Lawn and garden sprinkler with bendable tubes

• US 5,826,803 A
• Filed: 05/12/1997
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Randy J. Cooper
• Original Assignee: Randy J. Cooper
• Inventors: Cooper, Randy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARTZ, CLIFFORD T
• Application Number:
  US08/854,524
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 239/548, 239/556, 239/562, 239/588, 239/553.1, 239/590.3, 239/DIG. 1, 239/DIG. 12
• US Class Current: 239/556
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/20 Arrangements of several outlets along elongated bodies, e.g. perforated pipes or troughs, e.g. spray booms spray booms for agricultural uses A01M7/0071; spray bars for treating roads E01C19/176; Outlet elements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/652 whereby the jet can be oriented
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/00 Spraying or sprinkling apparatus with moving outlet elements or moving deflecting elements

Abstract

A lawn and garden sprinkler which has a manifold with one or more bendable tubes extending therefrom. The tubes can be bent to direct one or more streams of water to a desired location. In a preferred design, there is an internal water flow restrictor which permits a larger flow of water from some tubes than others so that a maximum control of water dispersion is obtained. Also in a preferred configuration, the bendable tubes are made from a flexible material and have a ductile wire within them.

Claims

1. A lawn and garden sprinkler comprising:

a manifold including means for attachment to a source of water under pressure, said manifold having a base, a side wall and an upper wall;

a plurality of bendable tube assemblies extending upwardly from said manifold, each said bendable tube assembly having an entrance end affixed to said upper wall of said manifold, an exit end which includes means for directing a flow of water therefrom, a flexible tube having an inner conduit, a ductile wire in said inner conduit thereof, and an outer surface;

means for maintaining said plurality of bendable tube assemblies in a fixed, bent configuration which remains in about a stationary position when water is flowing therethrough;

wherein at least one pair of said plurality of bendable tube assemblies includes a single ductile wire having a first and a second end with the first end in one of said pair and the second end is in the other of said pair.

2. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 1 wherein said means for directing a flow of water therefrom comprises a nozzle member affixed at the end of each of said bendable tube assemblies, said nozzle member having a plurality of passageways each directing water flow at an angle from a central axis.

3. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 2 where there are three passageways, each at an angle of about five degrees from a central axis.

4. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 2 wherein said nozzle member has an inner wall and one of said first and second ends of said single ductile wire is positioned within said inner wall.

5. A lawn and garden sprinkler comprising:

a manifold having a base, a side wall and an upper wall, said manifold including a water inlet;

a plurality of bendable tubes extending upwardly from at least one of said walls of said manifold, each of said bendable tubes having a flexible wall surface surrounding an interior water conduit and a ductile wire within each of said flexible walls within the water passageway and each of said bendable tubes having an upper terminus with a nozzle therein; and

a water flow restrictor held within said manifold, said water flow restrictor having a plurality of orifices below said bendable tubes.

6. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 5 wherein said water flow restrictor is a water flow restrictor plate having an orifice below each of said bendable tubes.

7. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 6 wherein said restrictor plate has orifices of at least two different sizes so that more water will flow out of some tubes than other tubes.

8. A lawn and garden sprinkler comprising:

a manifold having a base, a side wall including a side wall inner surface and a top, said top having a plurality of openings therethrough and said manifold having a water input conduit therethrough having an exit port in said manifold;

a plurality of bendable tubes extending upwardly through said plurality of openings, each of said bendable tubes having a water passageway therealong and a water nozzle at a terminus thereof and said bendable tubes being capable of retaining a fixed position when water is fed therethrough; and

a water flow restrictor plate positioned within said manifold, said water flow restrictor plate having an outer peripheral surface which fits closely within said side wall inner surface of said manifold, said water flow restrictor plate having an opening below each of said plurality of openings in said top of said manifold, said water flow restrictor plate having an upper surface and a lower surface and said exit port of said water input conduit being positioned below the lower surface of said water flow restrictor plate so that water must pass through said water flow restrictor plate to pass only into said bendable tubes.

9. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 8 wherein said water flow restrictor plate has openings of different sizes so that more water will flow through some bendable tubes than others.

10. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 9 wherein said water flow restrictor plate has openings of four different sizes.

11. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 10 wherein each of said bendable tubes is fabricated from a flexible tube having a ductile wire therein.

12. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 9 wherein each ductile wire is formed into a U shape having two termini and a base, the termini being in different flexible tubes and the base being positioned below the lower surface of the water flow restrictor plate.

13. The lawn and garden sprinkler of claim 12 wherein said water flow restrictor plate has a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the lower surface thereof to hold the base of each ductile wire below the lower surface of said restrictor plate.