Speed limiting for rotary driven sprinkler
OwnerCarl L.C. Kah, JR.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A speed limiting mechanisms for turbine-driven fluid distribution apparatus usable with compressible fluid such as compressed air and incompressible fluid such as water. Dynamic viscous damping of the turbine output power train is used to control the rotational speed of the turbine. This prevents overspeeding when the turbine is air driven, and also when the turbine is water driven, under abnormal conditions such as blockage of a bypass area designed to control the turbine speed by limiting flow to the turbine. The same mechanism can be used to impose a lower rotational speed in the turbine during normal operation in conjunction with a turbine optimized for lower speed operation to reduce the required gear reduction in the power train.
Claims55
A gear driven sprinkler comprising:
- a fluid inlet connectable to a source of water;
- a rotatable nozzle head having water discharge nozzle;
- a fluid powered motor which is driven by the incoming water;
- a drive train rotationally coupled to the motor by a motor output shaft and coupled to provide power for rotating the nozzle head;
- and
- a dynamic viscous damping mechanism which cooperates with the drive train to limit the rotational speed of the fluid powered motor.
A method of operating a gear driven sprinkler including a fluid inlet, a rotatable nozzle head having a water discharge nozzle, a fluid powered motor having an output shaft, a speed reducing drive train rotationally coupled to the output shaft which provides power for rotating the nozzle head, and a dynamic viscous damping mechanism which cooperates with the drive train to apply a braking force, the method comprising the steps of:
- connecting the fluid inlet of the sprinkler to a source of water;
- driving the motor by directing a portion of the water from the fluid inlet thereto;
- and
- applying a braking force from the viscous damping mechanism which increases non-linearly with increases in the torque supplied by the motor,
- the amount of water directed to the fluid motor, and the construction and configuration of the motor being optimized in relation to the braking force applied by the damping mechanism such that a sufficient low speed torque is provided by the drive train to the nozzle head for reliable and desired rotational speed for the sprinkler nozzle operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.