Abstract:
An irrigation sprinkler apparatus has a rapid change nozzle which allows the changing of a nozzle without the use of tools or any disassemble of the sprinkler head. The rapid change nozzle slides into a window in the side of the sprinkler head and latches into place.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to irrigation sprinklers and especially to an irrigation sprinkler having a rapid change nozzle. 
     A variety of irrigation systems are used throughout the world or irrigating crops and groves. One common system used for irrigation is a sprinkler system having a plurality of sprinkler heads coming from a central water supply line for distributing water over a surface area. These systems may use a moving supply line for irrigating food crops, groves and the like. The sprinkler units typically have replaceable nozzles so that different nozzles may be selected and mounted in the sprinkler unit to achieve a desired range or rate of coverage or simply to replace a defective nozzle. An irrigation system may also have many different sprinkler units of the same type with each having different nozzles and it is sometimes desirable and necessary to change the nozzles often for a given area to obtain an optimum irrigation of an area of coverage. This requires maintaining different sprinkler nozzles and selecting the nozzle for a particular coverage after a sprinkler system is installed. Many current nozzles are removably attached to a sprinkler head in which the nozzle or a cover for the nozzle is threadedly attached which requires unscrewing a nozzle or cap for the nozzle, finding a replaceable nozzle, and attaching the new nozzles onto the sprinkler unit. This is sometimes difficult because the nozzle is positioned so it cannot be gripped easily to unscrew the nozzle or to simply pull out the nozzle in the case of a press-fitted nozzle. 
     The present invention is directed towards an irrigation sprinkler with a rapid change nozzle which can be snapped-in from the side of the sprinkler outlet and then unsnapped and removed. 
     In the past, there have been various types of improvements in removable sprinkler nozzles, as seen in the McKenzie U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,169 for a removable sprinkler nozzle in which the nozzle fits in a recessed seat and has a rotatable upper cover and a camming surface formed on the cover which extends down into engagement with the nozzle. The cam surface is shaped to push the nozzle at least partially out of its seat during rotation of the cover to allow a user to be able to grip the nozzle and complete its removal by pulling outward on the nozzle. The cover also includes a locking rib which can be brought to bear against the nozzle when the nozzle is fully received in its seat to help retain the nozzle in place. In the Scott et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,962, a sprinkler unit has a nozzle in which the sprinkler body has an outlet having a nozzle receiving socket for a removable nozzle mounted in the sprinkler outlet. The lodging device in the socket is used for latching engagement with the nozzle for retaining the nozzle in the socket. In the Hart U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,453, a quick disconnect nozzle for an irrigation sprinkler is fitted with a screw threaded connection to the sprinkler outlet. The Anuskiewicz U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,795 is an irrigation sprinkler with an easily removable nozzle. 
     The present rapid change nozzle is inserted from the side of the sprinkler body outlet and uses a lever action to force the nozzle passageway against the outlet passageway and against an O-ring seal and is firmly snapped in place. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An irrigation sprinkler has a rapid change nozzle having a sprinkler housing having a passageway therethrough having an inlet for connecting to a source of water and an outlet therefrom. The outlet has an open side area for inserting a nozzle in one side thereof and a recessed area on the other side thereof. The sprinkler housing has a latching catch adjacent the outlet open side. A nozzle has a nozzle passageway therethrough and has a protrusion or tongue on one side thereof shaped to fit into the housing outlet recess and has a latching arm extending from the other side thereof and shaped to engage the housing latching catch so that a nozzle can be inserted through the side housing window and the nozzle tongue inserted in the housing outlet recess to axially align the nozzle passageway with the housing passageway so that a nozzle can be rapidly inserted and removed from the sprinkler housing. The sprinkler housing passageway outlet has an O-ring seal therearound for sealing the nozzle to the housing outlet. A latching catch has, in one configuration, two spaced latching recesses for inserting a pair of spaced latching arms, each having a latching tab thereon for engaging the spaced latching recesses for locking the nozzle to the sprinkler housing. Each latching arm has a handle formed thereon. The nozzle can be made of a polymer or plastic material as desired. The nozzle tongue can have a rounded end portion that allows the nozzle to be rotated in the nozzle outlet recess when latching the nozzle to the housing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the written description and the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a rapid change nozzle in accordance with the present invention inserted into an irrigation sprinkler head; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a rapid change nozzle being inserted into a sprinkler head; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the nozzle of  FIGS. 1 and 2  being attached to the sprinkler head; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the nozzle of  FIGS. 1 through 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the rapid change nozzle of  FIGS. 1 through 4  inserted and before being snapped into place; and 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the rapid change nozzle of  FIG. 2  having the O-ring seal on the nozzle. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings of  FIGS. 1 through 6 , a partial irrigation sprinkler head  10  has a threaded attachment  11  for a water inlet  12  and has arms for holding a water deflector  13  (not shown) and has a sprinkler nozzle  14  attached thereto, as seen in  FIG. 1 . The sprinkler body has a water inlet  12  and a water outlet  15 . The water outlet directs water through a nozzle for controlling the discharge of the water onto a deflection surface and might have an O-ring seal mounted therein. The outlet  15  of the nozzle sprinkler body  10  has a side opening or window  17  for inserting the rapid change nozzle  14 . The sprinkler outlet  15  has a recessed area  20  on the opposite side of the outlet  15  from the opening  17 . Latching members  21  are formed on the sprinkler body  10  adjacent to and above the side window  17 . The rapid change nozzle  14  has a protrusion or tongue  22  on one side and a pair of arms  23  on the other side thereof with the nozzle body portion  24  having the nozzle passageway  25  going therethrough. The tongue  22  may be of a rounded shape and is sized to fit in the recessed area  20  in the outlet of the sprinkler body. A pair of arms  23  on the nozzle has a pair of snap connectors or latching members  26  for engaging the sprinkler body latching members  21 . 
     In operation, the rapid change nozzle  14 , as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 6 , can be grasped by handle portions  27  on the arms  23  and inserted through the side window  17  of the inlet  12  and has the tongue  22  inserted into the recess  20  of the sprinkler body outlet  15  allowing the nozzle  14  to be rotated with a lever action on the tongue  22  in the recess  20  until the lip  28  of the nozzle is pressed against the O-ring seal  16 . Arms  23  are pressed together to move the snap tabs  26  inward towards each other, as seen in  FIG. 5 , where they can be snapped into position in the latching portions  21  on either side thereof so that when the handles are released, the nozzle is locked in place, aligning the passageway  25  with the outlet passageway. The latching portions  21  also has angled portions  30  while the catch tabs  26  have an angled surface  31  so that merely pushing the nozzle arms up will automatically latch the nozzle in place. The latching portion  21  may also have angled top portions  18  while the catch tabs  26  have matching angled bottom portions  19 . When the nozzle  14  is locked in place and under pressure, these angled portions  18  and  19  together prevent the nozzle arms  23  from moving inward and becoming disengaged. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , a centering element  29  is provided between the latching portions  21  on the sprinkler body  10  to aid in the removal of nozzle  14 . When the nozzle arms  23  are squeezed together, they sandwich the centering element  29  between themselves. This sandwiching automatically centers the nozzle catch tabs  26  between the latching portions  21  and guaranties complete disengagement of the latching mechanism  21  and  26  for nozzle removal. 
     It should be clear at this time that a rapid change nozzle for an irrigation sprinkler has been provided which provides a downwardly or upwardly flowing outlet to be maintained for directing a stream of water against a deflector surface or the like and which allows a nozzle to be easily inserted from the side which is easily accessible for inserting and removing the nozzle. However, the present invention is not to be construed as limited to the forms shown which is to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.