US3077306A

US3077306A - Fountain with movable nozzles

Info

Publication number: US3077306A
Application number: US39352A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herzog Hans
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-01-29
Filing date: 1960-06-28
Publication date: 1963-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-12

Description

Feb. 12, 1963 H. HERZOG FOUNTAIN WITH MovABLE NozzLEs 35 24 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28,/1960 2 IN VEN TOR.

G O Z R E H S N A H AGENT Feb. 12, 1963 H. HERZOG 3,077,306

FOUNTAIN WITH MOVABLE NOZZLES Filed June 28, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 HA N S HERZOG INVENTOR.

WQRP

AGENT Feb. 12, 1963 H. HERZOG FOUNTAIN wml MovABLE NozzLEs 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 28. 1960 HANS HERZOG INVENTOR.

BY Karl ibs;

AGENT Feb. 12, 1963 H. HERZOG FOUNTAIN WITH MOVABLE NOZZLES Filed June 28, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. /O

All

HANS HERZOG INVENTOR.

S gurl gi@ AGENT Patented Feb. l2, 1h53 3,077,396 FOUN'lFAlN t/Jll'llt Mill/ABLE NZZLES Hans Herzog, Hutteidorlerstrasse 'i/Ifl, Vienna. Xliv, Austria Filed .inne 255, i969, Ser. No. 39,352 Claims priority, application Austria Lian. 29, 1960 5S Qlaims. (Cl. 23g-227) This invention relates to a fountain which comprises a circular series of jet nozzles mounted in a carrying plate by means of articulated joints so as to be movable in all directions and connected by llexible' hose connections to a distributor head having a like number of connecting nipples and having a limited freedom of movement, all jet nozzles having control elements connected thereto which are jointly operable to adjust the jet nozzles to different angular positions.

When the jet nozzles are pivotally moved in a radial direction toward .and away from the center of the circular series of nozzles with the intensity of the jets of water remaining unchanged, the range which is `sprayed is ,greatly enlarged so that only water basins having a very large diameter appear to be suitable for the erection of such fountains. ln order to enable the incorporation of this fountain with an unchanged height of jet also in water basins which are rmly installed or provisionally erected in gardens, it is proposed according to the invention automatically to shorten the range of the water jets of the fountains when they are radially outwardly directed, eg., from the center of the installation.

According to the invention this effect is achieved in that the path of water including the distributor chamber, the hose connections and the jet nozzles incorporates at one point a throttling device which reduces the range of the jets and has operating means positively connected to the mechanical, electrical or hydraulic control device for the jet nozzles so that during the pivotal movement of the jet nozzles from their vertical position the water paths are progressively constricted to reduce the range of the jets.

This `basic solution of the idea of the invention may -be embodied in various ways.

ln one embodiment the throttling of the water jets is eilected by a throttling device consisting of several ilow retarding elements which are radially movable in the nozzle joint and, under the iniluence of control cams at the joint bearing and in dependence on the pivotal movement of the nozzles from their vertical position, automatically enter into the nozzle duct to restrict the free cross-section of dow of the nozzle and in the vertical position of the nozzle automatically return to their initial position under the liquid pressure of the water jet.

The invention may also be embodied in a structure in which the throttling device consists of an annular slide valve which is rotatably mounted in a distributor charnber on the inner surface of a restorated chamber wall communicating with the supply conduits for the water, this valve being indirectly connected to at least one element of the control means which rotate the nozzle joints and upon actuation of which said element restricts the cross-sections of flow of the connection openings in dependence on the magnitude of the angle of the pivotal Lrovement of ti e nozzles.

ln order to reduce, on the one hand, the length of the path of the water to the jet nozzles and to ensure, on the other hand, a sealing action which is as favorable as possible, the hose connections are eliminated according to the invention and each ot the joints of the jet nozzles, consists of two cylinders which lie in a horizontal plane and are arranged at an angle, preferably a right angle, to each other and form a waterconducting unit. One of the cylinders of the joint having two degrees of freedom, which has a radial water passage provided with an annular slide valve which is rotatably mounted on said cylinder and carries the jet nozzle and connects it to the water passage of the cylinder and is adjustable by means of one of the links. The other cylinder, the axis of which is radially directed toward the center of the circular series of nozzles, is rotatably mounted in a stationary housing and is rotatable to move a radial bore relative to a water inlet provided in the housing to control the jet in an angular range of nozzle movement at right angles to the radius directed to the center of the nozzle joint, said other cylinder being operable by means of linlcs which are independent of said first-mentioned links.

it is essential that the water jet be increasingly shortened as the jet nozzle is pivotally moved through increasing angles. ln a development of the invention this is eilected in such a manner that, on the one hand, the radial bore of one cylinder is adjustable relative to the water passage of the housing and the radial `bore of the annular slide valve is adjustable relative to the radial water passage of the other cylinder to throttle the water pressure in the nozzles and to vary the range of the water jet.

A. fountain having details embodying the invention is described hereinafter, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view showing the fountain with all essential details;

FIG. 2 is a bottom View showing a portion of the carrying plate;

FlGS. 3 and 4 yare an elevation and cross-sectional view along the line lV-ll/ of FIG. 3, respectively, showing the control mechanism;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIG. 1 showing two dill'erent positions of a jet nozzle with its control element for controlling the range of the jet;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view showing the nozzle joint with reduced nozzle cross-sectiong FlG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the distributing chamber of a second embodiment of the control device for controlling the range of the jet;

PIG. 9 is a top-plan view of the nozzle joint shown in FIG. 8;

HG. l() is a crosssectional view taken along the line X-X of FlG. l1, showing the essential parts of `a modiiied forni of the `fountain and showing one half of the fountain;

FIG. 11 is a top-plan view showing a portion of the carrying plate and of the distributor chamber and a horizontal sectional View oi a universal joint;

FlG. l2 is an end View showing one of the joints of a jet nozzle; and

FlG. 13 is a top-plan view showing on a reduced scale the circular series of jet nozzles with the nozzle joints and the carrying plate.

The fountain comprises a circular series of jet nozzles l (best seen in FlGS. 5 and 6), each of which is firmly mounted in a ball 2. By means of these balls 2 these jet nozzles are movably mounted in angularly equipped positions in a disc-shaped support plate 4, which is rotatably mounted by means of its vertical shaft 3. Below this carrying plate 4 a control disc S is rotatably mounted on a hub 6 of the carrying plate l at a short axial distance therefrom and has a number of radial slots 7 which correspond in number to the nozzles and `in which sliding members d are radially movable. Each of the latter is provided with a ball 9 having a bore through which a respective nozzle l extends and wherein the nozzle l is axially slid-able. Thus, the two bediend-

socket joints

2, 9 associated with each nozzle enable the jet nozzles 1 to be jointly pivotally displaceable radially toward or away from the center of the support plate d and, by a relative rotation of the control disc 5 and the plate d, to be adjusted in the direction of rotation to impart a twist tothe jet. The control means for the radial adjustment of the jet nozzles 1 consists of an adjusting slide 10, which is axially movable on the hollow shaft 3 and articulately connected by control rods 11 to the sliding members 8 of the control disc 5 to effect a radial movement of the members. These control rods 11 are connected by means of pivots V12, 13 to the adjusting slide 10 and the sliding members 8 and are disposed along generatrices of a frustum of a cone which is coaxial with the shaft 3. The adjusting slide 1t) has a driver pin 1S, which extends through two elongated slots 14 of the shaft 3 and to which one end of a pulling rope 16 is connected. The rope 16 extends in the tubular shaft 3 and maintains the adjusting slide 1t) in its initial position again-st the action of a spring 17 tending to pull it back to its elevated extreme position (largest angle of inward deection of the nozzles). The other end of the spring is connected to the carrying plate d at an eye 18.

For the rotation of the control disc 5 relative to the carrying plate 4 a pulling rope 19 is provided in the tubular shaft 3 and extends over two

rollers

20, 21, mounted in stationary positions on the underside of the carrying plate, to a pin 22 on the control disc 5. This pin 22 has connected thereto a second rope 24 (FIG. 2), which extends in the opposite direction over a roller 23 and is subjected to the tension of a spring 25. The spring 25 is aixed to the carrying plate 4 by means of a bolt 26 so that the spring 2S, having a predetermined initial stress,

can maintain the control disc 5 in its initial position (shown in FG. 6) to adjust the jet nozzles l to Ia position in which they extend at a maximum angle to the shaft 3 of the carrying plate 4.

All the jet nozzles 1 pivotally mounted by means of balls 2 in the carrying plate 3 are flexibly connected by hoses 27 to hose nipples 23 of la disc-

shaped distributor head

29, 30. This disc-shaped distributor head is hollow and its hub 31 is mounted in a stationary ball bearing 32 whereas its top 30, carrying the circular array of connection nipples 28, is rigidly connected at its center by several screws 34 to a ilange 33 of the hollow shaft 3` of the carrying plate 4. The distributor head 2,9, 30 and the carrying plate 4 as well as its control disc 5 thus form a unit surrounded by a housing shell 35, which is liquid-tightly secured to the carrying plate 4 and the

distributor head

29, 36 and extends somewhat beyond the carrying plate 4 and is covered by a top 36 consisting of yieldable plastic and permitting the displacement of the jet nozzles 1. In the `space 37 surrounded by the housing shell 35,

distributor head

29, 30 and the carrying plate 4, all control elements 1d to 26 are protected from the action of moisture and may be covered with lubricant.

The cavity 4t) of the distributor head 29, 3i) is supplied with water under pressure through a tube 33 directly connected to the hub 31 of the head 2Q, 3th This water enters through openings 39 of the tube wall from a head 41 of the supply conduit 42a, which head surrounds the tube 38 with a clearance. This head 41 is stationary and Vis watertightly closed at top and bottom by sealing rings 42 in sealing engagement with the rotating tube 38. The tube 3S itself has a bottom d3, through which a coaxial liner tube 44 passes. The small diameter tube d4 extends upwardly into the

distributor head

29, 30, where its end is moisture-tightly, but rotatably connected by a hose coupling 45 to a connection tube 47 having the same inside diameter and watertightly fitted with a ange 46 in the top 3l) of the distributor head. This

narrow ltube

44, 47 serves to guide the two

pulling ropes

16, 19 required for controlling the jet nozzles 1. The lower ends of these ropes are connected each to one of two bolts Si, 52., which are lrelatively staggered in the axial direction and are voffset by an angle of 90, the bolts 51, 512 being axially guided in

elongated slots

48, 49 of a tubular member 5t? rigidly connected to the tube bottom 43. Each of the two bolts 51 Iand 52 is tted in a

cone

53, 54, which surrounds the tubular member 50 with a clearance and which is rmly mounted in the inner race 55, 55' of a

ball bearing

56, 56. The outer race 57 of bearing S6 is held by the

pins

58 and 59 of a fork 66 of a control lever 62 pivotally mounted on the pivot 61 and is movable in the axial direction of the tubular member 56 for shifting the ball bearing 56 and the pin 51 in the axial direction. FIG. 4 shows in a top view that the two control levers 62 *63 of the

pins

51, 52 cross each other at an acute angle `'and indirectly cooperate with

control arms

67 and 68, respectively, which will be described hereinafter.

In the embodiment shown, the operation of the control levers 62, 63 is effected partly by mechanical and partly by hydraulic means, which are motor-controlled` Two camwheels 6d, 65 are secured to a common shaft 66, which can be driven by an electric motor or by a water turbine having a controllable speed. These camwheels make, say, one revolution per minute and alternately initiate the control action during one revolution and stop it during the next. Each of the two

camwheels

64, 65 is replaceable and associated with a

control arm

67 or 68, which carries a

roller

69 or 76* engaging the periphery of its

camwheel

64 or 65 and which is pivoted on a pin 71. Each of the two

control arms

67, 68 guides a slide bush 73, 73' which slides on a

tubular piston rod

72, 72 and in its normal position blocks a circular series of bores 74 of the piston rod '72, 72 (only the latter being seen in FIG. 3). The piston rod is closed below its bores 74 by a pin 75 and its lower end, consisting of a solid rod is articulatedly connected to the control lever 62, 63 (as shown for lever 63). The tubular piston rod 72 carries at its top end a piston 76, through which it extends so that the piston rod opens into the cylinder chamber 77 above the piston. In this chamber the piston 76 moves under the pressure or" the water supplied to t'ne cylinder 78 through the conduit 79. The slide bush 73 is also connected to the piston rod 72 by a spring Si) connected to the bush 73 and the piston rod 72 so that the piston rod 72 is always pushed into the slide bush '73 to such an extent that the radial bores 74 of the piston rod are within the slide bush. The distributor head Z9, 36 has a gear rim S1 in mesh with a pinion S2 of a shaft 83 which is driven by an electric motor 84 or by a turlbine.

The mode of operation of the fountain is as follows:

It may be assumed that the

distributor head

29, 39 together with the carrying plate d for the jet nozzles 1 rotates at 30 revolutions per minute and the

camwheels

64, 65 are driven at a speed of one revolution per minute and during one revolution start the control means whereas they -stop it during the next minute. The water pressure is suitably variable and may be adjusted to 4 kg./sq. cm. above atmospheric pressure so that the water jet may easily rise to a height of 6 metres.

When the jet nozzles 1 are in their position shown in FIG. l, they extend almost vertically so that the water jets rise steeply and fall almost as steeply to form a rotating column, which extends uniformly upwardly or tapers upwardly or downwardly. If one of the

camwheels

64, 65 is rotated to lower or raise one of the two control arms `67, `63, its slide bush 73 will also be displaced on the

piston rod

72, 72 in the corresponding direction. When the slide bush 73 is lowered to a stop 35 of the piston rod 72', the radial bores 74 of the latter will he closed so that an outow of pressure water from the cylinder 73 is prevented. The water pressure acts immediately on the piston 76 and urges it downwardly until the radial bores 74 emerge again from the lower rim of the slide bush 73 to permit a free outow of the water from the piston rod 72. This downward movement of the piston 76 has the result that the control lever 63 is swung downwardly and by means of the corresponding pulling

rope

16, 19 moves either the adjusting slide 10 downwardly against the spring action or effects a movement of the control disc 5 relative to the carrying plate d against the action of the spring 25. Each of the described aorzsoe movements results thus in an adjustment of the jet nozzles l about their ball-and-socket joints 2 either in a radial or peripheral direction or in both directions at the same time so that the water jets can be continuously displaced to form jet patterns of all kinds. It the control arm 67 is lifted by the camwheel 64 its slide bush 73 will also -be moved upwardly. This causes an increase in the stress of the respective spring Si) pulling the piston rod 72 with the piston 76 so that this displaces additional pressure water in the cylinder 73 until the radial bores '74 of the piston rod 72 enter the slide bush 73 to reduce the cross-section of flow for the pressure Water to such an extent that the upward movement of the piston 76 is interrupted. This upward movement of the piston 76 enables the stressed spring of the control lever 62 to swing the lever 62 upwardly so that the spring i7 of the adjusting slide 1i) or the spring 25 of the control disc 5 is released for action and causes a movement of the sliding members 8 in the direction opposite to that which has een described hereinbefore. Thus, a lifting of the associated slide bush 73 will effect an outward radial movement of the sliding members 3 and an inward radial pivotal movement of the jet nozzles il and a lowering of the associated slide bush '73 will effect an inward radial movement of the sliding members 3 towards the shaft 3 and an outward radial pivotal movement of the jet nozzles 1. The pivotal movement of the jet nozzles Il in one or the other direction of rotation of the control disc 5 may be ellected independently of the carrying plate 4 rotating continuously in one direction by means oi the camwheel 65, the control arm 63, a slide bush 73 and the control lever 63.

All these control movements are eilected by means of the two camwheels 64 and 65, which can be driven by a drive motor of any desired type having a low speed (l revolution per minute).

Instead or" the camwheels, a perforated tape or a magnetic tape may be used as controlling means and may have electrical or electromagnetic control members associated with it which are connected to the pulling

ropes

16, 19 to change the position of the jet nozzles.

ln order to ensure that during a radial pivotal movement of the nozzle l from the periphery to the center of the circular series of nozzles or outwardly from the periphery of the circular series of nozzles the water jets will not splash beyond the predetermined circular range, a throttling device is incorporated in the water path leading to the nozzles i. According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing the throttling-valve means consists of several valve members 36, which are radially slidably mounted in the ball-and-soclcet joint 2 and consist of small pins or the like, which are smaller in diameter lthan the bore of the nozzle ll and are fitted in radial bores of the ball 2 and of the nozzle tube Il. The bearing body of the joint ball 2 consists of two annular bearing members S7, S3 and has a hollow-spherical seating face S9, which forms a cam face for the pins S6. The radius of curvature of this seat face in longitudinal section is much smaller than its diameter adjacent to the apex of the curvature. As a resu t, the joint ball I? of 4the nozzle l engages only the top and bottom rim portions of the hollow-spherical seat face 89 of the joint bearing 87, S8 and a crescentshaped annular space is left tree in the bearing between the peripheral surface of the joint ball 2 and the hollowspherical seat face il?. The pin-shaped valve members 85 are always urged back into the radial bores of the joint ball 2 and held with their blunt end faces against the camming surface d? under pressure of the water owing in the nozzle tube. FlG. 5 shows the displacing bodies S6 in the normal unthrottlcd condition of the jet nozzle l, the cross-section of flow ofthe nozzle being undiminished. If the jet nozzle 1 is pivotally moved in any direction from its vertical position, at least two of the displacing bodies 86 will be automatically cammed inwardly by the face S9 into the position apparent from FIG. 6, whereby the cross-section of the jet nozzle is reduced and the water jet is throttled. FIG. 6 shows the jet nozzle in one extreme position, in which the valve bodies d6 restrict the nozzle cross-section to reduce the intensity of the water jet so that the range of the water jet is reduced to that extent which is predetermined by the periphery of the basin or the like,

The second mode of throttling the water jet is apparent from FIG. 8 and has the great advantage that all elements can lie in the water of the fountain basin. An annular slide valve is rotatably mounted in the distributor chamber 40', which has passages M arranged in a circle and alignable with the openings 2S of the connecting lines 27' of the chamber wall. It the rotary slide valve dll is rotated by a part of the diameter of a passage 91, the openings 28 of all connecting conduits 27 will be reduced in size so that the water pressure in the jet nozzles l is correspondingly reduced and the length of the water jets is diminished. To enable a rotation of the annular slide valve 9i), the same has a recess in the form of a gap, which is engaged by a cog 92 of a vertical shaft 93, rotatably mounted in the top 36' of the distributor chamber all'. That portion of this cog shaft 93 which extends out of the chamber top 36 has a pin 94 extending in opposite radial directions from the shaft. Under the pressure of a spring 108 connected to the cog shaft 93 each of these pins engages a wedge-shaped

control member

95 or 95a. One of these control members 9S is rigidly connected to the control plate 96 and the other control member 95a is rigidly connected to the control plate N3. The control plates 96 and N3 are mutually independently movable up and down parallel to themselves and serve to move the jet nozzles l radially inwardly and outwardly and also at right angles to the radial displacement. The jet nozzles 1 are mounted in a joint head 97 constructed like a Cardan or universal joint and consisting of a head holding the nozzle tube 1 and having two aligned cross pins 93 and a joint fork 99, in the two prongs of which the two cross pins 93 are rotatably mounted to enable a radial pivotal movement ofthe head 97 toward the center of the circular array of nozzles. The joint fork 99 is mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis on the pivot pin lili? in the stationary carrying plate 4 so that the jet nozzle l and its head are free to oscillate about a substantially horizontal axis which extends radially. ln order to enable the rotation or" the joint fork 923 about its pivot pin ldd, the fork is provided with an eye lill, protruding laterally from one prong of the forli which has a connecting rod itl?. connected thereto, The latter is operable by a control plate 163 common to the connecting rods of all joint forks. This control plate i533 is firmly mounted on a control rod iti-fl. concentrically mounted in the carrying plate d, d and axially slidable to rotate the joint forks Sli. A tube ltl, loosely mounted on this control rod is rigidly connected at its upper end to the second control plate 9d, which is articulatedly connected by a linlc ldd to a lever arm lil? radially protruding from the associated joint head Yi. When one of the control plates 96, i433 is lifted and lowered either the joint forks 99 or the joint heads 97 of all jet nozzles l will be jointly pivotally moved from the vertical position in the desired direction to vary the pattern formed by the water jets. rThe movement of the two control plates 96, M23 is effected, eg., by means of the two carnwheels 6d and d5 and by the control levers d'7 and 5S.

This movement of the control plate gd is followed by the wedge-shaped control member h5, which is moved upwardly or downwardly in its longitudinal direction. The pin 9d of the cog shaft 93 slides under the action of the spring ldd along the wedge-shaped control edge of tlfcontrol member 95 to cause a rotation of the cog 92 and consequently of the annular slide valve Sill to an extent which corresponds to the pivotal movement of the jet nozzles l. Thus the cross-sections of ow of the openings 2?,- of the connecting conduits 27 are reduced autres@ by the annular slide valve 9i) and the water pressure correspondingly reduced -to such an extent that the range of the Water jets is progressively decreased as the nozzles are pivotally moved through an increasing angle. The same effect of throttling the water jet will be achieved if the control plate 1113 is axially moved to swing the jet nozzles 1 in a tangential direction with respect to the pitch circle of the circular series of nozzles. The control plate 103 with its wedge-shaped control member 95a moves the pin 911 for rotating the cog shaft 93 and the annular slide valve so that the cross-sections of flow of the openings 28er all connecting conduits 27 of the jet nozzles 1 is achieved. Since each of the two wedgeshaped control members 95, a is connected to one of the two pins 94 which project radially from opposite sides of the cog shaft 93, neither of the two

control members

95, 95a Will interfere with the function of the other. The `hub 6 of the carrying plate fi or the carrying plate itself is firmly connected by several struts 169 to the gear, in this case a spur gear 11u, which is secured to the distributor chamber 29, 30', as has already -been described. As a result, lthe gear 110, the distributor chamber 29', 30', ythe connecting conduits 2'7" and the carrying plate 4 constitute a rigid unit. The provision of nozzle joints consisting of universal joints affords the great advantage that the entire control means can be immersed directly in the water of the fountain basin so that the housing filled with lubricating oil is eliminated.

The fountain has a carrying plate 4 of FIG. l0, which forms an annular distributor Chamber dil dividing the water to be delivered to the several jet nozzles ll. This carrying plate 4" rests on a plurality of columns 111, e.g., on three columns lspaced 120 apart, each of which consists of a water-conducting tube. These three columns 111 bear on a rotary head 29", which is rotatably mounted on a stationary ball bearing 32 and can be rotated by means of a gear ring 81 about its imaginary vertical axis. Each of the columns 111 has a tightening screw 112 extending longitudinally therethrough and having a screw thread which is threaded into the rotary head 29" and carries at its top end a nut 113, by which the carrying plate 4 can be fixed to the rotary head 29". The housing in which the ball bearing 32" is mounted surrounds the hub 38 of the rotary head 29 with a certain clearance, which provides an annular space 41 between the housing and the rotary head hub 38". This annular space is sealed in both axial directions by seal rings (Simmer rings) 42. The housing has a connecting liange 42a for the admission of pressure water and the rotary hub 38 has radial bores 1d through which the pressure water enters the cavity of the rotary head. A centrally disposed sleeve 114 extends through this cavity. The cavities of the columns 111 communicate with the cavity of the rotary head 29 and, via radial ducts 46a (FIG. ll), with the annular distributor chamber ad. The housing is provided with a base, not shown, which can be anchored on a support, eg., the bottom of the fountain basin.

Through bores 115 in the carrying plate 4 the distributor chamber dit has connected thereto a plurality of rotary slide-valve housings 116, which are detachably, but firmly and water-tightly afiixed to the carrying piate 4 by means of screws 117. These housings 116 are substantially cylindrical tubes and the cylinder axes extend radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the carrying plate 4". Each housing 116 contains a hollow cylinder 113 with a radial bore 119, which connects the cylindrical cavity through the bore 115 with the distributor chamber dii. The hollow cylinder 113 is freely rotatable about its longitudinal axis but secured against axial displacement by a shoulder 121 and by a cover 122 which can be screwed into the housing 116. Thisvhollow cylinder 118 is connected to a second hollow cylinder 123, which extends at an angle, preferably a right angle, to the longitudinal axis of the

cylinder

1,13 and which communicates by a connecting duct 124 with the cavity 120 of the rotary slide valve. Both

hollow cylinders

118 and 123 lie in a plane and form a unit. An annular slide valve 125 is freely rotatably mounted on the hollow cylinder 123, which is closed at both ends. This annular slide valve 125 carries a jet nozzle 1, which, with its end tted in the annular slide valve 125 registers with a radial water passage 126 formed in the cylinder 123 in a radial longitudinal center plane of .the hollow cylinder 118. The cylinder 118 has a radially projecting. eye 127 and the annular slide valve 125 has a radially projecting ball pivot 128 so that each of the two

elements

118 and 125 can be rotated through a controllable angle about its longitudinal axis, thereby permitting displacement of the jet nozzle 1 in two planes extending at right angles to each other. Each eye 127 and each ball pivot 12d has a respective link 129, 134i connected thereto, which controllably connects the cylinder 118 Ito a starshaped control member 131 and the annular slide valve 125 to a star-shaped control member 132. `Each of the two star-shaped

control members

131 and 132 is axially movable independently of the other. The star-shaped control member 131 is movable up and down by means of an adjusting rod 133, which is centrally mounted in .the carrying plate 4 and extends with a clearance through the rotary head 29". The star-shaped control member 132 is firmly mounted on a sleeve 134 surrounding the adjusting rod with a clearance and is movable up-anddown by means of this sleeve. By an up-and-down movement of the two star-shaped control members 131, y132, all jet nozzles 1 can thus be controlled in any desired manner and in all components of :the two directions of movement, so that all pattern combinations of the water jets from the circular array of nozzles can be obtained.

In a development of the invention the water passages 115 of the housing 116 and of the cylinder 123 are designed so that the cross-section of ow decreases as the nozzle is increasingly moved from its vertical position so that the range of the water jets is automatically reduced.

The movement of the two star-shaped

control members

131 and 132 can be performed with the aid of mechanical, hydraulic or electric means,l by hand or automatically to obtain a predetermined sequence of patterns. The motor 84 driving the gear S1 may also be used for driving the control device 62--79.

I claim:

l. In a fountain, in combination, a support rotatable about a generally upright axis, a circular array of angularly spaced nozzles mounted in respective ball joints on said support with at least limited freedom of angular movement about a substantially vertical axis and a substantially horizontal axis, inlet means for supplying said nozzles with a liquid under pressure, drive means for rotating said support, respective control means for angularly displacing each of said nozzles about its vertical and horizontal axes in accordance with a predetermined program of operation, and respective valve means assigned to each of said nozzles for throttling the flow of said liquid therethrough upon angular displacement of the nozzle about its said horizontal axis, said valve means including at least one valve member within each of said nozzles displaceable into the path of the liquid flowing therethrough and a respective surface provided in each of said ball joints for cammingly displacing a respective valve member upon said displacement of its nozzle about the horizontal axis thereof. I

2. In a fountain, in combination, a support rotatable about a generally upright axis, a circular array of angularly spaced nozzles mounted on said support with at least limited freedom of angular movement about a substantially vertical axis and a substantially horizontal axis, inlet means for supplying said nozzles with a liquid under pressure, drive means `for rotating said support, respective control means for angularly displacing each of said nozzles about its vertical and horizontal axes in accordance with a predetermined program of operation, said inlet means including a source of said liquid under pressure and a distributing chamber coupled with said source and common to all of said nozzles for distributing said liquid thereto, and valve means in said distributing chamber coupled with said control means for selectively throttling the ovv of said liquid through said nozzles upon angular displacement thereof about their respective horizontal axes.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein a Wall of said distributing chamber is provided with respective bores communicating with each of said nozzles, said valve means including an angularly displaceable valve member disposed between said Wall and said source and slidably engaging said Wall, said Valve member being pro vided with passages alignable with said bores, further comprising valve-operating means connecting said valve member with said control means, said valve-operating means including a shaft projecting into said chamber Aand provided with a radial lug engaging said valve member, mechanical link means connected to said control means for rotating said shaft, thereby shifting said valve member relatively to said wall, and restoring means bearing on said valve member against the force of said link means.

4. In a fountain, in combination, a support, a circular array of angularly spaced nozzles mounted in respective ball joints on said support with at least limited freedom of angular movement about a substantially vertical axis and a substantially horizontal axis, inlet means for supplying said nozzles with a liquid under pressure, respective control means for angularly displacing each of said nozzles about its vertical and horizontal axes in accordance with a predetermined program of operation, and respective valve means assigned to each of said nozzles for throttling the flow of said liquid therethrough upon angular displacement of the nozzle about its said horizontal axis, said valve means including at least one valve member within each of said nozzles displaceable into the path or" the liquid ilowing therethrough and a respective surface provided in each of said ball joints for cammingly displacing a respective valve member upon said displacement of its nozzle about the horizontal axis thereof.

5. In a fountain, in combination, a support, a circular array of angularly spaced nozzles mounted on said support with at 4least limited freedom of angular movement about a substantially vertical axis and a substantially horizontal axis, inlet means for supplying said nozzles with a liquid under pressure, respective control means for angular-ly displacing each of said nozzles about its vertical and horizontal axes in accordance with a predetermined program of operation, said inlet means including a source of said liquid under pressure and a distributing chamber coupled with said source and common to all of said nozzles for distributing said liquid thereto, and valve means in said `distributing chamber coupled with said control means for selectively throttling the ilow of said liquid through said nozzles upon angular displacement thereof about their respective horizontal axes.

References Cited in the i'ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,953,311 Peik Apr. 3, 1934 2,322,271 Bagley June 22, 1943 2,601,559 Riblet llune 24, 1952 2,800,366 Scruggs July 23, 1957 2,805,098 Hurley Sept. 3, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 187,048 Australia Oct. 10, 1956

Claims

1. IN A FOUNTAIN, IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORT ROTATABLE ABOUT A GENERALLY UPRIGHT AXIS, A CIRCULAR ARRAY OF ANGULARLY SPACED NOZZLES MOUNTED IN RESPECTIVE BALL JOINTS ON SAID SUPPORT WITH AT LEAST LIMITED FREEDOM OF ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS AND A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, INLET MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SAID NOZZLES WITH A LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE, DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SUPPORT, RESPECTIVE CONTROL MEANS FOR ANGULARLY DISPLACING EACH OF SAID NOZZLES ABOUT ITS VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL AXES IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PREDETERMINED PROGRAM OF OPERATION, AND RESPECTIVE VALVE MEANS ASSIGNED TO EACH OF SAID NOZZLES FOR THROTTLING THE FLOW OF SAID LIQUID THERETHROUGH UPON ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF THE NOZZLE ABOUT ITS SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE VALVE MEMBER WITHIN EACH OF SAID NOZZLES DISPLACEABLE INTO THE PATH OF THE LIQUID FLOWING THERETHROUGH AND A RESPECTIVE SURFACE PROVIDED IN EACH OF SAID BALL JOINTS FOR CAMMINGLY DISPLACING A RESPECTIVE VALVE MEMBER UPON SAID DISPLACEMENT OF ITS NOZZLE ABOUT THE HORIZONTAL AXIS THEREOF.