Patent Publication Number: US-3877644-A

Title: Sprinkler head and game apparatus

Description:
United States Patent 1191 Cockman 1 SPRINKLER HEAD AND GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Haggie l. Cockman, PO. Box 1600,  
 Sanford, Fla. 32771 221 Filed: Aug. 10,1973  
  21 Appl. No.: 387,491  
 [52] U.S. Cl. 239/118; 239/289; 239/383;  
  273/147 [51] Int. Cl. B05b 3/04 [58] Field of Search 239/381-383,  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 458,607 9/1891 Weiss 239/498 X 459,832 9/1891 Byram 273/147 599330 2/1898 Hale 239/222.17  
 [ Apr. 15, 1975 1,571,901 2/1926 Monson 273 147 2.976.045 3/1961 Mason 273/147 x 3,347,463 10/1967 Baker 239/118 x FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 241,283 6/1962 Netherlands 239/383 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood. Jr. Assislant Examiner-John J. Love Atlorney, Agent, or FirmDuckworth, Hobby &amp; Allen [57] ABSTRACT A non clogging sprinkler head apparatus has a removable water deflector member which has molded indicia placed thereon. The rotatable deflector has vanes thereon and is shaped to be spun, like a top, when removed from the sprinkler head. The spinning deflector member is allowed to stop and fall to one side with the indicia member facing upward in playing a game.  
 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 1 51975 FIG. 2  
 FIG.  
 SPRINKLER HEAD AND GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sprinkler head for watering lawns, and the like, and having a novel water deflector member which is removable for use as a spinning toy in playing a game.  
  In the past there have of course been numerous spinning toys and tops which are rotated by hand, strings or mechanisms. Sprinkler heads having rotatable heads with vanes have also been commonly used in the past and are sometimes rotated by contacting the vanes which also deflects the water in a circular or other predetermined manner. Typical sprinkler patents having rotating deflector heads as in US. Pat. No. 2,408,196 for a Sprinkler Head having a rotatable head; US. Pat. No. 600,193 for a Sprinkler Nozzle having a rotatable nozzle head; US. Pat. No. 3,081,949 for a Water Dispersal Apparatus having a rotating member having vanes thereon; US. Pat. No. 2,949,241 for a Lawn and Crop Sprinkling System having a rotating deflector head; US. Pat. No. 567,925 for a Spray Nozzle with a rotating head having vanes thereon, and US Pat. No. 3,485,451 for a Shower Head with a vaned rotating deflector member.  
  The present invention is directed towards a game which can utilize a deflector member of a sprinkler head which has been shaped to be spun like a top and may have indicia thereon for playing predetermined games of chance. The sale of sprinkler heads is en-.  
 hanced while provising additional entertainment for children in addition to the usual childs play of playing in the water dispersed by the sprinkler system.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sprinkler head game. method and apparatus in which the apparatus has a sprinkler head body adapted to be attached to a water source or sprinkler system, and has a nozzle for directing water from the sprinkler head body. A rotatable water deflector member is removably attached to the sprinkler head body at the head of the nozzle and has vanes thereon so that the water directed from the nozzle against the vanes of the deflector member will deflect the water while rotating the deflector member. The loose mounting of the deflector member with a sudden lifting when water pressure is applied also cleans out grit and trash while preventing the entrance of insects such as dirt daubers. The deflector member may be easily removed and rotated like a top for spinning on a surface and has a plurality of indicia located on the face thereof so that a game of chance may be played by spinning the deflector to determine which indicia will land facing up. The method requires removing the sprinkler head, rotatable water deflector having indicia thereon from the sprinkler head, spinning the water deflector on a surface and then marking a card, or the like, with the indicia facing upwards when the spinning water deflector falls on its side.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a study of the written description and the drawings in which FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a sprinkler head in accordance with the present invention;  
  FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a rotatable deflector member removed from the sprinkler head;  
  FIG. 4 is a top sectional view of the deflector member of FIG. 3.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a sprinkler head 10 is illustrated having a rotatable water deflector member 11 therein. The sprinkler head has a body portion 12 having a nozzle 13 located therein and a threaded attachment means for attaching the sprinkler head to the sprinkler system or water source. The sprinkler head body includes a C-shaped portion 15 which provides a top portion 16 for the nose cone portion 17 of the rotatable deflector member 11 to ride in. The top portion 16 has a coned shape section 18 for the nose 17 of the deflector member 11 to ride in and has a plastic rivet 20 passing through the top portion 16 to the edge of the cone 18 so that the tip of the cone 17 can ride against the surface 21 of the rivet 20. The rotatable deflector member 11 has vanes 22 and a handle 23 thereon, with the handle 23 riding down in the nozzle 13 so that water passing through the nozzle will drive past the handle 23, engage the vanes 22 of the deflector member 11 pushing the entire deflector member 11 upward so that the nose 17 will engage the surface 21 of the rivet 20. This pushing of deflector member 11 upward tends to clean the sprinkler head 10 of grit and trash while preventing the entrance of and the building of nests therein by insects when the sprinkler head is not being used and the deflector member 11 is seated over the nozzle 13. The deflector member 11 has a plurality of faces 24 thereon, each having an indicia member 25 molded therein. The sprinkler head is designed to be simple in operation or being easy to manufacture with molded plastics. The indicia 25 is illustrated in this case as being an upside down letter and would be different on each face 24 of the deflector member 11. It should of course be clear that other indicia such as different number of dots, as found on dice, may also be utilized, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
  Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a clear view of the deflector member 11 having been removed from the sprinkler head 10 is illustrated having its handle 23, vanes 22, nose or tip portion 17, and flat faces 24 with indicia 25. When turned upside down as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the deflector member 11 resembles the shape of a toy top and may be spun to generate a desirable pattern by the rotating vanes 22. Deflector member 11 may be grasped by the handle 23 and rotated rapidly with the nose 17 on a flat surface. When the spinning slows sufficiently, the top will fall to one side leaving one of the faces 24 indicia 25 facing upward. This member may be utilized in a game of chance.  
  In the present method and game the deflector member 11 is removed from the sprinkler head 10 and rotated or spun in a rapid manner upon a flat surface. When the deflector member falls to one side, one face 24, with indicia 25 will be facing upward and may be marked on a card. The indicia on each side may include an A and a T as illustrated, and a C and an R on the other two sides so that the cards may be marked to spell RAT or CAT, with the object of the game being to spell each or both words first. It will of course be clear to those skilled in the art that numerous other games can be devised for utilizing the rotating sprinkler head deflector member 11 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
  Accordingly, this invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed herein since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.  
 l claim:  
  I. A sprinkler head and game apparatus comprising in combination:  
 a. a sprinkler head body portion having attachment means for attaching said sprinkler head body to a water source and nozzle means for directing water from said sprinkler head body;  
 b. rotatable water deflector member removably attached to said sprinkler head body at the head of said nozzle, said deflector member having vanes therein and being rotatable by the water directed against said cover by said nozzle means. said deflector member being adapted to deflect water in a predetermined pattern;  
 0. said deflector member being shaped like a toy for spinning on a surface when removed from said sprinkler head body portion and having a plurality of indicia located on a plurality of facets thereon whereby a game of chance may be played by spinning said deflector member like a top, to determine which indicia on said deflector member lands facing up when said deflector member stops spinning; and  
 d. said rotatable water deflector member having a cylindrical extension extending into the nozzle means of said sprinkler head body and said sprinkler head body having a top deflector member engaging cup for engaging the nose tip of said deflector member when water pressure is applied through said nozzle to said deflector member thereby lifting said deflector member and cleaning out said nozzle or grit, or the like.  
  2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which &#34;said deflector member faces each have one letter molded thereon including the letters A, T, C and R.  
  3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said sprinkler head body has a C-shaped portion connecting a nozzle encasing portion and said top deflector member engaging cup.