Adjustable part circle sprinkler assembly

An adjustable part circle sprinkler assembly comprising

• a sprinkler body structure having inlet means for communication with a source of water under pressure,
• sprinkler head structure mounted on said sprinkler body structure for rotational movement about an upright axis either in one direction or an opposite direction,
• means defining a sealed flow path for water under pressure communicated with said inlet means including outlet means in said sprinkler head structure for discharging the water in an upwardly and outwardly extending stream formation so as to be dispersed in an instantaneous generally segmental ground pattern within a circular ground pattern,
• said flow path defining means including means defining an annular chamber and reversible flow directing means mounted in said sprinkler body structure for movement between (1) a first position for directing water in said flow path into said chamber in one annular direction and (2) a second position for directing water in said flow path into said chamber in an opposite annular direction, means operatively associated with the flow of water in said chamber and with said sprinkler head structure for effecting rotational movements of said sprinkler head structure in opposite directions depending upon which of the opposite directions the water is directed into the chamber, and
• reversing means for (1) moving said flow directing means from said first position into said second position when said sprinkler head reaches a first predetermined limiting position and (2) moving said flow directing means from said second position into said first position when said sprinkler head reaches a second predetermined limiting position
• said reversing means comprising:
• lever means mounted for oscillating movement through successive operating cycles each of which includes a first operative stroke in one direction and a second operative stroke in the opposite direction,
• means for moving said lever means (1) through an initial portion of said first operative stroke in response to the movement of said sprinkler head structure through a corresponding movement into first its predetermined limiting position and (2) through an initial portion of said second operative stroke in response to the movement of said sprinkler head structure through a corresponding movement into its second predetermined limiting position,
• cam means mounted for biased movement from a second position into a first position and for movement against such bias from said first position into said second position,
• said lever means having cam surface means thereon for effecting (1) movement of said cam means from said first position into said second position against the bias thereof in response to the movement of said lever means through said initial portion of said first operative stroke so that the subsequent biased movement of said cam means from said second position into said first position moves said lever means rapidly through a final portion of the first operative stroke thereof and (2) movement of said cam means from said first position into said second position against the bias thereof in response to the movement of said lever means through said initial portion of said second operative stroke so that the subsequent biased movement of said cam means from said second position into said first position moves said lever means rapidly through a final portion of the second operative stroke thereof and
• means for effecting reversing movement of said reversible flow directing means between the first and second positions thereof in response to the rapid movements of said lever means through the final portions of the first and second strokes thereof.

A pattern control assembly for an adjustable part circle sprinkler assembly including sprinkler body means having inlet means for communication of water under pressure therewith, sprinkler ead means mounted on said sprinkler body means for rotational movement about an upright axis having outlet means for directing water communicated with said inlet means in an upwardly and outwardly extending stream formation so as to be dispersed in an instaneous generally segmental ground pattern within a circular ground pattern, and reversible drive means operable by the water flowing through said sprinkler body means and said sprinkler head means between said inlet means and said outlet means for moving said sprinkler head means about said upright axis in either direction,

• said pattern control assembly being operable o cooperate with the reversible drive means to determine the direction and extent of movement of the sprinkler head means to thereby determine the direction and extent the instantaneous generally segmental ground pattern of the dispersed water is moved within said circular pattern,
• said pattern control assembly further being operable After the sprinkler head means has been manually moved beyond either determined extent of movement to automatically return the sprinkler head means within the determined extents of movement during subsequent operation,
• said pattern control assembly comprising
• an outer annular member having annular exterior eripheral surface means and annular interior surface means,
• an inner member having means for mounting the same for annular movement in one direction and in an opposite direction in cooperating relation with the reversible drive means of the sprinkler assembly so that (1) a predetermined annular movement of said inner member in one direction is operable to effect a reversal of said reversible drive means so as to reverse the movement of the sprinkler head means of the sprinkler assembly and the instaneaneous generally segmental ground pattern of the discharged water from one direction to an opposite direction and (2) a predetermined annular movement of said inner member in an opposite direction is operable to effect a reversal of said reversible- drive means to reverse the movement of the sprinkler head means of the sprinkler assembly and the instantaneous generally segmental ground pattern o the discharged water from said opposite direction to said one direction,
• said inner member having annularly arranged resiliently yieldable finger means operable in response to a relative axial movement between said inner and outer members from separate positions into cooperating positions to cooperate with the interior peripheral surface means of said outer member to retain said members in their cooperating positions,
• first and second adjustable members mounted on the exterior peripheral surface means of said outer member for (1) selective annular movement with respect to said outer member by manual adjustment into any selected one of a multiplicity of different part circle pattern defining positions and (2) annular motion transmitting relation with respect to said outer member so that (A) movement of the sprinkler head meanings said one direction into said first member transmits a corresponding annular movement to said outer member in one direction and (B) movement of the sprinkler head means in said opposite direction into said second member transmits a corresponding annular movement to said outer member in opposite direction and
• interengaging surface means between said resiliently yielding finger means and said interior peripheral surface means operable to be (1) engageable to transmit operative sprinkler head means causing annular movements of said outer member in either direction to corresponding movements of said inner member and (2) yieldably disengageable in response to manually caused overriding annular movements of said outer member in either direction so as to enable said outer member to be manually moved relative to said inner member.

In an adjustable part circle sprinkler assembly including sprinkler body means having inlet means for communication of water under pressure therewith sprinkler head means mounted on said sprinkler body means for rotational movement about an upright axis having outlet means for directing water communicated with said inlet means in an upwardly and outwardly extending stream formation so as to be dispersed in an instantaneous segmental ground pattern within a circular ground pattern, reversible drive means operable by the water flowing through said sprinkler body means and said sprinkler head means between said inlet means and said outlet means for moving said sprinkler head means about said upright axis in either direction, and a pattern control assembly cooperable with said reversible drive mean to determine the direction and extent of movement of the sprinkler head means to thereby determine the direction and extent the instantaneous generally segmental ground pattern of the dispersed water is moved within said circular pattern, said pattern control assembly being operable after the sprinkler head means has been manually moved beyond either determined extent of movement to automatically return the sprinkler head means within the determined extents of movement during subsequent operation, the improvement which comprises said pattern control assembly comprising:

• an outer annular member having annular exterior eripheral surface means and annular interior surface means,
• an inner member having means for mounting the same for annular movement in one direction and in an opposite direction in cooperating relation with the reversible drive means of the sprinkler assembly so that (1) a predetermined annular movement of said inner member in one direction is operable o effect a reversal of said reversible drive means so as to reverse the movement of the sprinkler head means of the sprinkler assembly and the instantaneous generally segmental ground pattern of the discharged water from one direction to an opposite direction and (2) a predetermined annular movement of said inner member in an opposite direction is operable to effect a reversal of said reversible drive means to reverse the movement of the sprinkler head means of the sprinkler assembly and the instantaneous generally segmental ground pattern to the discharged water from said opposite direction Lo said one direction,
• said inner member having annularly arranged resiliently yieldable finder means operable in response to a relative axial movement between said inner and puter members from separate positions into cooperating positions to cooperate with the interior peripheral surface means of said outer member to retain said members in their cooperating positions,
• first and second adjustable members mounted on the exterior peripheral surface means of said outer member for (1) selective annular movement with respect to said outer member by manual adjustment into any selected one of a multiplicity of different part circle pattern defining positions and (2) annular motion transmitting relation with respect to said out member so that (A) movement of the sprinkler head means in said one direction into said first member transmits a corresponding annular movement said outer member in one direction and (B) movement of the sprinkler head means in said opposite direction into said second member transmits a corresponding annular movement to said outer member in an opposite direction and
• interengaging surface means between said spring finger means and said interior peripheral surface means operable to be (1) engageable to transmit perative sprinkler head means causing annular movements of said outer member in either direction to corresponding movements of said inner member and (2) yieldably disengageable in response to manually caused overriding annular movements of said outer member in either direction so as to enable said outer member to be manually moved relative to said inner member.

adjustable part circle sprinkler assembly comprising

• sprinkler body means having inlet means for communication of water under pressure therewith,
• sprinkler head means mounted on said sprinkler body means for rotational movement about an upright axis having outlet means for directing water communicated with said inlet means in an upwardly and outwardly extending stream formation so as to be dispersed in an instantaneous generally segmental ground pattern within a circular ground pattern,
• reversible drive means operable by the water flowing through said sprinkler body means and said sprinkler head means between said inlet means and said outlet means for moving said sprinkler head means about said upright axis in either direction,
• said sprinkler head means including a tubular top portion defining an interior space opening upwardly,
• manually adjustable means within said interior space cooperable with the reversible drive means to determine the direction and extent of movement of the sprinkler head means to thereby determine the direction and extent the instantaneous generally segmental ground pattern of the dispersed water is moved within said circular pattern,
• a cap structure and
• means mounting said cap structure for (1) engagement with said tubular top portion in closing relation with the upwardly opening interior space thereof and (2) removal from a tubular top portion so as to permit manual access to said adjustable means within said interior space,
• said mounting means comprising interengaging lug means on said cap structure and said tubular top portion for (1) enabling said cap structure to be engaged with said tubular top portion in closing relation with respect to the upwardly opening interior space thereof in such a way that said cap structure is generally unrestrictively rotatable in either direction sc as to permit unwanted manual rotation thereof without a commensurate rotational movement of said tubular top portion and (2) enabling said cap structure to be disengaged from said tubular top portion to expose the upwardly opening interior space thereof by a manual prying action only when said cap structure is within a limited range of annular positions with respect to said tubular top portion.