Rain Bird Sprinkler Mfg. Corp.

Edward J Pitchford

Hans D Christen

Richard D Brown

Edward M Troup

Octavian P Dumitrascu

Mathias Plotkin

A continuous tube emitter comprises an elongated flexible plastic tube with internal pressure-responsive flow control units to control the flow rate of irrigation water through outlet openings in the tube. The flexible plastic tube is formed from an elongated thin film web having one or more relatively thicker valve members on one side thereof defining a plurality of valve faces, wherein each valve face includes at least one shallow drip emission groove leading into a valve reservoir of wider cross section and communicating respectively with the outlet openings cut through the web. One longitudinal margin of the web is trimmed to form laterally projecting flaps at longitudinal positions generally corresponding with the valve faces. The web is then rolled upon itself about a longitudinal axis and longitudinally seamed to form the continuous tube emitter with the flaps each internally overlying the valve reservoir and a portion of the drip emission groove of a respective valve face to define one of the flow control units. In a preferred form, the flaps include structure for maintaining the flaps in close overlying relation with the valve faces. In use, water pressure within the tube forces the flaps into engagement with the aligned valve faces to restrict and control the rate of water flow through the outlet openings.

Continuous tube emitter

A reaction drive sprinkler, particularly of the large gun type, is provided with an improved drive assembly adapted for full- or part-circle rotation of the sprinkler in steps about the axis of a water supply standpipe. The sprinkler includes a relatively large and outwardly inclined range tube from which a relatively high energy water stream is projected a substantial distance for irrigation purposes. The drive assembly comprises a drive nozzle mounted on the range tube for bleed passage of a relatively low energy portion of the irrigation water supplied to the range tube and for directing this low energy stream into engagement with one of a pair of oppositely angled deflector spoons at the end of a counterbalanced and pivotally mounted reaction drive arm. The drive nozzle is movable with respect to the range tube and is mechanically shifted by a reversing mechanism for aligning the low energy stream first for cyclic interruption by one of the deflector spoons to rotate the sprinkler stepwise in one direction through a preselected arcuate path and then for cyclic interruption by the other deflector spoon to rotate the sprinkler stepwise in an opposite rotational direction back through the preselected path. In one preferred form, the range tube is supported for rotation by a bearing assembly which includes a force-biased seal member responsive to increasing water pressure for increasing frictional resistance to rotation whereby the stepwise movement of the sprinkler is maintained substantially uniform throughout a range of water pressures. Moreover, the range tube is advantageously provided with a discharge nozzle assembly which is adjustable to select the angle of inclination of the projected high energy water stream.

Reaction drive sprinkler

A planocentric gear drive has an eccentrically floating driving gear for simultaneously engaging a stator gear and a rotatable output gear to rotate the output gear through relatively small angular increments. The stator and output gears have different numbers of teeth and are mounted coaxially for engaging the driving gear on a common axial line of contact wherein the stator and output gear teeth are in local axial alignment at the line of contact. The driving gear is attracted into meshing engagement with the stator and output gears by a circumferentially arranged plurality of electromagnets energizable in sequence to rotate the driving gear eccentrically in steps about the stator and output gears. During this eccentric rotation, the common axial line of contact revolves in steps about the stator and output gears, with the output gear rotating through small angular increments to permit the stator and output gear teeth to remain in axial alignment at the revolving line of contact. When energization of the electromagnets ceases, the driving gear engaging the stator and output gears locks the output gear against rotation with respect to the stator gear.

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Glendora, CA, United States of America

Edward J Pitchford