Arc adjustable rotary sprinkler having full-circle operation

• US 7,850,094 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Richmond, Douglas Scott, Markley, Kevin James, Romack, Joe L., St. George, Daniel Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorman; Darren W
• Application Number:
  US12/353,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20100176217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 239200-206, 239/225.1, 239/237, 239/240, 239/242, 239/DIG.1
• US Class Current: 239/206
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/74 driven by the discharged fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0422 with rotating outlet elements
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0431 the rotative movement of the outlet elements being reversible B05B3/0445 takes precedence

Abstract

A rotary sprinkler is provided that includes a housing having a riser assembly and a rotatable nozzle turret on an upper end of the riser assembly. The sprinkler includes an arc setting assembly that enables part-circle operation of the turret and a selector assembly that permits selection of either part-circle or full-circle operation of the nozzle turret where the components of the selector assembly are generally separate from the components of the arc setting assembly.

Claims

1. An irrigation sprinkler rotor having a full-circle and a part-circle operation mode, the irrigation sprinkler rotor comprising:

a housing with an inlet for receiving fluid for irrigation;

a riser stem mounted to the housing and movable between a retracted position and an elevated position relative to the housing, the riser stem having a longitudinal axis therealong;

a turret mounted for rotation relative to the riser stem;

a drive mechanism for rotating the turret in one of a full-circle or a part-circle operation;

at least a pair of arc stops disposed in a first operational plane relative to the longitudinal axis and mounted for movement with the nozzle turret;

a shiftable transmission powered by the drive mechanism and operable to oscillate the turret in part-circle operation between the pair of arc stops; and

a trip lever arranged and configured to be shifted in an axial direction from the first operational plane to a second operational plane, the second operational plane spaced an axial distance from the first operational plane;

when the trip lever is positioned in the first operational plane, it is configured to be shifted by the arc stops in order to shift the transmission to oscillate the turret in part-circle operation; and

when the trip lever is positioned in the second operational plane, it is configured so that the arc stops bypass the trip lever for rotation of the turret in full-circle operation.

2. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 1, further comprising a support plate having an upper surface for supporting at least the trip lever, the support plate defining an opening through the upper surface, and the first operational plane positioned on one side of the support plate upper surface and the second operational plane below the support plate upper surface.

3. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 2, wherein the support plate includes a well defined by at least side walls and a back wall depending from the support plate upper surface, the trip lever received in the well when in the second operational plane.

4. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 3, wherein the trip lever includes a base plate, a skirt depending from an outer edge of the base plate, and a lever extension on a lower end of the depending skirt, the lever extension movable between the first to the second operational planes.

5. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 1, further comprising a switching mechanism including an actuator coupled to the trip lever, the actuator configured for axial shifting of the trip lever from the first operational plane to the second operational plane, and the actuator and switching mechanism being decoupled from the drive mechanism for rotating the turret.

6. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 5, wherein the switching mechanism further includes a shaft having opposite ends and coupled to the trip lever on one of the opposite ends and coupled to the actuator on the other of the opposite ends, and actuation of the actuator imparts a translational movement to the shaft in an axial direction to shift the trip lever back and forth between the first and the second operational planes.

7. The irrigation sprinkler rotor or claim 1, further comprising a biasing member to apply a biasing force against the trip lever when in the second operational plane.

8. An irrigation sprinkler rotor selectable between full-circle rotation and part-circle oscillation modes, the irrigation sprinkler rotor comprising:

a housing body with a longitudinal axis therethrough;

a nozzle turret mounted for rotation relative to the housing body and having at least one nozzle therein for projecting a fluid spray outwardly therefrom;

at least a pair of arc adjustment stops for defining an arc of rotation of the nozzle turret relative to the housing body and between the arc adjustment stops when the sprinkler rotor is in the part-circle oscillation mode;

the arc adjustment stops traveling along a path relative to the housing body during rotation of the nozzle turret;

a drive mechanism for rotating the nozzle turret;

a shiftable transmission coupled to the drive mechanism and operable to oscillate the nozzle turret in the part-circle oscillation mode between the arc adjustment stops;

a trip arm coupled to the transmission and configured for shifting between

a first operational position where at least a portion of the trip arm is positioned within the path of the arc adjustment stops to be engaged by the arc adjustment stops for shifting the transmission in the part-circle oscillation mode, and

a second operational position spaced a distance from the first operational position where the at least a portion of the trip arm is positioned outside of the path of the arc adjustment stops so that the arc adjustment stops bypass the trip arm during rotation of the nozzle turret for operation in the full-circle rotation mode.

9. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 8, further comprising a support plate having an upper surface and disposed in the housing body for supporting at least the trip arm, the support plate defining an opening in the upper surface thereof, the opening being sized for at least the portion of the trip arm to pass through to the second operational position.

10. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 9, wherein the support plate defines a well formed by at least spaced side walls and a back wall extending downwardly from the plate upper surface, the well defining a cavity sized to receive the at least a portion of the trip arm in the second operational position.

11. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 10, wherein the opening in the support plate upper surface leads to the well cavity in an axial direction.

12. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 8, further comprising a guide device defining a track to guide the trip arm back and forth between the first and second operational positions.

13. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 8, wherein the trip arm includes a base and a lever extending outwardly from the base, the lever having a distal end portion positioned within the path of the arc adjustment stops to be engaged by the arc adjustment stops when the lever is in the first operational position, and the lever configured to be toggled back and forth by engagement with the arc adjustment stops to shift the transmission.

14. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 13, wherein the trip arm base includes a depending skirt where the lever extends from a lower end of the depending skirt.

15. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 14, wherein the housing body includes a support plate having an upper surface for supporting at least the trip arm, the support plate defining an opening in the upper surface sized for at least a portion of the extending lever to pass through to the second operational position.

16. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 15, wherein the skirt has an axial length so that when the trip arm base is positioned adjacent the upper surface of the support plate, the skirt positions the extending lever through the support plate opening into the second operational position.

17. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 13, further comprising a biasing member positioned to provide a biasing force against the trip arm base to help shift the trip arm from the second operational position to the first operational position.

18. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 8, further comprising a selector assembly including a shaft coupled to an end of the trip arm and a user accessible actuator also coupled to the shaft, the actuator arranged and configured so that shifting the actuator imparts a movement of the shaft about the longitudinal axis to shift the trip arm back and forth between the first operational position and the second operational position.

19. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 18, wherein the shaft is configured to slide up and down along the longitudinal axis to shift the trip arm back and forth between the first operational position and the second operational position.

20. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 18, wherein the shaft is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis to shift the trip arm back and forth between the first operational position and the second operational position.

21. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 18, wherein the actuator includes threading thereabout and the selector assembly includes a linkage coupling the shaft to the threading, the linkage defining a nut configured to cooperate with the threading.

22. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 21, wherein the threading is on a jack screw and the nut defines a bore having inwardly extending threading arranged to cooperate with the threading of the jack screw, rotation of the jack screw causes the nut and shaft to translate in an axial direction to shift the trip arm back and forth between the first operational position and the second operational position.

23. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 8, wherein the trip arm is arranged and configured to extend and retract radially in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal axis so that the second operational position of the trip arm is spaced radially inward from the first operational position.

24. An irrigation sprinkler rotor selectable between full-circle rotation and part-circle oscillation modes, the irrigation sprinkler rotor comprising:

a housing body with a longitudinal axis therethrough;

a nozzle turret mounted for rotation relative to the housing body and having at least one nozzle therein for projecting a fluid spray outwardly therefrom;

at least a pair of arc adjustment stops for defining an arc of rotation of the nozzle turret relative to the housing body and between the arc adjustment stops when the sprinkler rotor is in the part-circle oscillation mode;

a drive mechanism for rotating the nozzle turret;

a shiftable transmission coupled to the drive mechanism and operable to oscillate the nozzle turret in the part-circle oscillation mode between the arc adjustment stops;

a trip arm coupled to the transmission and configured for shifting between a first operational position where at least a portion of the trip arm is positioned to be engaged by the arc adjustment stops for shifting the transmission in the part-circle oscillation mode and a second operational position where the trip arm is positioned so that the arc adjustment stops bypass the trip arm during rotation of the nozzle turret for operation in the full-circle rotation mode; and

a switching mechanism for effecting the switching of the trip arm from the first to the second operational position, the switching assembly including an actuator mounted to the turret that is coupled to the trip arm to effect the switching thereof and the actuator is decoupled from the drive mechanism that rotates the turret.

25. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 24, wherein the switching mechanism further includes a shaft having opposite ends and coupled to the trip arm at one end thereof and to the actuator at the other end thereof, a rotational interface between the actuator and the shaft to permit the nozzle turret to rotate thereabout, the rotational interface imparts a movement of the shaft separate from the rotation of the turret about the longitudinal axis to shift the trip arm back and forth between the first operational position and the second operational position.

26. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 25, wherein the shaft is configured to slide up and down along the longitudinal axis upon adjusting the actuator to shift the trip arm back and forth between the first operational position and the second operational position.

27. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 25, wherein the shaft is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis upon adjusting the actuator to shift the trip arm back and forth between the first operational position and the second operational position.

28. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 25, wherein the actuator is positioned in the turret off-center from the longitudinal axis and the shaft is spaced from the actuator along the longitudinal axis, the actuator further includes threading and a linkage bridge that couples the shaft to the threading, the linkage bridge defining a nut configured to cooperate with the threading.

29. The irrigation sprinkler rotor of claim 28, wherein the threading is on a rotatable jack screw and the nut defines a bore having inwardly extending threading arranged to cooperate with the threading of the jack screw, rotation of the jack screw causes the nut and linkage bridge to translate in an axial direction to shift the trip arm back and forth between the first operational position and the second operational position.