Sprinkler arc adjustment mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464083-B2
Application number	US-201715449709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 14, 2013
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a rotor or sprinkler that allows its watering arc to be rotated, increased, or decreased by user-rotation of the sprinkler's rotating nozzle base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sprinkler, comprising:
a sprinkler body;
a nozzle base disposed at a top of said sprinkler body;
a gear drive assembly driving rotation of said nozzle base relative to said sprinkler body;
a trip assembly connected to said gear drive assembly and having a trip arm switch selectively reversing a direction that said gear drive assembly rotates said nozzle base;
a bull gear having a first trip dog member extending away from said bull gear and rotationally aligned to contact said trip arm switch;
a first clutch member connected to said nozzle base and releasably engaged with said bull gear; and,
an adjustable stop member having a second trip dog member that is rotationally aligned to contact said trip arm switch; said adjustable stop member being releasably engaged with said nozzle base via a second clutch member.

2. The sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein said bull gear has a cylindrical shape with a plurality of gear teeth along an inner surface.

3. The sprinkler of claim 2 , wherein said first clutch member is position within said bull gear.

4. The sprinkler of claim 3 , wherein said first clutch has a plurality of radially extending fingers that are releasably engaged with said plurality of gear teeth of said bull gear.

5. The sprinkler of claim 4 , further comprising an arc adjustment shaft engaged with said adjustable stop member.

6. The sprinkler of claim 5 , wherein said second clutch member is an o-ring disposed on said arc adjustment shaft and releasably engaged with said nozzle base.

7. The sprinkler of claim 1 , wherein user-rotation of said nozzle base in a first direction rotates a direction of a watering arc of said sprinkler and wherein user-rotation of said nozzle base in a second direction increases a size of said watering arc.

8. The sprinkler of claim 7 , wherein fast-forwarding rotation of said nozzle base in said first direction, then user-rotating said outer nozzle base housing in said second direction decreases a size of said watering arc.

9. A sprinkler, comprising:
a sprinkler body;
a nozzle base disposed at a top of said sprinkler body;
a gear drive assembly driving rotation of said nozzle base relative to said sprinkler body;
a trip assembly connected to said gear drive assembly and having a trip arm switch selectively reversing a direction that said gear drive assembly rotates said nozzle base;
a first trip member positioned to periodically contact said trip arm switch during operation of said sprinkler; said first trip member being connected to said nozzle base via a first clutch; and,
a second trip member positioned to periodically contact said trip arm switch during operation of said sprinkler; said second trip arm member being connected to said nozzle base via a second clutch.

10. The sprinkler of claim 9 , wherein said first clutch comprises a cylindrical gear having an inner surface and a plurality of gear teeth disposed on said inner surface.

11. The sprinkler of claim 10 , wherein said second clutch comprises an O-ring located on an arc adjustment shaft and frictionally engaging said nozzle base; said arc adjustment shaft being engaged with said second trip member so to cause rotation thereof.

12. The sprinkler of claim 9 , wherein user-rotation of said nozzle base in a first direction rotates a direction of a watering arc of said sprinkler and wherein user-rotation of said nozzle base in a second direction increases a size of said watering arc.

13. The sprinkler of claim 12 , wherein fast-forwarding rotation of said nozzle base in said first direction, then user-rotating said outer nozzle base housing in said second direction decreases a size of said watering arc.

14. A sprinkler, comprising:
a sprinkler body;
a nozzle base disposed at a top of said sprinkler body;
a gear drive assembly driving rotation of said nozzle base relative to said sprinkler body;
a trip assembly connected to said gear drive assembly and having a trip arm switch selectively reversing a direction that said gear drive assembly rotates said nozzle base;
a first trip member positioned to periodically contact said trip arm switch during operation of said sprinkler; said first trip member being connected to said nozzle base via a first clutch; and,
a second trip member positioned to periodically contact said trip arm switch during operation of said sprinkler; said second trip arm member being connected to an arc adjustment shaft exposed on said nozzle base; and wherein said arch adjustment shaft is releasably connected to said nozzle base via a second clutch.

15. The sprinkler of claim 14 , wherein user-rotation of said nozzle base in a first direction rotates a direction of a watering arc of said sprinkler and wherein user-rotation of said nozzle base in a second direction increases a size of said watering arc.

16. The sprinkler of claim 15 , wherein fast-forwarding rotation of said nozzle base in said first direction, then user-rotating said outer nozzle base housing in said second direction decreases a size of said watering arc.

Assignees

• The Toro Co

Inventors

• Onofrio Travis L
• Lee Hyok
• Faupel Ralph E

Classifications

• B05B15/74

  driven by the discharged fluid · CPC title

• B05B3/007

  with friction clutch means · CPC title

• B05B3/16

  driven or controlled by the liquid or other fluent material discharged, e.g. the liquid actuating a motor before passing to the outlet {(comprising liquid driven rotors wherein the rotation of the outlet element is reversible B05B3/0432; the outlet elements being rotated by a deflecting element successively moved into the discharged jet by the action of a biasing means and out of the discharged jet by the discharged jet with the rotation of the outlet elements being reversible B05B3/0461)} · CPC title

• B05B3/0454 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B05B12/16

  for controlling the spray area (B05B3/00 takes precedence) · CPC title