US3854665A

US3854665A - Oscillating sprinkler with snap-in nozzle strip

Info

Publication number: US3854665A
Application number: US00440376A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Rodgers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-02-07
Filing date: 1974-02-07
Publication date: 1974-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-17

Abstract

An irrigation sprinkler is supported at both ends and has a central bowed section the convex side of which is provided with a plurality of aligned spaced nozzle holes through which jets of water emerge in a fan-like pattern. The bowed section has a Ushaped cross-section the open side of which is closed by a strip containing the nozzle holes. The structure is of a molded plastic providing accurately formed holes which provide for the accurate spray pattern.

Description

United States Patent [191 Rodgers [451 Dec. 17, 1974 O SCILLATING SPRINKLER WITH SNAP-IN NOZZLE STRIP [76] Inventor: J. Linn Rodgers, 9606 La Serna Dr.,

Whittier, Calif. 90605 [22] Filed: Feb. 7, 1974 [21] App]. No.: 440,376

[52] U.S. Cl 239/242, 239/567, 239/596, 239/600 [51] Int. Cl B05b l/04, B05b 1/20, B05b 3/14 [58] Field of Search 239/242, 548, 552, 566, 239/567, 596, 600

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,534,633 4/1925 Congable 239/567 X 2,952,413 9/1960 Jepson 239/548 X 3,212,719 10/1965 DiCorpo 239/566 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 114,362 6/1945 Sweden 239/596 Primary ExaminerRobert S. Ward, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Donald D. Mon

[ ABSTRACT An irrigation sprinkler is supported at both ends and has a central bowed section the convex side of which is provided with a plurality of aligned spaced nozzle holes through which jets of water emerge in a fan-like pattern. The bowed section has a .U-shaped crosssection the open side of which is closed by a strip containing the nozzle holes. The structure is of a molded plastic providing accurately formed holes which provide for the accurate spray pattern.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures OSCILLATING SPRINKLER WITH SNAP-IN NOZZLE STRIP This. invention relates to liquid sprinklers and more particularly, to a type of sprinkler which sprays liquid such as water into the air in a fan-like pattern while oscillating back and forth.

Water sprinklers for watering lawns and the like which send sprays of water into the air in a generally fan pattern while oscillating back and forth have heretofore been in use. These commonly comprise a metal tube which is bowed at a position between its two ends and arranged to oscillate back and forth in a rotary motion about the axis of its aligned ends. At the convex side of the bowed section there are commonly a plurality of small spaced nozzle holes arranged along a line through which water forced into the tube from a source is sprayed. The tube is connected to a source of oscillatory motion arranged so that half way through a rotary motion the central diametric plane passing through the line of holesis vertical. Hence, the fan of spray jets both sides of the vertical.

In the case of inexpensive sprinklers the small holes through the tube arecommonly made by punching through the wall of the tube. It has been found that such holes do not ordinarily send all of the jets out in the same plane as is desired, apparently due to burrs or other inaccuracies inherent in the punching operation. In order to assure that all jets will emerge in the same plane it has heretofore beennecessary to use such expedients as brass or plastic inserts provided with the holes. Such an expedient results in a relatively expensive sprinkler.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sprinkler of this type by which the jets are sprayed out substantially in a single plane and which can also be made relatively inexpensively.

The invention is carried out by providing an open slot along the convex side of the bowed section of a conduit and providing a bevelled groove along both sides of the slot. There is provided a strip dimensioned to fit the slot and close it. The strip is provided with protruding bevelled sides adapted to snap into the bevelled groove of the slot. The strip is provided with a plurality of small nozzle holes through which the liquid, ordinarily water, is sprayed out in jets. The strip with its nozzles is preferably formed by molding. It has been found that such FIG. 6 is a cross-section view taken -at line 6-.-6 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a hollow conduit 10 comprising a bowed section 11 located between two relatively

short end sections

12 and 13. The

end sections

12 and 13 are aligned on a common axis 14 so that they can rotate about this axis back and forth through an angle as indicated by arrows 15 shown in FIG. 5. This produces a corresponding oscillatory motion of the bowed section 11 which bows convex outwardly from axis 14. The

end sections

12 and 13 and the main portion of the bowed section 11 which has a U-shaped cross-section 16 best observed in FIGS. 3 and 4, are a unitary structure preferably made of a molded plastic material. The main U-shaped body 16 of bowed section 11 would be open at the top except for the fact from the holes oscillates approximately equal angles on g FIG. 1 is a side elevation view partially in crosssection showing a sprinkler according to this invention;

that it is closed by a'closure strip 17, which is also preferably made of a molded plastic material.

Adjacent the upper edges of the Us 16 the respective inner walls are providedwith respective grooves 18 of a V-shaped cross-section as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The opposite sides of strip 17 are correspondingly bevelled to form protruding V-shapedbevels-l9 which fit into the respective grooves 18. At one end of the bowed section body 16 the grooves 18 merge into a rounded formation 21 beneath which is a ledge 22, best seen in FIG. 1. The opposite end of slot 20 is squared off at 23. The strip 17 correspondingly is rounded at one end 24 to match the rounded end 21 and is squared off at the opposite end 25.to match end 23.

The

unitary structure

11, 12, and 13 is made generally rigid and unyielding. The closure strip 17 however, is made relatively thin and springy and when not attached to the bowed. section 1 1 strip 17 lies straight and unbowed. To fit it to the section 11 the strip 17 will be correspondingly bowed and its protruding bevels 19 will snap into the corresponding grooves 18. Although the main body of the

sprinkler comprising sections

11, 12 and 13 is relatively rigid and unyielding, the sides of the U 16 can be strained outwardly sufficient to permit passage of the bevel of strip 17 into its groovesl8. Thus the lower part of bevels 19 will ride down on upper internal edges 26 of the U 16 to strain the sides of the U apart, to permit passage of the bevels.

A number of nozzle holes 27 equally spaced apart from each other along a straight line lengthwise of strip 17 are formed through the strip. At the upper side of the strip there is formed aroundeach hole 27 a raised circular boss 28 whose internal diameter is greater than the diameter of hole 27 at its exit. The wall of each nozzle 27 is conical so that the cross-section of each hole tapers from its greatest cross-section at the innerside of strip 17 and its smallest cross-section is at its exit at the upper side of strip 17. Another hole 29, larger than nozzle holes 27, is formed through strip 17 near its end adjacent the end section 12. Hole 29 is surrounded by a boss 30 at the inner side of the strip 17. Hole 29 is normally plugged by a soft plug 9 such as a vinyl material which can be removed from time to time for cleaning purposes.

Entrance into the interior of the bowed section 11 is provided through end section 13 which is a hollow conduit. End section 12, however, is not provided with any conduit and accordingly liquid cannot flow through bowed section 11 past this end section. For purpose of rigidity, end section 12 is made with mutually perpendicular webs 31 and circular parts 32. The exterior of the conduit end section 13 is provided with

ring members

33 and 34 and with an outstanding engaging member 35.

The sprinkler is operated in a known manner as other sprinklers of this general type. It is held at each of its

ends

12 and 13 in fittings parts of which are indicated in phantom lines 36 and 37, and within which the sprinkler is adapted to rotate back and forth in an oscillatory manner about axis 14. The fitting 37 will comprise a conduit carrying liquid from a source under pressure to entrance section 13 and there will ordinarily be an arm 38 which engages upstanding member 35 and reciprocates back and forth as indicated by arrows 39 to impart the oscillatory rotary motion to the sprinkler. The drive for the rotary oscillatory motion is ordinarily a turbine (not shown) operated by force of the liquid supplied to the sprinkler and a crank operated by the turbine imparts the desired motion to arm 38.

The liquid fills the interior 40 and is ejected out through the plurality of nozzle holes 27 in the form of thin sprays or jets 41. As the holes 27 are all aligned the spray jets leave the sprinkler in a single'plane which, at the mid point of the arcuate travel represented by arrows 15, is vertical. Since the section 11 and hence the strip 17 is bowed, only the jet or jets located centrally of the strip will be vertical and those at either side of the central location will become more and more oblique to the vertical. This will create a fan-type of spray pattern. As the sprinkler moves to either side of its central position during its oscillation none of the sprays will be vertical as they will all slant to one side or the other, and in this manner cover a substantial area of irrigation'for a lawn or the like.

The spray jets leave the sprinkler in the desired fan formation, all in one plane, in a manner comparable to that heretofore obtainable only in a much more expensive type of device. This accurate orientation of the spray jets is made particularly effective by reason of the molded strip 17, and especially the tapering of the holes 27 to smaller diameters at the exterior.

It will be understood that the embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein are given by way of illustration and not oflimitation, and that modifications or equivalents or alternatives within the scope of the invention 'may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a liquid sprinkler of the type having:

a hollow conduit having two ends and an opening at at least one of said ends for attachment to a source of supply of liquid and containing a bowed section between said ends, provided with nozzle holes along its length through which streams of liquid are ejected, said conduit being adapted to be oscillated in rotary motion about an axis coaxial with said ends,

the improvement comprising:

an open slot along the convex side of said bowed section, the opposite sides of said slot each having a bevelled groove along its length;

a strip dimensioned to close said slot; said strip having bevelled sides adapted to snap into the bevelled grooves of said slot;

said strip being provided with a plurality of nozzle holes spaced along its lengththrough which liquid within theconduit is ejected in streams all of which emerge from the conduit in a pattern substantially in one plane. 2. A sprinkler according to claim 1 in which all of th nozzle holes are in a straight line.

3. A sprinkler according to claim 1 in which the nozzle holes have frusto-conical surfaces so that the crosssectionsdecrease toward the exterior of the sprinkler.

4. A sprinkler according to claim 1 in which raised bosses are formed around the exits of all the nozzle cross-section, the open part of the U forming said slot.

Claims

1. In a liquid sprinkler of the type having: a hollow conduit having two ends and an opening at at least one of said ends for attachment to a source of supply of liquid and containing a bowed section between said ends, provided with nozzle holes along its length through which streams of liquid are ejected, said conduit being adapted to be oscillated in rotary motion about an axis coaxial with said ends, the improvement comprising: an open slot along the convex side of said bowed section, the opposite sides of said slot each having a bevelled groove along its length; a strip dimensioned to close said slot; said strip having bevelled sides adapted to snap into the bevelled grooves of said slot; said strip being provided with a plurality of nozzle holes spaced along its length through which liquid within the conduit is ejected in streams all of which emerge from the conduit in a pattern substantially in one plane.

2. A sprinkler according to claim 1 in which all of the nozzle holes are in a straight line.

3. A sprinkler according to claim 1 in which the nozzle holes have frusto-conical surfaces so that the cross-sections decrease toward the exterior of the sprinkler.

4. A sprinkler according to claim 1 in which raised bosses are formed around the exits of all the nozzle holes.

5. A sprinkler according to claim 1 in which the bowed section is closed at one end and is provided with an inlet for liquid at the opposite end.

6. A sprinkler according to claim 5 in which a ledge is formed at the closed end on which the corresponding end of the strip rests.

7. A sprinkler according to claim 6 in which the strip is rounded at said closed end.

8. A sprinkler according to claim 1 in which the bowed section comprises a member with a U-shaped cross-section, the open part of the U formIng said slot.