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  • 6/2/2025
Transcript
00:00This is an oscillating sprinkler. In this video we'll take a look at the mechanism inside to see
00:04how it works. Before we jump into the inner workings of an oscillating sprinkler, let's first see what
00:09are the key components involved. Let's get started. First, this is the hose connector. This is where
00:16you connect your garden hose. It's the entry point for water into the sprinkler. This is the oscillator
00:22tube with a series of spray nozzles. An oscillating sprinkler is used for watering residential lawns
00:28or gardens. It provides even water coverage to a wide rectangular area by spraying a fan-shaped
00:33curtain of water back and forth. The oscillating mechanism is powered by the water flowing
00:38through the oscillator tube. No other energy source is needed. These are the sliding tabs. When you
00:44move the tabs closer together, the width of the spray pattern narrows. When you move them apart,
00:49the width increases. We'll look at the adjustment tabs mechanism in more detail later in this video.
00:55This is the end plug that allows you to drain the unit. In most oscillating sprinklers,
01:00a cleaning needle is also integrated into the end plug. The cleaning needle is used to clear debris
01:06from the nozzles, ensuring that the water spray remains consistent. Now let's see how the mechanism
01:14inside the sprinkler works. The sprinkler is made up of two sub-assemblies. The fixed sub-assembly,
01:20which is stationary and mounted on the frame. And the oscillating sub-assembly, which rotates in
01:25relation to the fixed sub-assembly. The oscillating sub-assembly is actually composed of two mechanisms.
01:35First, we have the drive mechanism that converts a jet of water into a low-speed rotational output.
01:41This is the water wheel or turbine. As water flows through the sprinkler's body,
01:45it strikes the blades of the water wheel just before entering the oscillatory tube.
01:50This impact transfers some of the water's kinetic energy to the wheel, causing it to spin at high
01:56speed. The water wheel is connected to the gear train, used to slow its fast rotational input speed
02:03down to the slow output speed required for the oscillatory tube ensuring proper water distribution.
02:08The last gear in the gear train is actually mounted to the fixed sub-assembly, enabling the oscillatory
02:15sub-assembly to rotate around it. The second mechanism alternately changes the direction of
02:21rotation of the hydraulic wheel. The sliding tabs are mounted on the fixed sub-assembly by means of
02:27rotary detent mechanism. It consists of a set of teeth on the tab's body and a corresponding series of
02:33notches on the sprinkler's body. When you adjust the tabs, the notches engage with the corresponding
02:39teeth at different positions. This engagement creates a slight resistance that holds each tab
02:44in place until sufficient force is applied to move them. The tab body has a slot through which a stop
02:51mounted on the oscillating sub-assembly travels. By moving the tabs, we can reduce or increase the slot
02:56length and therefore adjusting the travel of the oscillating sub-assembly.
03:04But how can we change the direction of rotation when the stop reaches the end of its travel?
03:08There's an arm mounted just above the stop. This arm controls a diverter plate that pivots
03:13between two water inlets. The purpose of the diverter plate is to direct the flow of water alternately
03:19from one inlet to the other, ensuring that only one inlet is open at any given time, while the other
03:25remains closed. The first inlet allows the water to turn the water wheel clockwise, while the second
03:31allows it to turn counterclockwise. During operation, water flows through the first inlet to turn the
03:37water wheel. When the stop reaches the end of its travel, the arm is pushed back in the opposite
03:42direction, pivoting the deflector plate, closing the first inlet and letting water flow through the
03:47second one, changing the direction of rotation of the water wheel. This action is repeated each time
03:53the arm reaches the end of its travel, in both directions, causing the sprinkler to oscillate
03:58back and forth. The last component is a pressure relief valve, which regulates the water pressure
04:03inside the sprinkler body. It consists of a disc mounted on a spring. If water pressure exceeds a
04:09certain level, it will compress the spring, allowing water to flow directly to the oscillator tube, bypassing
04:15the water wheel and releasing excess pressure, ensuring that the sprinkler operates within safe limits.
04:21I really hope you found this video informative and interesting. If you did, don't forget to give
04:25it a thumbs up and subscribe.