The Toro Company

Michael J Grundy

Larry Kent Hopkins

Joseph J Walto

Thomas Henry Runge

Stephen L Tyler

Allan Morris Goldberg

John L Staylor

Randall Pearson

Larry Hawkes

Glendale Grizzle

Wilson V Cochran

James T Wright

Rebecca R Reade

Jeff B McKenzie

The present invention describes a rain sensor that counts water drops with a microcontroller. After a predetermined threshold of water drops have been counted, the rain sensor interrupts an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller.

Raindrop sensor for an irrigation system

A free-standing field irrigation controller is selectively programmed by a personal computer over a radio link. The computer is equipped with software that displays a screen with seven horizontal time bands representing one day each, arranged vertically to display one week's time. Box icons representing watering settings for a plurality of zones can be dragged and dropped onto the time bands, copied and modified thereon as desired, to form a freely selectable watering schedule. Other selectable screens allow odd-days or even-days watering, sophisticated interval watering, global watering time adjustment, and a variety of manual functions. Selectable portions of the main screen can be enlarged as desired. Based on the selected schedule, the computer calculates and displays the monthly cost of water. Selected zones can be temporarily disabled to deal with weather or maintenance issues. A handheld global shut-off and manual watering remote and/or a separate radio-linked computer may be used in field maintenance.

PC-programmed irrigation control system

An arc marking system is provided for a sprinkler that waters an arc, either a full circle arc or a part circle arc. The system includes a plurality of arc indicators provided on the top of the nozzle assembly. Each arc indicator is adjacent an arc indicia such that each arc indicator represents a different arc that this sprinkler is capable of watering. After ascertaining the arc that a particular sprinkler can water, the arc information can be marked on the nozzle assembly by cutting off the arc indicator that is adjacent the numeral that represents the number of degrees covered by the arc. Thus, the arc information is added to the top of the sprinkler where it can be easily seen.

Arc marking system for sprinkler

A sprinkler has an upwardly facing sprinkler bowl at the top of the sprinkler body in which water can collect during operation of the sprinkler when the riser of the sprinkler is popped up. At least one nozzle on the sprinkler comprises a siphon nozzle that has a siphon tube extending downwardly into the bowl when the riser is popped up and the sprinkler is operating. The siphon effect created in the siphon nozzle siphons water from the bowl and through the tube to eject the water in the bowl along with the main water flow through the nozzle. The siphon tube is flexible to collapse or bend within the bowl when the riser retracts.

Sprinkler with self cleaning bowl

An adjustable arc sprinkler nozzle comprises a nozzle body which has a plurality of radial channels for forming radial streams out of water flowing into the nozzle from a sprinkler body to which the nozzle is joined. A crown shaped deflector member includes a plurality of vertically extending fingers which operatively coact with the radial nozzle channels to restrict the amount of water flowing therethrough. A selectively operable adjusting member is cooperatively engaged with the deflecting member for moving the deflecting member vertically relative to the nozzle body to vary the position of the fingers relative to the channels to change the amount of water restriction imposed by the fingers on the water flowing through the channels, whereby the throw radius is selectively adjusted by vertical movement of the deflecting member. A selectively operable locking member, i.e. a locking cover or a two-position locking pin, is provided for preventing movement of the adjusting member to lock out any adjustment in the throw radius.

Adjustable radius sprinkler nozzle

An adjustable arc sprinkler nozzle comprises a nozzle body which has a plurality of radial channels for forming radial streams out of water flowing into the nozzle from a sprinkler body to which the nozzle is joined. A crown shaped deflector member includes a plurality of vertically extending fingers which operatively coact with the radial nozzle channels to restrict the amount of water flowing therethrough. A selectively operable adjusting member is cooperatively engaged with the deflecting member for moving the deflecting member vertically relative to the nozzle body to vary the position of the fingers relative to the channels to change the amount of water restriction imposed by the fingers on the water flowing through the channels, whereby the throw radius is selectively adjusted by vertical movement of the deflecting member.

An adjustable arc sprinkler nozzle comprises a lower nozzle piece which is relatively rigid and an upper nozzle piece which is made of a relatively flexible, compressible material. A plurality of radial channels are provided in the upper nozzle piece for forming radial streams out of water flowing into the lower nozzle piece. A deflector ring having pairs of spaced deflecting fingers can selectively compress the upper nozzle piece by pushing down on it adjacent either side of each channel near the radially outer ends thereof. This pinches off the channel area and simultaneously bends the channels down over the lower nozzle piece to decrease the throw radius while keeping the precipitation rate relatively constant.

A sprinkler (2) includes a rotary nozzle (6) mounted on a body (4). A reversible drive (12) includes an internal gear (14) connected to the nozzle (6), a motor (16) having a unidirectional output shaft (18), and an oscillating gear train (20) having two final drive gears (27) or (29) which rotate reversely relative to one another and are engageable with driven gear (14) for reversing the direction of nozzle rotation. The first and second final drive gears (27) and (29) are mounted on first and second pivot arms (22a) and (22b) and are part of two gear sets (26) or (28). The numbers of gears in each gear set (26) or (28) is selected in conjunction with the direction of the pivoting motion of the pivoting arms (22a) or (22b) so that the additional rotation induced on the final drive gears as they rotate above the stationary part of the gear train (20) will always be counter to the normal direction of rotation thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Phelan, CA, United States of America

Michael J Grundy