Sprinkler head mounting means

Claim 2

Mounting means for a sprinkler head comprising: a first component in the form of an elongate sleeve having means at a first, lower, end for connection to a supporting conduit member to stand in a generally upright attitude; a second component in the form of an elongate nipple rotatably mounted in the sleeve and extending beyond the ends of the sleeve; a third component in the form of a hollow body fixedly secured to the lower portion of a sprinkler head and provided with means for fixed engagement with said nipple to retain the components in assembled relation; the second, upper, end of the sleeve being spaced from the adjacent portion of the body to define a gap of predetermined extent, and the adjacent ends of the body and sleeve components being axially spaced from each other and having smooth annular outer waLls with radially outwardly extending shoulders axially spaced from the extreme end margins, at least one of the shouldered walls diverging from its extreme end margin; a shroud ring of flexible imperforate material surrounding the upper end of the sleeve and the lower end of the body and in sealing engagement with each to completely enclose the gap between them and prevent ingress of contaminants, the inner walls of the end portion of said ring having angles of divergence corresponding to those of said shouldered walls, said ring having a relatively high coefficient of friction to non-rotatably secure one end to said divergent wall; and a low friction collar connected to the opposite end of the shroud ring and shaped to conform to the other shouldred wall for rotatable sealing engagement.

Claim 3

Mounting means as claimed in claim 1, in which the axial gap formed by the adjacent ends of the body and sleeve is less than one half of the axial compression range of the shroud ring.

Claim 4

Mounting means as claimed in claim 1; in which at least one end of the shroud ring is provided with at least one small radial flow path for the escape of seepage water under pressure from within the shroud ring.

Claim 5

Mounting means for a sprinkler head comprising a first component in the form of an elongate sleeve having means at a first, lower, end for connection to a supporting conduit member to stand in a generally upright attitude; a second component in the form of an elongate nipple rotatably mounted in the sleeve and extending beyond the ends of the sleeve; the lower end of the nipple having a radially enlarged shoulder to prevent upward separation of the nipple from the sleeve, and the upper end having an attachment formation; a third component in the form of a hollow body fixedly secured to the lower portion of a sprinkler head and provided with means for fixed engagement with the attachment formation on the nipple to retain the components in assembled relation; a plurality of washers surrounding the lower end of the nipple and arranged between the nipple shoulder and the lower end of the sleeve to seal against ingress of contaminants between the nipple and the sleeve and to provide a predetermined degree of frictional resistance to rotation of the nipple in the sleeve; the second, upper, end of the sleeve being spaced from the adjacent portion of the body to define a gap of predetermined extent, the adjacent ends of the body and sleeve components being axially spaced from each other and having smooth annular outer walls with radially outwardly extending shoulders axially spaced from the extreme end margins, at least one of the shouldered walls diverging from its extreme end margin; a shroud ring of flexible imperforate material surrounding the upper end of the sleeve and the lower end of the body and in sealing engagement with each to completely enclose the gap between them and prevent ingress of contaminants, the inner walls of the end portions of said ring having angles of divergence corresponding to those of said shouldered walls, said ring having a relatively high coefficient of friction to non-rotatably secure one end to said divergent wall; and a low friction collar connected to the opposite end of the shroud ring and shaped to conform to the other shouldered wall for rotatable sealing engagement.

Claim 6

Mounting means for a sprinkler head comprising a first component in the form of an elongate sleeve having means at a first, lower, end for connection to a supporting conduit member to stand in a generally upright attitude; a second component in the form of an elongate nipple rotatably mounted in the sleeve and extending beyond the ends of the sleeve; the lower end of the nipple having a radially enlarged shoulder to prevent upward separation of the nipple from the sleeve, and the upper end having an attachment formation; a third component in the form of a hollow body fixedly secured to the lower portion of a sprinkler head and provided with means for fixed engagement with the attachment formation on the nipple to retain the components in assembled relation; a plurality of washers surrounding the lower end of the nipple and arranged between the nipple shoulder and the lower end of the sleeve to seal against ingress of contaminants between the nipple and the sleeve and to provide a predetermined degree of frictional resistance to rotation of the nipple in the sleeve; the second, upper, end of the sleeve being spaced from the adjacent portion of the body to define a gap of predetermined extent, the adjacent ends of the body and sleeve components being axially spaced from each other and having smooth annular outer walls with radially outwardly extending shoulders axially spaced from the extreme end margins, at least one of the shouldered walls diverging from its extreme end margin; a shroud ring of flexible imperforate material surrounding the upper end of the sleeve and the lower end of the body and in sealing engagement with each to completely enclose the gap between them and prevent ingress of contaminants, the inner walls of the end portions of said ring having angles of divergence corresponding to those of said shouldered walls, said ring having a relatively high coefficient of friction to non-rotatably secure one end to said divergent wall; and a low friction collar connected to the opposite end of the shroud ring and shaped to conform to the other shouldered wall for rotatable sealing engagement.

Claim 7

Mounting means as claimed in claim 4; in which the collar has an angular cross section with an axial wall externally tapered to match the internal taper of the shroud ring end portion and to be non-rotatably secured therein, and a radially outwardly extending flange to serve as a shoulder and engage the shoulder on its respective component.

Claim 8

Mounting means as claimed in claim 4; in which at least one end face of the shroud ring is provided with at least one small radial groove to provide a flow path for release of leakage water under pressure from within the shroud ring.

Claim 9

Mounting means as claimed in claim 4; in which the shroud ring is bulged outward between its ends to define an annular enclosed space; and the upper end of the sleeve extends upward a substantial distance above the lower end of the shroud ring to define therewith a reservoir to trap and retain wear particles at a location spaced from the gap between the sleeve and the body.