Patent ID: 8640978

Claim:
An irrigation sprinkler nozzle for discharging a stream of fluid, comprising: a nozzle body defining a nozzle passage having an upstream end for mounting in flow communication with a supply of water under pressure, and a downstream end defining a nozzle outlet for outward projection of a water stream to irrigate surrounding terrain, the water stream including an upper stream segment to irrigate a terrain zone disposed a first distance from the sprinkler nozzle and a lower stream segment to irrigate terrain disposed a second distance from the sprinkler nozzle, the first distance being greater than the second distance; said nozzle outlet including a lower margin, an upper margin and a pair of side margins connecting the upper and lower margins, and having an outboard side defining a front face, the lower margin, upper margin and side margins surrounding the nozzle outlet at the front face; and a plurality of discrete ramps formed at said lower margin of said nozzle outlet and extending forwardly and angularly downwardly therefrom, the upper and side margins being free of said ramps, each such discrete ramp having a different selected declination angle than an adjacent ramp and arranged in a side-by-side array along said lower margin of said nozzle outlet such that a sidewall is formed between adjacent ramps, each of said ramps having an upstream end disposed a distance upstream relative to said front face of said nozzle outlet, whereby a portion of the water passing through said nozzle outlet is guided downwardly generally along said ramps to form at least part of the lower stream segment to irrigate surrounding terrain relatively close to the sprinkler nozzle.