Reversing mechanism for irrigation sprinkler with disengaging gears

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029265-B2
Application number	US-201514971620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 23, 2014
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

An irrigation sprinkler can include a reversing mechanism configured to transition the nozzle turret of the irrigation sprinkler between a forward direction of rotation and a reverse direction of rotation. The reversing mechanism can include shifting frame having an input gear and at least one output gear. The at least one output gear can be mounted on an axle of rotation which permits lateral movement of the at least one output gear between a power transmitting position, wherein rotational power from a gear reduction is transferred to the nozzle turret, and a disengaged position wherein rotational power from the gear reduction is not transferred to the nozzle turret.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An irrigation sprinkler comprising:
an outer case having a first end, a second end, and a case interior; and
a riser assembly having:
a riser housing having a first end and a second end, the second end of the riser assembly positioned within the case interior and configured to receive pressurized water from the case interior;
a turbine positioned within the riser housing and configured to rotate in response to water entering the second end of the riser housing;
a gear reduction positioned within the riser housing and operatively connected to the turbine;
a reversing mechanism operatively connected to the gear reduction and configured to transition between a forward configuration and a reverse configuration, the reversing mechanism including an input gear configured to rotate in response to rotation of the turbine, a first output gear configured to selectively mesh with the input gear;
a ring gear configured to mesh with the first output gear; and
a rotatable nozzle positioned on the first end of the riser housing and rotatably connected to the ring gear;

wherein the first output gear is configured to mesh with the input gear and with the ring gear to drive the ring gear in a forward rotation direction when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration, and wherein the first output gear is configured to mesh with the ring gear and to move away from the input gear and unmesh from the input gear when a user manually rotates the ring gear in the forward direction when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration.

2. The irrigation sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising one or more transfer gears meshed with the input gear, and a second output gear configured to selectively mesh with one or more of the one or more transfer gears;
wherein the second output gear is configured to mesh with an transfer gear of the one or more idle gears and with the ring gear to drive the ring gear in a reverse direction with the reversing mechanism is in the reverse configuration, and wherein the second output gear is configured to mesh with the ring gear and to move away from and unmesh from every transfer gear in the transfer gear system when a user manually rotates the ring gear in the reverse direction when the reversing mechanism is in the reverse configuration.

3. The irrigation sprinkler of claim 2 , wherein the second output gear is mounted on a non-circular axel.

4. The irrigation sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising one or more transfer gears and a second output gear;
wherein at least one of the one or more transfer gears and the second output gear is configured to move laterally with respect to and to mesh and unmesh from at least one of the one or more transfer gears, the second output gear, the input gear, and the ring gear.

5. The irrigation sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein first output gear is mounted on a non-circular axel.

6. The irrigation sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein the first output gear is capable of unmeshing from the input gear when the reversing mechanism is in the reverse configuration.

7. The irrigation sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising a nozzle turret rotatably locked with the ring gear and manually accessible for rotation by hand when the riser housing receives pressurized water.

8. The irrigation sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein an even number of transfer gears are positioned in a forward power transmission path between the first output gear and the input gear.

9. The irrigation sprinkler of claim 1 , comprising a first output axle having a major axis, wherein the first output gear has a bearing hole with an inner diameter, and wherein the major axis of the first output axle is less than 9/10 of the diameter of inner diameter of the bearing hole.

10. A reversing mechanism for an irrigation sprinkler, the reversing mechanism configured to transition between a forward configuration and a reverse configuration and comprising:
a reversing frame;
an input gear laterally fixed on the reversing frame;
a first output axel having a first bearing surface portion; and
a first output gear rotatably mounted on the first output axel and configured to selectively mesh with the input gear and with a ring gear;
wherein the first output gear is configured to engage with the first bearing surface portion, to mesh with the input gear, and to mesh with the ring gear to rotate the ring gear in a forward direction when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration; and
wherein the first output gear is configured to disengage from the first bearing surface portion and to move away from and to unmesh from the input gear when a user manually rotates the ring gear in the forward direction when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration.

11. An irrigation sprinkler comprising the reversing mechanism of claim 10 , comprising an output member having a ring gear portion meshed with the first output gear when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration, and a nozzle turret rotatably connected to the output member.

12. The reversing mechanism of claim 10 , wherein the first output axel has a non-circular cross-section.

13. The reversing mechanism of claim 10 , comprising:
a transfer gear meshed with the input gear and laterally fixed on the reversing frame;
a second output axel having a second bearing surface portion; and
a second output gear rotatably mounted on the second output axel;
wherein the second output gear is configured to engage with the second bearing surface portion, to mesh with the transfer gear, and to mesh with the ring gear to rotate the ring gear in a reverse direction when the reversing mechanism is in the reverse configuration; and
wherein the second output gear is configured to disengage from the second bearing surface portion and to move away from and to unmesh from the transfer gear when a user manually rotates the ring gear in the reverse direction when the reversing mechanism is in the reverse configuration.

14. The reversing mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the second output axel has a non-circular cross-section.

15. The reversing mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the second output gear is capable of unmeshing from the transfer gear when the reversing mechanism is in the forward configuration.

16. The reversing mechanism of claim 10 , comprising an odd number of transfer gears positioned in a reverse power transmission path between the input gear and the second output gear.

Assignees

• Hunter Industries

Inventors

• Bell James A

Classifications

• B05B15/74

  driven by the discharged fluid · CPC title

• F16H3/34

  with gears shiftable otherwise than only axially · CPC title

• B05B3/0431 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B05B15/70

  Arrangements for moving spray heads automatically to or from the working position · CPC title

• B05B3/0432 Primary

  the rotation of the outlet elements being reversible (B05B3/0444 takes precedence) · CPC title