Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Including valve means in flow line
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-05
2003-05-27
Mar, Michael (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Including valve means in flow line
C239S200000, C239S201000, C239S203000, C239S204000, C239S205000, C239S533600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06568608
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in water sprinkler heads and, more particularly, to an improved sprinkler head which allows for turning water flow off and on directly at the sprinkler head to enable removal of the spray distributor, or disc, or so-called “insert” and, in some cases, the filtering screen underlying the insert.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Lawn and garden sprinkler systems are common in many parts of the United States and in many other countries where the climate is hot and grass or other vegetation would readily perish if not watered either physically by one or more individuals or through the aid of an irrigation sprinkler system. Sprinkler systems are also more frequently used in periods in which the climate is particularly hot during certain periods of the year.
All irrigation sprinkler systems are connected to a water source, such as a municipal water supply, and contain relatively shallow underground pipes which extend under the ground surface and contain sprinkler heads projecting upwardly from these underground pipes in order to apply water to selected areas of a lawn or garden to be irrigated. Typically, in an average yard or lawn area, a sprinkler head would be designed to apply water to an area of, e.g. approximately four to fifteen feet in diameter, or more, depending upon the water pressure, the type of sprinkler head which is employed and the area which needs to be watered. As a rough average, approximately twelve to twenty-five sprinkler heads are used to irrigate an average yard or lawn, depending upon such factors as valve size, type of head employed, water pressure in the area, and the like.
The water sprinkler system normally employed uses a plurality of underground pipes, as aforesaid, and which are connected to a source of water, as aforesaid, and which is controlled by a master control valve at the head of the sprinkler system. However, if a master control valve is not actually used, the water meter effectively operates as that control valve.
The water which passes through the underground pipes and exits from the sprinkler heads is usually controlled by a time clock or controller and which is frequently located at a point remote from the actual irrigated area. Moreover, each of the sprinkler valves would be governed by that master processor or master clock. The master clock and associated processor cause the opening of a valve, frequently referred to as a “RCV” (remote central valve) and which is also frequently located at a remote site and which allows for water flow through the various sprinkler heads. The RCV and the time clock are connected electrically. The same master clock and processor will cause a cessation of the water flow through the remote control valve after a predetermined period of time which is programmed into the clock or processor.
Water lines which carry water delivered from the municipal water source will frequently carry small particles of debris, such as dirt particles, small rocks and pebbles and the like. This debris interferes with a proper water flow and the sprinkler heads must frequently be cleaned in order to enable a proper spray, that is, in a proper distribution of water, and water application to the ground surface. Generally, all of the major sprinkler head manufacturers produce sprinkler heads which contain some type of screen mechanism in order to filter out this debris carried in the water line. However, inasmuch as the screen collects this debris contained in the delivered water, the screen necessarily requires cleaning.
In order to clean the screen of a head or the sprinkler insert, or in order to replace the head, it would be more convenient to open or close a valve in the field where the problem exists rather than walk to the location of the clock or electronic controller or to the remote control valve. At present, there is nothing which provides for opening and closing a valve at the sprinkler head. This is particularly the case where the project having the irrigated land is of a large size and where the location of the valve or the controller may be at a somewhat remote point from the problem sprinkler head.
There are two types of heads generally in commercial use and which are employed within most irrigation systems. Those heads which appear in lawns are almost always pop-up type sprinkler heads so that they do not interfere with mowing of the lawn or other cleaning of the lawn. The second type of head which is used and, particularly, in shrubbery and so-called ground cover areas, is the stationary type known as a “shrub head” and which usually extends about an inch to as much as six inches, usually three or four inches, above a ground surface. In each of these cases, at the top of the sprinkler head is a part called an “insert” and which is generally screwed into the top of the sprinkler head. The insert is the part which contains the orifice from which the water exits. Inserts are constructed in various configurations, usually full inserts, or one-half or one-fourth inserts, bubblers, etc. The exact form of the insert is not critical in connection with the present invention, although access to that insert is important in the invention.
When it is necessary to clean or repair the sprinkler head, or any part thereof, e.g., the screen below the head, it is almost always necessary to cut-off water flow to that head. Otherwise, when the insert is removed from the head, water will exit usually in a substantial volume, since a removed insert presents the point of least resistance to water flow under pressure throughout the entire irrigation system.
In order to remove the water emitting nozzle or insert from the sprinkler head, it is necessary to cut-off the flow of water to the sprinkler head. Upon determining that the area near a sprinkler head is not receiving sufficient water, the gardener or maintenance personnel must turn on the RCV either at the time clock or manually open the RCV and observe the water that is actually being emitted from the various sprinkler heads in a certain locale. At that point, the gardener or maintenance personnel must then walk to the master valve or to the RCV or to the controller, turn off the water valve, controller or RCV, and walk back to the sprinkler head for removing the sprinkler emitting disc or so-called “insert” from the sprinkler head and allow for cleaning thereof.
Prior to insertion of the water emitting disc back into the sprinkler head, it is necessary to flush water from the sprinkler head itself. Consequently, and in order to perform the flushing operation, the gardener or irrigation personnel must then walk back to the master valve or controller, turn on the master valve or controller, and allow for flushing for several seconds or minutes. Naturally, the same personnel must be present at the flushing of the water line during the flushing operation. Thereafter, the same maintenance personnel then walks back to the master valve or controller, turns off the master valve and again returns to the particular sprinkler head which is being cleaned in order to insert the spray emitting disc. Following this, the same maintenance personnel must walk back to the master valve or controller in order to turn on the master valve, or RCV or controller and return to the head to be sure that it is now functioning properly and make any necessary adjustments to the water flow and/or direction of the spray.
It can be observed that the amount of the personnel hours lost in the pure physical act of walking back and forth can be quite substantial and necessarily adds to the cost of an irrigation bill from the maintenance personnel or the like. Moreover, it consumes a substantial amount of effort and, in some cases, frequently results in malfunctioning sprinkler heads not being cleaned and repaired as frequently as they would otherwise be repaired or cleaned.
In addition to the foregoing, pop-up sprinkler heads are much more complicated in their construction than are the so-cal
Hwu Davis
Mar Michael
Schaap Robert J.
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