Virtual Rain, Inc.

Anthony Manufacturing Corp.

Streamtech, Inc.

Giles A Kendall

Joseph U Han

Don Michael Kearby

Derick C Wright

Calvin A Gongwer

Christopher M Moralez

Edward M Troup, Deceased

A sprinkler apparatus has a nozzle of a cross-sectional configuration to provide a liquid jet of similar cross-sectional configuration which impacts a reflector surface to reflect a spray of a cross-sectional configuration similar to that of an area to be sprayed. The nozzle passage and reflector surface may preferably be defined on a unitary nozzle device mounted on a base.

Nozzle device for spraying defined areas

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.

Impact sprinkler unit

An improved rotary drive sprinkler is provided for driving a sprinkler spray head in a rotary stepping motion to deliver irrigation water over a prescribed terrain area. The rotary sprinkler comprises a pop-up stem assembly carrying the spray head and movable within a sprinkler housing between a normal retracted position and an elevated spraying position when water under pressure is supplied to the sprinkler housing. During operation, the water flowing through the sprinkler housing powers a piston drive assembly including a spring-loaded drive piston which is alternately subjected to a predetermined pressure differential and normalized pressure to displace the piston in a reciprocating manner. The drive piston is coupled to a motion converter assembly for converting the reciprocal motion of the drive piston to an oscillatory rotary motion which is coupled in turn via a reversible one-way clutch assembly to the pop-up stem assembly. The clutch assembly can be set to rotate the pop-up stem assembly and spray nozzle carried thereby in one direction in a series of small rotational steps through continuous full-circle rotation or, in the alternative, reversible rotation between adjustably set end limits of a selected arcuate path.

Growing community of inventors

Claremont, CA, United States of America

Giles A Kendall