Idaho Patent of the Month – January 2021
Sprinklers aren’t things for kids to run through to cool off on hot summer days. They are important pieces of irrigation equipment. Conventional irrigation systems consist of down tubes with attached or mounted sprinkler heads. The most common sprinkler head is a distribution pad connected to a floating spool. This type of sprinkler head attempts to spray water randomly by making a nodding motion. Because of the design, they are limited to a vertical motion, so in order to cover a wider surface area, they have to be placed close together. However, this can damage the irrigation system the sprinklers are attached to because of the amount of vibration it causes. Counterbalance equipment can be attached to the system, but they are often bulky since they have open moving parts that need water protection. XCAD Valve and Irrigation, Inc. have developed an innovative sprinkler system to solve this problem.
Their new system has a detachable nozzle on the sprinkler head, to make it easier to replace or maintain the sprinklers. The sprinkler head is attached to the sprinkler body, which has a spool assembly inside that moves in a radial motion rather than a vertical one. Water is sprayed through the central bore of the spool, which has a distribution disk and friction bands to help the rotation of the sprinkler. XCAD USA’s sprinkler also has reduced vibration as the water comes from the central bore; so the weight is centrally distributed. This in turn, reduces any damage that vibration can cause to the irrigation system as a whole.
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