Lawn sprinkler head conversion sleeve

Abstract

A sprinkler head conversion sleeve/base member made of durable plastic, comprised of a cylindrical sleeve having an opening at the upper end with an external thread for attachment to a gear driven sprinkler head. The lower end of the sleeve having an external thread for attachment to the internal threads of an in-ground sprinkler housing. The open bottom of the sleeve receives water from the lower chamber of the existing sprinkler housing with no direct connect to a pressurized water system, water enters from either the bottom or the side orifice with no additional plumbing. The sleeve also supports internal protrusions which facilitate the mechanical operation of a gear driven sprinkler head used in conjunction with the sleeve.

Claims

1. A Lawn sprinkler head conversion sleeve configured for supplanting impact sprinkler heads to gear-driven sprinkler heads within an in-ground sprinkler housing, said sleeve comprising: a unitary, one-piece hollow body made of a durable plastic material and having openings at an top end, configured to accept a gear-driven sprinkler head, and a bottom end, configured to communicate with a sprinkler line; said hollow body having an upper portion and a lower portion; said upper portion comprising first external threads located on an upper end of said upper portion and adjacent said top end opening; second external threads located on a lower end of said upper portion configured engage an in-ground sprinkler housing; said first and second external threads being separated by a central body portion having a non-threaded external surface; and protrusions on an inner surface of said upper portion extending from said upper end to said lower end; said lower portion extending from the upper portion and comprising a non-threaded external surface; and an internal thread adjacent said bottom end opening of said hollow body configured for the attachment of a gear driven sprinkler head.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view through the sleeve body.

(2) FIG. 2 shows an orthographic projection of the sleeve in cross-section.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a front view of the sleeve.

(4) FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the sleeve in concert with a gear-driven head and an existing sprinkler housing.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the sleeve positioned in an existing sprinkler housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

(6) The purpose of this invention is such that it allows a person to remove old generation impact or impulse type sprinkler head from its housing in an in-ground sprinkler system and insert the conversion sleeve which allows a gear-driven sprinkler head to be threaded into it, changing the system from impulse/impact to gear-driven. The conversion sleeve can be inserted into an existing in-ground sprinkler housing which has been vacated by the removal of an impact sprinkler head and subsequently support gear driven sprinkler heads, which changes the entire complexity of the lawn sprinkling system.

(7) The lawn sprinkler head conversion sleeve (1) is a single, hollow cylindrical sleeve manufactured and machined of durable plastic material, such as ABS or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The sleeve has an upper portion and a lower portion.

(8) The upper portion comprising a plurality of protrusions on an inner surface of the upper portion of the sleeve running the length of the upper portion (FIGS. 1-3). The protrusions may be v-shaped and facilitate the securing the gear driven device for normal gearhead operation.

(9) The upper portion also has top (2) and bottom (4) external threads (FIG. 3) to accommodate the functionality of the sleeve. The top external thread (2) provides an attachment point for a gear-driven sprinkler head (10). The bottom external thread (4) allows the sleeve to attach to the internal threads (9) of the in-ground housing (8). The top and bottom threads are separated by a central body portion having a non-threaded external surface.

(10) The sleeve further comprises a lower portion having a non-threaded external surface and an internal thread (5) adjacent a bottom end opening of the sleeve which is configured for the attachment of a gear driven sprinkler head. The internal thread (5) can be plumbed to replace the entire housing in the event of a housing damaged beyond repair. The bottom end opening (7) will allow pressurized water to egress into the sleeve (1) from a lower chamber (11) of an in-ground sprinkler housing (8; FIGS. 4-5) with no direct connection to the pressurized line.

(11) The three-step process to implement this invention is as follows:

(12) 1. Remove the impact sprinkler head from housing (8) using a lifting tool commonly used to remove impact sprinkler heads. 2. Insert and twist the conversion sleeve (1) into the in-ground housing's internal threads (5). 3. Insert and twist a gear-driven head (10) into the internal threads of the conversion sleeve (1) such that it is even with a lawn surface (FIG. 5).