Sprinkler system retrofit mechanism and method

Claim 1

A retrofit mechanism for an automatic lawn sprinkler system having a plurality of sprinkler heads piped to a water supply via electrically operated valves and an electrical controller for programming the operation of said valves, said retrofit mechanism comprising (a) electrical latching switching means which when successively energized alternatively switches energizing power to one of two or more conductive paths, (b) waterproof container means for housing said latching means and (c) conductor means sealingly passing through said container for energizing said latching switching means and connecting said alternate conductive paths to said valves whereby mounting said latching switching means near an existing valve and electrically connecting said existing valve to one of said conductor means attached to one of said conductive paths, electrically connecting a new valve to another conductor means connected to another conductive path and connecting said conductor means for energizing said latching switching means to the wire originally connecting said existing valve to said controller incorporates said new valve into said program without running new wire from said controller to said new valve.

Claim 7

The method of adding one or more sprinkler heads to an existing automatic sprinkler system having an electrical controller and one or more existing electrically operated valves controlling the flow of water to one or more sprinkler heads and individual wires from said controller to each of said existing valves wherein the method comprises: (a) mounting, in a waterproof container, electrical latching switching means for alternately selecting one of two or more conductive paths upon when said latching means is successively energized, (b) connecting said latching switching means to one of said individual wires from said controller to one of said existing valves so that energizing said wire energizes said latching means, (c) connecting by conductive means one of said alternate conducting paths to said one of said existing valves, (d) piping one or more added electrically operated valves to a water supply and to one or more added sprinkler heads, and (e) connecting by conductive means another of said alternate conducting paths to one or more said added electrically operated valves whereby successively energizing said latching switching means alternately energizes said one or more existing valves and said one or more added valves.

Claim 8

The method of adding one or more sprinkler heads to an existing automatic sprinkler system having an electrical controller and one or more existing electrically operated valves controlling the flow of water to one or more sprinkler heads and individual wires from said controller to each of said existing valves wherein the method comprises: (a) mounting, in a waterproof container, electrical latching switching means for alternately selecting one of two or more conductive paths upon when said latching means is successively energized, (b) connecting said latching switching means to one of said individual wires from said controller to one of said existing valves so that energizing said wire energizes said latching means, (c) connecting by conductive means one of said alternate conducting paths to said one of said existing valves, (d) piping one or more added electrically operated valves to a water supply and to one or more added sprinkler heads, and (e) connecting by conductive means another of said alternate conducting paths to one or more said added electrically operated valves whereby successively energizing said latching switching means alternately energizes said one or more existing valves and said one or more added valves.