Adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle

• US 5,226,602 A
• Filed: 05/22/1991
• Issued: 07/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Inventors: Grizzle, Glendale, Grundy, Michael J., Tyler, Stephen L., Cochran, Wilson V., Staylor, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weldon, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US07/703,897
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 239/460, 239/590, 239/451, 239/582.1, 239/583, 239/581.1, 251/81, 251/116, 251/108
• US Class Current: 239/583
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/32 in which a valve member forms part of the outlet opening B05B1/3033 takes precedence

Abstract

An adjustable arc sprinkler nozzle comprises a nozzle body which has a plurality of radial channels for forming radial streams out of water flowing into the nozzle from a sprinkler body to which the nozzle is joined. A crown shaped deflector member includes a plurality of vertically extending fingers which operatively coact with the radial nozzle channels to restrict the amount of water flowing therethrough. A selectively operable adjusting member is cooperatively engaged with the deflecting member for moving the deflecting member vertically relative to the nozzle body to vary the position of the fingers relative to the channels to change the amount of water restriction imposed by the fingers on the water flowing through the channels, whereby the throw radius is selectively adjusted by vertical movement of the deflecting member.

Claims

1. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle suited for connection to a sprinkler body, which comprises:

(a) a nozzle body having a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced nozzle channels through which water flowing from the sprinkler body must pass to thereby be formed into a plurality of separate radial streams, wherein the channels have outlet ends through which the streams exit from the nozzle, and wherein each nozzle channel includes a radially inner end which receives water from the sprinkler body through an upwardly facing inlet port; and

(b) adjustable means carried on the nozzle body for varying the amount of water flowing through the channels to adjust the radius of throw of the nozzle, wherein the adjustable means comprises;

(i) a deflecting member having a plurality of vertically extending fingers which operatively coact with at least some of the radial nozzle channels to restrict the amount of water flowing therethrough, wherein the fingers are circumferentially spaced around the deflecting member, wherein each finger physically enters a nozzle channel from above in the radially inner end of the channel and is aligned to point towards the inlet port for such channel;

(ii) a selectively operable adjusting member cooperatively engaged with the deflecting member for moving the deflecting member vertically relative to the nozzle body to move the fingers towards or away from the inlet ports to change the amount of water restriction imposed by the fingers on the water flowing through the channels, whereby the throw radius is selectively adjusted by vertical movement of the deflecting member; and

(iii) wherein each finger has a lowermost position relative to the channel in which a lower face of the finger is located approximately at the intersection of the inlet port and a lower water dispersing surface of the channel.

2. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 1, wherein the lower water dispersing surface of the channel is oriented at a first angle relative to the horizontal, and wherein the lower face of each finger has an angle of inclination which is different from the angle of the lower water dispersing surface.

3. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 2, wherein each channel has an upper surface which is generally parallel to the lower water dispersing surface, and wherein each finger has an uppermost position relative to the channel in which the lower face of the finger is located at or above the upper surface of the channel.

4. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 3, further including an upwardly extending vertical pocket in the upper surface of the channel at its radially inner end, and wherein the lower face of the finger is located in the pocket in its uppermost position.

5. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 1, wherein the adjusting member is rotatably carried on the nozzle body, and wherein the engagement of the deflecting member with the adjusting member vertically moves the deflecting member upon rotation of the adjusting member.

6. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 5, wherein the fingers of the deflecting member protrude into the nozzle body, and wherein the deflecting member is threadedly engaged with the adjusting member so that rotation of the adjusting member causes the deflecting member to travel up or down the threads of the threaded engagement to vary the vertical position of the deflecting member.

7. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 6, wherein the adjusting member comprises a cylindrical shell having a threaded inner diameter, wherein the deflecting member has an annular rim with a threaded outer diameter which is mated with the threaded inner diameter of the shell of the adjusting member, and wherein the fingers extend vertically from the rim of the deflecting member.

8. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 5, further including means bearing against the adjusting member for retaining the adjusting member on the nozzle body.

9. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 8, wherein the retaining means comprises a clamping member secured to the nozzle body, and wherein the clamping member includes a flange overlying the adjusting member for retaining the adjusting member between the flange and the nozzle body, the adjusting member being rotatable relative to the flange and the nozzle body.

10. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 9, further including detent means extending between the clamping member and the adjusting member for holding the adjusting member in a rotatively adjusted position.

11. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle suited for connection to a sprinkler body, which comprises:

(a) a nozzle body having a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced nozzle channels through which water flowing from the sprinkler body must pass to thereby be formed into a plurality of separate radial streams, wherein each nozzle channel includes a radially inner end which receives water from the sprinkler body through an upwardly facing inlet port; and

(b) adjustable means carried on the nozzle body above the nozzle channels for varying the amount of water flowing through the channels to adjust the radius of throw of the nozzle, wherein the adjustable means comprises;

(i) an inverted, crown shaped deflecting member having a plurality of downwardly extending fingers, wherein the number of fingers is equal to or slightly less than the number of nozzle channels and the fingers are located on the deflecting member so that one finger physically enters a single nozzle channel from above in the radially inner end of the channel and is aligned to point towards the inlet port for such channel, wherein the deflecting member is vertically movable relative to the nozzle body with each finger being moved towards or away from the inlet port by the vertical movement of the deflecting member;

(ii) a selectively operable adjusting member cooperatively engaged with the deflecting member for moving the deflecting member vertically relative to the nozzle body to vary the position of the fingers in the channels to change the amount of water restriction imposed by the fingers on the water flowing through the channels, whereby the throw radius is selectively adjusted by vertical movement of the deflecting member; and

(iii) wherein each finger has a lowermost position relative to the channel in which a lower face of the finger is located approximately at the intersection of the inlet port and a lower water dispersing surface of the channel.

12. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 11, wherein the adjusting member is rotatably carried on top of the nozzle body, and wherein the deflecting member is threadedly engaged with the adjusting member so that rotation of the adjusting member on top of the nozzle body causes the deflecting member to travel up or down the threads of the threaded engagement to vary the vertical position of the deflecting member.

13. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 11, wherein the lower water dispersing surface of the channel is oriented at a first angle relative to the horizontal, and wherein the lower face of each finger has an angle of inclination which is different from the angle of the lower water dispersing surface.

14. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 13, wherein each channel has an upper surface which is generally parallel to the lower water dispersing surface, and wherein each finger has an uppermost position relative to the channel in which the lower face of the finger is located at or above the upper surface of the channel.

15. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle suited for connection to a sprinkler body, which comprises:

(a) a nozzle body having a radially extending nozzle channel through which water flowing from the sprinkler body must pass to thereby be formed into a radial stream, wherein the nozzle channel includes a radially inner end which receives water from the sprinkler body through an upwardly facing inlet port, and wherein the nozzle channel further includes a lower, water dispersing surface oriented at a first angle relative to the horizontal; and

(b) adjustable means carried on the nozzle body for varying the amount of water flowing through the channel to adjust the radius of throw of the nozzle, wherein the adjustable means comprises;

(i) a flow restricting finger located in the nozzle channel, wherein the flow restricting finger is vertically movable on the nozzle body and physically enters the nozzle channel from above in the radially inner end of the channel and is aligned to point towards the inlet port for such channel, wherein the finger has a lowermost position relative to the channel in which a lower face of the finger is located approximately at the intersection of the inlet port and the lower water dispersing surface of the channel; and

(ii) selectively operable means for vertically moving the flow restricting finger upwardly and downwardly relative to the nozzle channel to vary the amount of water flowing through the channel to thereby adjust the flow radius.

16. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 15, wherein the lower face of the finger has an angle of inclination which is different from the angle of the lower water dispersing surface.

17. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle as recited in claim 15, further including a plurality of nozzle channels in the nozzle body with each channel having a flow restricting finger.

18. An adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle suited for connection to a sprinkler body, which comprises:

(a) a nozzle body having a radially extending nozzle channel through which water flowing from the sprinkler body must pass to thereby be formed into a radial stream, wherein the nozzle channel includes a radially inner end which receives water from the sprinkler body, and wherein the nozzle channel further includes a lower, water dispersing surface oriented at a first angle relative to the horizontal; and

(b) adjustable means carried on the nozzle body for varying the amount of water flowing through the channel to adjust the radius of throw of the nozzle, wherein the adjustable means comprises;

(i) a flow restricting finger located in the nozzle channel, wherein the flow restricting finger physically enters the nozzle channel from above and is vertically movable on the nozzle body towards and away from the lower, water dispersing surface of the nozzle channel;

(ii) selectively operable means for vertically moving the flow restricting finger upwardly and downwardly relative to the nozzle channel to vary the position of the finger within the channel and relative to the lower, water dispersing surface of the channel to change the amount of water flowing through the channel to thereby adjust the throw radius; and

(iii) wherein the lower face of the finger has an angle of inclination which is different from the first angle of the lower water dispersing surface of the nozzle channel.