US3205717A - Cycling mechanism for sprinkler system controllers - Google Patents

Description

p 14, 1955 R. M. ALSTON ETAL 3,205,717

CYCLING MECHANISM FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEM CONTROLLERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1963 SELECTOR SWlTCHES SOLENOH'.) /56 VALVE STATION TIMING POTENTIOMETER MASTER PDT.

N m 5 Rpm Y 5km E mm W M W l Z fwd wL u Y R B Sept- 14, 1 R. M. ALSTON ETAL CYCLING MECHANISM FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEM CONTROLLERS Filed. July 22, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E75 55,41 m4; sro/v 64/24 /Z. 9/7 42 P INVENTORS A 770,6 /VE V5 United States Patent 3,205,717 CYCLING NIECHANISM FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEM CONTROLLERS Russell M. Alston, West Covina, and Carl R. Sharp, Glendora, Calif assignors to Rain Bird Sprinkler Manufacturing Corp., Glendora, Calif., a corporation of California Filed July 22, 1963, Ser. No. 296,610 1 Claim. (Cl. 74-352) This invention relates to cycling mechanisms for sprinkler system controllers. It is desirable, in the operation of multiple station sprinkler systems, that the period of operation of each station be adjustable without altering the adjustments of the other stations, and that the controller transfer quickly from stat-ion-to-station.

One of the systems conventionally used involves a motor-driven station selector, a set of individually adjustable timing potentiometers, one for each station, a motor-driven master potentiometer, and an electrical network for producing a signal when the potentials across the selected timing potentiometer and the master potentiometer are matched. This signal is utilized to advance the station selector to the succeeding station. At this time it is essential to reset the master potentiometer.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a cycling mechanism including a motor-driven station selector, a novel motor drive for the master potentiometer which is capable of being reset, and a trip mechanism operated by the station selector for resetting the master potentiometer.

A further object of this invention is to provide a nove gear assembly which, when a particular gear of the assembly is restrained from rotation, the motor drive functions to advance the master potentiometer, and, when the gear is released, the master potentiometer is caused to reset.

With the above and other objects in view, as may ap pear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, front view of the cycling mechanism for sprinkler system controllers, and indicating diagrammatically the relationship of the sprinkler stations and timing Potentiometers to the selector switches;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse, sectional view thereof taken substantially through 22 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view thereof taken substantially through 3-3 of FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, bottom view thereof with the cover plate removed;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially along the plane 55 of FIGURE 7, showing the gear mechanism in the initial or starting position;

FIGURE 6 is a similar fragmentary view but with portions shown in elevation, and showing the gear mechanism in an advanced position immediately before return to its starting position;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially through 77 of FIGURE 5, showing the various axes of the gear mechanism in a common plane to facilitate the illustration.

The cycling mechanism for sprinkler system controllers is contained within and mounted upon a chassis structure 1 in the form of a rectangle; open at its underside and provided with a removable cover 2.

Mounted on top of the chassis 1 is a gear motor 3 hav ing a low speed shaft 4. The end of the shaft 4, outward-ly from the chassis 1, is employed to drive sets of selector switches 5. The other end of the shaft 4 extends into the chassis 1 and receives a station selector wheel 6.

The selector wheel 6 is relatively large, and is provided with a ring of lo'bes 7 defining depressions 8 therebetween, so that the lobes 7 and depressions 8 form a ring of cam elements. In the construction illustrated, twelve depressions are formed, eleven of which correspond to eleven stations of the sprinkler system associated with the controller and one serving as an off station.

The selector wheel 6 projects laterally from the chassis 1 through an aperture 9, and is provided with a knurled rim 10, so that it may be rotated manually if desired. At an appropriate location, the upper side of the wheel 6 is provided with a rib 11, which engages contacts 12 which are opened when the wheel 6 is in its off position.

Within the chassis 1 the wheel 6 is engaged by a cam roller 13 mounted on a spring arm 14, which in turn is supported by a bracket 15. The spring arm 14 is caused to reciprocate as the cam roller passes from one depression 8 to another over an intervening lobe. This movement is utilized to operate a switch 16, and is also to operate a resetting mechanism to be described hereinafter.

Mounted at one side of the gear motor 3 is a master potentiometer 17 having a shaft 18 which projects into the chassis 1. Within the chassis 1 the shaft 18 journals a transfer gear 19, which is connected through an idler gear 20 mounted on a shaft 21 to a pinion gear 22. The pinion gear 22 is driven by a gear motor 23. Also mounted on the shaft 18 is a sun gear 24 having an integral pinion 25.

Secured to the lower extremity of the shaft 21 is an arm 26, at the extremity of which is secured a planetary gear shaft 27 which carries a planetary gear 28 adapted to mesh with the pinion gear 25, and an integral pinion gear 29 which meshes with the transfer gear 19.

Pivotally mounted on a shaft 3% secured to the chassis 1 is a clutch lever 31 having at one extremity c utch teeth 32 engageable with the sun gear 24. The opposite extremity of the clutch lever 31 is positioned for engagement by the spring arm 14.

A return spring 33 is provided, which is in the form of a spiral spring, one end of which is attached to the shaft 18 and the other end of which is anchored to the chassis 1. The spring 33 exerts a biasing force, tending to rotate the arm 26 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4, until limited by a stop screw 34 carried 'by a bracket 35 secured to the chassis 1.

Operation of the cycling mechanism for sprinkler system controllers is as follows:

When the selector wheel 6 is in the off position shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, the gear mechanism is positioned as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5; and in particular the arm 26 is in engagement with the stop screw 34,

When the gear motor 3 is activated to rotate the selector wheel 6 counterclockwise, as indicated in FIGURE 4, to the first station, the gear mechanism remains dormant until the first station is reached. This may be accomplished electrically by the contacts 12 in association with one or more switches 36, operated by movement of the spring arm 14 or clutch lever 31, or by appropriate connections to the selector switches 5.

When the cam roller 13 is opposite the first station, the gear motor 23 is energized which drives the transfer gear 19 by means of the pinion gear 22 and idler gear 29. The rotation of the transfer gear 19 rotates the planetary gear 28 and its pinion gear 29 on the shaft 27.

The sun gear 24 is restrained against rotation by means of the clutch teeth 32 on the clutch lever 31. As a consequence, the planetary gear 28 moves in an are about the sun gear 24, carrying the arm 26 in a counterclockwise direction. In doing so, the shaft 18 is rotated so as to increase or decrease, as the case may be, the potential across the master potentiometer 17.

An electric circuit, which does not form a .part of the present invention, involves a series of station-timing potentiometers 37, one corresponding to each sprinkler station, involving one or more solenoid valves 38 and sprinklers 39. These potentiometers are adjustable to various values. A matching circuit is provided which produces a signal when the potential across the master potentiometer 17 and the selected station potentiometer are equal. This signal is utilized to terminate the dwell at the selected station. During the dwell at any selected station, a corresponding section of the sprinkler system is caused to function.

At the end of the dwell period, the gear motor 3 is energiZcd to advance the selector wheel 6 to the next station. In doing so, the clutch lever 31 is mechanically moved to release the sun gear 24 and allow the spring to return the arm 26 to its original position; and in doing so to return the master potentiometer 17 to its original position.

When the selector wheel 6 is moved to the succeeding station, the gear motor 23 is again energized to again advance the master potentiometer 17.v The rate of advance is such that appropriate dwell periods may be established. These may vary from a period of a few minutes to half an hour or so, depending upon the requirements of the region to be sprinkled.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details of the construction set forth, and it embraces such changes, modifications, and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claim,

What is claimed is:

A cycling mechanism, comprising:

(a) a timing means having a rotatable shaft;

(b) a transfer gear journaled on said shaft;

(0) a timing drive for said transfer gear;

(d) a clutch gear and an integral coaxial pinion gear also journaled on said shaft;

(e) a drive arm secured to said shaft;

(f) a planetary main gear engageable with said pinion gear, and an integral coaxial planetary pinion gear engageable with said transfer gear journaled at the extremity of said drive arm;

(g) a selector wheel having a ring of cam lobes;

(h) a clutch lever interposed between said selector wheel and said clutch gear, and normally engageable with said clutch gear to restrain said clutch gear against rotation, thereby to cause said timing drive to act through said transfer gear, planetary gears, and drive arm to rotate said timing means, said clutch lever being actuated -by said lobes on movement of said selector wheel between stations to release said clutch gear;

(i) and biasing means for urging returnof said timing means tov an initial position on release of said clutch gear.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,875,428 11/62 Roberts 23970 3,063,643 11/62 Roberts 239-70 3,118,606 1/64 Rotunda 23963 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

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