Rotating stream sprinkler with turbine speed governor
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B05B-015/10
B05B-015/06
B05B-003/00
B05B-003/04
A01G-025/06
출원번호
US-0377208
(2003-02-28)
발명자
/ 주소
Walker, Samuel C.
출원인 / 주소
Rain Bird Corporation
대리인 / 주소
Fitch, Even, Tabin &
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
28인용 특허 :
1
초록▼
A rotating stream sprinkler of the type having a rotatable deflector with spiral vanes engaged by one or more water jets for imparting a rotary drive torque to the deflector, which converts the jets into a plurality of relatively small outwardly projected water streams swept over the surrounding ter
A rotating stream sprinkler of the type having a rotatable deflector with spiral vanes engaged by one or more water jets for imparting a rotary drive torque to the deflector, which converts the jets into a plurality of relatively small outwardly projected water streams swept over the surrounding terrain to irrigate adjacent vegetation. The sprinkler includes a speed governor having a turbine driven orbiter with first and second gears meshed respectively with a stator gear and a driven gear having different numbers of gear teeth, wherein the driven gear is carried by the deflector for rotation therewith. The turbine rotatably drives the orbiter on an eccentric axis, to react against the stator gear and thereby rotatably drive the driven gear and deflector with a substantial speed reduction. The speed governor thus regulates deflector speed for slowly sweeping the projected water streams over the adjacent landscape.
대표청구항▼
1. A rotating stream sprinkler, comprising:a rotatable deflector having a center axis of rotation and an underside surface defining an array of vanes; ports for directing at least one water jet into engagement with said vanes, said vanes subdividing and redirecting said at least one water jet into a
1. A rotating stream sprinkler, comprising:a rotatable deflector having a center axis of rotation and an underside surface defining an array of vanes; ports for directing at least one water jet into engagement with said vanes, said vanes subdividing and redirecting said at least one water jet into a plurality of relatively small water streams projected generally radially outwardly therefrom; and a water-driven speed reduction gear train having an eccentric drive and a first gear having an eccentric axis of rotation, the eccentric drive coupled to the first gear to cause the eccentric axis of rotation of the first gear to orbit about the center axis of rotation of the deflector for rotating said deflector at a regulated and relatively slow rotational speed for sweeping the projected water streams relatively slowly over a surrounding terrain area. 2. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 1 wherein the water-driven speed reduction gear train further includes at least a second gear, and the first and the at least second gear have a different number of teeth than the first gear.3. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 1 including a water-driven turbine mounted on a drive shaft for providing a rotary input to said speed reduction gear train.4. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 3 further including a swirl plate having at least one swirl port formed therein for providing a circumferentially swirling water flow for rotatably driving said turbine.5. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 4 wherein said swirl plate and said turbine are mounted upstream relative to said water jet means.6. A rotating stream sprinkler, comprising:a rotatable deflector having an underside surface defining an array of vanes; means for directing at least one water jet into engagement with said vanes, said vanes subdividing and redirecting said at least one water jet into a plurality of relatively small water streams projected generally radially outwardly therefrom; a water-driven speed reduction gear train for rotating said deflector at a regulated and relatively slow rotational speed for sweeping the projected water streams relatively slowly over a surrounding terrain area; and a water-driven turbine mounted on a drive shaft for providing a rotary input to said speed reduction gear train, wherein said speed reduction gear train comprises an orbiter including a reaction gear and a drive gear, a substantially nonrotational stator member including a stator gear meshed with said reaction gear, a driven gear carried for rotation with said deflector and meshed with said drive gear, and said drive shaft and said orbiter coupled for rotatably driving said orbiter on an eccentric axis relative to a rotational axis of said drive shaft, said reaction gear reacting against said stator gear whereby said drive gear rotatably drives said driven gear and said deflector at said relatively slow rotational speed. 7. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 6 wherein said drive shaft and said orbiter are coupled for rotatably driving said orbiter on an eccentric axis by an off-axis drive pin carried by said drive shaft.8. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 6 wherein said reaction gear is meshed with said stator gear, and said drive gear is meshed with said driven gear along a common radial line of contact.9. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 6 wherein said reaction gear and said drive gear comprise coaxial ring gears of substantially common diametric size, and further wherein said stator gear and said driven gear comprise coaxial rings gears of substantially common diametric size larger than the diametric size of said reaction and drive gears.10. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 6 wherein said reaction and drive gears have a different number of gear teeth.11. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 6 wherein said reaction and stator gears have a different number of gear teeth.12. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 11 wherein said drive and driven gears have a different number of gear teeth.13. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 12 wherein said reaction and drive gears have a different number of gear teeth.14. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 6 wherein said drive and driven gears have a different number of gear teeth.15. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 6 further including a substantially nonrotational bearing sleeve rotatably supporting said drive shaft, and having said deflector rotatably supported thereon, said bearing sleeve including a stator key normally engaged with said stator member for locking said stator member against rotation.16. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 6 wherein said driven gear is carried by a cap plate mounted on said deflector and rotatable therewith, said cap plate and said deflector cooperatively defining a substantially closed chamber having said speed reduction gear train therein.17. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 1 wherein said array of vanes formed on said deflector underside surface comprises an array of spiral vanes, whereby said at least one water jet directed into engagement with said vanes imparts a rotary torque to said deflector.18. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 1 wherein said water-driven speed reduction gear train rotatably drives said deflector at a rotational speed on the order of about 4-20 rpm.19. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 1 wherein said array of vanes on said deflector underside surface comprises a plurality of vanes having upstream segments extending generally upwardly and then curving smoothly with a spiral component of direction to merge with relatively straight downstream segments extending generally radially outwardly with a selected angle of inclination, said plurality of vanes defining a corresponding plurality of intervening flow channels.20. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 1 further including a sprinkler base adapted for mounting onto an upper end of a tubular riser adapted in turn for connection to a supply of water under pressure, said base having said deflector rotatably supported thereon, said means for directing at least one water jet into engagement with said vanes comprising a pattern plate carried by said base and having at least one jet port formed therein.21. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 20 wherein said at least one jet port formed in said base is formed in a predetermined configuration to provide a predetermined pattern of water streams projected outwardly from said deflector.22. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 1 further including a flow rate adjustment assembly for variably adjusting water flow to the sprinkler.23. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 22 wherein said flow rate adjustment assembly comprises a rotatable adjustment screw, an adjustment nut axially translatable on said screw upon rotation thereof, and a resilient restrictor element having at least one flow channel formed therein, said restrictor element being compressible by said nut upon rotation of said screw for varying the cross sectional size of said at least one flow channel thereby variably throttling water flow to the sprinkler.24. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 22 further including a generally cup-shaped filter unit having said flow adjustment assembly mounted therein.25. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 22 further including means for engaging and rotating said adjustment screw from the exterior of the sprinkler.26. A rotating stream sprinkler, comprising;a rotatable sprinkler head having at least one portion configured for projecting water from the sprinkler generally radially outwardly therefrom and swept thereby over a surrounding terrain area; and a speed control governor including a water-driven speed reduction gear train for limiting rotation of said sprinkler head to a regulated and relatively slow rotational speed for sweeping the projected water streams relatively slowly over the surrounding terrain area and at an approximately constant rotational speed throughout a normal operating range of water pressures and flow rates, the speed reduction gear train including: a drive shaft, a water-driven turbine mounted on said drive shaft for providing a rotary input to said speed reduction gear train, a nonrotational stator member, a reaction gear mounted on and driven by said drive shaft, the reaction gear cooperating with the stator member, and a drive gear mounted on and driven by said drive shaft, the drive gear rotating at the same rate as the reaction gear and cooperating with and rotating said sprinkler head at said regulated and relatively slow rotational speed. 27. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 26 wherein said speed control governor further includes a water-driven turbine mounted on a drive shaft for providing a rotary input to said speed reduction gear train.28. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 27 further including a swirl plate having at least one swirl port formed therein for providing a circumferentially swirling water flow for rotatably driving said turbine.29. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 28 wherein said swirl plate and said turbine are mounted upstream relative to said portion configured for projecting water.30. A rotating stream sprinkler, comprising:a rotatable deflector having an underside surface defining an array of spiral vanes; ports for directing at least one water jet into engagement with said spiral vanes to impart a rotary drive torque to said deflector for rotatably driving said deflector, said vanes subdividing and redirecting said at least one water jet into a plurality of relatively small water streams projected generally radially outwardly therefrom and swept thereby over a surrounding terrain area; and a speed control governor including a water-driven speed reduction gear train for limiting rotation of said deflector to a regulated and relatively slow rotational speed for sweeping the projected water streams relatively slowly over the surrounding terrain area and at an approximately constant rotational speed throughout a normal operating range of water pressures and flow rates, said speed control governor further including a water-driven turbine mounted on a drive shaft for providing a rotary input to said speed reduction gear train, wherein said speed reduction gear train comprises an orbiter including a reaction gear and a drive gear, a substantially nonrotational stator member including a stator gear meshed with said reaction gear, a driven gear carried for rotation with said deflector and meshed with said drive gear, and said drive shaft and said orbiter coupled for rotatably driving said orbiter on an eccentric axis relative to a rotational axis of said drive shaft, said reaction gear reacting against said stator gear whereby said drive gear rotatably drives said driven gear and said deflector at said relatively slow rotational speed. 31. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 30 wherein said drive shaft and said orbiter are coupled for rotatably driving said orbiter on an eccentric axis by an off-axis drive pin carried by said drive shaft.32. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 30 wherein said reaction gear is meshed with said stator gear, and said drive gear is meshed with said driven gear along a common radial line of contact.33. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 30 wherein said reaction gear and said drive gear comprise coaxial ring gears of substantially common diametric size, and further wherein said stator gear and said driven gear comprise coaxial rings gears of substantially common diametric size larger than the diametric size of said reaction and drive gears.34. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 30 wherein at least one of said reaction and drive gears, said reaction and stator gears, and said drive and drive gears, comprises a pair of gears having a different number of gear teeth.35. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 30 further including a substantially nonrotational bearing sleeve rotatably supporting said drive shaft, and having said deflector rotatably supported thereon, said bearing sleeve including a stator key normally engaged with said stator member for locking said stator member against rotation.36. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 35 wherein said driven gear is carried by a cap plate mounted on said deflector and rotatable therewith, said cap plate and said deflector cooperatively defining a substantially closed chamber having said speed reduction gear train therein.37. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 35 further including a flow rate adjustment assembly for variably adjusting water flow to the sprinkler, said flow rate adjustment assembly comprising a rotatable adjustment screw, an adjustment nut axially translatable on said screw upon rotation thereof, and a resilient restrictor element having at least one flow channel formed therein, said restrictor element being compressible by said nut upon rotation of said screw for varying the cross sectional size of said at least one flow channel thereby variably throttling water flow to the sprinkler.38. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 35 further including a generally cup-shaped filter unit having said flow adjustment assembly mounted therein.39. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 35 further including means for engaging and rotating said adjustment screw from the exterior of the sprinkler.40. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 39 wherein said means for engaging and rotating said adjustment screw comprises a tool slot formed in said cap plate, and a tool tip formed on a lower end of said drive shaft, said cap plate tool slot being tool-engageable to axially depress said cap plate and said deflector relative to said bearing sleeve for disengaging said stator key from said stator member and to engage said tool tip with said adjustment screw, said cap plate and said deflector being thereupon rotatable for rotatably adjusting said adjustment screw to variably select said flow rate.41. A rotating stream sprinkler, comprising:a base adapted for mounting onto a tubular riser for connection to a supply of water under pressure; a deflector having an underside surface defining an array of spiral vanes;, said deflector being mounted above and rotatable relative to said base; a pattern plate carried by said base and having at least one jet port formed therein for directing at least one water jet generally upwardly into engagement with said spiral vanes to impart a rotary drive torque to said deflector for rotatably driving said deflector, said vanes subdividing and redirecting said at least one water jet into a plurality of relatively small water streams projected generally radially outwardly therefrom and swept thereby over a surrounding terrain area; and a speed control governor including a water-driven turbine mounted on a drive shaft, and speed reduction gear train coupled between said drive shaft and said deflector for limiting rotation of said deflector to a regulated and relatively slow rotational speed for sweeping the projected water streams relatively slowly over the surrounding terrain area and at an approximately constant rotational speed throughout a normal operating range of water pressures and flow rates; said speed reduction gear train comprising an orbiter including a reaction gear and a drive gear, a substantially nonrotational stator member including a stator gear meshed with said reaction gear, a driven gear carried for rotation with said deflector and meshed with said drive gear, and drive means coupled between said drive shaft and said orbiter for rotatably driving said orbiter on an eccentric axis relative to a rotational axis of said drive shaft, said reaction gear reacting against said stator gear whereby said drive gear rotatably drives said driven gear and said deflector at said relatively slow rotational speed. 42. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 41 further including a swirl plate having at least one swirl port formed therein for providing a circumferentially swirling water flow for rotatably driving said turbine.43. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 42 wherein said swirl plate and said turbine are mounted upstream relative to said water jet means.44. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 41 wherein said drive means for rotatably driving said orbiter on an eccentric axis comprises an off-axis drive pin carried by said drive shaft.45. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 41 wherein said reaction gear is meshed with said stator gear, and said drive gear is meshed with said driven gear along a common radial line of contact.46. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 41 wherein said reaction gear and said drive gear comprise coaxial ring gears of substantially common diametric size, and further wherein said stator gear and said driven gear comprise coaxial rings gears of substantially common diametric size larger than the diametric size of said reaction and drive gears.47. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 41 wherein at least one of said reaction and drive gears, said reaction and stator gears, and said driven and drive gears, comprises a pair of gears having a different number of gear teeth.48. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 41 further including a substantially nonrotational bearing sleeve rotatably supporting said drive shaft, and having said deflector rotatably supported thereon, said bearing sleeve including a stator key normally engaged with said stator member for locking said stator member against rotation.49. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 48 wherein said driven gear is carried by a cap plate mounted on said deflector and rotatable therewith, said cap plate and said deflector cooperatively defining a substantially closed chamber having said speed reduction gear train therein.50. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 49 further including a flow rate adjustment assembly for variably adjusting water flow to the sprinkler, said flow rate adjustment assembly comprising a rotatable adjustment screw, an adjustment nut axially translatable on said screw upon rotation thereof, and a resilient restrictor element having at least one flow channel formed therein, said restrictor element being compressible by said nut upon rotation of said screw for varying the cross sectional size of said at least one flow channel thereby variably throttling water flow to the sprinkler.51. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 50 further including means for engaging and rotating said adjustment screw from the exterior of the sprinkler.52. The rotating stream sprinkler of claim 51 wherein said means for engaging and rotating said adjustment screw comprises a tool slot formed in said cap plate, and a tool tip formed on a lower end of said drive shaft, said cap plate tool slot being tool-engageable to axially depress said cap plate and said deflector relative to said bearing sleeve for disengaging said stator key from said stator member and to engage said tool tip with said adjustment screw, said cap plate and said deflector being thereupon rotatable for rotatably adjusting said adjustment screw to variably adjust said flow rate.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (1)
Pescetto ; James R., Adjustable bubbler sprinkler head.
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