Abstract:
A double rocking sprinkler has a first casting, a second casing coupled with the first casing, a first cover and a second cover covering the first and the second casings, and a first sprinkle plate and a second sprinkle plate disposed in the sprinkler in series. A drive device is disposed in the sprinkler for rotating the first and second sprinkle plates relative to each other.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/804,842, filed on Feb. 24, 1997, now abandoned, which is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to sprinklers, and, more particularly, to double rocking sprinklers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a rocking sprinkler which can sprinkle water over a large area. In one embodiment, the sprinkler includes a first casing, a second casing coupled with the first casing, and first and second covers covering the first and the second casings. A first sprinkle plate and a second sprinkle plate are then disposed in series with a drive device for driving the first and the second sprinkle plates. 
     A motion converter is connected to a joint connection with the drive device. A gear seat is coupled with the motion converter and a hollow sleeve is inserted in the gear seat with an elastic element disposed between the hollow sleeve and the gear seat. A manual adjusting pin is also coupled with the motion converter. 
     The first cover has a first hole for receiving water and the second cover has a second hole. The first sprinkle plate is positioned in the first casing with a plurality of first spout holes for dispersing water while the second sprinkle plate is positioned in the second casing with a plurality of second spout holes, also for dispersing water. A driven plate is then connected to the first sprinkle plate. 
     The drive device includes a first adapter connected to the joint and a second adapter connected to the second sprinkle plate. The drive device has a first hollow housing, a second hollow housing coupled with the first hollow housing, and a fixing seat positioned in the first hollow housing. A vane type wheel is coupled with the fixing seat so that a hollow disk receives the vane type wheel. A gear set is then disposed between the hollow disk and the second hollow housing. 
     The second hollow housing has a positioning hole on which a crank arm is disposed. The crank arm has an inserted hole and a pivot rod is disposed on the crank arm. The vane type wheel has a pinion disposed thereon and a plurality of periphery vanes. The hollow disk has a center hole and the gear seat. The gear set then has a first shaft, a second shaft, a coupler, a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear. A gear wheel is also disposed on the coupler. 
     A rear portion of the coupler passes through the positioning hole and the inserted hole to engage with the crank arm. The first shaft pivotally fastens the first gear and the second gear on the gear seat. The second gear engages with the pinion. The second shaft then pivotally fastens the coupler, the third gear and the pinion while the gear wheel engages with the first gear. A link rod links the driven plate and the pivot rod. 
     The invention also relates to a dual rocker sprinkler including a first sprinkle plate, a second sprinkle plate arranged substantially parallel to the first sprinkle plate, first means for rotating the first and second sprinkle plates about a first axis, and second means for rotating the first and second sprinkle plates about axes which are substantially perpendicular to the first axis. The first means may include a motion converter and the second means may include a drive device. The first and second sprinkle plates may also be tangentially engaged with each other at one end while the drive may include a crank arm linked to one of said first and second sprinkle plates for reciprocatingly rotating the one plate. The sprinkler may further include a driven plate fixed to said one sprinkle plate at one end, and a link rod rotatably secured at a first end to another end of said driven plate and rotatably secured to said crank arm at a second end. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a sprinkler in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B are exploded side views of the sprinkler shown in FIG.  1 ; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a drive device; 
     FIGS. 3,  3 A and  3 B are partial sectional views of the sprinkler shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 are partial plan and partial sectional views of the sprinkler shown in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  5 , a sprinkler has a first casing  9 , a second casing  9 ′ coupled with the first casing  9 , a first cover  7  and a second cover  7 ′ covering the first and the second casings  9 ,  9 ′, a first sprinkle plate  8  and a second sprinkle plate  8 ′ disposed in the sprinkler in series, a drive device  10  disposed in the sprinkler to drive the first and the second sprinkle plates  8 ,  8 ′, a joint  4  connected to the drive device  10 , a motion converter  2  connected to the joint  4 , a gear seat  215  coupled with the motion converter  2 , a hollow sleeve  213  inserted in the gear seat  215 , an elastic element  214  disposed between the hollow sleeve  213  and the gear seat  215 , and a manual adjusting pin  3  coupled with the motion converter  2 . 
     The first cover  7  has a first hole  71 . The second cover  7 ′ has a second hole  71 ′. The first sprinkle plate  8  has a plurality of first spout holes  81 . The first sprinkle plate  8  is positioned in the first casing  9 . The second sprinkle plate  8 ′ has a plurality of second spout holes  81 ′. The second sprinkle plate  8 ′ is positioned in the second casing  9 ′. The first sprinkle plate  8  includes a plurality of teeth  82  which mesh with corresponding teeth  82 ′ on second sprinkle plate  8 ′ so as to tangentially engage the sprinkle plates for a reciprocating rocking motion shown in FIGS. 3-A and  3 -B. A driven plate  111  is connected to the first sprinkle plate  8 . 
     The drive device  10  comprises a first adapter  1012  connected to the joint  4  and a second adapter  1012 ′ connected to the nipple on the second sprinkle plate  8 ′ by a connection means, such as a conduit or tube (not shown). The second sprinkle plate  8 ′ is also connected to the inlet of a conduit  91 ′ running inside the second casing  9 ′. The first sprinkle plate  8  is then fluidly connected to the outlet of the conduit  91 ′, such as by using another conduit  91  or flexible hose (not shown). 
     The drive device  10  has a first hollow housing  101 , a second hollow housing  106  coupled with the first hollow housing  101 , a fixing seat  1023  positioned in the first hollow housing  101 , a vane type wheel  102  coupled with the fixing seat  1023 , a hollow disk  103  receiving the vane type wheel  102 , and a gear set  104  disposed between the hollow disk  103  and the second hollow housing  106 . The second hollow housing  106  has a positioning hole  1061 . 
     A crank arm  107  is disposed on the second hollow housing  106 . The crank arm  107  has an inserted hole  1061 . A pivot rod  1072  is disposed on the crank arm  107 . The vane type wheel  102  has a plurality of periphery vanes  1021 . A pinion  1022  is disposed on the vane type wheel  102 . The hollow disk  103  has a center hole  1031  and a gear seat  1032 . 
     The gear set  104  has a first shaft  1041 , a second shaft  1041 ′, a coupler  105 , a first gear  1042 , a second gear  1042 ′, and a third gear  1042 ″. A gear wheel  1051  is disposed on the coupler  105 . A roar portion of the coupler  105  passes through the positioning hole  1061  and the inserted hole  1071  to engage with the crank arm  107 . The first shaft  1041  fastens the first gear  1042  and the second gear  1042 ′ on the gear seat  1012  pivotally. The second gear  1042 ′ engages with the pinion  1022 . The second shaft  1041 ′ fastens the coupler  105 , the third gear  1042 ″ and the pinion  1022  pivotally. The gear wheel  1051  engages with the first gear  1042 . A link rod  11  links the driven plate  111  and the pivot rod  1072 . 
     When water flows from the joint  4  into the drive device  10 , the vane type wheel  102  is rotated. The gear set  104  is driven to rotate by the vane type wheel  102 . The gear wheel  1051  is rotated to drive the crank arm  107  to rotate. The crank arm  107  drives the link rod  11  to rock. The link rod  11  will drive the first sprinkle plate  8  and the second sprinkle plate  8  to rock. 
     Water flows through the hole  71  to the motion converter  2 , which causes the first and second sprinkle plates  8 ,  8 ′ to rock, or oscillate, about a first axis, X. The flow of water continues through drive device  10  which, with the aid of link rod  11 , causes sprinkle plates  8 ,  8 ′ to oscillate about a second axis, Y, which is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. The water then flows out of the second adapter  1012 ′ through a conduit (not shown) to the second sprinkle plate  8 ′ and then through the conduit  91 ′ in the second casing  9 ′ to the first sprinkle plate  8 . 
     The invention is not limited to the above embodiment but various modification thereof may be made. Further, various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.