Hunter Industries Incorporated

LaMonte D Porter

Peter John Woytowitz

Michael L Clark

Christopher M Shearin

Donald M Sheetz, Iii

Zachary B Simmons

Jeffrey J Kremicki

Blake A Wildt

Marc A Fleming

Fred M Danner

Jeffery J Kremicki

Jeff M Smith

Peter J Woytoxitz

An irrigation sprinkler can be provided with a flow guard feature configured to send an indicator stream into the air when a nozzle is missing, while still conserving most of the water that would have been wasted without the flow guard feature. The flow guard feature can include a valve assembly having a first port and a second off-axis port. The second port can be smaller than the first port. The second port can be non-parallel to the first port. The first port can be open when the nozzle is present and be sealed when the nozzle is missing. The second, off-axis port can be open even when the nozzle is missing to provide the indicator stream.

Sprinkler with flow guard feature

A sprinkler nozzle includes a nozzle plate having at least one orifice formed therein. A stream deflector is rotatably mounted adjacent the nozzle plate and has a plurality of flutes formed therein that face the nozzle plate. Each flute has an inner portion that can momentarily align with water flowing through the orifice in the nozzle plate during rotation of the stream deflector relative to the nozzle plate. Water flowing through the orifice will be channeled in a generally radial direction by the flute to form a stream of water that is ejected from the stream deflector. The flutes have a plurality of different tangential trajectories relative to the orifice in the nozzle plate so that in combination the streams of water successively ejected from the stream deflector establish a predetermined shape of coverage.

Rotary stream sprinkler nozzle with offset flutes

An irrigation sprinkler can include a riser and a nozzle mounted at an upper end of the riser for rotation. The sprinkler can include a high flow rate port and a low flow rate port that can each emit a stream of water. The sprinkler can include a diverter valve that can intermittently block or permit the flow of water to the high flow rate port and/or to the low flow rate port as the nozzle rotates. The sprinkler can include a gear train reduction mounted in the riser and coupled to rotate the nozzle. A turbine can be coupled to an input shaft of the gear train reduction and can be rotatable by water flowing through the riser.

Matched precipitation rate rotor-type sprinkler with selectable nozzle ports

An irrigation system includes an irrigation controller with an adjust feature and at least one sensor. The irrigation system further includes a sensor control unit operatively connected to the irrigation controller and the at least one sensor. The sensor control unit is configured to calculate an irrigation value using a signal from the sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the adjust feature based on the irrigation value to thereby conserve water while maintaining plant health.

Systems and methods to adjust irrigation

An irrigation sprinkler can include an outer case and a riser extendible from the outer case by water pressure. A nozzle can be rotatably mounted at an upper end of the riser. A water inlet can connect the sprinkler to a water source. A turbine may be mounted in the riser for rotation by water entering a lower end of the riser. A gear train reduction can be mounted in the riser. A gear driven coupling mechanism mounted in the riser may couple the gear train reduction and the nozzle. A pressure regulator can be mounted inside the outer case at the water inlet.

Rotor-type sprinkler with pressure regulator in outer case

An irrigation controller has a control panel including a display and a plurality of user inputs. A processor is operatively connected to the control panel and to a memory. A plurality of switches are operatively connected to the processor for turning a power signal ON and OFF to a plurality of valves that deliver water to a plurality of sprinklers in different zones. Programming is stored in the memory for implementing a seasonal adjustment feature that is independently operable with a plurality of individual watering programs to selectively energize the valves. The programming calculates a soil moisture requirement value for each program using a signal from at least one soil moisture sensor that is associated with a zone that is assigned to that watering program, and automatically modifies the watering program assigned to that zone through the seasonal adjust feature based on the soil moisture requirement value.

Irrigation system with multiple soil moisture based seasonal watering adjustment

A soil moisture based irrigation system includes a stand alone irrigation controller with a seasonal adjust feature and a stand alone weather station including at least one soil moisture sensor. The soil moisture based irrigation system further includes a stand alone soil moisture control unit operatively connected to the irrigation controller and the soil moisture sensor. The soil moisture control unit includes programming configured to calculate an estimated soil moisture requirement value using a signal from the soil moisture sensor and to automatically modify a watering schedule of the irrigation controller through the seasonal adjust feature based on the estimated soil moisture requirement value to thereby conserve water while maintaining plant health.

Irrigation system with soil moisture based seasonal watering adjustment

An irrigation sprinkler includes a riser and a nozzle mounted at an upper end of the riser for rotation and configured with a high flow rate port and a low flow rate port that can each emit a stream of water from a high flow rate nozzle port and a low flow rate nozzle port. The sprinkler further includes a diverter valve that can intermittently shift the flow of water between the high flow rate port and the low flow rate port as the nozzle rotates. The sprinkler also includes a gear train reduction mounted in the riser and coupled to rotate the nozzle. A turbine is coupled to an input shaft of the gear train reduction and is rotatable by water flowing through the riser.

A valve module for removable installation inside the outer case of a sprinkler after removal of a riser with a nozzle turret normally mounted for reciprocation within the case. The module includes an upper valve support housing and a lower support basket removably connected to the valve support housing. A valve member is vertically reciprocable within the valve support housing to engage and disengage a valve seat in the support basket. The support basket is loosely connected to the valve support housing so that the valve seat can reciprocate relative to the valve support housing.

Sprinkler valve module with reciprocating valve seat

An evapotranspiration (ET) unit includes a processor and a memory for storing a historical set of components of ET data. The processor can communicate with one or more environmental sensors each capable of generating a signal representing an actual value to be substituted for a corresponding one of the components of the historical set. Preprogrammed algorithms enable the processor to calculate changes to a set of watering schedules of a predetermined watering program of an irrigation controller based on any substituted actual value and the remaining historical set of components. The ET unit 10 communicates the changes to the irrigation controller. Optionally the ET unit 10 can receive and store a downloaded actual set of components of ET data and preprogrammed default algorithms calculate the changes to the watering schedules solely based on the downloaded actual set of components of ET data, thus alleviating any need for utilization of the historical set of components of ET data and any actual values generated by the environmental sensors.

Irrigation system utilizing actual and historical components of ET data

A solenoid actuated pilot valve includes a pilot valve housing defining a pilot valve chamber and a solenoid. The solenoid includes and end cap connected to the pilot valve housing, a reciprocable plunger, and a piston having a shaft with a first end connected to and end of the plunger and a second end connected to a piston head. The end cap has a bore through which the shaft of the piston reciprocates and a first port separate from the bore. A first seal on a first side of the piston head is provided for sealing a first end of the first port. A second seal on a second side of the piston head is provided for sealing a first end of a second port in the pilot valve housing.

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San Marcos, CA, United States of America

LaMonte D Porter