Automatic nozzle changer
AssigneeNelson Irrigation Corporation
InventorMichael Townsend
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sprinkler assembly includes a housing having an open side; a sprinkler body supported at one end of the housing and adapted to receive a nozzle. A nozzle magazine is attached to the housing along the open side and holds plural nozzles selectively alignable with said sprinkler body. An actuator is arranged to move a selected one of the plural nozzles from the nozzle magazine into the sprinkler body.
Claims24
A sprinkler assembly comprising:
- a housing having an open side;
- a sprinkler body supported at one end of said housing and adapted to receive a nozzle;
- a nozzle magazine attached to said housing along said open side and holding plural nozzles selectively alignable with said sprinkler body;
- and
- an actuator for moving a selected one of said plural nozzles from said nozzle magazine into said sprinkler body.
A nozzle magazine for use with a sprinkler to enable nozzles of varying size to be interchangeably inserted into the sprinkler comprising:
- a spindle having upper and lower ends defining an axis of rotation;
- a nozzle tray adjacent one end of the spindle, the nozzle tray having plural through-holes, each supporting a respective nozzle;
- and
- wherein an opposite end of the spindle is formed with a compound cam groove adapted for interaction with an actuator cam, said compound cam groove arranged to rotate the nozzle magazine in a first angular direction upon movement of said actuator cam in a first linear direction, and to rotate the nozzle magazine further in said first angular direction upon movement of said actuator cam in a second linear direction opposite said first linear direction.
A method of changing a nozzle in a sprinkler head comprising:
- (a) providing a rotatable nozzle magazine holding a plurality of nozzles, one of said nozzles located in said sprinkler head;
- (b) retracting said one nozzle and, during retraction, rotating said nozzle magazine in a first direction through a first predetermined angle;
- (c) advancing another of said nozzles towards said sprinkler head and, while advancing, further rotating said nozzle magazine in said first direction through a second predetermined angle to thereby place said another of said nozzles in axial alignment with said sprinkler head;
- and
- (d) without further rotation of said nozzle magazine, inserting said another of said nozzles into said sprinkler body.
An irrigation sprinkler assembly comprising:
- a housing having an open side;
- a sprinkler body supported at one end of said housing;
- a first nozzle seated in said sprinkler body;
- a nozzle magazine including means for attaching the nozzle magazine to said housing along said open side, said nozzle magazine holding one or more additional nozzles;
- and
- means for automatically retracting said first nozzle from sprinkler body and replacing said first nozzle with one of said additional nozzles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.