Abstract: A direct-flushing fluid filter comprises a filter body disposed within a housing and defining a first plurality of parallel flow paths from the housing inlet to the filtered fluid outlet, and a second plurality of parallel flow paths from the housing inlet to a dirt-purging outlet. Each of the first flow paths includes a filter passageway for removing dirt particles, and an inlet chamber on the inlet side of the respective filter passageway for accumulating the dirt particles. Each of the second flow paths connects the inlet chambers to the dirt-purging outlet while bypassing its respective filter passageway. The filter further includes a valve between the second flow paths and the dirt-purging outlet, which valve is normally closed but is opened to effect a cleaning of the filter by directly flushing the dirt in the inlet chambers through the second flow paths to the dirt-purging outlet.

Abstract: A clamping band for securing together two flanged members formed with annular flanges, such as a filter housing, comprises an elongated flexible member wrappable about the annular flanges of the two flanged members; a draw bolt and shackle for fixing the ends of the elongated flanged members; and a plurality of flat, rigid inserts receivable on the elongated flexible member and spaced along the length thereof, each of the rigid inserts being formed with a recess on one face, constituting its inner face, for receiving the flanges of the two flanged members.

Abstract: A liquid spraying device comprises a nozzle formed with an outlet orifice through which the water exits as a jet flowing parallel to the axis of the nozzle, a laterally-displaceable cup member supported close to and overlying the outlet orifice so as to be impinged by the jet and to reflect it back towards the nozzle, and a deflector surface in the path of the reflected-back liquid, which deflector surface is formed with a plurality of channels extending generally radially of the nozzle and effective to deflect the reflected-back liquid and to concentrate the spray produced by the cup member along the channels. Described are a static-type device in which the deflector surface is formed in the face of the nozzle having the outlet orifice, and rotary-type devices in which the deflector surface is formed in a rotor mounted between the cup member and the face of the nozzle having the outlet orifice.

Abstract: A quick-action on/off valve comprises a housing including a partition having an interconnecting passageway between the two chambers on opposite sides of the partition. One chamber includes a fixed piston and a movable cylinder, the cylinder including a resilient disc between its closed end and the port leading from the first chamber, and a spring urging the cylinder in the direction tending to close the latter port. Spacing means are provided between the partition and the open end of the cylinder for continuously maintaining communication between the first chamber and the interconnecting passageway. The difference in the cross-sectional areas of the first port and of the cylinder result in a smaller area of the cylinder being effective to open the valve when the valve is closed, but a larger area of the cylinder being effective to close the valve when the valve is open, thereby providing a quick-action opening and closing of the valve.

Abstract: A liquid sprinkler comprises a nozzle, a bridge including an outer section overlying the nozzle, and a rotor in alignment with the nozzle bore so as to be impinged by the water jet issuing therefrom. The outer bridge section includes a deflector surface aligned with the nozzle bore and having an enlarged area such that when the deflector surface is impinged by the axial jet from the nozzle bore, it produces an annular spray laterally of the sprinkler, whereby the sprinkler may be converted from a rotary sprinkler producing a rotating jet, to a static sprinkler producing an annular spray by merely removing the rotor from the nozzle and permitting the jet to impinge on the deflector surface area of the outer bridge section.

Abstract: A multiple-disc filter comprises a stack of filtering discs each formed with grooves extending only partially through the thickness of the disc and configured to define a continuous, non-apertured surface on one face and a plurality of spaced ribs projecting from the opposite faces. The ribs are connected together to define a sinuous configuration and have flat line edges. The stack further includes spacing means between the contacting faces of adjacent discs of the stack, spacing the straight line edges of the sinuous ribs of one disc from the face of the next adjacent disc in the stack, such that the contacting faces of adjacent discs define a first group of recesses between the ribs communicating with the housing inlet, a second group of recesses alternating with the first group of recesses and communicating with the housing outlet, and a plurality of filtering passageways between the straight line edges of the ribs and the opposite face of the next adjacent disc.

Abstract: A water sprinkler comprises a housing formed with an inlet bore connectable to a source of pressurized water; a tubular connector having one and received within the inlet bore, and its opposite end connectable to the source of pressurized water; and a strainer element supported within the inlet bore by the tubular connector when the latter is received within the inlet bore. The strainer element is formed with a plurality of open notches along its outer edge defining a plurality of passageways of small cross-sectional area blocking the flow of solid particles to the sprinkler, which passageways may be immediately and thoroughly rinsed of the solid particles by merely removing the tubular connector and its strainer element from the inlet bore while the tubular connector is connected to the source of pressurized water.

Abstract: A filter capable of being cleaned by reverse flushing, comprises a housing including a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a flushing outlet, and a filter body disposed within the housing. The housing includes blocking members disposed on opposite faces of the filter body and axially spaced from each other to define a reverse flushing passageway from the fluid inlet to the flushing outlet through the portion of the filter body between the axially-spaced blocking members. At least one of the blocking members is movable axially of the filter body to reversely-flush the complete length of the filter body.

Abstract: A multiple-disc filter includes a pressure member located within the filter housing upstream of the discs forming the stack to press the discs tighter together when the fluid flows from the housing inlet to the housing outlet, and to permit the discs to move apart for cleaning the filter when the fluid flows in the reverse direction. Each filter disc is formed with alternating groups of radially-extending slots to define circumferential filtering passageways between the ends of the slots.

Abstract: Rotary sprinklers are described comprising a nozzle having an axial bore for forming an axial jet, and a rotor floatingly mounted for axial and rotary movement, the underface of the rotor being formed with a pair of grooves from its center to its outer edge for deflecting the axial jets laterally of the sprinkler and for imparting a rotary motion to the rotor. The rotor further includes a stem depending from its underface and received within the nozzle bore, which stem is formed with a pair of grooves extending axially thereof and merging with the radially-extending grooves in the underface of the rotor. Also described are various arrangements for floatingly mounting the rotor by means of a spindle, a cap, or a bridge.

Abstract: A flow regulator comprises a sleeve fixed within a body member and formed with an opening serving as a metering passageway, a second sleeve displaceable with respect to the fixed sleeve so as to vary the effective size of the metering passageway, a spring biasing the displaceable sleeve in the direction to enlarge the met metering passageway, and a flow sensor element carried by the displaceable sleeve and impinged by the flowing fluid so as to displace the second sleeve in the direction of restricting the metering passageway. Also described is a spray nozzle including the above flow regulator, and a deflector floatingly mounted so as to be impinged by the jet issuing from the spray nozzle.

Abstract: A fluid flow control device particularly useful as a drip irrigation emitter comprises a body member formed with at least two grooves in spaced parallel relationship separated by a separator wall, one of which grooves leads to the inlet and the other to the outlet; and a flexible member overlapping the two grooves and separator wall so as to meter the flow between the two grooves for substantially the complete length of the separator wall in response to the dynamic pressure of the flowing fluid.

Abstract: A fluid pressure regulator is described including a movable regulator member and means biassing same to its fully-open position, the regulator member being exposed to the outlet pressure for moving same in the opposite direction and including a pressure-sensor surface portion which, when the regulator member is in its fully-open position, engages an inner face of the housing such as to reduce the effective area of the pressure-sensor surface. The regulator member is thus retained in its fully-open position by the biassing means until the actual outlet pressure exceeds the regulated value by a preselected pressure differential, at which time the regulator member is moved by the outlet pressure away from its fully-open position, thereby making effective its complete pressure-sensor surface to thereafter regulate the outlet pressure.

Abstract: A rod clamp particularly useful as a pipe coupling includes at least two coaxial members with aligned bores adapted to receive the pipe to be coupled, each member having an annular shoulder at least one of which is eccentric such that the members can be rotated with respect to the other to either clamp or release the pipe. In one described embodiment, the two coaxial members are a housing and an end cap, respectively. In a second described embodiment, the coaxial members are a plurality of clamping rings having eccentric openings which are receivable within a housing and are rotated by the housing end cap, the clamping rings being coupled to each other by lost-motion connections such that the more the housing end cap is rotated, the greater the number of clamping rings that become effective to clamp the pipe.

Abstract: A fluid distribution system is described including a plurality of utilization devices, such as water sprinklers or drippers, supplied with pressurized fluid, characterized in that the inlet pressure to the utilization devices is substantially equalized by the provision of pressure-equalizer valves. Each valve includes means for producing a pressure drop having a first component compensating for the pressure change due to the elevation of the utilization device, and a second component compensating for the pressure drop due to the distance of fluid flow to the utilization device. Also described are pressure-equalizer valve constructions producing pressure drops having the above two components.

Abstract: A spraying device is described comprising a nozzle formed with an outlet orifice through which the fluid issues in the form of a jet, and a cup-shaped member having a thin wall defining an open end of slightly larger diameter than the outlet orifice. The cup-shaped member is floatingly mounted for lateral and axial movement with respect to the nozzle orifice such that the jet issuing therefrom always impinges the cup-shaped member within its open end. The device further includes limiting means limiting the floating movement of the cup-shaped member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for producing an article constituted of two or more plastic parts, wherein a pair of mold plates are each provided with at least two spaced forming surfaces defining, in a closed position of the plates during a molding stroke, separate cavities each of the shape of one of the parts of the article. The mold plates are closed during the molding stroke to form the parts, after which the mold plates are opened and the apparatus is operated according to one or more assembling strokes. During each assembling stroke, one plate is stepped with respect to the other to bring the two parts into alignment, and the two mold plates are then closed to apply one part to the other.The method and apparatus are described with respect to making a three-part spray nozzle.

Abstract: A rotary sprinkler is described comprising a nozzle formed with an axial bore, a spindle extending through the bore and including stops at its opposite ends, and a rotor floatingly mounted on the spindle for rotary and axial movement thereon by the liquid jet issuing from the nozzle bore, the spindle being also axially and laterally movable within the bore such that the rotation of the rotor by the jet self-centers it on the spindle and also self-centers the spindle in the nozzle bore.

Abstract: A mounting for a water irrigation device comprises a vertical post secured at one end to a ground stake and carrying at its opposite end a cylindrical horizontal socket for frictionally receiving the stem of a fitting adapted to mount the water irrigation device, the latter device being connected to a water supply conduit by a flexible tube having connectors at its opposite ends attachable to the water supply pipe and to the fitting.

Abstract: A steppable mechanism is described comprising a cam member formed with a series of interconnecting cam slots symmetrically arranged in a closed loop around a central axis, and a follower pin movable within the slots to effect a rotary movement of the cam member in stepped increments in a predetermined forward direction. Each of the cam slots is of decreasing depth in the forward direction of rotation of the cam member such that at each juncture of one slot with the next, the end point of the slot traversed is higher than the starting point of the next slot in the forward direction to thereby define a shoulder between the two slots blocking the return movement of the pin in the traversed direction and constraining its movement only into the next slot in the forward direction of rotation.Also described are valve constructions including the steppable mechanism for actuating the valve at a predetermined step thereof.