Sprinkler head

Claim 2

A sprinkler head comprising a sprinkler body having an inlet and an outlet, means for mounting said sprinkler body for controlled rotational movement about a generally vertical axis with said inlet in communication with a conduit arranged to communicate a source of water under pressure therewith, said outlet being disposed to direct water under pressure communicated with said inlet in a stream flowing therefrom in a direction upwardly and outwardly in generally symmetrical relation to a plane passing through the axis of rotation, an impulse arm mounted with respect to said sprinkler body for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to said plane through repeated oscillatory cycles each including an impulse stroke and a return stroke, said impulse arm being biased to move through its return stroke into a limiting position, said impulse arm having reactant means thereon providing surface area engageable by the stream issuing from said outlet when said impulse arm is disposed in said limiting position for changing the direction of movement of the stream engaged thereby to establish an impulse force having (1) a component tangential to the pivotal axis of said impulse arm for effecting an impulse stroke thereof, and (2) a component tangential to the rotational axis of said sprinkler body for effecting an incremental rotational movement thereof in one direction, and means mounting said reactant means on said impulse arm for movement with respect to said impulse arm into different positions varying the change in direction of the movement of the stream engaged thereby in response to variations in the energy of the engaged stream so as to maintain the impulse force established thereby generally constant and hence the impulse stroke of the impulse arm and the increMental rotation of said sprinkler body effected thereby generally constant throughout a relatively wide range of variations in the energy of the stream.

Claim 3

A sprinkler head as defined in claim 1 wherein said reactant means comprises a reactant element and said mounting means comprises a pivotal connection between said reactant element and said impulse arm providing for pivotal movement of said reactant element about an axis spaced from and disposed at an angle with respect to both the axis of oscillatory movement of said impulse arm and the axis of rotation of said sprinkler body and spring means resiliently maintaining said reactant element in said limiting position when the size and energy level of the stream engaged thereby is at a relatively low predetermined valve and yieldingly permitting pivotal movement away from said limiting position an amount which increases generally proportionally to the increase in the size and energy level of the engaged stream above said relatively low predetermined value.

Claim 4

A sprinkler head as defined in claim 2 wherein said pivotal axis of said impulse arm is perpendicular to the rotational axis of said sprinkler body and wherein the pivotal axis of said reactant element is disposed at an angle of approximately 45* with respect to both the pivotal axis of said impulse arm and the rotational axis of said sprinkler body.

Claim 5

A sprinkler head as defined in claim 3 wherein the reactant area of said reactant element is primarily provided by a flat surface portion disposed in a plane parallel with the pivotal axis of said reactant element.

Claim 6

A sprinkler head as defined in claim 1 including a reversing arm pivotally mounted with respect to said sprinkler body of oscillatory movement between operative and inoperative positions, said reversing arm having reversing reactant means thereon providing surface area engageable by the stream issuing from said outlet when said reversing arm is disposed in said operative position for changing the direction of movement of the stream engaged thereby to establish a reversing force having a component tangential to the rotational axis of said sprinkler body for effecting reversing rotational movement in the opposite direction, means mounting said reversing reactant means on said reversing arm for movement with respect to said reversing arm into different positions varying the change in direction of the movement of the stream engaged thereby in response to variations in the energy of the engaged stream so as to maintain the reversing force established thereby generally constant and hence the reversing rotation of said sprinkler body effected thereby generally constant throughout a relatively wide range of variations in the energy level of the stream, and means for effecting movement of said reversing arm between said operative and inoperative positions.

Claim 7

A part circle sprinkler head comprising a sprinkler body having an inlet and an outlet, means for mounting said sprinkler body for controlled rotational movement about a generally vertical axis with said inlet in communication with a conduit arranged to communicate a source of water under pressure therewith, said outlet being disposed to direct water under pressure communicated with said inlet in a stream flowing therefrom in a direction upwardly and outwardly in generally symmetrical relation to a plane passing through the axis of rotation, an impulse arm pivotally mounted with respect to said sprinkler body for oscillatory movement and having a reactant element thereon, said impulse arm being normally biased into a limiting position wherein said reactant element is disposed within the path of a stream issuing from said outlet and having means thereon operable (1) in response to the energy of a stream issuing from said outlet to move through repeated oscillatory cycles each of which includes an impulse stroke wherein said reactant element leaves the stream and moves away from the latTer in one direction and a return stroke wherein said reactant element moves in the opposite direction toward said stream and enters the latter, and (2) during each oscillatory cycle thereof to effect controlled incremental rotational movement of said sprinkler body in one direction, a reversing arm pivotally mounted with respect to said sprinkler body of oscillatory movement between operative and inoperative positions, said reversing arm having reversing reactant means thereon providing surface area engageable by the stream issuing from said outlet when said reversing arm is disposed in said operative position for changing the direction of movement of the stream engaged thereby to establish a reversing force having a component tangential to the rotational axis of said sprinkler body for effecting reversing rotational movement in the opposite direction, means mounting said reversing reactant means on said reversing arm for movement with respect to said reversing arm into different positions varying the change in direction of the movement of the stream engaged thereby in response to variations in the energy of the engaged stream so as to maintain the reversing force established thereby generally constant and hence the reversing rotation of said sprinkler body effected thereby generally constant throughout a relatively wide range of variations in the energy level of the stream, and means for effecting movement of said reversing arm between said operative and inoperative positions.

Claim 8

A part circle sprinkler head comprising a sprinkler body having an inlet and an outlet, means for mounting said sprinkler body for controlled rotational movement about a generally vertical axis with said inlet in communication with a conduit arranged to communicate a source of water under pressure therewith, said outlet being disposed to direct water under pressure communicated with said inlet in a stream flowing therefrom in a direction upwardly and outwardly in generally symmetrical relation to a plane passing through the axis of rotation, an impulse arm pivotally mounted with respect to said sprinkler body for oscillatory movement and having a reactant element thereon, said impulse arm being normally biased into a limiting position wherein said reactant element is disposed within the path of a stream issuing from said outlet and having means thereon operable (1) in response to the energy of a stream issuing from said outlet to move through repeated oscillatory cycles each of which includes an impulse stroke wherein said reactant element leaves the stream and moves away from the latTer in one direction and a return stroke wherein said reactant element moves in the opposite direction toward said stream and enters the latter, and (2) during each oscillatory cycle thereof to effect controlled incremental rotational movement of said sprinkler body in one direction, a reversing arm pivotally mounted with respect to said sprinkler body of oscillatory movement between operative and inoperative positions, said reversing arm having reversing reactant means thereon providing surface area engageable by the stream issuing from said outlet when said reversing arm is disposed in said operative position for changing the direction of movement of the stream engaged thereby to establish a reversing force having a component tangential to the rotational axis of said sprinkler body for effecting reversing rotational movement in the opposite direction, means mounting said reversing reactant means on said reversing arm for movement with respect to said reversing arm into different positions varying the change in direction of the movement of the stream engaged thereby in response to variations in the energy of the engaged stream so as to maintain the reversing force established thereby generally constant and hence the reversing rotation of said sprinkler body effected thereby generally constant throughout a relatively wide range of variations in the energy level of the stream, and means for effecting movement of said reversing arm between said operative and inoperative positions.