Arc adjustable rotary sprinkler having full-circle operation and automatic matched precipitation

• US 9,120,111 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Nations, Derek Michael, Skripkar, Kenneth J., Lebron, Jorge Alfredo Duenas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tyson, Melanie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dandridge, Christopher R
• Application Number:
  US13/776,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20130221128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 239/201, 239/203, 239/204, 239/205, 239/206, 239/210, 239/214, 239/214.21, 239/214.23, 239/220, 239/225.1, 239/228, 239/255, 239/257, 239/262, 239/569, 239/580, 239/DIG.1, 239/DIG.12, 239/601, 239/537, 239/451, 239/457
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/525 by increasing the cross section of the discharge openings
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/55 using cleaning fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/70 Arrangements for moving spray heads automatically to or from the working position
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/74 driven by the discharged fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0436 by reversing the direction of rotation of the rotor itself
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0454 relative to the angular position of the outlet or to the direction of rotation of the outlet, e.g. for spraying non circular areas

Abstract

A rotary sprinkler including a rotatable nozzle turret with automatic matched precipitation to an arc of rotation, a nozzle purge feature, and/or a flow shut off valve coupled to a variable flow nozzle outlet.

Claims

1. A rotary sprinkler comprising:

a housing with an inlet for receiving fluid for irrigation, the housing having a longitudinal axis;

a nozzle defining an outlet with a variable shape for projecting irrigation fluid from the sprinkler, the nozzle mounted for rotation relative to the housing;

a drive mechanism for rotating the nozzle in a reversible arc of rotation;

an arc adjustment mechanism configured upon adjustment thereof to increase or decrease the arc of rotation of the nozzle; and

a split gate valve at the nozzle outlet having two gate vanes disposed on opposing sides of the nozzle outlet, the gate vanes operably coupled to the arc adjustment mechanism such that adjustment thereof is operable to shift the two gate vanes toward or away from each other at the nozzle outlet to vary the shape of the nozzle outlet to adjust a fluid flow rate through the outlet proportional to the arc of rotation, wherein the split gate valve includes a linking portion connecting ends of the two gate valve vanes, and wherein the linking portion is a resilient strip providing a biasing force on each of the two gate vanes.

3. The rotary sprinkler of claim 1, wherein the gate valve vanes are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axes and upper ends thereof are configured to shift toward or away from a location being parallel to the longitudinal axis upon adjustment of the arc adjustment mechanism.

2. A rotary sprinkler comprising:

a housing with an inlet for receiving fluid for irrigation, the housing having a longitudinal axis;

a nozzle defining an outlet with a variable shape for projecting irrigation fluid from the sprinkler, the nozzle mounted for rotation relative to the housing;

a drive mechanism for rotating the nozzle in a reversible arc of rotation;

an arc adjustment mechanism configured upon adjustment thereof to increase or decrease the arc of rotation of the nozzle; and

a split gate valve at the nozzle outlet having two gate vanes disposed on opposing sides of the nozzle outlet, the gate vanes operably coupled to the arc adjustment mechanism such that adjustment thereof is operable to shift the two gate vanes toward or away from each other at the nozzle outlet to vary the shape of the nozzle outlet to adjust a fluid flow rate through the outlet proportional to the arc of rotation, further comprising a linkage between the arc adjustment mechanism and the two gate valve vanes, the linkage coupled on one portion thereof to the arc adjustment mechanism and coupled on other portions thereof to the gate valve vanes such that actuation of the arc adjustment mechanism to adjust the arc of rotation simultaneously shifts the gate valve vanes toward or away from each other to automatically vary the shape of the nozzle outlet incident to adjustment of the arc of rotation, wherein each gate valve vane of the split gate valve includes a valving portion in the outlet of the nozzle and a winged extension oriented transverse to the valving portion and extending away from the nozzle outlet, the winged extension coupled to the linkage.

4. The rotary sprinkler of claim 2, wherein the gate valve vanes are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axes and upper ends thereof are configured to shift toward or away from a location being parallel to the longitudinal axis upon adjustment of the arc adjustment mechanism.