Low Precipitation Rate Rotor-Type Sprinkler with Intermittent Stream Diffusers
AssigneeHunter Industries, Inc.
InventorsMichael L. Clark, Daniel E. Hunter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An irrigation sprinkler includes an outer case and a riser extensible from the outer case by water pressure and normally in a retracted position. A nozzle is rotatably mounted at an upper end of the riser. A turbine is mounted in the riser for rotation by water entering a lower end of the riser. A gear train reduction is mounted in the riser. A gear driven coupling mechanism mounted in the riser couples the gear train reduction and the nozzle. A pressure regulator valve is located inside a nozzle turret of the sprinkler and includes a valve member that is pivotably mounted between the gear train reduction and the nozzle.
Claims24
An irrigation sprinkler, comprising:
- a riser;
- a nozzle rotatably mounted at an upper end of the riser;
- a turbine mounted in the riser and rotatable by water entering a lower end of the riser;
- a gear train reduction mounted in the riser;
- a coupling mechanism mounted in the riser and coupling the gear train reduction and the nozzle;
- and
- a pressure regulator valve incorporating a valve member pivotably mounted between the gear train reduction and the nozzle.
A pop-up rotor-type irrigation sprinkler, comprising:
- a cylindrical outer case having an female threaded lower inlet and an upper end cap;
- a tubular riser vertically extensible along a longitudinal axis from the outer case through the cap to an extended position by water pressure applied at the inlet of the case;
- a first coil spring surrounding the tubular riser and held between a lower end of the riser and the end cap and biasing the riser to a retracted position;
- a nozzle turret rotatably mounted at an upper end of the riser;
- a nozzle mounted in the nozzle turret;
- a turbine mounted in the riser and rotatable by water entering the lower end of the riser;
- a gear train reduction mounted in the riser;
- and
- a pressure regulator valve mounted in the turret, the pressure regulator valve including a pivotably mounted valve member mounted within a water passage of the nozzle turret and biased to an open position by a second coil spring.
A pop-up rotor-type irrigation sprinkler, comprising:
- a cylindrical outer case having a female threaded lower inlet and an upper end cap;
- a tubular riser vertically extensible along a longitudinal axis from the outer case through the cap to an extended position by water pressure applied at the inlet of the case;
- a first coil spring surrounding the tubular riser and held between a lower end of the riser and the end cap and biasing the riser to a retracted position;
- a cylindrical nozzle turret rotatably mounted at an upper end of the riser including a dog-legged tubular structure having an upper inclined radially extending segment and a lower cylindrical segment co-axial with a central axis of the turret;
- a nozzle removably mounted in the upper inclined segment of the tubular structure;
- a gear train reduction mounted in the riser;
- a turbine mounted to an input shaft of the gear train reduction and rotatable by water entering the lower end of the riser;
- and
- a pressure regulator valve mounted in the nozzle turret, the pressure regulator valve including an elliptical-shaped valve member pivotably mounted in the lower cylindrical segment of the tubular structure, the pressure regulator valve further including a piston mounted in the nozzle turret for reciprocation in response to fluctuations in a pressure of water entering the nozzle turret, a linkage connecting the piston and the valve member so that reciprocation of the piston will pivot the valve member to maintain a constant pressure of the water at an entrance to the nozzle, and a second spring for biasing the piston in a direction to cause the valve member toward a fully open position.
An irrigation sprinkler, comprising:
- a riser;
- a nozzle rotatably mounted at an upper end of the riser;
- a turbine mounted in the riser and rotatable by water entering a lower end of the riser;
- a gear train reduction mounted in the riser;
- a coupling mechanism mounted in the riser and coupling the gear train reduction and the nozzle;
- and
- an adjustable pressure regulator valve incorporating a valve member pivotably mounted between the gear train reduction and the nozzle.
The sprinkler of claim 22 wherein the adjustable regulator includes a piston reciprocable in a cylinder due to fluctuations in a pressure of water in the riser, a spring that biases the piston to a predetermined position, a linkage that connects the piston and the valve member, and a spring force adjusting screw that can be turned to adjust a force that the spring applies to the piston.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.