Ball drive sprinkler

• US 4,783,004 A
• Filed: 08/14/1987
• Issued: 11/08/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Imperial Underground Sprinkler Company
• Original Assignee: Imperial Underground Sprinkler Company
• Inventors: Lockwood, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Douglas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Forman, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US07/085,529
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 239/203, 239/204, 239/205, 239/206, 239/230, 239/237, 239/240, 239/241, 239/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 239/205
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/74 driven by the discharged fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0404 the motor comprising a movable ball

Abstract

A rotary, pop-up sprinkler is provided which includes an in-ground container. A motor is reciprocably mounted in the container and includes a stator, a plate assembly mounted on the stator and a rotor rotatably received in the stator. The rotor includes a turret with a nozzle orifice. Hydraulic pressures on the rotor are balanced whereby anti-rotational drag is substantially reduced. A speed regulator is provided for maintaining a relatively constant rotational speed when the sprinkler is subjected to variances in hydraulic pressure.

Claims

1. A sprinkler, which comprises:

(a) a container including a container bore and a water inlet for admitting water to said container bore;

(b) a motor reciprocably received in said container bore and movable between retracted and extended positions, said motor including;

(1) a stator having an upper end and a stator said stator bore communicating water with said container bore; and

(2) a rotor rotatably received within said stator bore, said rotor including upper and lower ends, a vertical rotational axis and a turret having an inlet orifice communicating water with said stator bore and an outlet orifice;

(c) hydraulic drive means adapted for rotating said rotor, and

(d) enclosure means positioned above said stator upper end and rotatably and sealingly engaging said rotor, said enclosure means defining an opening adapted to communicate with said turret outlet orifice and defining an enclosed water chamber between said enclosure means and said rotor upper end, said water chamber communicating water with said stator bore but not communicating water directly to said outlet opening.

2. The sprinkler according to claim 1, which includes:

(a) said water chamber comprising an upper water chamber;

(b) said stator having a lower end;

(c) a bottom plate mounted on said stator lower end and defining a lower water chamber receiving said rotor lower end; and

(d) a stator water inlet communicating water between said container bore and said lower water chamber.

3. The sprinkler according to claim 2, which includes:

(a) said stator water inlet having a cross-sectional area substantially equal to or greater than the cross-sectional area of said turret inlet orifice.

4. The sprinkler according to claim 3 wherein:

(a) said stator water inlet cross-sectional area is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of said turret inlet orifice.

5. The sprinkler according to claim 1 wherein said hydraulic drive means comprises:

(a) an impact lever on said rotor;

(b) a ball adapted to strike said impact lever; and

(c) vortex means adapted for creating an hydraulic vortex in said stator.

6. The sprinkler according to claim 5, which includes:

(a) said stator having a hollow base with a raceway for said ball;

(b) a plate assembly mounted on said stator below said hollow base and enclosing said raceway;

(c) said impact lever extending into said raceway; and

(d) said vortex means comprising a water passage extending through said plate assembly.

7. The sprinkler according to claim 6, wherein said vortex means includes:

(a) a plurality of swirl jets positioned in said plate assembly, each said swirl jet including a respective water passage extending in a direction tangential to said rotational axis of said rotor.

8. The sprinkler according to claim 1, which includes:

(a) said stator having a stator base with a coaxial, annular stabilizer ring shoulder open to said stator bore;

(b) a stabilizer ring received in said stabilizer ring shoulder and rotatably receiving said rotor; and

(c) a bumper washer mounted on said rotor adjacent to said rotor lower end, said bumper washer being adapted to engage said stabilizer ring to limit the upward travel of said rotor within said stator.

9. The sprinkler according to claim 8 wherein:

(a) said stabilizer ring shoulder includes a plurality of radially-spaced notches extending between and communicating water between said stator base and said stator bore.

10. The sprinkler according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said enclosure means comprises an arc shield and said enclosure means opening comprises an arc shield slot selectively aligned with said turret outlet orifice.

11. The sprinkler according to claim 10 wherein:

(a) said arc shield slot extends approximately 90°

around said arc shield.

12. The sprinkler according to claim 10 wherein:

(a) said arc shield slot extends approximately 180°

around said arc shield.

13. The sprinkler according to claim 10 wherein:

(a) said arc shield slot extends approximately 360°

around said arc shield.

14. The sprinkler according to claim 10 wherein said arc shield includes:

(a) an arc shield bore; and

(b) a turret bearing extending inwardly from said arc shield bore around said arc shield slot and slidably engaging said turret.

15. The sprinkler according to claim 10, which includes:

(a) said turret having upper and lower ends;

(b) a flexible upper washer connected to said arc shield and engaging said turret upper end; and

(c) a flexible lower washer connected to said stator and engaging said turret lower end.

16. The sprinkler according to claim 1, which includes:

(a) speed regulator means adapted to control the rotational speed of said motor and to compensate for changes in hydraulic pressure.

17. The sprinkler according to claim 16 wherein said speed regulator means includes:

(a) a plate assembly mounted on said stator;

(b) a coaxial valve spool mounted on said plate assembly and including a downwardly-tapering lower end portion;

(c) an elastomeric diaphragm mounted on said plate assembly and having a diaphragm opening receiving said valve spool lower end portion;

(d) an anti-swirl jet extending through said plate assembly and adapted to admit water into said motor for opposing the rotation of said motor; and

(e) said diaphragm opening admitting water from said plate assembly to said anti-swirl jet.

18. The sprinkler according to claim 1, which includes:

(a) said stator bore having upper and lower ends;

(b) a stator base receiving water from said container bore;

(c) a stabilizer ring associated with said stator bore lower end and rotatably receiving said rotor;

(d) a stator water inlet associated with said stabilizer ring and adapted to communicate water between said stator base and said stator bore;

(e) said rotor including a rotor base; and

(f) bumper means associated with said rotor base and being adapted to engage said stabilizer ring.

19. The sprinkler according to claim 18, which includes:

(a) said stator water inlet being positioned outside of said stabilizer ring and comprising an outer stator water inlet; and

(b) an inner stator bore water inlet positioned between said stabilizer ring and said rotor.

20. The sprinkler according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) as said rotor rotates respective orifices alternately function as said inlet orifice in communication with said water chamber and as said outlet orifice in communication with said enclosure means opening.