Richdel, Inc.

Other

The Toro Company

Richdel Div. of Garden America Corp.

James Hardie Irrigation, Inc.

Myrl J Saarem

Donald E Lovelace

Dale F Soukup

Dale C Firebaugh

Alan W Dawn

Michael C Parise

Jack Thai Nguyen

Arlen K Bean

Delbert L Merriner

Clayton D Foster

Philip E Parsons

Tuan Van Le

Kenneth M Saarem

A transparent coupling for joining the ends of relatively soft plastic conduit. Visual inspection through the coupling affords confidence that the conduits have been installed in their proper position within the coupling. Internal circumferential barbs of the coupling penetrate the conduit and secure the conduit within the coupling and also provide a seal between the conduit and the coupling.

Transparent coupling

A coupling is provided for joining the ends of relatively soft plastic conduit. Hinged shell halves contain gripping teeth that penetrate and secure the conduit ends together. Penetration of the gripping teeth into the plastic conduit is accomplished by toggle clamps that supply the necessary embedding force. A seal is provided that prevents leakage into or out of the joint between the conduit ends.

Toggle locked coupling

A seal is provided to seal the area between a cable containing optic fibers and the terminal end of a conduit through which the cable runs. The seal consists of a resilient gasket and a supporting structure and a cam. The seal assembly, encompassing the cable, is inserted into the terminal end of a conduit that houses the cable. Actuation of a cam compresses a gasket into sealing contact with the cable and with the conduit, thereby sealing the terminal end of the conduit from entry of contaminants.

Seal between a conduit and cable

An automatic moisture sensing and watering system detects a moisture level within the soil. The automatic moisture sensing and watering system may be implemented in combination with a conventional automatic watering system to accurately control a moisture content of a plot of soil. Since a plant draws water directly from the soil, the automatic moisture sensing and watering system is adapted for controlling the moisture content of the soil itself, by measuring the moisture content within the soil. The watering period of an automatic watering system may be changed, based upon a detected moisture content within a plot of soil. Alternatively, an amount of water to be applied at a next watering period may be changed, based upon a detected moisture content within the plot of soil.

Automatic soil moisture sensing and watering system

Remote starting of an internal combustion engine/electric generator set is obtained by sensing a connected appliance switch closure over the cord connecting the appliance to the generator and starting the combustion engine in response to that closure. After the engine is started the appliance is connected to the generator. After a predetermined time of nonuse of the appliance the combustion engine is stopped.

Remote starter for a combustion engine/electric generator set

A combination valve that provides both positive shut off and excessive flow shut off. A rotary valve is provided. In its first position an integral excessive flow shut off valve allows normal flow and shuts off if high flow occurs. In a second position the flow is shut off independent of the excessive flow valve. A third position is provided for purging a repaired or new system and for resetting the excessive flow shut off valve.

Combination shut off valve and excessive flow valve

A solid state electronic digital pressure gage which is responsive to the inlet pressure (P1) and the outlet pressure (P2) of a device undergoing a flow test to measure the pressure differential across the device at different flow rates. The pressure gage includes a housing, a face plate mounted on the housing, and a printed circuit board may be mounted on the back of the face plate on which various electronic circuitry, components and controls are mounted. Certain of the controls may be adjustable from the front of the face plate. A pair of solid state pressure transducers is mounted on the housing, and these transducers generate electric signals which are a function of the pressures applied to the transducers. The transducers are connected to an electronic signal difference determining circuit which is included in the electronic circuitry, and the difference determining circuit generates a signal representing the difference between the pressures applied to the two transducers. The latter signal and the signals from the transducers are digitized and applied to a liquid crystal display device mounted on the face plate.

Digital differential pressure gage and flow meter implementing signal

A pop-up sprinkler which includes a housing, a riser in the housing movable between an extended position in which the riser extends from the housing and a retracted position in which the riser is retracted from the extended position and a pressure regulator in the riser. The pressure regulator can be constructed as a cartridge or separate unit and installed in the riser. The riser has an aperture adjacent the pressure regulator and the aperture is between first and second axially spaced seals in the extended position so as to reduce the likelihood of clogging of the aperture. A dirt tolerant wiper seal is mounted on a movable valve tube of the pressure regulator and a pressure activated seal is provided between a valve seat of the pressure regulator and the valve tube.

Pop-up sprinkler with pressure regulator

A rotary sprinkler having an intermittent motion mechanism which includes a driving gear and a driven gear with the driving and driven gears being drivingly engageable. The driven gear has a first set of gear teeth on one level and a second set of gear teeth on a second level. The gear teeth of the first set are axially and circumferentially offset from the gear teeth of the second set. The driving gear has a single driving gear tooth drivingly engageable with the gear teeth of the first set to drive the driven gear and a circumferential surface axially offset from the driving gear tooth and cooperable with the gear teeth of the second set to substantially retain the driven gear against rotation when the driving gear tooth is not in driving engagement with the gear teeth of the first set.

Rotary sprinkler with intermittent motion

A shower water filter assembly which includes an elongated housing containing a cartridge of filter media, and which is connected to the water outlet in a shower. In order to permit the elongated housing to have sufficient length to efficiently perform a filtering function, a flexible hose is coupled to the bottom of the housing and extends through a tubular wand to the shower head. The wand and shower head are supported, for example, on the side of the cylindrical housing so as to provide sufficient elevation for the shower head for normal shower use. Alternatively, the wand and shower head may be removed from the supporting bracket and used manually for the shower.

Shower water filter assembly

An electric controller for selectively activating a plurality of solenoid water valves in a irrigation system and on a pre-selected recurrent time basis. The controller features a molded chassis and a printed circuit board construction to provide a more rugged and simplified unit as compared with the prior art controllers of the same general type.

Irrigation system timer control

A solenoid-operated pilot valve of the diaphragm type which includes an assembly for controlling the flow of liquid through the valve. The valve has particular although not exclusive utility for irrigation purposes. The valve includes a diaphragm chamber into which fluid is introduced to establish a fluid pressure which normally forces a diaphragm against an annular seat in the valve to assist a spring in maintaining the valve in a closed condition. A stationary bleed tube is provided which extends through the diaphragm into the diaphragm chamber. A solenoid is mounted on the cap of the valve, and the plunger of the solenoid normally closes off the upper end of the bleed tube. However, when the solenoid is energized, the plunger is withdrawn and the bleed tube opens and drains the diaphragm chamber sufficiently to reduce the pressure therein to a point at which the diaphragm is forced off its seat by upstream fluid pressure, and the valve is opened. A flow adjustment mechanism is mounted in the cap which includes an axially movable gear nut functioning as an adjustable stop for the diaphragm to control the flow of liquid through the valve.

Solenoid-operated pilot valve with adjustable flow control

A gear driven sprinkler head with a pop-up spray nozzle driven by a water-flow powered motor. The nozzle is rotated incrementally through an adjustable arc to irrigate a sector of a particular size, and it is automatically reversed at the end points of the selected irrigated sector. The nozzle may be interchanged with other nozzles to provide matched precipitation rates for sectors of different sizes. The feature of incremental rotation of the nozzle overcomes the problem of reduced throw distance at high rotational speeds encountered by the prior art assemblies of the same general type.

Pop-up gear driven sprinkler head

A solenoid-operated pilot-actuated valve is provided of the diaphragm type which has particular utility for irrigation purposes. The valve also finds industrial utility where it is desirable to control large amounts of flow energy with a small control signal. The valve includes a diaphragm chamber into which fluid is introduced to establish a fluid pressure which normally forces the diaphragm against an annular seat in the valve to maintain the valve in a closed condition. A stationary bleed tube is provided which extends through the diaphragm into the diaphragm chamber. A solenoid plunger normally closes off the upper end of the bleed tube. However, when the solenoid is energized, the plunger is withdrawn and opens the bleed tube, the diaphragm chamber is drained sufficiently to reduce the pressure therein to a point at which the diaphragm is forced off its seat by the upstream fluid pressure, and the valve is opened. Fluid is introduced into the diaphragm chamber from the upstream fluid pressure when the valve is closed through a restricted annular passage between the bleed tube and a guide mounted on the diaphragm. Movement of the diaphragm causes the guide to move up and down with respect to the bleed tube to provide a self-cleaning action in the annular passage.

Solenoid-operated pilot-actuated valve

A motor driven diverter valve is provided which diverts fluid flow from a single inlet port to either one of two outlet ports, or vice versa. The valve finds general, although not exclusive, utility in solar heating systems for swimming pools, in which the valve is used selectively to divert water flow from the normal pump-filter loop of the pool installation through the solar collectors. In such an application, the diverter valve of the invention may be operated automatically in response to an electrical switching signal derived, for example, from a temperature controller in the solar heating control system, to direct the water through the solar collectors for one operating position of the valve, and to by-pass the solar collectors for a second operating position. The valve of the invention uses two synchronous permanent magnet drive motors which together consume less power than the conventional single shaded pole motor/gear box arrangement of the prior art.

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Carson City, NV, United States of America

Myrl J Saarem