A SPRINKLING DEVICE WITH A PLURALITY OF SPRINKLERS INTERCONNECTED BY A WINDABLE WATER HOSE

Abstract: A sprinkling device for sprinkling large surfaces, com­ prising a flexible hose having a plurality of sprinklers (3) included therein at more or less regular distances, each sprinkler (3) being surrounded by a fender (7) which keeps the sprinkler in question free from adjacent hose turns when winding said hose on a reel.

Description: A sprinkling device with a plurality of sprinklers interconnected by a windable water hose. ' bya windable water hose. For sprinkling large surfaces of agricultural, horticultural or grass land or the like, sprinkling devices are used com- prising a flexible hose which is adapted to be wound on a reel, and is provided with a plurality of coupling pieces arranged at more or less regular distances, a sprinkler being connected to each coupling piece, and being, in particular, adapted to emit an interrupted and swinging water jet. Such devices are very suitable for sprinkling such land, and have the advantage that, after sprinkling a portion thereof, the whole device can be easily moved, and, as soon as sprinkling is no longer required, can be easily transported and stored. A disadvantage of such devices is that, before winding, all the sprinklers are to be removed, since, otherwise, they might be damaged during winding and/or might damage the adjacent hose turns. When unwinding the sprinklers are to be mounted again. This not only requires relatively much work, but has, moreover, the drawback that the sprinklers are to be collected and stored separotely, and that, furthermore, the couplings thereof must be well maintained for avoiding damage and attack which, otherwise, would lead to leakage or difficulties when mounting and removing said sprinklers, It has already been proposed to connect the sprinklers to the coupling pieces by means of a rotatable coupling, so that the 0 former, before winding, can be swung away by about 90 . Thereby the risk of being damaged is not yet removed, since the sprinklers still can contact adjacent hose turns, and, moreover, swinging them away during winding still requires relatively much work. Furthermore there is a risk that, in the case of a too loose coupling, the sprinklers will not remain in the operative position and/or the coupling starts leaking. Also these couplings require, therefore, much maintenance for ensuring that they will always satisfy the requirements. A special embodiment of the last-mentioned sprinklers is described in NL-A 7414971, in which swinging the sprinklers into the operative position against spring action is effected by the water pressure. This obviates swinging the sprinklers upwards and downwards by hand indeed, but the assembly becomes still more complex, and the other objections remain. The invention provides a spraying device of the abovementioned kind, which does not have the objections of the known devices. To that end this device is characterised in that each coupling piece is provided with-a sprinkler fixedly connected thereto, and in that each coupling piece and the associated sprinkler is surrounded by a protective fender which, during winding said hose, is adapted to keep the sprinkler in question free from adjacent hose turns. Because of the fixed connection of the sprinklers, manufacturing and maintenance are simplified, and the fenders provide an effective shielding of the sprinklers so that mutual damage is avoided. These fenders can serve, at the so;}e time, as supports for the sprinklers. In order to reduce the dimensions of the whole assembly, the sprinkler, as in the case of the last-mentioned prior sprinkling devices, is connected to the coupling piece by means of a lateral branch pipe, so as to shield the sprinkler at one side by the coupling piece, said branch pipe being directed, in respect of said coupling piece, in such a manner that the connection thereof with the sprinkler is situated as closely as possible to a tangential plane to the coupling piece perpendicular to the axis of the sprinkler. Preferably the branch pipe is formed by a hollow channel welded against the coupling piece, the interior of said channel communicating with said coupling piece by means of an aperture, the sprinkler being welded laterally in or on said channel, and also the fender or fender portions can be welded to said channel. In particular said fenders comprise two halves situated at both sides of the sprinkler, soid fender or fender halves, more particularly, being shaped as a substantially rectangular frame which, in particular, consists of bent tube or rod material. The invention will be elucidated below in more detail by reference to a drawing, showing in: Fig. 1 a front view of a part of the device according to the invention; and Fig. 2 a lateral view of the part shown in Fig. 1. The device according to the invention comprises a windable hose, not shown, of the current type which, at regular distances, is interrupted by metallic coupling pieces, one of which is shown at 1 in the drawing, and which is formed by a tube section provided, at its extremities, with hose connections of the current type not shown. This coupling piece 1 is, at one side, provided with a branch pipe 2 to which a sprinkler 3 is connected, the longitudinal axis of the latter being perpendicular to the axis of the tube section, which sprinkler is provided with a rotatable head 4 with a spray nozzle 5 and a separately rotatable breaker 6. Around the tube section 1 two frame-shoped fenders 7 are arranged, which, in the case shown, consist of bent rod or tube material, and are fixedly connected to the tube section 1, e.g. by means of welding. Both fenders 7 are interconnected by means of transverse rods 8. Both fenders shield the associated sprinkler 3 against contacting the adjacent hose turns, so that mutually damaging is avoided. Moreover the fenders 7 form together a support for the sprinkler 3 in the position of use. The distance between both fenders 7 should, at the upper side, be so that the breaker 6 con freely rotate, and the ejected water jet is not impeded. The branch pipe 2 should, moreover, be arranged in such a manner that the sprinkler 3 will be situated as low as possible so as to keep the height of the fenders 7 accordingly small. In particular an aperture is made in the tube section 1 at its lower side, and, thereafter, a U-channel 9 is welded to the tube. The sprinkler 3 is, then, welded in or on this channel, the latter then being completely closed. This channel can be extended at the other side too, and, there, connect with a discharge valve 10. Moreover the fenders 7 are welded to the lateral sides of the channel 9 so that a strong connection is obtained. Since, in this manner, the valve 10 communicates with the lowest part of the tube section 1, all the water can be discharged from the hose when winding the latter.

Claims: Claims 1. A sprinkling device, comprising a flexible hose adapted to be wound on a reel, and provided, at more or less regular distances, with a plurality of coupling pieces, each coupling piece being connected to a sprinkler which, in particular, is arranged to emit an interrupted and swinging water jet, characterised in that each coupling piece (1) is provided with a sprinkler (3) which is fixedly connected thereto, and in that each coupling piece (1) and the associated sprinkler (3) is surrounded by a protective fender (7) which is adapted, when winding the hose, to keep the sprinkler (3) in question free from adjacent hose turns. 2. The device of claim 1, characterised in that a branch pipe (2) is directed in such a manner in respect of the coupling piece (1), that the connection thereof with the sprinkler is situated as closely as possible to a tangential plane to the coupling piece (1) which is perpendicular to the axis of the sprinkler (3) 3. The device of claim 2, characterised in that the branch pipe (2) is formed by a hollow channel (9) welded to the coupling piece (1), the interior of said channel communicating, by means of an aperture, with the coupling piece (1), the sprinkler (3) being welded laterally in or on this channel (9). 4. The device of claim 3, characterised in that the fender or fender parts (7) are welded to the channel (9). 5. The device of any one of claims 1.. 4, characterised in that the fenders comprise two' halves (7) arranged at both sides of the sprinkler. 6. The device of any one of claims 1..5, characterised in that the fenders or fender halves (7) have the shape of a substan- tially rectangular frame, in particular made of bent tube or rod material.

Inventors: H.A.M. SCHRIJVER B.V.
Applicants: H.A.M. SCHRIJVER B.V.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A01G25
IPC codes: A01G25