Gear driven sprinkler with top turbine

• US 7,748,646 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Clark, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCGRAW, TREVOR EDWIN
• Application Number:
  US11/762,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20080308650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 239/204, 239/380, 239/381, 239/201, 239/200, 239/231, 239/97, 239/237, 239/214.19, 239/238, 239/248, 239/203, 239/206, 239/214.13, 239/242
• US Class Current: 239/204
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/02 with rotating elements electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0422 with rotating outlet elements

Abstract

A sprinkler comprises a nozzle, a turbine and a gear train reduction. The gear train reduction has an output stage that is coupled to the nozzle. The turbine is located between the nozzle and the gear train reduction and is coupled to an input stage of the gear train reduction.

Claims

1. A sprinkler, comprising:

a gear drive mounted inside a gear box and including an upper input stage and a lower output stage;

an inverted frusto-conical rotary distributor head coupled to the output stage of the gear drive, the rotary distributor head having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending recesses;

a turbine located between the rotary distributor head and the gear drive and coupled to the input stage of the gear drive;

a housing that defines a flow path between the gear box and the housing, the flow path leading to the turbine;

a nozzle base that supports the gear box and includes a threaded segment that can be screwed to an upper threaded segment of a riser; and

a nozzle plate supported by the nozzle base adjacent the rotary distributor head and configured to direct water into the recesses so that the recesses can simultaneously eject a plurality of outwardly directed streams of water.

2. The sprinkler of claim 1 and further comprising a drive shaft coupling the gear drive and the rotary distributor head.

3. The sprinkler of claim 2 and further comprising a clutch coupling the drive shaft to the rotary distributor head.

4. The sprinkler of claim 1 wherein the nozzle plate is mounted to the nozzle base.

5. The sprinkler of claim 1 wherein the turbine has curved blades.

6. The sprinkler of claim 1 and further comprising a by-pass flow member above the gear drive.

7. The sprinkler of claim 1 and further comprising a screen connected to the gear box.

8. The sprinkler of claim 1 wherein the recesses in the rotary distributor head have a curved configuration.

9. The sprinkler of claim 1 wherein the gear drive is a planetary gear drive.

10. A sprinkler, comprising:

a gear drive;

a rotary distributor head coupled for rotation by the gear drive, the rotary distributor head having a plurality of radially extending recesses;

a turbine coupled to the gear drive and located between the rotary distributor head and the gear drive;

a nozzle adjacent the rotary distributor head with an orifice located and configured to direct water into the recesses so that the recesses can eject a plurality of outwardly directed streams of water; and

a nozzle base that supports the gear drive and includes a threaded segment for screwing to an upper threaded segment of a riser.

11. The sprinkler of claim 10 and further comprising a drive shaft coupling the gear drive and the rotary distributor head.

12. The sprinkler of claim 11 and further comprising a clutch coupling the drive shaft to the rotary distributor head.

13. The sprinkler of claim 10 wherein the recesses in the rotary distributor head are curved.

14. The sprinkler of claim 10 wherein the nozzle base has an axial length that terminates above a lower end of the gear drive so that the gear drive can be inserted into the top end of the riser and the base screwed to the upper threaded segment of the riser instead of a spray head.

15. The sprinkler of claim 10 wherein the gear drive is mounted inside a gear box.

16. The sprinkler of claim 15 and further comprising a screen connected to the gear box.

17. The sprinkler of claim 10 and further comprising a by-pass flow member above the gear drive.

18. The sprinkler of claim 10 wherein the rotary distributor head has a frusto-conical configuration.

19. The sprinkler of claim 10 wherein the gear drive is a planetary gear drive.

20. The sprinkler of claim 10 wherein the nozzle base and the nozzle are configured to produce a fixed arc of coverage.

21. The sprinkler of claim 10 wherein the nozzle base and the nozzle are configured to produce an adjustable arc of coverage.