Pop-up sprinkler with multiple-purpose one-piece seal

Claim 2

A pop-up sprinkler comprising: a housing assembly including separable parts adapted to be stationarily mounted in the ground and to be communicated with a source of water under pressure, a sprinkler head assembly carried by said housing assembly for movement from a retracted storage position therein into an extended operative position in response to the communication of said water source with said housing assembly, coil spring means between said housing assembly and said sprinkler head assembly for resiliently urging said sprinkler head assembly into said retracted storage position in response to the closing of communication of said water source with said housing assembly, and a multiple-purpose one-piece annular seal cooperatively engaging said housing assembly, said sprinkler head assembly and said coil spring means, said annular seal having means for performing the following specified functions: (1) provide a static seal between said separable parts of said housing assembly (2) provide a spring seat for one end of said coil spring means, (3) provide a pressure responsive leakage path between said housing assembly and said sprinkler head assemblY for passage of water upwardly and outwardly therethrough when the water source is initially communicated with said housing assembly to thereby remove contiguous debris and prevent the passage of debris downwardly therethrough during the extending movement of said sprinkler head assembly, (4) provide an operative static seal between said housing assembly and said sprinkler head assembly when the latter is in its operative extended position, and (5) provide a wiping and centering action on said sprinkler head assembly during the retracting movement thereof.

Claim 3

A pop-up sprinkler comprising: a housing assembly adapted to be stationarily mounted in the ground and to be communicated with a source of water under pressure, a sprinkler head assembly carried by said housing assembly for movement from a retracted storage position into an extended operative position in response to the communication of said water source with said housing assembly; coil spring means between said housing assembly and said sprinkler head assembly for resiliently urging said sprinkler head assembly into said retracted storage position in response to the closing of communication of said water source with said housing assembly, and a multiple-purpose one-piece annular seal cooperatively engaging said housing assembly, said sprinkler head assembly and said coil spring means, said housing assembly including (1) a first vertically extending annular housing member having a lower end portion provided with means for receiving water under pressure therein and an open upper end portion terminating in an upwardly facing annular end surface and (2) a second annular housing member including a tubular portion detachably secured to the exterior of said first member upper end portion and a flange portion extending radially inwardly therefrom and terminating in a generally cylindrical surface, said flange portion having a downwardly facing annular surface extending radially between said tubular portion and said cylindrical surface, said sprinkler head assembly including (1) a vertically movable member having an exterior cylindrical periphery of a size slightly less than the cylindrical surface of said flange portion terminating at its lower end in an upwardly facing radially outwardly extending annular surface and (2) means on said movable member defining a lower annular spring seat receiving the lower end of said coil spring means disposed vertically below and radially outwardly with respect to said annular surface, said annular seal including (1) a radially outer portion disposed between and forming a static seal between said first member end surface and said flange portion downwardly facing surface, (2) an intermediate portion defining an upper spring seat receiving the upper end of said coil spring means, and (3) a radially inner portion having (a) an annular flexible lip extending upwardly within said flange portion cylindrical surface and inwardly into engagement with the cylindrical periphery of said movable member so that when the water source is initially communicated with said housing assembly water will leak upwardly and outwardly between said cylindrical peripheral and said annular lip through pressure responsive deflection of the latter to remove contiguous debris therefrom and prevent the passage of debris downwardly therethrough during the extended movement of said sprinkler head assembly, (b) a downwardly facing annular surface engageable with the upwardly facing surface of said movable member when the latter reaches its extended position to provide an operative seal between said second housing member and said movable member, and (c) sufficient flexure strength to enable said annular lip to provide a wiping and centering action on the cylindrical periphery of said movable member during retracting movement thereof.

Claim 4

A pop-up sprinkler comprising: a housing assembly adapted to be stationarily mounted in the ground and to be communicated with a source of water under pressure, a sprinkler head assembly carried by said housing assembly for movement from a retracted storage position into an extended operative position in response to the communication of said water source with said housing assembly; coil spring means between said housing assembly and said sprinkler head assembly for resiliently urging said sprinkler head assembly into said retracted storage position in response to the closing of communication of said water source with said housing assembly, and a multiple-purpose one-piece annular seal cooperatively engaging said housing assembly, said sprinkler head assembly and said coil spring means, said housing assembly including (1) a first vertically extending annular housing member having a lower end portion provided with means for receiving water under pressure therein and an open upper end portion terminating in an upwardly facing annular end surface and (2) a second annular housing member including a tubular portion detachably secured to the exterior of said first member upper end portion and a flange portion extending radially inwardly therefrom and terminating in a generally cylindrical surface, said flange portion having a downwardly facing annular surface extending radially between said tubular portion and said cylindrical surface, said sprinkler head assembly including (1) a vertically movable member having an exterior cylindrical periphery of a size slightly less than the cylindrical surface of said flange portion terminating at its lower end in an upwardly facing radially outwardly extending annular surface and (2) means on said movable member defining a lower annular spring seat receiving the lower end of said coil spring means disposed vertically below and radially outwardly with respect to said annular surface, said annular seal including (1) a radially outer portion disposed between and forming a static seal between said first member end surface and said flange portion downwardly facing surface, (2) an intermediate portion defining an upper spring seat receiving the upper end of said coil spring means, and (3) a radially inner portion having (a) an annular flexible lip extending upwardly within said flange portion cylindrical surface and inwardly into engagement with the cylindrical periphery of said movable member so that when the water source is initially communicated with said housing assembly water will leak upwardly and outwardly between said cylindrical peripheral and said annular lip through pressure responsive deflection of the latter to remove contiguous debris therefrom and prevent the passage of debris downwardly therethrough during the extended movement of said sprinkler head assembly, (b) a downwardly facing annular surface engageable with the upwardly facing surface of said movable member when the latter reaches its extended position to provide an operative seal between said second housing member and said movable member, and (c) sufficient flexure strength to enable said annular lip to provide a wiping and centering action on the cylindrical periphery of said movable member during retracting movement thereof.

Claim 5

A pop-up sprinkler as defined in claim 2 wherein the intermediate portion of said seal incLudes a depending annular ridge engaging the upper end of said coil spring means to center the same.

Claim 6

A pop-up sprinkler as defined in claim 2 wherein the downwardly facing annular surface of said seal is disposed within a radial plane.