Closed case oscillating sprinkler

• US 6,336,597 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2000
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl L.C. Kah Jr
• Original Assignee: Carl L.C. Kah Jr
• Inventors: Kah, Carl L. C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US09/592,843
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 239/237, 239/240, 239/242, 239/255, 239/263.3, 239/73, 743/54
• US Class Current: 239/242
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0431 the rotative movement of the outlet elements being reversible B05B3/0445 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/14 with oscillating elements; with intermittent operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19367 Swinging carriage

Abstract

An oscillating sprinkler head transmission for alternately driving an output shaft and sprinkler head nozzle to oscillate it with spring bias being provided to prevent the transmission from being placed in an inoperative position, where the sprinkler head is not oscillated.

Claims

1. An oscillating sprinkler transmission comprising:

an output gear for driving a nozzle for distributing water over a selectable rotational area of coverage;

a shiftable gear carrier including

a first drive gear and a second drive gear for alternately driving said output gear in the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions to oscillate the same,

an idler gear in engagement with said first drive gear, said second drive gear and said idler gear being spaced apart, and

an input gear located between said second drive gear and said idler gear,

said gear carrier being mounted for pivotal movement to bring one of said second drive gear or said idler gear into driving engagement with said input gear to actuate said second drive gear or said first drive gear, respectively, to drive said output gear in the corresponding direction, wherein the reaction force exerted on the gear carrier as a result of the engaged gear being driven by the input gear holds the gear carrier in driving engagement with the input gear in either driving direction.

2. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a biasing spring or camming spring action applied directly to said gear carrier to place said gear carrier in driving engagement until shifted to bring the other of said driving gears into reversed driving engagement.

3. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a toggle device mounted adjacent to said gear carrier for shifting it from one driving position to the other, said gear carrier and toggle device being mounted for separate pivotal movement.

4. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a base member with an upstanding fixed center member, said gear carrier and toggle device being mounted for separate pivotal movement on said upstanding fixed center member.

5. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an input shaft, said input gear being mounted on said input shaft;

a sleeve around said input shaft; and

a stop on said gear carrier, said gear carrier stop being positioned to engage said sleeve to limit engagement of said second gear or idler gear with said input gear.

6. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 4, wherein said toggle device has spring action applied for biasing said toggle device in one direction on one side of a center position and in the other direction on the other side of the center position.

7. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 4, wherein

said gear carrier has a bottom plate, and

said toggle device comprises

a toggle plate between said bottom plate and said base member, said bottom plate and said toggle plate each having a coaxial center opening fitting over the upstanding fixed center member, and

an overcenter spring for biasing said toggle plate in a clockwise direction on one side of center and a counter-clockwise direction on the other side of center,

said toggle plate having a cut-out portion extending from its center opening to a point radially outward therefrom, and

said spring being located in said cut-out portion extending between said fixed center member and said point of said toggle plate for acting outwardly on said toggle plate.

8. An oscillating sprinkler transmission comprising:

an output gear mounted for rotation about an axis;

a pivotally mounted gear carrier for alternately driving said output gear to oscillate it;

means for alternately pivoting said gear carrier in one direction to drive in a first direction and in the other direction to drive in a second direction;

a first spring for directly biasing said gear carrier in one of said directions and then in the other direction,

wherein said means for alternately pivoting said gear carrier includes

a toggle device pivotally mounted with respect to said gear carrier for reversing the movement of said gear carrier, said gear carrier and toggle device being mounted for separate pivotal movement, and said toggle device being pivotally mounted around the axis of said output gear, and

a second spring for biasing said toggle device in either direction, said second spring having a first fixed spring seat located radially inwardly of said toggle device, said toggle device having a second spring seat located radially outwardly on said toggle device, and said second spring acting outwardly on said toggle device to achieve reversing movement of said gear carrier.

9. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 8, wherein said second spring is located in a cut-out portion of said toggle device.

10. An oscillating sprinkler transmission comprising:

an output gear;

an input shaft having a first axis of rotation;

a shifting mechanism including counter rotating first and second drive gears for alternately engaging said input shaft in one of two positions for actuating one or the other of the drive gears to drive said output gear, said shifting mechanism having a second axis of rotation parallel to the first axis but radially displaced therefrom; and

a spring for biasing said shifting mechanism in one direction and then the other direction to actuate one or the other of said two drive gears to drive said output gear, wherein torque and reaction forces exerted on the shifting mechanism, generated as a result of driving the output gear engaged with the shifting mechanism in either one of the two positions, serve to hold either of said counter rotating driving gears in driving position once shifted there by said shifting mechanism.

11. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 10, wherein said spring is a first spring and further comprising a second spring for biasing said shifting mechanism in driving engagement when a biasing force from said first spring has been removed.

12. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 10, wherein said torque and reaction forces also serve to bias said shifting mechanism in one direction for a predetermined portion of the movement of said spring from said shifting mechanism toward the other direction.

13. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 11, including a downward projection on said shifting mechanism having a surface on which said second spring acts, said surface being contoured to vary the effect of the second spring.

14. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 10, wherein

said shifting mechanism is mounted for an angular movement between driving engagement of said first drive gear and said second drive gear,

said spring is a first spring which biases said shifting mechanism in one direction for one portion of said angular movement and which biases said shifting mechanism in the other direction for another portion of said angular movement, and

said sprinkler transmission further comprises

means for removing the biasing of said first spring from said shifting mechanism in one direction for reversing movement of said output gear, and

a second spring for biasing said shifting mechanism in one direction to maintain said shifting mechanism biased in said one direction at least until said first spring is biasing said shifting mechanism in said other direction.

15. An oscillating sprinkler transmission comprising:

an output gear;

a gear carrier including

a first drive gear and a second drive gear for alternate driving engagement with said output gear to oscillate it between a clockwise and a counter-clockwise direction, and

an idler gear in engagement with said first drive gear, said second drive gear and said idler gear being spaced apart; and

an input gear located between said second drive gear and said idler gear, said gear carrier being mounted for pivotal movement, wherein

said gear carrier is pivotable in one direction to bring said second drive gear into engagement with said input gear and in the other direction to bring said idler gear into engagement with said input gear,

said input gear drives said output gear in one direction through said second drive gear and drives said output gear in the other direction through said idler gear, and

the driving reaction force on the gear carrier holds the gear carrier in driving engagement with the input gear in both driving directions.

16. An oscillating sprinkler transmission as set forth in claim 15, wherein said first and second drive gears both are in continuous engagement with said output gear.