Reversing mechanism for irrigation sprinkler with disengaging gears
AssigneeHunter Industries, Inc.
InventorJames A. Bell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An irrigation sprinkler can include a reversing mechanism configured to transition the nozzle turret of the irrigation sprinkler between a forward direction of rotation and a reverse direction of rotation. The reversing mechanism can include shifting frame having an input gear and at least one output gear. The at least one output gear can be mounted on an axle of rotation which permits lateral movement of the at least one output gear between a power transmitting position, wherein rotational power from a gear reduction is transferred to the nozzle turret, and a disengaged position wherein rotational power from the gear reduction is not transferred to the nozzle turret.
Claims16
An irrigation sprinkler comprising:
- an outer case having a first end, a second end, and a case interior;
- and
- a riser assembly having:
- a riser housing having a first end and a second end, the second end of the riser assembly positioned within the case interior and configured to receive pressurized water from the case interior;
- a turbine positioned within the riser housing and configured to rotate in response to water entering the second end of the riser housing;
- a gear reduction positioned within the riser housing and operatively connected to the turbine;
- a reversing mechanism operatively connected to the gear reduction and configured to transition between a forward configuration and a reverse configuration, the reversing mechanism including an input gear configured to rotate in response to rotation of the turbine, a first output gear configured to selectively mesh with the input gear;
- a ring gear configured to mesh with the first output gear;
- and
- a rotatable nozzle positioned on the first end of the riser housing and rotatably connected to the ring gear;
- wherein the first output gear is configured to mesh with the input gear and with the ring gear to drive the ring gear in a forward rotation direction when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration, and wherein the first output gear is configured to mesh with the ring gear and to move away from the input gear and unmesh from the input gear when a user manually rotates the ring gear in the forward direction when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration.
A reversing mechanism for an irrigation sprinkler, the reversing mechanism configured to transition between a forward configuration and a reverse configuration and comprising:
- a reversing frame;
- an input gear laterally fixed on the reversing frame;
- a first output axel having a first bearing surface portion;
- and
- a first output gear rotatably mounted on the first output axel and configured to selectively mesh with the input gear and with a ring gear;
- wherein the first output gear is configured to engage with the first bearing surface portion, to mesh with the input gear, and to mesh with the ring gear to rotate the ring gear in a forward direction when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration;
- and
- wherein the first output gear is configured to disengage from the first bearing surface portion and to move away from and to unmesh from the input gear when a user manually rotates the ring gear in the forward direction when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.