A SPRINKLER DEVICE FOR FLUID DISTRIBUTION
United States Patent 3602431
A sprinkler device for distributing water comprising a body, a sprinkler head rotatably connected to the body, a fluid flow interrupter for providing controlled bursts of fluid in the stream of fluid exiting from the sprinkler head, an interrupter drive, a drive means including a free rotating ball for driving the sprinkler head, and reversing means for reversing the direction of movement of the sprinkler head.
US Patent References:
PART CIRCLE WATER MOTOR DRIVEN SPRINKLER
Radecki - August 1970 - 3523647
SPRINKLER
Hauser - September 1970 - 3526363
Irrigation device
Coles et al. - July 1935 - 2009478
Floating fountain
Hruby, Jr. - April 1962 - 3030028
Fluid flow modulator
Douglas et al. - July 1962 - 3044711
PART CIRCLE WATER MOTOR DRIVEN SPRINKLER
Radecki - August 1970 - 3523647
SPRINKLER
Hauser - September 1970 - 3526363
Irrigation device
Coles et al. - July 1935 - 2009478
Floating fountain
Hruby, Jr. - April 1962 - 3030028
Fluid flow modulator
Douglas et al. - July 1962 - 3044711
Application Number:
04/827291
Publication Date:
08/31/1971
Filing Date:
05/23/1969
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
239/230, 239/206
International Classes:
B05B3/04; B05B3/16; B05B3/00; B05B3/02; B05B1/08
Field of Search:
239/99,101,102,200,214,225,230,237,240,241,380,381,DIG.1,451,DIG.16,232,394
US Patent References:
| 3272437 | Rotary pop-up sprinkler employing a fixed cam | September 1966 | Coson |
Primary Examiner:
Wood Jr., Henson M.
Assistant Examiner:
Grant, Edwin D.
Claims:
What is claimed is
1. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
2. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
3. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 1 wherein,
4. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 2 wherein,
5. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
6. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
7. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 6 wherein,
8. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 7 wherein,
9. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
10. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
11. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
12. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
13. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 12 wherein,
14. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 5, wherein:
1. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
2. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
3. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 1 wherein,
4. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 2 wherein,
5. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
6. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
7. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 6 wherein,
8. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 7 wherein,
9. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
10. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
11. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
12. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution comprising,
13. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 12 wherein,
14. A sprinkler device for fluid distribution as set forth in claim 5, wherein:
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a new and improved sprinkler device for distributing water, and more particularly, to a sprinkler device including a ball driven sprinkler head, a fluid flow interrupter, and reversing means.
Sprinkler devices having sprinkler heads driven by impulse arm drives, turbine drives and impact ball drives are well known. In the past, reversing means of various kinds have been incorporated in sprinkler devices driven by impulse arms in order to distribute water over a particular area. The sprinkler heads were driven through a preset angle and then the reversing means actuated the drive means to drive the sprinkler head back through the same angle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A sprinkler device for distributing water including a body, a sprinkler head, fluid flow interrupter, drive means and a reversing means. The body has a body inlet portion connected to a water supply system and a body outlet portion. The sprinkler head includes a sprinkler head inlet portion rotatably connected to the body outlet portion, and a nozzle for distributing the water. The interrupter controls the direction of the fluid flowing through the nozzle. The drive means drives the movable sprinkler head and the fluid flow interrupter. The reversing means reverses the direction of movement of the sprinkler head after the sprinkler head is moved through a preset angle.
Between said inlet portion and outlet portion of the body is a fluid flow drive cavity having a restricted annular pathway. The cavity includes a generally parallel inner and outer wall surface that slopes outwardly in an upward direction. The drive means rotates through the cavity. The drive means includes a ball, acting as a free rotating impact body, and an interrupter drive with at least one blade. The ball and blade are driven about the annular pathway by a vortex of water in the cavity. The vortex of water is created by a vane control means that controls the direction of the water entering the cavity. The ball rotates in the cavity and impacts against an impact portion of the sprinkler head projecting into the drive cavity to drive the sprinkler head in step-by-step movement.
The fluid flow interrupter controls the direction of the fluid flowing within the nozzle in order to provide controlled bursts of fluid exiting from the nozzle for controlling fallout of fluid along the trajectory of the stream. The interrupter-nozzle combination provides at the proximal end of the stream a plurality of water particles traveling in various directions at approximately the same velocity. The interrupter is driven in a timed relation by the interrupter drive blades. In a preferred embodiment, the interrupter is driven through the fluid rearward of the nozzle outlet to control the direction of the fluid flowing in the nozzle. The interrupter is driven periodically through the fluid in timed relation with respect to the movement of the sprinkler head.
The reversing means reverses the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head after the sprinkler head moves through a preset angle from a start position. The reversing means is connected to the sprinkler head and the vane control means to automatically actuate the vane control means from a first position to a second position in order to reverse the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head. The vane control includes a first surface to direct the water into a clockwise rotating vortex of fluid in the cavity and a second surface to direct the water into a counterclockwise rotating vortex of fluid in the cavity.
It is an object of this invention to provide a combination of a ball-driven sprinkler and reversing means.
Another object of this invention is to provide a sprinkler device with an interrupter to provide controlled bursts of fluid in the stream exiting from the sprinkler device for controlling fluid fallout from the stream along the trajectory of the stream.
It is another object of this invention to provide a ball-driven sprinkler device with a drive cavity having an inner and outer wall surface spaced from one another to restrict the movement of the ball between the walls.
A further object of this invention is to provide a noncomplex sprinkler nozzle design that is easily adjustable to vary the elevation of the stream trajectory.
A further object of this invention is to provide a sprinkler-reversing means controlling a vane control means for reversing the direction of rotation of the fluid through the drive cavity.
In accordance with these and other objects which will be apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a front view of the sprinkler device;
FIG. 2 is a side view in cross section of the assembled sprinkler mechanism;
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the control means;
FIG. 4 is a side view in cross section of a two-position vane; and
FIG. 5 is a front view of the nozzle.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown, and referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein the sprinkler device, generally designated as numeral 2, includes a body, generally designated by numeral 4, a sprinkler head 6 rotatably connected to the body 4, a nozzle 8, a fluid flow interrupter, generally designated by numeral 10, a drive means, and a reversing means, generally designated by numeral 12, for reversing the direction of movement of the sprinkler head. The drive means includes a free-rotating ball 14 for driving the sprinkler head 6, and an interrupter drive 16 for driving the interrupter 10 in order to provide controlled bursts of fluid in the stream of fluid exiting from the sprinkler head.
The body 4 includes a base member 18 and a cap 20. The body has an inlet portion 22 in the base member 18 for connecting the body to a water supply system, not shown. The cap 20 has a body outlet portion 24. The sprinkler head includes a sprinkler head inlet portion, shown adjacent numeral 26. The sprinkler head 6 is rotatably connected to the body 4. The sprinkler head is driven in step-by-step movement by the free-rotating ball 14 impacting against the impact anvil 28 attached to the sprinkler head. The nozzle 8 is adjustably connected to the sprinkler head 6 for varying the nozzle elevation in order to control the radius of the area receiving the water from the nozzle. The interrupter 10 is driven by the interrupter drive 16 to provide controlled bursts of fluid in the stream of fluid exiting from said nozzle 8 for controlling the fluid fallout from the stream along the trajectory of the stream. The interrupter drive 16 includes a plurality of blades, one of which is shown at 30. The ball 14 and the blades are driven by a vortex of fluid in the body cavity, generally designated by numeral 32. The vortex of fluid is created by a fluid control means 34 that has a plurality of vanes, one vane surface is shown at 36. The device with its arrangement of components provides that the control means operates the interrupter both during the time interval between increments of motion of the sprinkler head as well as during the time interval during increments of motion of said sprinkler head.
The incoming water from the supply system moves through the body inlet portion 22 and is directed toward the vanes by support member 38. The support member 38 is connected to the base member 18. The support member 38 includes a plurality of openings or ports, two of which are shown at 40 and 42. The ports are aligned with the vanes on the control means 34. The water flows through the ports into engagement against the vanes. The water moves off the vanes creating a vortex of fluid in the cavity 32. The water swirls through the cavity 32, driving the drive means. As the swirling water moves out the cavity its rotation is stopped by an antiswirl vane 44. The water then flows by the interrupter 10 into the nozzle 8. After the sprinkler head rotates a preset number of degrees in one direction the reversing means 12 with resilient arms 46 and 48 actuate the control means 34 to place a second and opposing set of vanes over the ports thereby reversing the direction of the vortexing fluid in the cavity and causing the drive means to drive the sprinkler head in the opposite direction.
The fluid flow drive cavity 32 lies between the body inlet portion 22 and the body outlet, generally designated by numeral 24. The cavity 32 has a restricted annular pathway. The cavity includes a generally parallel inner wall surface 50 on the interrupter drive 16 and the outer wall surface 52 on the base member 18. The wall surfaces 50 and 52 slope outwardly in an upward direction. The drive means includes the ball 14, acting as a free-rotating impact body, and the interrupter drive blades, one of which is shown at 30, rotating in the pathway of the cavity. The ball and blades are driven about the annular pathway by the swirling water in the cavity. The vortex of water is created by a fluid control means 34 that controls the direction of the water entering the cavity 32. The vanes, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 include a first set of vane surfaces 36, 56, 60 64 and a second set of vane surfaces 54, 58, 62 and 66. FIG. 4 shows a cross section of one portion of the control means showing a single vane with vane surface 36 from the first set of vane surfaces in a back-to-back relation to vane surface 54 from the second set of vane surfaces. The first set of vanes direct the water in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3. The second set of vanes direct the water in a counterclockwise direction. The ball 14 and the blades rotate in the direction of the water swirling through the cavity 32.
The rotation of the vortex of water in the cavity 32 causes interrupter drive 16 and ball 14 to rotate. As ball 14 is rotated in the cavity 32 with increasing velocity, an adequate speed of rotation is attained to cause the ball to climb the outer wall 52 due to centrifugal force. Ascending of the ball on the wall 52 causes the ball to impact with the impact anvil 28 and thereby causes a slight rotational movement of the sprinkler head 6. Impact of the ball with the anvil reduces the rotational speed of the ball causing the ball to drop downward along the wall 52 but confined by wall 50. Descent of the ball again places it in a path of rotation, unobstructed by the anvil. The rotation and impacting cycle is then repeated.
The reversing means 12 reverses the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head after the sprinkler head moves from a start position through a preset angle. The reversing means 12 includes a disc member 74 connected to the control means 34 at the upper end of the control means shaft 76. Members 78 and 80 having resilient arms 46 and 48 respectively are attached to and angularly adjustable on the disc 74. The sprinkler head and the reversing post 82 fixed to the sprinkler head moves back and forth between the two arms. The sprinkler head post 82, as shown in FIG. 2, is moving away from arm 46 toward arm 48. The post 82 engages the resilient arm and drives it until the torque applied to control shaft 76 is greater than the torque resulting from the flow of water against the vane surfaces 36, 56, 60 and 64. The control means is then moved from a first position with vane surfaces 36, 56, 60 and 64 directing the water in a clockwise direction to a second position with vane surfaces 54, 58, 62 and 66 directing the water in a counterclockwise direction. This movement is a snap action due to the resilient characteristics of the arms 46 or 48 being such that during the movement, the torque caused by deflection of the arm decays less rapidly than the torque caused by the water on the vane surfaces. Movement of control means 34 is limited by stops 86 operating in notches 84. Movement of the control means from the first position to the second position cause the vortex of water to reverse direction of rotation and hence the drive means to drive the sprinkler head in the opposite rotational direction.
The fluid flow interrupter 10 controls the direction of the fluid flowing within the nozzle 8 in order to provide controlled bursts of fluid exiting from the nozzle 8 for controlling fallout of fluid along the trajectory of the stream. The interrupter vanes shown at 68 and 70 in FIG. 2 are connected to the hollow interrupter shaft 72. The interrupter drive 16 is connected to the shaft 72. Because the blades 30 are in the cavity 32, the interrupter drive 16 is driven in a timed relation with respect to the water flowing through the cavity 32, rotation of ball 14 and the rotational movement of the sprinkler head. The interrupter vanes are driven periodically through the fluid rearward of the nozzle inlet causing the fluid to periodically swirl as it passes through the nozzle. The interrupter-nozzle combination provides at periodic intervals, a stream composed of a plurality of water particles traveling in various directions but exiting the nozzle at approximately the same velocity.
Also, the interrupter-nozzle combination provides at periodic intervals a plurality of water particles traveling in the same general direction at approximately the same velocity. During the interval of time when the flow stream exiting the nozzle is composed of swirling and random motion particles, the exiting stream proximal to the nozzle bursts into droplets. During the time that the fluid stream particles are exiting the nozzle in the same direction, the resulting stream is trajected for a relatively great distance before breaking into individual drops.
The velocity of the droplets in the bursting stream decreases rapidly. The velocity of the solid cross-sectional stream decreases at a much slower rate. Therefore, the fallout rate over the total length of the trajectory path may be controlled by the ratio of the duration of the bursts to the duration of the solid stream, the diameter of the bursts at a given distance from the nozzle, and the diameter of the thin area of the stream at a given distance from the nozzle.
It should be noted that more than one free-rotating impact body may be utilized to drive the sprinkler head and to balance the centrifugal force acting within the body of the sprinkler device.
The sprinkler head has a fixed nozzle receiving bore having a centerline 88. The nozzle member 8 has a nozzle channel therein with the centerline 90 of said channel angularly displaced from the nozzle centerline 88. Centerlines 88 and 90 intersect at a point located generally on the sprinkler head centerline 92 in order to prevent rotational torque on the sprinkler head due to reaction of the water exiting the nozzle. Screw 94 contacts the surface of nozzle 8 with the action of a worm gear and is used to rotate the nozzle 8 in the nozzle bore. By rotating the nozzle 8 the elevation of the streams trajectory may be adjusted.
The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention. Therefore, the instant invention is not to be limited to the details discussed herein but to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.
This invention relates to a new and improved sprinkler device for distributing water, and more particularly, to a sprinkler device including a ball driven sprinkler head, a fluid flow interrupter, and reversing means.
Sprinkler devices having sprinkler heads driven by impulse arm drives, turbine drives and impact ball drives are well known. In the past, reversing means of various kinds have been incorporated in sprinkler devices driven by impulse arms in order to distribute water over a particular area. The sprinkler heads were driven through a preset angle and then the reversing means actuated the drive means to drive the sprinkler head back through the same angle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A sprinkler device for distributing water including a body, a sprinkler head, fluid flow interrupter, drive means and a reversing means. The body has a body inlet portion connected to a water supply system and a body outlet portion. The sprinkler head includes a sprinkler head inlet portion rotatably connected to the body outlet portion, and a nozzle for distributing the water. The interrupter controls the direction of the fluid flowing through the nozzle. The drive means drives the movable sprinkler head and the fluid flow interrupter. The reversing means reverses the direction of movement of the sprinkler head after the sprinkler head is moved through a preset angle.
Between said inlet portion and outlet portion of the body is a fluid flow drive cavity having a restricted annular pathway. The cavity includes a generally parallel inner and outer wall surface that slopes outwardly in an upward direction. The drive means rotates through the cavity. The drive means includes a ball, acting as a free rotating impact body, and an interrupter drive with at least one blade. The ball and blade are driven about the annular pathway by a vortex of water in the cavity. The vortex of water is created by a vane control means that controls the direction of the water entering the cavity. The ball rotates in the cavity and impacts against an impact portion of the sprinkler head projecting into the drive cavity to drive the sprinkler head in step-by-step movement.
The fluid flow interrupter controls the direction of the fluid flowing within the nozzle in order to provide controlled bursts of fluid exiting from the nozzle for controlling fallout of fluid along the trajectory of the stream. The interrupter-nozzle combination provides at the proximal end of the stream a plurality of water particles traveling in various directions at approximately the same velocity. The interrupter is driven in a timed relation by the interrupter drive blades. In a preferred embodiment, the interrupter is driven through the fluid rearward of the nozzle outlet to control the direction of the fluid flowing in the nozzle. The interrupter is driven periodically through the fluid in timed relation with respect to the movement of the sprinkler head.
The reversing means reverses the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head after the sprinkler head moves through a preset angle from a start position. The reversing means is connected to the sprinkler head and the vane control means to automatically actuate the vane control means from a first position to a second position in order to reverse the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head. The vane control includes a first surface to direct the water into a clockwise rotating vortex of fluid in the cavity and a second surface to direct the water into a counterclockwise rotating vortex of fluid in the cavity.
It is an object of this invention to provide a combination of a ball-driven sprinkler and reversing means.
Another object of this invention is to provide a sprinkler device with an interrupter to provide controlled bursts of fluid in the stream exiting from the sprinkler device for controlling fluid fallout from the stream along the trajectory of the stream.
It is another object of this invention to provide a ball-driven sprinkler device with a drive cavity having an inner and outer wall surface spaced from one another to restrict the movement of the ball between the walls.
A further object of this invention is to provide a noncomplex sprinkler nozzle design that is easily adjustable to vary the elevation of the stream trajectory.
A further object of this invention is to provide a sprinkler-reversing means controlling a vane control means for reversing the direction of rotation of the fluid through the drive cavity.
In accordance with these and other objects which will be apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a front view of the sprinkler device;
FIG. 2 is a side view in cross section of the assembled sprinkler mechanism;
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the control means;
FIG. 4 is a side view in cross section of a two-position vane; and
FIG. 5 is a front view of the nozzle.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown, and referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein the sprinkler device, generally designated as numeral 2, includes a body, generally designated by numeral 4, a sprinkler head 6 rotatably connected to the body 4, a nozzle 8, a fluid flow interrupter, generally designated by numeral 10, a drive means, and a reversing means, generally designated by numeral 12, for reversing the direction of movement of the sprinkler head. The drive means includes a free-rotating ball 14 for driving the sprinkler head 6, and an interrupter drive 16 for driving the interrupter 10 in order to provide controlled bursts of fluid in the stream of fluid exiting from the sprinkler head.
The body 4 includes a base member 18 and a cap 20. The body has an inlet portion 22 in the base member 18 for connecting the body to a water supply system, not shown. The cap 20 has a body outlet portion 24. The sprinkler head includes a sprinkler head inlet portion, shown adjacent numeral 26. The sprinkler head 6 is rotatably connected to the body 4. The sprinkler head is driven in step-by-step movement by the free-rotating ball 14 impacting against the impact anvil 28 attached to the sprinkler head. The nozzle 8 is adjustably connected to the sprinkler head 6 for varying the nozzle elevation in order to control the radius of the area receiving the water from the nozzle. The interrupter 10 is driven by the interrupter drive 16 to provide controlled bursts of fluid in the stream of fluid exiting from said nozzle 8 for controlling the fluid fallout from the stream along the trajectory of the stream. The interrupter drive 16 includes a plurality of blades, one of which is shown at 30. The ball 14 and the blades are driven by a vortex of fluid in the body cavity, generally designated by numeral 32. The vortex of fluid is created by a fluid control means 34 that has a plurality of vanes, one vane surface is shown at 36. The device with its arrangement of components provides that the control means operates the interrupter both during the time interval between increments of motion of the sprinkler head as well as during the time interval during increments of motion of said sprinkler head.
The incoming water from the supply system moves through the body inlet portion 22 and is directed toward the vanes by support member 38. The support member 38 is connected to the base member 18. The support member 38 includes a plurality of openings or ports, two of which are shown at 40 and 42. The ports are aligned with the vanes on the control means 34. The water flows through the ports into engagement against the vanes. The water moves off the vanes creating a vortex of fluid in the cavity 32. The water swirls through the cavity 32, driving the drive means. As the swirling water moves out the cavity its rotation is stopped by an antiswirl vane 44. The water then flows by the interrupter 10 into the nozzle 8. After the sprinkler head rotates a preset number of degrees in one direction the reversing means 12 with resilient arms 46 and 48 actuate the control means 34 to place a second and opposing set of vanes over the ports thereby reversing the direction of the vortexing fluid in the cavity and causing the drive means to drive the sprinkler head in the opposite direction.
The fluid flow drive cavity 32 lies between the body inlet portion 22 and the body outlet, generally designated by numeral 24. The cavity 32 has a restricted annular pathway. The cavity includes a generally parallel inner wall surface 50 on the interrupter drive 16 and the outer wall surface 52 on the base member 18. The wall surfaces 50 and 52 slope outwardly in an upward direction. The drive means includes the ball 14, acting as a free-rotating impact body, and the interrupter drive blades, one of which is shown at 30, rotating in the pathway of the cavity. The ball and blades are driven about the annular pathway by the swirling water in the cavity. The vortex of water is created by a fluid control means 34 that controls the direction of the water entering the cavity 32. The vanes, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 include a first set of vane surfaces 36, 56, 60 64 and a second set of vane surfaces 54, 58, 62 and 66. FIG. 4 shows a cross section of one portion of the control means showing a single vane with vane surface 36 from the first set of vane surfaces in a back-to-back relation to vane surface 54 from the second set of vane surfaces. The first set of vanes direct the water in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3. The second set of vanes direct the water in a counterclockwise direction. The ball 14 and the blades rotate in the direction of the water swirling through the cavity 32.
The rotation of the vortex of water in the cavity 32 causes interrupter drive 16 and ball 14 to rotate. As ball 14 is rotated in the cavity 32 with increasing velocity, an adequate speed of rotation is attained to cause the ball to climb the outer wall 52 due to centrifugal force. Ascending of the ball on the wall 52 causes the ball to impact with the impact anvil 28 and thereby causes a slight rotational movement of the sprinkler head 6. Impact of the ball with the anvil reduces the rotational speed of the ball causing the ball to drop downward along the wall 52 but confined by wall 50. Descent of the ball again places it in a path of rotation, unobstructed by the anvil. The rotation and impacting cycle is then repeated.
The reversing means 12 reverses the direction of rotation of the sprinkler head after the sprinkler head moves from a start position through a preset angle. The reversing means 12 includes a disc member 74 connected to the control means 34 at the upper end of the control means shaft 76. Members 78 and 80 having resilient arms 46 and 48 respectively are attached to and angularly adjustable on the disc 74. The sprinkler head and the reversing post 82 fixed to the sprinkler head moves back and forth between the two arms. The sprinkler head post 82, as shown in FIG. 2, is moving away from arm 46 toward arm 48. The post 82 engages the resilient arm and drives it until the torque applied to control shaft 76 is greater than the torque resulting from the flow of water against the vane surfaces 36, 56, 60 and 64. The control means is then moved from a first position with vane surfaces 36, 56, 60 and 64 directing the water in a clockwise direction to a second position with vane surfaces 54, 58, 62 and 66 directing the water in a counterclockwise direction. This movement is a snap action due to the resilient characteristics of the arms 46 or 48 being such that during the movement, the torque caused by deflection of the arm decays less rapidly than the torque caused by the water on the vane surfaces. Movement of control means 34 is limited by stops 86 operating in notches 84. Movement of the control means from the first position to the second position cause the vortex of water to reverse direction of rotation and hence the drive means to drive the sprinkler head in the opposite rotational direction.
The fluid flow interrupter 10 controls the direction of the fluid flowing within the nozzle 8 in order to provide controlled bursts of fluid exiting from the nozzle 8 for controlling fallout of fluid along the trajectory of the stream. The interrupter vanes shown at 68 and 70 in FIG. 2 are connected to the hollow interrupter shaft 72. The interrupter drive 16 is connected to the shaft 72. Because the blades 30 are in the cavity 32, the interrupter drive 16 is driven in a timed relation with respect to the water flowing through the cavity 32, rotation of ball 14 and the rotational movement of the sprinkler head. The interrupter vanes are driven periodically through the fluid rearward of the nozzle inlet causing the fluid to periodically swirl as it passes through the nozzle. The interrupter-nozzle combination provides at periodic intervals, a stream composed of a plurality of water particles traveling in various directions but exiting the nozzle at approximately the same velocity.
Also, the interrupter-nozzle combination provides at periodic intervals a plurality of water particles traveling in the same general direction at approximately the same velocity. During the interval of time when the flow stream exiting the nozzle is composed of swirling and random motion particles, the exiting stream proximal to the nozzle bursts into droplets. During the time that the fluid stream particles are exiting the nozzle in the same direction, the resulting stream is trajected for a relatively great distance before breaking into individual drops.
The velocity of the droplets in the bursting stream decreases rapidly. The velocity of the solid cross-sectional stream decreases at a much slower rate. Therefore, the fallout rate over the total length of the trajectory path may be controlled by the ratio of the duration of the bursts to the duration of the solid stream, the diameter of the bursts at a given distance from the nozzle, and the diameter of the thin area of the stream at a given distance from the nozzle.
It should be noted that more than one free-rotating impact body may be utilized to drive the sprinkler head and to balance the centrifugal force acting within the body of the sprinkler device.
The sprinkler head has a fixed nozzle receiving bore having a centerline 88. The nozzle member 8 has a nozzle channel therein with the centerline 90 of said channel angularly displaced from the nozzle centerline 88. Centerlines 88 and 90 intersect at a point located generally on the sprinkler head centerline 92 in order to prevent rotational torque on the sprinkler head due to reaction of the water exiting the nozzle. Screw 94 contacts the surface of nozzle 8 with the action of a worm gear and is used to rotate the nozzle 8 in the nozzle bore. By rotating the nozzle 8 the elevation of the streams trajectory may be adjusted.
The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention. Therefore, the instant invention is not to be limited to the details discussed herein but to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.