Vegetation sprinkler having a hand adjustment to direct the spray

A pop-up riser in a vegetation sprinkler in which the riser is forced out of a housing by water pressure. The riser has a nozzle at its upper end. The riser is normally held in a retracted position by a coil spring. A serrated ring is fixed either on the housing or riser and resilient tabs extending respectively from the other are engaged with the serrations. Precise spray direction is achieved by relative rotation between the tabs and serrations. The nozzle configuration has an outwardly directed flow passage having a portion of its wall cutaway and has its upper end terminating in a conical wall to achieve an optimum spray pattern . A seal is fitted in the housing so as to surround the riser and so as to engage the riser as it is moved upwardly to extended sprinkling positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In the prior art, pop-up sprinklers were originally made of metal and were 
fixed against rotation by the shape of the riser in a corresponding 
opening in the housing. The shape of the riser and the openings were 
hexagonal, for example. The spray direction adjustment in the metal riser 
was made by a wrench or other tool by rotating the nozzle. 
In the more recent prior art in which risers and the surrounding housings 
were made of plastic, directional adjustments of the spray were typically 
made by hand by rotation of the entire sprinkler. 
Most prior sprinklers, metal and plastic, have seals on the riser but they 
don't shut off the flow past the exterior of the riser until it is fully 
extended. 
Also, in the prior art, the nozzle spray construction was rather imprecise 
in regard to an attainment of optimum spray. Annular slots were positioned 
in the upstream end of the nozzle and typically were connected into the 
spray exit where the water was discharged between a lower cylindrical wall 
and a space thereabove terminated by an upwardly tapering conical wall. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to provide a pop-up lawn sprinkler in 
which the direction of spray can be easily adjusted by hand and fixed in 
the adjusted position. 
It is another object of the invention to integrate a strainer in the spray 
direction adjustment device. 
It is still another object of the invention to provide a pop-up lawn 
sprinkler having an improved sealed housing and riser, and an improved 
nozzle. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a pop-up sprinkler, as 
described in the preceding paragraphs, in which a seal is positioned 
between the riser and the housing structure. The seal is adjacent the top 
of the housing and is spaced from the riser when the riser is in the 
retracted position. Because the riser is tapered the seal engages the 
riser when it is about halfway out toward its fully extended position, and 
remains in sealing contact when the riser is fully extended. This sealing 
arrangement permits the upward thrust of the riser at a pressure lower 
than that of the lowest rated operating pressure. 
During the initial upward movement of the riser, the seal and riser 
arrangement permits and facilitates upward and outward flushing of debris 
between the riser and seal. As the flushing flow increases, the pressure 
on the seal against the riser reduces the flow as the clearance 
diminishes, and a venturi-effect is developed by the increased flow 
velocity through the reduced clearance. Because the seal is annularly 
positioned around the riser, and there is continuous pressure contact on 
the underside thereof during operation, there is no leakage even when the 
riser is dislodged laterally or vertically from the outermost or uppermost 
position. 
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved nozzle 
in which the water strikes an upwardly and outwardly extending conical 
surface or diverter-cone so that the water is flow-proportioned to be 
evenly emitted from flow discharges formed in 90.degree. fan-shaped 
multiples. The flow proportioning is partially accomplished adjacent the 
point of final water emission by truncating the outermost end of a 
cylindrical flow passage along an inclined plane. 
The outer flow passage through the nozzle is developed in a passage having 
an inner cylindrical wall and adjacent the outermost portion a lateral 
part of the wall is cut away at an angle so that the flow of the spray 
extends laterally or radially outwardly and upwardly through the cutaway. 
The outer end, cut at the inclined plane, at the cutaway part is closed 
with the diverter-cone which directs the spray therealong. Spaced below 
the diverter-cone is a cylindrical wall and the spray travels out of the 
nozzle through a vertical space between the conical portion and the 
cylindrical wall. The cylindrical wall is for strengthening and does not 
affect the spray direction. 
It is another object of the invention to position the outermost flow 
passage centrally between two vertical walls at 90.degree. to each other 
and extending between the lower level of the cutaway and the upper conical 
wall. The nozzle may include one, two, three or four sprays. 
Further objects and advantages of the invention may be brought out in the 
following part of the specification wherein small details have been 
described for the competence of disclosure, without intending to limit the 
scope of the invention which is set forth in the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring again to the drawings, there are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a pop-up 
sprinkler, generally designated as 10, comprised of an external, generally 
cylindrical housing 12 and a generally cylindrical slightly tapered riser 
14. The taper extends from a lower larger diameter end 16 of the riser to 
a smaller diameter upper end just below a nozzle 18. The housing, the 
riser, and the nozzle are made of molded or extruded plastic parts. The 
housing 12 has a generally cylindrical, threadedly engaged cap 20, having 
external axially directed circumferentially spaced, stiffening members 22. 
An upper surface 24 of the cap is circular and has an annular flange 26 
extending above the members 22. 
The cap 20 has a central cylindrical opening 28 and a countersunk, inwardly 
directed annular flange 32 having a cylindrical opening 34. Radially 
outwardly of the opening 34, extending downwardly from an inner surface 38 
of the cap, is an axially directed cylindrical flange 40. As shown in 
FIGS. 1-4, the outer surface of the housing has four annularly spaced 
lands and grooves 44 and 46, respectively, and the inner surface of the 
housing wall has four alternately arranged, relative to the exterior, 
lands and grooves, 48 and 50, respectively. 
At the lower end of the housing there is an enlarged threaded opening 54 
adapted to be connected to an underground water supply pipe. Inwardly of 
the opening 54 is a small diameter water supply passage 56 to the housing. 
Surrounding the passage 56 is a cylindrical member 58 spaced from the 
housing wall by webs 60. The member 58 has a plane circular top surface 
62. 
A strainer or filter, generally designated as 66, has its bottom 68 near 
the surface 62 when the riser is retracted. The bottom of the strainer has 
a multiplicity of slots 70 spaced by ribs 72, the water passing into the 
housing and riser through the slots 70. The bottom of the strainer 68 is 
circular and extending upwardly therefrom is a conical wall 76 terminating 
externally in a top annular edge 80. Extending outwardly from the edge 80 
are four annularly spaced protrusions 82 which fit into grooves 50 in the 
housing to prevent the strainer from rotating. Adjacent the inner top of 
the wall 76 is an inwardly extending angular flange 86. Extending upwardly 
from the strainer bottom are a plurality of axially directed spacers 88. A 
plurality of axially directed resilient tabs 90 extend radially inwardly 
from the wall 76. The strainer is constructed of a molded resilient 
plastic. 
At the bottom of the riser there is a cylindrical flange 96 having a 
diameter greater than the internal diameter of the annular flange 86 and 
the flange 96 is snap fit therein so that the strainer will move with the 
riser as it slides upwardly and downwardly in the housing. At the bottom 
of the flange 96 is a ring 100 having serrations 102 around its 
circumference. As best seen in FIG. 3, the resilient tabs 90 are engaged 
with the serrations so that rotation of the riser will position the inner 
ends of the tabs in one serration to the next thereto. The tabs remain in 
selected positions in the serration during operation, holding the spray 
nozzle in a set position. 
Inwardly of the serrated ring is a bottom flat surface 104 of the flange 
96. At the center of the surface 104 is a cylindrical opening forming the 
inlet of the internal riser water passage 106, the water passing through 
the housing passage 56 and the strainer and into the riser of passage 106. 
Water travels from the passage 106 into a small diameter passage 108 into 
the nozzle. 
The nozzle 18 is shown in detail in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5-8. It is comprised of 
an upper part 110 and a lower part 112. The lower part is threadedly 
engaged at 114 to the upper end of the riser and radially, inwardly of the 
threads is a water passage 116 in communication with the riser passage 
108. The exterior 118 of the part 112 is generally cylindrical and does 
not necessarily have the taper of the riser 14. 
Extending vertically through the parts 110 and 112 are aligned cylindrical 
openings 120 and 122, respectively. The opening 122 is tapped and, as 
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, receives a spray adjusting screw 124. The lower 
end of the screw has a head 126 adapted to seat in the opening 108 at the 
top of the riser when it is rotated downwardly by means of a screwdriver 
in an upper slot 130. In FIGS. 1 and 2 the screw is in the fully open 
position. 
Surrounding the lower part of the threaded portion 122 is a cylindrical 
wall 134 and outwardly thereof is an annular space 136, connected to a 
generally cylindrical discharge opening 140, FIGS. 5 and 6. The discharge 
opening 140 is radially outwardly of the threaded opening 122 and has a 
cylindrical lower portion 146 in a horizontal wall 138. An upper portion 
148 of discharge 140 is formed within a generally conical wall 142, having 
an adjacent upper conical wall and truncating surface 154 and a vertical 
wall 144 forming part of a central rectangular opening in alignment with 
opening 122. The portion 148 is open through the conical surface 154 which 
is at an angle of about 27.degree. with a line perpendicular to the axis 
of the passage 140. 
A part of the wall 142 is cutaway along a line 150, shown in cross section 
in FIG. 6, to permit opening 140 to discharge radially upwardly. The 
extent of the arc of the cylinder 140 cut away at the top edge of the wall 
154 is indicated as that part of the cylinder outwardly to the right of 
the phantom line 152 in FIG. 5, line 150 being approximately in the center 
of the cutaway. 
Radially outwardly of the wall 142 are annular grooves, FIGS. 5 and 6, 158, 
160, 162 and 164, separated by four vertical walls 166, each consecutive 
pair being at 90.degree. to each other. The walls 166 extend radially 
between an outer generally cylindrical strengthening wall 170 and the wall 
142. The wall 170 terminates at the top of the lower part of the nozzle. 
The top edges of the walls 142, 154 and the top 172 of the wall 170 are in 
the same horizontal plane. The angle of the wall 154 with the top 172 of 
the wall 170 is about 27.degree. as indicated between the arrows in FIG. 
6. 
The wall 170 does not affect the spray flow path. The angle of the cutaway 
line 150 in the upper part of the passage 148 with a line parallel to the 
axis of the cylinders 146, 148, is about 15.5.degree., as shown in FIG. 6. 
The nozzle shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9 provides a spray to extend only 
through one 90.degree. arc. 
The rectangular opening 144 has a cutaway corner 176 for proper acceptance 
of the upper part 110 of the nozzle. The upper part 110 of the nozzle, 
FIG. 8, has a rectangular protrusion 180 with a cutaway corner 182 adapted 
to mate with the rectangular opening 144 in the lower part 112 of the 
nozzle. Extending radially outwardly from the protrusion 180 is a conical 
surface or diverter-cone 184 adapted to abut the wall 154 at the 
27.degree. angle and fix the upper limit of the spray direction. In cross 
section the spray discharge extends through the 27.degree. angle. The 
cutaway angle and the 27.degree. angle provide an ideal spray direction or 
flow discharge. 
Extending downwardly from the wall 184 are four vertical walls 186 spaced 
consecutively at 90.degree. from each other, each being adapted to be 
positioned on a respective wall 166. Extending axially outwardly from the 
vertical walls 186 is a cylindrical wall 188 which terminates in an inner 
flange surface 190 of an annular flange 192. The upper portion 110 fits 
into the lower portion 112, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9, and the 
rectangular portions and respective 90.degree. spaced walls are heat 
sealed or otherwise adhesively bonded together to make the nozzle portions 
110 and 112 integral. 
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, a space 196 extends between the wall surface 172 
and the outer edge 198 of the wall 184 to permit the spray discharge out 
of the nozzle between the walls at 90.degree. to each other. 
The specific construction of the nozzle shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9 
provides a greatly improved precise spray over that in the prior art. 
Axially directed water in the discharge passage 148 strikes the 
diverter-cone wall 184 so that the water is flow proportioned so as to be 
evenly emitted in the 90.degree. fan shaped multiples. The 
flow-proportioning is accomplished at the point of final water emission by 
providing the truncation at the wall 154. This arrangement is complemented 
by the cutaway along the cross section at the line 150. 
The cylindrical space 120 at the outer end of the nozzle is surrounded by a 
cylindrical wall 200, FIGS. 1 and 2, and outwardly thereof is an annular 
recess 202 which terminates radially in the flange 192. 
Surrounding the riser 14 is a coil spring 206 having its lower end in 
abutment with the top of the flange 96 and having its upper end acting on 
the lower surface of the housing flange 32 through an annular flange 208 
of a resilient plastic seal, generally designated as 212. The spring holds 
the riser in the retracted position, FIG. 1, with the flange surface 190 
of the nozzle in contact with the outer surface of the flange 32 of the 
housing. 
Extending from the annular seal flange 208 is a truncated conical portion 
216 of the seal. When the riser is in the retracted position, FIG. 1, the 
tapering inner wall of the seal portion 216 is spaced from the generally 
cylindrical upper end of the nozzle 18. When the force of the water, 
entering the housing and riser passages, moves the riser outwardly against 
the force of the spring, the seal portion 216 makes sealing contact with 
the riser when the riser has been moved about halfway outwardly of the 
housing, FIG. 9. When the riser is moved to its outermost position, FIG. 
10, the seal maintains its continuing but reinforced sealing contact. At 
this position the flange 96 makes contact with the lower end of the 
cylindrical wall 40 to prevent further outward movement of the riser. 
The sealing action, as described in the foregoing, permits upward thrust of 
the riser at pressures lower than that of the lowest rated operating water 
pressure. During the initial upwardly movement of the riser, the seal 
being spaced therefrom, permits and facilitates upwardly flushing of 
debris outwardly of the housing between the seal and the riser. As the 
flushing flow increases, the pressure shuts off the flow due to the 
combination of diminishing clearances between the seal and riser and the 
developed venturi-effect created by increased flow velocity between the 
seal and the riser. With the seal in the positions shown in FIGS. 9 and 
10, water pressure on the lower side of the seal prevents leakage even 
when the riser end is dislodged laterally or vertically from the position 
shown in both figures. This is because the seal is flexible and is 
continuously forced against the outer surface of the riser. 
As indicated, the nozzle, shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 9, has only one 
discharge passage 140, spaced between two walls 166 so as to spray in a 
90.degree. arc. The spray from such a nozzle is indicated in FIG. 11 where 
the proper spray would be generally along the dotted lines 220, 222 and 
224. To adjust the spray to be within the lines 220 and 224, the riser is 
rotated in the housing whereby the serrated ring 100 is rotated with 
respect to the tabs fixed against rotation in the strainer 66, FIG. 3. A 
typical design would be so that the rotation of the ring would position 
each of the tabs into the next serration to adjust the directional radii 
220 and 224 through one foot of arc having a radius of 12 feet. Thus, to 
change the direction of the lines 226 and 228 to coincide with those of 
the lines 220 and 224, respectively, the riser would be rotated relative 
to the tabs to the extent of one succeeding serration for each foot of 
adjustment along the arc 222. 
In FIG. 7, the lower portion of a nozzle 18A is shown in plan view. This 
nozzle is of identical structure as those shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, except 
that it has four spaced discharges 140A so that it sprays through an arc 
of 360.degree.. Each of the sprays, as indicated with respect to FIGS. 5 
and 6, extend between two vertical walls spaced at 90.degree.. It is clear 
that where a nozzle is to be used to spray through 180.degree., two 
discharges, such as 140B and 140C, would be used. 
In FIG. 12 another embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Here, the 
housing 12 and the riser, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are the same. The 
difference is in the strainer arrangement in which a ring member 236 has 
the same basic configuration as the strainer 66 except a strainer 238 is 
separate from the ring 236. The strainer 238 is conical and extends into 
the passage 106 of the riser and has an annular flange 240 at its bottom 
in abutment with the surface 104 within the serrated ring 100. The ring 
236 has an annular bottom surface 242 with a central opening 244 providing 
a passage into the riser. The annular bottom 242 is spaced from the ring 
100 by spacers 88 and engages the serrated ring by means of the tabs 90. 
The ring 236 is prevented from rotating in the housing by means of 
protrusions 82. The operation of the serrated ring 100 and the tabs 90 is 
the same as that shown in the embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
In FIGS. 13 and 14 the housing is substantially the same as that in FIGS. 1 
and 2 except that in a housing cap 20A, similar to cap 20 in FIG. 1, an 
internal serrated ring 250 is formed in the cap opening just below the top 
of the nozzle 18A. Four elongated resilient, circumferentially spaced ribs 
or tabs 252 extend radially outwardly from a riser 14A which is 
substantially the same as the riser 14. Here, the ribs 252 engage the 
serrations of the ring 250 for the length necessary to extend the riser 
its proper distance out of the housing. 
The riser is rotated within the ring to change the ribs from one serration 
to another to adjust the direction of the spray, as described in regard to 
FIG. 11. 
In FIG. 15 a housing 12A, similar to housing 12 in FIG. 1, has a fixed ring 
260 having serrations 262 on its internal circumference. Here, a riser 14B 
has a conical strainer 264 snugly fitted in the riser bottom opening so 
that it is secure therein as the riser is moved outwardly of the housing. 
A coil spring 266 surrounds the riser and has its lower end in abutment 
with a riser flange and its upper end in abutment with the ring 260. 
Four circumferentially spaced elongated ribs or tabs 270 extend radially 
outwardly of the riser and in the direction of its axis. The ribs 270 
extend from the lower end of the riser to above the serrated ring so that 
they engage the ring for the full movement of the riser in and out of the 
housing. Here the adjustment of the spray nozzle is made by the rotation 
of the tabs within the serrations of the ring. 
In FIG. 16 a housing 12B, very similar to 12A in FIG. 15, has a plurality 
of elongated ribs or tabs 280 extending inwardly from its inner surface so 
as to engage an external serrated ring 282 secured on a riser 14C. The 
ring 282 is positioned about halfway up the length of the riser, so that 
the riser is limited in its extension from the housing relative to the 
position of the ring. The tabs 280 extend to just below the ring 282 and 
engage the ring for its full movement inwardly and outwardly of the 
housing. A coil spring 284 has its upper end in abutment with the lower 
ends of the plurality of tabs 280 and has its lower end on a flange at the 
bottom of the riser. This embodiment functions in the same manner as those 
described above, the rotation of the riser and ring 282 being turned with 
respect to the tabs 280 to position the nozzle so the spray is properly 
directed. The engagement of the tabs 280 in the serrations, as in the 
above embodiments, hold the spray in the adjusted position. 
The invention and its attendant advantages will be understood from the 
foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be 
made in the form, construction and arrangements of the parts of the 
invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof or 
sacrificing its material advantages, the arrangements hereinbefore 
described being merely by way of example. I do not wish to be restricted 
to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned except as defined in the 
accompanying claims, wherein various portions have been separated for 
clarity of reading and not for emphasis.