pin spindle; means carried by the wheel in a position on an opposite side of the wheel axis from said weight providing a mass approximately counterbalancing the loading effect of said Weight upon the turbine wheel; a striker arm mounted on said main spindle to rotate concentrically about the wheel axis and having an impact part disposed to travel in orbit close enough to the wheel to be struck by said weight in its position of outermost centrifugal displacement during rotation of the wheel and to clear the weight in a predetermined position thereof inwardly of said outermost position, for the purpose of imparting small incremental displacements to said striker arm and main spindle responsive to successive revolutions of the wheel; and means moving with said main spindle for directing a spray of water from within said head outwardly thereof in a path substantially centered about the main spindle axis.

ll. In a sprinkler head, a turbine wheel freely rotatable about a rotatable nozzle member; a striker arm movable with said nozzle member and including a part extending radially thereof and an impact pawl directed substantially at right angles therefrom in approximate parallelism with the axis of rotation of said wheel; a

plurality of radial turbine blades extended radially from a central hub part of the wheel with peripheral margins disposed to travel in a circular path located beyond the orbit of said pawl about the axis of rotation of the wheel; means on said wheel defining a platform between successive blades with a surface lying in a plane substantially normal to said axis of rotation of the wheel; a pin upstanding from said platform in approximate parallelism with said axis; a striker weight of annular configuration having a central bore substantially larger in diameter than the diameter of said pin so as to be freely shiftable in all directions radially of and angularly about the pin axis; means on the pin preventing separation of the striker weight therefrom while permitting free linear and angular motion of the Weight thereabout as aforesaid; and counterbalance means carried by said wheel on a side of the axis of rotation thereof opposite from said pin.

12. The construction defined in claim 11 further characterized in that said wheel is molded from a synthetic plastic material and said platform is formed as an integral part thereof and said counterbalance is contained in a pocket formed as an integral part of the wheel.

13. The construction defined in claim 11 further char acterized in that said wheel is molded from a synthetic plastic material and said platform comprises a chordallydirected integral portion spanning the distance between two successive turbine blades, and said counterbalance is contained in a pocket formed as an integral part of one of said blades on a side of the wheel substantially diametrically opposite from said platform.

14. The construction defined in claim 11 further characterized in that each turbine blade has an end portion cut away to provide a clearance passage and said impact pawl is disposed to rotate through an orbital path passing through the clearance passage of each blade, and said striker weight is disposed on said platform in a position such that at its greatest radial distance from the wheel axis and pin axis, an outer peripheral surface portion thereof will lie in said orbital path to strike said pawl in rotary travel of said turbine wheel, and the looseness of the weight on said pin is suflicient to permit the weight 12 to move either or both angularly and linearly relative to the pin axis in retreat from striking engagement with the pawl as aforesaid, said position of greatest radial distance of the striker weight being within the path of travel of the radially outermost margins of said blades.

15. In a sprinkler head, a turbine wheel freely rotatable coaxially about a rotatable nozzle member; a striker member moveable with said nozzle member and including a radially disposed impact portion located to travel in a predetermined orbital path about the axis of rotation of the nozzle and turbine wheel, said Wheel having a plurality of impeller blades arranged in a generally radial sense about said axis and having endwise portions projecting beyond said orbital path; means on said wheel providing a support adjoining said endwise blade portions to position a striker weight for travel in a path including said orbital path so as to strike said impact portion on the striker member responsive to rotation of the turbine wheel; and means loosely mounting said weight on said support for free movement in a generally radial sense outwardly of said axis under centrifugal force a distance to lie in said orbital path, with freedom of movement to retreat from said path, responsive to impact as aforesaid, in a plurality of directions of resultant reaction to such impact including both linear and angular motions of the weight relative to said means loosely mounting the weight on the support as aforesaid.

References Cited iri the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,722,455 Coles July 30, 1929 1,756,729 Coles et al. Apr. 29, 1930 1,823,315 Buelna et al Sept. 15, 1931 1,919,243 Munz July 25, 1933 2,212,008 Buelna Aug. 20, 1940 2,268,855 Brooks Jan. 6, 1942 2,634,163 Double Apr. 7, 1953 2,731,294 Rothweiler Ian. 17, 1956 2,756,099 Reynolds July 24, 1956 2,990,120 Reynolds June 27, 1961

Claims (1)

1. 8. IN A SPRINKLER HEAD, A WATER TURBINE WHEEL FREELY ROTATABLE CONCENTRICALLY ABOUT A ROTATABLE NOZZLE MEMBER, SAID WHEEL HAVING A STRIKER WEIGHT PENDENT FROM A RADIALLY-EXTENSIVE AXIS SUPPORT THEREON BY MEANS OF A CIRCUMAMBIENTLY LOOSE FIT OF THE STRIKER WEIGHT SO AS TO BE VERTICALLY-SHIFTABLE ON SAID AXIS WHEREBY THE WEIGHT IS ROTATABLE ECCENTRICALLY ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID NOZZLE MEMBER HAVING AN IMPACT MEMBER DISPOSED RADIALLY OF THE WHEEL AXIS AT A LEVEL IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF A LOWER PENDENT PORTION OF SAID STRIKER BELOW SAID SUPPORT AXIS TO BE HIT A DRIVING BLOW BY SAID LATTER PORTION ON ROTATION OF THE TURBINE WHEEL FOR THE PURPOSE OF TURNING SAID NOZZLE MEMBER A FEW DEGREES ON EACH SUCH IMPACT, THE ECCENTRICITY OF THE STRIKER ON ITS AXIS SUPPORT BEING SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT THE STRIKER TO RISINGLY ROLL OVER SAID IMPACT MEMBER ABOUT SAID RADIALLY-EXTENSIVE AXIS FOLLOWING THE INITIAL DRIVING IMPACT IN EACH INSTANCE WHEREBY TO ALLEVIATE STALLING OF THE TURBINE WHEEL.

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