Virtual Rain, Inc.

Derick C Wright

Joseph U Han

Don Michael Kearby

Giles A Kendall

A dirt-resistant bearing system for a sprinkler unit with a rotatable turret having a central shaft extending into a support channel formed within an inner housing. The central shaft may be formed with a relatively upper shaft portion and a relatively lower shaft portion, and the support channel may be formed with an upper channel region and a lower channel region. A first bearing and sealing assembly may be fitted substantially around an outer perimeter of the upper shaft portion and in communication with the upper channel region, and a second bearing and sealing assembly may be fitted substantially around an outer perimeter of the lower shaft portion and in communication with the lower channel region. Another aspect of the invention provides a sprinkler head with a fitted serrated seal assembly. The fitted seal assembly may include an outer case having an interior region, and a pop-up sprinkler head turret mounted on a riser sleeve slidably mounted within the interior region of the outer case. The turret may be formed with an elongated central shaft for the passage of water. A water filter may be also provided within the riser sleeve having a valve stem for communication with a lower end portion of the central shaft. The communicating surfaces of the lower end portion of the central shaft and the valve stem of the water filter may be formed with complementary serrated surfaces.

Enclosed pop-up sprinklers with shielded impact arms

Closed-case impact sprinklers with fitted fluid seal assemblies

A closed-case impact sprinkler unit having an outer case and an internally positioned riser sleeve that is upwardly extendable into a pop-up position. The riser sleeve may be formed with an external surface that is complimentary to the internal surface of the outer case to prevent the introduction of debris into the interior region of the outer case when the riser sleeve is in a pop-up position. The sprinkler unit may further include a closed-case turret assembly rotatably mounted on the riser sleeve that includes a fluid outlet and a compact impact sprinkler arm. The sprinkler unit may include a dual-stage riser spring assembly to delay deployment of the impact sprinkler arm having a first riser spring that is compressed when a fluid enters the interior region of the outer casing to move the riser sleeve in a relatively upward direction, and a second riser spring that is compressed upon compression of the first riser spring to disengage a valve assembly that permits the flow of fluid and activation of the sprinkler. The invention further provides a trip assembly that includes an elongated actuator opening and a trip pin pivotally mounted within the actuator opening to allow lateral movement of the trip pin which initiates a delayed reversal of the trip assembly upon contact with a trip to provide an extended sprinkling range.

Closed-case impact sprinklers

A sprinkler device for distributing water comprising a body, a nozzle, a nozzle housing rotatably and slidably mounted in the body, a fluid flow interrupter for intermittently redirecting the stream of fluid exiting from the nozzle, an interrupter drive, a flow control assembly including a free floating valve for controlling water flow to the sprinkler head, reversing mechanism for reversing the direction of movement of the nozzle housing, and a nozzle positioning system for controlling sprinkler rotation speed.

Growing community of inventors

Ogden, UT, United States of America

Derick C Wright