Nelson Irrigation Corporation

Steven E Crawford

Craig B Nelson

Andrew B Hellie

George L Sesser

Robert D Klein

John N Rowley

A mounting system and clip for mounting a sprinkler on a trellis wire. The clip includes a first living hinge, an actuator on one side of the first living hinge, and a gripping channel on an opposite side of the first living hinge. A locking tab is attached to the gripping channel via a second living hinge.

Sprinkler with trellis wire mounting clip

A sprinkler includes a pop-up deflector plate that is engageable with a brake assembly in an extended position. A brake module is secured to a sprinkler body and includes a rotatable connector coupled with the brake assembly. The pop-up deflector plate is disposed adjacent the nozzle and engages the rotatable connector in the extended position.

Sprinkler with modular components and pop up deflector with lug(s) for rotational engagement

Sprinkler with modular components and pop-up deflector

A spool and wobbler assembly for a sprinkler includes a spool section with facing spool flanges on opposite sides of a spool core, where at least one of the spool flanges includes a circumferential rolling ledge. A wobbler cage including a wobbler ring is supported on the spool section, and a water deflector plate is coupled with the wobbler cage. An underside of the wobbler ring is provided with a circumferential rolling surface that engages the circumferential rolling ledge of the at least one spool flange. The rolling surface and rolling ledge provide for smoother orbital motion of the deflector plate.

Orbital sprinkler with speed control brake

Sprinkler with modular components and pop up deflector

A sprinkler head includes a sprinkler body, a nozzle positioned within the sprinkler body, a fixed gear coupled with the sprinkler body, a wobbler cage supported on the sprinkler body, and a water deflector plate coupled with the wobbler cage and disposed downstream of the nozzle. A brake assembly is coupled with the water deflector plate for slowing a rotating and wobbling motion of the wobbler cage and the water deflector plate. The brake assembly includes a shaft extending through the water deflector plate and a brake gear disposed at an end of the shaft, where the brake gear is engageable with the fixed gear. Among other advantages, the design eliminates the use of large fixed strut framework that creates dry shadows in the water pattern.

A spool valve includes a housing having a spring-enclosing portion and a spool-enclosing portion aligned along a longitudinal axis. A spool is mounted for reciprocal axial movement in the housing and a piston is fixed to one end of the spool. The spool-enclosing portion supports a stationary bushing having a bore receiving an opposite control end of the spool, the bushing formed with a first plurality of radially-oriented passages opening into an annular groove formed in the bore, the groove having sloped side edges. The spool supports plural ring-seals arranged to engage the sloped side edges of the annular groove and thereby seal off the radially-oriented passages when the spool is in a neutral position. Movement of the spool is adjustably limited in one direction and dampened in both axial directions.

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Walla Walla, WA, United States of America

Steven E Crawford