Sprinkler with viscous hesitator and related method
AssigneeNelson Irrigation Corporation
InventorMichael Townsend
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of controlling rotation of a water distribution plate supported on a shaft and adapted to rotate about an axis defined by the shaft by reason of impingement of a stream emitted from a nozzle on grooves formed in the plate, the method includes: (a) slowing the rotation of the water distribution plate intermittently so as to create intervals of relatively slow and relatively fast rotation and thereby correspondingly increase and decrease, respectively, a radius of throw of the stream or improve the uniformity of water distribution; and (b) continually changing circumferential locations of the intervals about the axis.
Claims16
A sprinkler device comprising:
- a shaft having a cam, said cam having one or more radially outwardly projecting cam lobes;
- a rotatable water distribution plate adapted to be impinged upon by a stream emitted from a nozzle causing at least said water distribution plate to rotate;
- a hesitator assembly including a stationary housing having a sealed chamber at least partially filled with a viscous fluid, with at least said cam and said one or more cam lobes located within said chamber;
- a stop disk located within said chamber in substantially surrounding relationship to said cam, said stop disk loosely located within said chamber for rotation and translation;
- a rotatable random position rotor ring surrounding said stop disk within said chamber;
- wherein said stop disk is formed with two or more disk lobes movable laterally into and out of a path of rotation of said one or more cam lobes;
- and wherein one of said stop disks and said rotor ring is formed with plural tabs and the other of said stop disks and said rotor ring is formed with plural corresponding recesses, said tabs being slidably receivable in said recesses;
- and
- wherein rotation of water distribution plate is slowed during intervals when one of said one or more cam lobes engages and pushes past a respective one of said stop disk lobes, said one cam lobe exerting both rotation and translation forces on said stop disk, such that one of said tabs is engaged in one of said recesses, thereby causing rotation of said stop disk and said rotor ring, such that a rotational position where said one or more cam lobes engage said stop disk lobes continually changes as said water distribution plate rotates.
A method of controlling rotation of a water distribution plate supported on a shaft and adapted to rotate about an axis defined by the shaft by reason of impingement of a stream emitted from a nozzle on grooves formed in said plate, the method comprising:
- (a) slowing the rotation of said water distribution plate intermittently so as to create intervals of relatively slow and relatively fast rotation;
- and
- (b) continually changing circumferential locations of said intervals about said axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.