| Nelson Irrigation Corporation Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20110226347 | PRESSURE REGULATOR HOUSING ASSEMBLY - A pressure regulator housing assembly includes a lower housing and an upper housing; a plunger and diaphragm assembly supported within the lower and upper housings, the plunger movable toward and away from a valve seat. The diaphragm has a radially inner edge fixed to one end of the plunger and a radially outer edge clamped between an annular surface within said upper housing and a surface of a clamp ring locked against rotation relative to said upper housing thereby isolating said diaphragm from any contact with the lower housing. Upon assembly of the upper and lower housings requiring relative rotation therebetween, an upper edge of the lower housing is engaged by a lower surface of the clamp ring. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110220233 | SPRINKLER HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT ON AN IRRIGATION MACHINE - A height adjustment assembly for a drop hose on an irrigation machine is composed of an elongated bracket having a first end provided with a pair of fittings, and a second opposite end provided with a drop hose retention ring; the drop hose retention ring formed with an opening adapted to permit a drop hose to slide through the opening, the opening defined by an interior surface provided with a pair of diametrically opposed open slots, and a pair of diametrically opposed locking recesses. A key lock fitting is adapted for connecting aligned hose ends of the drop hose and is provided with a pair of diametrically-opposed keys which, in use, are adapted to slide through the pair of opposed open slots and, upon ninety degree rotation of the diametrically-opposed keys, to be received in the pair of diametrically opposed locking recesses. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110196541 | INDUCTIVELY COUPLED DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM - A distributed control system is provided wherein a master controller inductively delivers power and data to a plurality of remote slave modules or controllers via a plurality of coupling loops formed along a length of transmission line. Each of the remote slave modules, in turn, inductively delivers return data to the master controller via the plurality of coupling loops. The use of inductive coupling provides an advantage over the state of the art because no direct galvanic electrical connection is required between the transmission line and the remote slave modules which promise to simplify installation and enhance long-term reliability. Example applications for the control system described herein include agricultural irrigation systems where individual sprinkler and valve components may be controlled collectively, individually, or in groups or subsets, to vary application rates according to prescribed irrigation parameters. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110031332 | ROTARY STRUT SPRINKLER - A rotary sprinkler includes a sprinkler body including a nozzle, a water-deflection plate supported for rotational movement relative to the sprinkler body, the water-deflection plate having one or more grooves configured to cause the water-deflection plate to rotate when impinged upon by a stream emitted from the nozzle; a first brake arranged to slow rotation of the water-deflection plate at all times; and a second brake arranged to further slow rotation of the water-deflection plate as a function of water pressure exerted on the water-deflection plate. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110031325 | DRIPLESS ROTARY SPRINKLER AND RELATED METHOD - A rotary sprinkler includes a housing supporting a nozzle and a nozzle tube, the nozzle tube located axially adjacent an orifice of the nozzle with an axial gap therebetween. A water-deflection plate assembly is carried by the nozzle tube for rotation relative to the nozzle tube. The housing is formed with an exterior substantially annular funnel surrounding the nozzle and forming a collection trough for collection of excess water, and the housing formed with one or more apertures directing excess water in the collection trough to an internal area surrounding the orifice to be aspirated through the gap into a stream of water emitted from the nozzle orifice and through the nozzle tube such that the excess water is distributed by the water-deflection plate along with water emitted from the nozzle orifice. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110024523 | Pop-up sprinkler with integrated pressure regulator and drain check - A sprinkler head includes a first housing carrying a center stem having an inlet at an upstream end and an outlet at a downstream end. A second housing is supported within the first housing and encloses a nozzle and a pressure regulator in axially-aligned relationship, defining a flowpath between the inlet and an orifice of the nozzle. The second housing is normally biased to a retracted position but is moveable to an extended position relative to the first housing and to the center stem. A surface of the pressure regulator cooperates with the outlet of the center stem as the second housing moves relative to the first housing to regulate pressure to the nozzle orifice. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20100301130 | Automatic nozzle changer - A sprinkler assembly includes a housing having an open side; a sprinkler body supported at one end of the housing and adapted to receive a nozzle. A nozzle magazine is attached to the housing along the open side and holds plural nozzles selectively alignable with said sprinkler body. An actuator is arranged to move a selected one of the plural nozzles from the nozzle magazine into the sprinkler body. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100288846 | CONTINUOUS-FEED LINEAR IRRIGATOR WITH SEPARATE OR INTEGRATED DOCKING DEVICES AND RELATED METHOD - A linear irrigation system includes a linear irrigator movable in a first direction along a path of travel and including plural towers supporting a truss assembly extending laterally in a direction substantially perpendicular to the path of travel. The truss assembly carries a plurality of sprinklers connected to a water supply pipe. A plurality of hydrants are spaced along the water supply pipe, each hydrant having a valve, and a pair of laterally adjacent trolleys are mounted on an elongated frame for movement in two opposite directions, each trolley having a docking station and hydrant valve actuator, the docking stations resiliently suspended from said trolleys for movement in at least three mutually perpendicular directions and adapted to engage and disengage, successively, the plurality of hydrants on the supply pipe extending below and between the pair of trolleys. The trolleys and docking stations may be carried on a mobile cart or incorporated into the linear irrigator | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100252654 | SPRINKLER WITH NUTATING MECHANISM AND OPTIONAL WEIGHT - A rotary, nutating sprinkler head includes a housing supporting a nozzle; a starter tube axially adjacent the nozzle and extending in a downstream direction, concentric with a vertical center axis of the sprinkler head. A spool assembly is loosely supported on the starter tube, the spool assembly including a double-flanged spool and a water-deflection plate carried by the spool, the water-deflection plate formed with one or more grooves shaped to cause the spool assembly to rotate when impinged upon by a stream emitted From the nozzle. Either the starter tube or the spool is provided with at least one tilting lug located to keep the spool assembly in a tilted or angularly offset orientation relative to the vertical center axis, thereby facilitating a wobbling action of the spool assembly during rotation. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100147979 | POWER-ASSISTED DOCKING STATION FOR MOBILE IRRIGATION APPARATUS - A mobile irrigation apparatus includes a frame assembly supporting at least one sprinkler and adapted for movement in a first direction along a path in a field to be irrigated; a docking station suspended from the frame assembly and adapted to engage and open one or more supply valves in a hydrant located in or adjacent the path for movement in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction, and at least one power actuator arranged to move the docking station in the second direction in response to at least one sensor to thereby facilitate lateral alignment of the docking station with the hydrant. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20090321537 | Dual-mode sprinkler head - A dual-mode sprinkler includes a nozzle arranged to supply a stream to a rotatable water-distribution plate. The sprinkler can be adjusted between free-spinning and retarded or braked rotation, enabling multi-use applications for the sprinkler. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090314862 | Irrigation system with smart hydrants and related method - An irrigation system is composed of a mobile sprinkler cart; a system water supply pipe supporting a plurality of hydrants adapted to be engaged by the mobile sprinkler cart and to supply water to a sprinkler supported on the cart; and an addressable electronic ID tag mounted on each hydrant. A main controller is programmed to control operation of the mobile sprinkler cart, and the ID tag is adapted to send at least hydrant identifying data to the main controller to thereby enable the main controller to move the mobile sprinkler cart to the hydrant. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20080277489 | Sprinkler with viscous hesitator and related method - A method of controlling rotation of a water distribution plate supported on a shaft and adapted to rotate about an axis defined by the shaft by reason of impingement of a stream emitted from a nozzle on grooves formed in the plate, the method includes: (a) slowing the rotation of the water distribution plate intermittently so as to create intervals of relatively slow and relatively fast rotation and thereby correspondingly increase and decrease, respectively, a radius of throw of the stream or improve the uniformity of water distribution; and (b) continually changing circumferential locations of the intervals about the axis. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080203190 | Fluid distributing device and method - A system for deflecting and distributing liquid from a liquid source is provided. The system comprises a deflector turbine element incorporated at one end of a cylindrical rotor which encloses at least a portion of the nozzle and is guided coaxially along the nozzle by at least one guide ring. The turbine element fixed to the rotor cylinder further comprises at least one diagonal groove configured to receive and deflect the liquid. The rotor or spindle element is configured to spin relatively freely around the nozzle (hollow shaft) and is allowed to reposition up or down along the nozzle shaft limited by the force of the water jet in one direction and a repelling magnetic force in the opposite direction. | 08-28-2008 |
