US3746259A

US3746259A - Shielded reaction sprinkler

Info

Publication number: US3746259A
Application number: US00185697A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Apri
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-10-01
Filing date: 1971-10-01
Publication date: 1973-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-17

Abstract

A sprinkler or lawn spray of the reaction type has a flexible shield cooperating with a guide channel to direct the water emerging from the jet of the spray body in the desired direction and dispersal pattern. The shield may be of a flexible material or may be flexibly mounted to either the reaction arm or the spray body to preclude droplet distribution in a direction normal to the emerging stream from the spray jet. The shield is mounted either to the reaction arm or to the oscillating body of the spray. The stream guide channel may be open or closed and has an emerging reaction surface against which the jet stream impinges.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Apri SHIELDED REACTION SPRINKLER [76] inventor: Edward W. Aprl, 998 Lehigh St.,

Altadena, Calif. 91001 [22] Filed: Oct. 1, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 185,697

[52] U.S. Cl 239/229, 239/222.17, 239/230,

239/231, 239/502, 239/505, 239/516 [51] Int. Cl B05b 3/16 [58] Field of Search 239/120, 121, 122

[ 1 3,746,259 [451 July 17,1973

7/1968 Cooney 239/233 X ABSTRACT A sprinkler or lawn spray of the reaction type has a flexible shield cooperating with a guide channel to direct the water emerging from the jet of the spray body in the desired direction and dispersal pattern. The shield may be of a flexible material or may be flexibly mounted to either the reaction arm or the spray body to preclude droplet distribution in a direction normal to the emerging stream from the spray jet The shield is mounted either to the reaction arm or to the oscillating body of the spray. The stream guide channel may be open or closed and has an emerging reaction surface against which the jet stream impinges.

16 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures Patented July 17, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented July 17, 1973 3,746,259

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5A WWII! KL r52 Patented July 17, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 SHIELDED REACTION SPRINKLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to overhead sprays or sprinklers typified by those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,980,34l and others. Such sprinklers utilize a springloaded reaction arm which is activated by the emerging water stream to reciprocate about a pivot and impact against a spray body which oscillates to change the direction of the jet stream. The jet stream forces the reaction arm into impact against the body to move it in an are or in a circle, depending upon the settings of controls on the oscillating body stem. Conventionally, the movement of the reaction arm interrupts the stream to deflect a portion of the emerging water in a local spray in the immediate area of the spray head. Water pressure and jet apertures are variable and the pattern of the local spray droplets is random and often results in wetting areas which it is desirable to retain dry. Previous attempts to solve the problem have led to apparatus to circumscribe the spray head with apertured boxes or shields planted in the ground adjacent the spray head, or conduits on the reaction arm.

I have invented apparatus which attaches to the spray head and not only achieves a more precisely defined remote stream but also precludes unneeded spraying of areas adjacent the sprinkler.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates an overhead spray head of the reaction type wherein the conventional spray head body and control mechanism is combined with a directional channel attached to the reaction arm. Preferably the channel has an offset portion and a straight portion. A resilient shield or well, which may be carried by the reaction arm or by the oscillating spray body, cooperates with the channel. The guide channel has a lip or reaction surface at its emergent end such that the stream from the conventional spray jet causes the reaction arm to move against its conventional springloading. The shield is preferably of a flexible material rigidly mounted to the body or to the reaction arm. When the shield is mounted to the reaction arm a reaction lip preferably terminates the shield remote from the stream. Alternatively, the shield may be of a substantially rigid material secured to the spray head by flexible or resilient means.

In one embodiment of the invention the shield comprises a plurality of layers of laminar material. Each successive layer is larger in area than the previous layer, such that the layer largest in area is more remote from the emerging jet stream, and each layer may differ from the others in perimeter configuration.

The spray or sprinkler of the invention utilizes conventional parts and conventional materials to achieve an easily fabricated device which precisely directs the water stream and inhibits random distribution of water in the vicinity of the spray head.

These and other advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description and drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention wherein the guide channel is attached to the reaction arm;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 each illustrate a transverse section of an alternate embodiment of the spray head, said sections each being taken along a line similar to the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a further alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a plan view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of a further alternate embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 9, partly in section; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of a further alternate embodiment.

In the various Figures, like numerals are used for like parts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In all of the embodiments the conventional parts of the spray body are shown schematically, the operation of oscillating sprinklers being well known. For instance, the embodiment of FIG. 1 shows that conventional oscillating spray body 11 moves about with hollow shaft 12 in a threaded sleeve 13 which is joined to the water distribution system (not shown The sleeve carries motion limit bands 14 and the body carries a contact arm 15 and a schematically shown reversing bracket 16.

The reaction arm 19 is conventionally springloaded by a spring 21. In FIG. I the arm carries a unique guide channel 22 across the water stream indicated by the line 23 in FIG. 2, which emerges from a conventional spray jet 24.

All of the above described components except for the guide channel are conventional. Channel 22 is supported from a forward portion 19B of the reaction arm and comprises a planar side wall 26 and a concave side wall 27 ending in horizontal upper and

lower portions

28, 29, respectively.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, when the spray jet and the channel inlet 30 are aligned the guide channel diverges outwardly from the path 23 of the jet stream which emerges from spray jet 24. Both

channel walls

26 and 27 curve horizontally away from their attachement to the reaction arm and then extend in straight portions tangent to the curves away from the spray head.

A transverse lip 31 at the outer end of wall 27 serves as a reaction surface intercepting the water stream which is guided by the channel as it emerges from the jet 24 when the reaction arm 19 is in the position of FIG.'2. The lip 31 also acts as a diverter and may have a varying angle to the line of the jet stream, depending upon the desired water distribution pattern.

The guide channel is impinged upon by the jet stream to move the reaction arm about its pivot pin 33 to be returned by spring 21 in conventional fashion, the reaction arm engaging a conventional stop 34 extending from the jet 24, to impel spray body 11 arcuately within sleeve 12. I

One function of the guide channel is to preclude random dispersal of water in the immediate vicinity of the spray body. When the reaction arm is removed from the path of the spray jet 24 projects a long straight stream to a remote location. As the guide channel intercepts the jet stream a localized distribution of water is caused, followed immediately by an intermediate distribution as the channel aligns with the jet. The pattern of distribution depends upon the angle of the channel to the stream and the angle of lip 31 to the stream emerging from the channel. These angles may vary from 5 to 30 and from to 60, respectively. The area covered by the resultant spray is regulated in usual fashion by the previously mentioned limit bands and brackets on the spray body.

The apparatus of FIG. 1 delivers a well distributed water spray and limits the amount of water randomly distributed in the immediate area of the spray head, since almost all of the stream emerging from the jet is guided by the channel outwardly from the head when the channel and jet are aligned. The embodiments of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 have similar advantages. in FIG. 4 guide channel 41 has a side wall 42 and upper and lower walls 43, 44, respectively. Side wall 42 terminates away from the spray jet 24 (not shown) in a reaction surface 46 similar to the lip 31 of the embodiment of FIG. 1. The channel is open at one side but angled from its attachment to the reaction arm so that the stream is guided by the three walls 42, 43, and 44.

The embodiment of FIG. 5 is similar to that of FIG. 1 except that the channel 48 is defined by a single wall 49 curving in a vertical plane to form a channel open in a vertical plane and ending in a reaction lip 50.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 illustrates that a channel of two mutually normal straight sides 51, 52 and a lip 53 may define a guide channel 54 which operates with facility to fulfill the object of the invention a wellordered spray minimized inthe immediate area of the spray head. All of the channels of the embodiments of FIGS. 4-6 may be contoured in the manner of the embodiment of FIG. 1, diverging from the path of the jet stream when the near end of the channel is aligned with the jet.

Some local spray is still encountered whenthe reaction arm passes across the stream until the arm carrying the channel and the jet are in substantial alignment. A preferred form of the invention therefore comprises a guide channel and a deflector shield adjacent the spray jet. The shield may be carried by either the spray body or by the reaction arm. In the embodiment of FIG. 7 a multilayered shield 61 extends from a stem 62 of the spray jet 64 in the spray body 11. As can be seen from FIG. 8, each of the

laminates

65, 66, 67 of the shield is slightly concave and spaced from the adjacent laminate by separators 68. Stem 62 is bent and a mounting screw 69 passes through each of the offset portions of the stem to secure the shield to the stern.

It has been found that a flexible shield results in a more uniform pattern of distribution and appears to give no interference with the normal oscillation of the sprinkler spray body. FIGS. 7 and 8 show one form of the flexible shield wherein the screws 69 combine with compression springs 71, 72 to give freedom to the laminates of the shield to flex with respect to the stern.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7 the reaction arm 74 is a conventional one having an apertured end 75 with offset segments which divert the stream from the spray jet when the jet and arm align as shown in FIG. 8. The stream is deflected by curving end 77 of the reaction arm in conventional fashion. However, the stream is again deflected by the shield in that region of the stream that normally wets the area immediately about the spray head. Water is saved and areas like walkways are not soaked.

The shield of the embodiment of FIG. 7 has corner areas trimmed from laminates 6S and 66 to achieve desired distribution patterns, it being obvious that the laminates may take various shapes to accomplish various spray patterns as the water from the reaction arm deflects upon the shield to be redirected.

As mentioned, the shield may be secured eitherto the reaction arm or to the spray body. Unlike the embodiment of FIG. 7, where the shield is body-mounted, the shield of FIG. 9 is arm-mounted. In that Figure a spray 81 has conventional oscillating spray parts, including a spray body 11 and a reaction arm 83. The arm carries a fan-shaped shield 85 secured to the arm by a screw and nut assembly 87 and spaced from the arm by a sleeve 88 around the screw. The arm also carries a guide channel 89. The arm, shield and guide channel oscillate as a unit in response to the jet stream and the bias of the spring 21.

The shield of FIG. 7 was flexibly mounted. The shield 85 of FIG. 9 is made from a flexible material, such as thin metal or plastic. A sheet of polyethylene has been found to suit the shield requirements satisfactorily, and is capable of permanent deformation so that a flange or lip 91 may be formed on the outeredgeof the shield. The flange affords a reaction surface to impel the arm against the force of, spring 21 so that the arm may impact the spray body and turn it within the limits set by the band circles 14.

The guide channel is defined by a tube with an open end 93. The tube has a planar wall 94 which extends downstream beyond the end of a curving wall 95. The curving wall guides part of the stream flow into contact with the protruding portion 98 of the wall 94 such that portion 98 acts as a reaction surface to impel the reaction arm contra to the bias of spring 21 in the manner needed to create an impulse to oscillate spray body 1 l, supplementing the action of the shield.

It may be desired to change the water path from the guide channel to the shield, or the .water discharge angle from the guide channel. Some sprinklers may be moved from one place to another and be required to accommodate differing areas. Therefore, the invention includes means for varying the attitude of a reaction surface to the water stream or path as desired. In FIG. 11 is an alternate embodiment of the invention comprising a sprinkler 101 similar to those previously described. A reaction arm 19 has a carrier portion 198 from which a guide channel 22A is supported. Channel 22A has a vertical wall 26A and a curving wall 27 that merge downstream in a cylindrical neck 102. A channel continuation portion 104 has a cylindrical collar 106 which expands into a channel configuration similar to that shown in FIG. 3. The collar 106 rotates on the neck 102 to change the attitude of a reaction surface 31A on the outlet 107 of the guide channel portion 104, so that the surface may be rotated either direction between position 31A and dotted position 313.

While a cylindrical neck is shown, the invention does not preclude triangular, hexagonal or other regular matching configurations for neck and collar to register the reaction surface attitude adjustably about the water path axis. The ultimate water pattern may thus easily be altered.

The flexible shield combines with the guide channel to afford a water spray with a good distance throw in a desired pattern, a thorough intermediate water pattern and a local distribution free from annoying overwetting immediately adjacent the spray head. While the embodiments disclosed herein vary in combination, each is capable of performing as an oscillating spray of controlled pattern.

Other variations within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in this particular art, and it is therefore desired that the invention be measured by the appended claims rather than by the merely illustrative embodiments disclosed herein.

I claim:

1. in a reaction sprinkler having a spray body with a water spray jet and a springloaded reaction arm moving responsive to the water from the jet to impact the body to rotate said body and jet, the combination comprising a water guide channel with entry and discharge ports and secured to the sprinkler reaction arm; said channel having one guide wall at an angle to the water path from the jet and another guide wall at an angle to the first wall; a reaction surface at the discharge end of the guide channel at an angle thereto in the path of the water stream; a flexible shield secured to the sprinkler adjacent the discharge port of the guide channel, said shield being resiliently flexible in a direction normal to the path of the stream from the spray jet.

2. A sprinkler in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shield is secured to the spray body.

3. A sprinkler in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shield is secured to the reaction arm.

4. A sprinkler in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shield comprises a sheet, and flexible means securing the sheet to the sprinkler to flex resiliently therefrom away from and toward the path of the water stream.

5. A sprinkler in accordance with claim 4 wherein the flexible means comprises a pair of threaded fasteners engaged in the sprinkler, an spring means biasing the sheet toward the sprinkler.

6. A sprinkler in accordance with claim 4 further comprising second and third sheets, and spacers between the adjacent sheets, said second and third sheets differing in peripheral configuration from the first sheet and from each other.

7. A sprinkler in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shield comprises a resiliently flexible sheet secured to the spray body.

8. A sprinkler in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shield comprises a flexible sheet secured to the reaction arm.

9. A sprinkler in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shield further comprises a first section secured to the reaction arm, a second section extending from the first at an obtuse angle thereto and a third reaction surface extending from the second section at an angle thereto.

10. A shield to prevent random spray from a sprinkle of the reaction type having a spray body with a water spray jet and a springloaded reaction arm moving responsive to the water impact from the water jet to in turn impact the spray body to rotate said body and jet, said reaction arm having a guide section intercepting the water stream from the jet with each rotational impulse, said shield comprising a shaped sheet secured to the sprinkler adjacent the water jet and extending from the sprinkler downstream from the water jet and to one side thereof, said sheet being resiliently flexible with respect to the path of the water jet.

11. A shield in accordance with claim 10 secured to the reaction arm, and further comprising a reaction surface at an angle to the sheet and the water stream path.

12. A shield in accordance with claim 11 wherein the angle to the sheet is between five and fifty degrees.

13. A shield in accordance with claim 10 wherein the shield comprises a sheet, and resiliently flexible means securing the sheet to the sprinkler to flex therefrom away from and toward the path of the water stream.

14. A shield in accordance with claim 13 wherein the flexible means comprises a pair of threaded fasteners engaged in the sprinkler, and spring biasing means loading the sheet toward the sprinkler.

15. A shield in accordance with claim 13 further comprising second and third sheets, and spacers between the adjacent sheets, said second and third sheets differing in peripheral configuration from the first sheet and from each other.

16. A shield in accordance with claim 10 wherein the shield comprises a flexible sheet secured to the reaction arm, said sheet having a first section secured to the arm, a second section extending from the first at an obtuse angle thereto, and a third reaction section extending from the second section at an angle thereto.