Improvements in Lawn Sprinklers or Apparatus for Scattering Water or other Liquid for Irrigation Purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1892-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lawn Sprinklers or Apparatus for Scattering Water
or other Liquid for Irrigation Purposes.
I, WILLIAM DE NORMANVILLE, of Leamington, in the County of Warwick,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In that class of apparatus (known as "lawn sprinklers" or otherwise) designed
for scattering water or other liquid over any space of ground for irrigation purposes,
a common form of the apparatus consists of a standard carrying a set of delivery
nozzles mounted so as to rotate upon a centre, the nozzles being so placed as to
deliver their jets in a direction more or less tangential to their line of motion, so
that they are caused to rotate by the reaction of the jets thereby scattering the
liquid with more or less uniformity for some distance around. The usual practice is
to leave the apparatus standing in a fixed position till the space immediately around
it has been well irrigated and then to move it about from spot to spot until the
whole space to be irrigated has received attention. The apparatus is fed with
liquid by a flexible hose, to allow of its being moved as described.
My improvements relate to this class of apparatus and are equally applicable to
any modification of it, or to any apparatus whose object is to scatter water or other
liquids for irrigation purposes, whether such apparatus have a single jet or a series
of jets, or any rotating or other appliance designed to scatter the liquid more evenly
or widely.
My improvements consist in mounting any such apparatus upon a travelling
carriage and actuating the wheels of such carriage by the force of the liquid used
for irrigation, so that the carriage and apparatus are moved automatically over the
space to be irrigated the water being conveyed to the apparatus by a flexible pipe
or hose. The wheels of the carriage may be set so that the apparatus travels in a
straight line till stopped by any obstacle, or by reaching the limit of the length of
hose, when it may be shifted by hand or automatically and caused to travel over a
fresh space of ground. Or its wheels may be set so that it travels in a circle, and
at the termination of one circle it may be shifted to travel over a fresh space. In
this case the wheel or pair of wheels controlling the steering may be connected
with a pointer moving over a graduated are (or any equivalent device) so that the
apparatus may be set to run in a circle of determinate diameter. Or the angle of
the steering wheel or wheels may be so controlled by a cam, lever, or other suitable
gear receiving motion from the force of the water or from any moving part of the
apparatus that the apparatus travels in a gradually extending spiral, commencing
from a centre and ultimately covering all the space within reach of the length
of hose.
or may
The liquid may be caused to give motion to the wheels of the carriage by means
of any known or suitable form of water motor, which may be connected to the said
wheels or the axle of any one or pair of them by worm gearing, toothed gearing or
other suitable devices. The motor may either itself form the "sprinkler
work in combination with it or may be entirely independent of the jet or sprinkler,
as desired. If a separate motor be used the liquid will of course pass through it
on its way to the sprinkler, and in such case the motor may be of the reciprocating
piston order, of the rotary engine or meter order, of the turbine order or of any
other suitable form. Any suitable rotating form of sprinkler, such as the one first
alluded to herein may be geared to the wheels of the carriage so as to serve the
combined purpose of sprinkler and motor. A suitable form of such combined
sprinkler and motor consists of an axis carrying vanes or arms of suitable form on
which I cause a jet or jets of liquid to impinge in such manner as to give rotary

page_text: motion to them, the liquid being thrown off at their ends, and the axis being geared
suitably to the wheels of the carriage, to give motion to them. I sometimes make
arrangement so that the hose not for the moment required to be extended along
the ground may be packed upon the carriage so that its weight has not to be drawn
along the ground occasioning friction. A receptacle may be provided on the 5
carriage for this purpose, and the hose will be "payed out" along the ground as
the carriage moves over it.
Dated this 21st day of March 1892.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lawn Sprinklers or Apparatus for Scattering Water
or other Liquid for Irrigation Purposes.
I, WILLIAM DE NORMANVILLE, of Leamington, in the County of Warwick,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
In that class of apparatus (known as lawn sprinklers or otherwise) designed for
scattering water or other liquid over any space of ground for irrigation purposes, a
common form of the apparatus consists of a standard carrying a set of delivery
nozzles mounted so as to rotate upon a centre, the nozzles being so placed as to
deliver their jets in a direction more or less tangential to their line of motion, so
that they are caused to rotate by the reaction of the jets, thereby scattering the
liquid with more or less uniformity for some distance around. The usual practice
is to leave the apparatus standing in a fixed position till the space immediately
around it has been thoroughly irrigated, and then to move it about from spot to
spot until the whole space to be irrigated has received attention. The apparatus is
fed with liquid by a flexible hose, to allow of its being moved as described.
My invention relates to this class of apparatus and to any modification of it, but
it is equally applicable to any apparatus for scattering water or other liquid for
irrigation purposes, whether such apparatus have a single jet, or a series of jets, or
any rotating or other appliance designed to scatter the liquid more evenly or
widely.
The improvements which form the subject of my invention consist in mounting
an apparatus of the kind described upon a travelling carriage and actuating the
wheels of such carriage by the force of the liquid used for irrigation, so that the
carriage and apparatus are moved automatically over the space to be irrigated,
the water being conveyed to the apparatus by a flexible pipe or hose.
In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, which form part of this Speci-
fication :
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, and
Fig. 2 is a plan of an automatic travelling lawn sprinkler constructed in
accordance with one method of carrying out my invention.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts in both figures.
A is a cast or wrought iron frame, of the form shewn most clearly in the
plan Fig. 2, supported by three wheels B, B1, B². The wheel B which forms
the front wheel, is journalled in the fork C, while the two hind wheels B' B',
are keyed on an axle D, journalled in the downwardly extending parts E E of the
frame. In Fig. 1 the wheel B' is omitted to avoid confusion. At the centre of
the frame is a hollow boss F, into which a vertical pipe H is screwed, or other-
wise securely fixed. The said pipe terminates at its upper end in a gun metal
socket J. K is a circular hollow head having an extension K' on its under-
side fitting liquid tight in the socket J, but free to revolve therein. L is a spindle

page_text: having its upper end screwed into the top of the head K and its lower end
enlarged or fixed in a cylindrical piece L, journalled in a gun metal bush M
fitting up into the boss F. A flange or collar L2, on the piece L' outside the
bush M, holds the head K in place in the socket J. N is a branch pipe from
the boss F communicating with the pipe H and having a nozzle P for the
attachment of the flexible supply hose Q. The head K carries four radial
tubes R.
The water entering the branch pipe N passes up the pipe H, into the head K
and issues out of the tubes R. The ends of these tubes are bent tangentially
as shewn in the plan Fig. 2, so that the water issuing therefrom causes rotation
of the head K and spindle L. The lower end of the piece L' on the said
spindle carries a worm S gearing with the worm wheel T on the shaft V, this
latter shaft carries a worm W gearing with a worm wheel X on the axle of the
driving wheels B₁ B. By this means the rotation of the tubular arms R auto-
matically propels the apparatus. The shaft V is journalled in suitable bearings on
the frame A. Handles Y Y are affixed to the said frame so that by just raising
the driving wheels from the ground, the apparatus can be moved about on the
front wheel B. In large and heavy machines a clutch may be provided to dis-
connect the worm wheel X or the wheels B B2 from the driving axle D, to
facilitate moving about by hand.
In the machine shewn, with 40 lbs. pressure of water the head K will make
about 900 to 1000 revolutions per minute, and each set of worm gearing being pro-
portioned at 1 to 30, this, with 12 inch driving wheels, gives an advance of about
one yard per minute to the machine. It will haul after it about 60 feet of hose,
so that if the hydrant be set in the middle of the lawn to he watered, it will
operate over a total length of 120 feet, and the water being thrown to a distance
of about 20 feet by the arms R, a total space of 120 feet by. 40 feet is watered in
one traverse in about 40 minutes, without any attention. At the end of the
traverse the machine is simply wheeled like a barrow to the centre of the next
parallel strip and so on till the whole surface has been operated upon.
The pressure of the water within the head K tends to lift the said head, but the
area of the piece L' is so proportioned that the pressure thereon, combined with
the weight of the head K, arms R, spindle L, piece L¹ and worm S, about counteract
such tendency, and there being some end shake permitted between the head K
and socket J and the flange L2 and bush M, the whole of these rotating parts
just float on the water and so revolve with practically no end friction in their
bearings.
Instead of travelling in straight lines the wheels may be set so that the machine
travels in a circle, and the wheel or wheels controlling the steering may be con-
nected with a pointer moving over a graduated arc, or other similar device, so that
the machine may be set to run in circles of determinate diameter.
After watering
one circular space the machine is moved to travel over a fresh space. As a further
modification the angle of the steering wheel or wheels may be controlled by a cam,
lever or other suitable device receiving motion from the force of the water or from
any convenient moving part of the apparatus, so that the machine will travel in a
gradually extending spiral, commencing from a centre and ultimately covering all
the space within reach of the length of the hose. In place of worms and worm
wheels, spur, friction, or other suitable form of gearing may be employed, and in
place of the rotating sprinkler forming the driving motor a separate liquid motor
may be employed.
In such case the motor may work in combination with the sprinkler or be
entirely independent thereof. The liquid will pass through the motor on its way
to the sprinkler, and such independent motor may be of the reciprocating piston
order, of the rotary engine or meter order, of the turbine order, or of any other
suitable form.
I do not confine myself to the number of arms nor to the particular pattern of
sprinkler shewn, as any other suitable form may be employed with the machine ;

page_text: thus I may employ a sprinkler consisting of an axis carrying vanes or arms of
suitable form, on which I cause a jet or jets of liquid to impinge in such manner
as to give rotary motion to them, the liquid being thrown off at their ends in
spray, and the axis being suitably geared to the driving wheels of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is :-
1. An automatic travelling apparatus for scattering liquid for irrigation, con-
sisting of the combination of a frame travelling on wheels and carrying an auto-
matic device for scattering said liquid, pipes, supplying said liquid to said device,
and gearing connecting said wheels or certain of them with said device, so that
motion of said device automatically drives said wheels, substantially as described.
2. An automatically travelling apparatus for scattering liquid for irrigation, con-
sisting of the combination of a frame travelling on wheels and carrying an auto-
matic device for scattering said liquid, an hydraulic motor connected to and driving
said wheels or certain of them, and pipes supplying said liquid to said device and
said motor, substantially as described.
3. An automatically travelling apparatus for scattering liquid for irrigation, con-
sisting of the combination of a frame A, wheels B, B1, B2, a vertical pipe H, a
pipe N supplying liquid thereto, a hollow rotating head K with tubular arms R,
automatically scattering said liquid and driving the wheels B1 B2 through the
spindle L and worm gears S, T, and W, X, substantially as described.
4. In an automatically travelling apparatus for scattering liquid for irrigation a
vertical pipe H, a hollow rotating head K with arms R, a spindle L with enlarged
part L', so that the upward pressure of said liquid within said head is counteracted
by the downward pressure of said liquid on L' and the weight of the rotating parts,
substantially as described.
5. In an automatically travelling apparatus for scattering liquid for irrigation,
driving wheels operated from an automatic scattering device or hydraulic motor,
and a clutch connecting or disconnecting said wheels, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Dated 21st day of December 1892.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W., Agent for the Applicant.