Turbine speed control for rotary irrigation sprinklers
First Claim
1. In a rotary irrigation sprinkler having a housing with an inlet for attachment to a source of pressurized water, and a pop-up assembly mounted within the housing and moveable between a lower, in operative position and an upper, operational position with a portion of the assembly extending out of the housing, the pop-up assembly including a lower casing portion and an upper tubular riser portion having a nozzle attached to its upper end, the casing having a lower end for admitting water from the source into the casing, a turbine mounted for rotation within the casing, and a speed reducing assembly mounted within the casing and drivingly coupled to the turbine and to the riser whereby rotation of the turbine effects rotation of the riser relative to the housing, a water flow path defined between the casing inlet and the riser, a fixed stator plate disposed in the flow path between the casing inlet and the turbine and defining a first drive passage for directing a first portion of the water entering the casing upwardly to drive the turbine, and a second bypass passage for directing a second portion of the water entering the casing around the turbine, the improvement comprising:
- a moveable stator plate rotatably coupled to said fixed stator, said rotatable stator having a wall portion adapted to overlie and occlude said bypass passage when said rotatable stator is in one rotary position relative to said fixed stator, and having a flow opening therein of a size and shape substantially the same as said second bypass passage such that when said rotatable stator is in a second rotary position relative to said fixed stator, the flow opening is aligned with said second bypass passage and water flowing through said second bypass passage is unobstructed, said rotatable stator being infinitely adjustable between said first and second rotary positions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a turbine driven rotary irrigation sprinkler having a fixed stator with means for bypassing a portion of the water entering the sprinkler around the turbine so as to be able to adjust and control the rate of sprinkler rotation, the improvement of a rotatable stator cooperating with the fixed stator to provide infinite adjustability between the no bypass flow and full bypass flow conditions.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. In a rotary irrigation sprinkler having a housing with an inlet for attachment to a source of pressurized water, and a pop-up assembly mounted within the housing and moveable between a lower, in operative position and an upper, operational position with a portion of the assembly extending out of the housing, the pop-up assembly including a lower casing portion and an upper tubular riser portion having a nozzle attached to its upper end, the casing having a lower end for admitting water from the source into the casing, a turbine mounted for rotation within the casing, and a speed reducing assembly mounted within the casing and drivingly coupled to the turbine and to the riser whereby rotation of the turbine effects rotation of the riser relative to the housing, a water flow path defined between the casing inlet and the riser, a fixed stator plate disposed in the flow path between the casing inlet and the turbine and defining a first drive passage for directing a first portion of the water entering the casing upwardly to drive the turbine, and a second bypass passage for directing a second portion of the water entering the casing around the turbine, the improvement comprising:
a moveable stator plate rotatably coupled to said fixed stator, said rotatable stator having a wall portion adapted to overlie and occlude said bypass passage when said rotatable stator is in one rotary position relative to said fixed stator, and having a flow opening therein of a size and shape substantially the same as said second bypass passage such that when said rotatable stator is in a second rotary position relative to said fixed stator, the flow opening is aligned with said second bypass passage and water flowing through said second bypass passage is unobstructed, said rotatable stator being infinitely adjustable between said first and second rotary positions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A rotary irrigation sprinkler comprising:
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a housing having an inlet for attachment to a source of pressurized water;
a pop-up assembly mounted within the housing and moveable between a lower, in operative position and an upper, operational position with a portion of the assembly extending out of the housing, the pop-up assembly including a lower casing portion having an inlet for admitting water from the source into the casing, and an upper tubular riser portion having a nozzle attached to the upper end thereof;
a water driven turbine mounted for rotation within the casing;
a speed reducing assembly mounted within the casing and drivingly coupled to the turbine and to the riser whereby rotation of the turbine effects rotation of the riser relative to the housing;
a water flow path defined between the casing inlet and the riser;
a fixed stator plate disposed in the flow path between the casing inlet and the turbine and defining a first drive passage for directing a first potion of the water entering the casing upwardly to drive the turbine, and a second bypass passage for directing a second portion of the water entering the casing around the turbine; and
a rotatable stator plate rotatably coupled to said fixed stator plate, said rotatable stator having a wall portion adapted to overlie and occlude said bypass passage when said rotatable stator is in one rotary position relative to said fixed stator, and having a flow opening therein of a size and shape substantially the same as said second bypass passage such that when said rotatable stator is in a second rotary position relative to said fixed stator, the flow opening is aligned with said second bypass passage and water flowing through said second bypass passable is unobstructed, said rotatable stator being infinitely adjustable between said first and said second rotary positions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a rotary irrigation sprinkler having a housing with an inlet for attachment to a source of pressurized water, and a pop-up assembly mounted within the housing and moveable between a lower, inoperative position and an upper, operational position with a portion of the assembly extending out of the housing, the pop-up assembly including a lower cylindrical casing portion and an upper tubular riser portion having a nozzle attached to its upper end, the casing having a lower inlet end for admitting water from the source into the casing, a turbine mounted for rotation within the casing about the centerline axis of the casing, and a speed reducing assembly mounted within the casing and drivingly coupled to the turbine and to the riser whereby rotation of the turbine effects rotation of the riser relative to the housing, a water flow path defined between the casing inlet and the riser, a fixed disc shaped stator plate disposed in the flow path between the casing inlet and the turbine and defining a first central drive passage for directing a first portion of the water entering the casing axially upwardly to drive the turbine, and a second bypass passage disposed coaxially with said first drive passage and radially outwardly thereof for directing a second portion of the water entering the casing inlet radially outwardly around the turbine, the improvement comprising:
a moveable stator plate rotatably coupled to said fixed stator, said rotatable stator having a wall portion adapted to overlie and occlude said bypass passage when said rotatable stator is in one rotary position relative to said fixed stator, and having a flow opening therein of a size and shape substantially the same as said second bypass passage such that when said rotatable stator is in a second rotary position relative to said fixed stator, the flow opening is aligned with said second bypass passage and water flowing through said second bypass passage is unobstructed, said rotatable stator being infinitely adjustable between said first and second rotary positions. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
Specification