U.S. patent application number 09/800852 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-01 for leak-containing sheath for frost-resistant hydrant.
This patent application is currently assigned to W.R.M. INVESTORS, INC.. Invention is credited to White, Paul R..
Application Number | 20010035209 09/800852 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26883686 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010035209 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
White, Paul R. |
November 1, 2001 |
Leak-containing sheath for frost-resistant hydrant
Abstract
A combination sheath and frost-resistant wall hydrant include a
hydrant having a wall-penetrating conduit and intermediate wall
bracket. There is an internal valve seat between the bracket and
indoor or inlet end, and so is located in a presumptively warm
indoor climate and spaced back from the wall and/or outdoors so as
to reduce chances of freezing outdoor temperatures freezing water
stopped behind the valve seat. The sheath telescopes over the
hydrant's inlet end until the sheath's leading end mates against
the hydrant's bracket. The leading end is vented for venting
leakwater from the hydrant outdoors and not indoors in cases if the
hydrant bursts by freezing because water got stopped in the conduit
between the valve seat and outlet and failed to drain despite an
open outlet. The sheath's trailing end seals onto the hydrant
somewhere behind the valve seat.
Inventors: |
White, Paul R.;
(Springfield, MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jonathan A. Bay
Attorney at Law
Suite 314
333 Park Central East
Springfield
MO
65806
US
|
Assignee: |
W.R.M. INVESTORS, INC.
|
Family ID: |
26883686 |
Appl. No.: |
09/800852 |
Filed: |
March 7, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60188066 |
Mar 9, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
137/312 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03B 9/025 20130101;
Y10T 137/7036 20150401; Y10T 137/5762 20150401; Y10T 137/698
20150401; Y10T 137/5497 20150401; E03B 7/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
137/312 |
International
Class: |
E03B 009/14 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant comprising: a frost-resistant wall hydrant having: a
wall-penetrating conduit extending between an indoor inlet end and
an outdoor apertured actuator end; a wall-mounting flange affixed
to the conduit intermediate the outdoor and indoor ends, wherein
said conduit is provided with a lateral outlet that discharges to
the outdoors and is formed with an internal valve seat intermediate
the flange and inlet end; an actuating member comprising an
elongated shaft that extends through the apertured actuator end to
terminate inside the conduit in a valving member that is movable
axially relative to the inlet valve seat, and terminating outdoors
in a hand-portion allowing operative actuation and hence opening
and closing the valving member relative to the inlet valve seat;
whereby the valve seat is located in a presumptively above-freezing
indoor climate and spaced back from the wall flange and hence the
outdoors so as to reduce the chances of freezing outdoor
temperatures from freezing any water stopped behind the valve seat;
and a leak-containing sheath extending between spaced open ends of
which one is formed with a peripheral rim and the other is formed
internally with coupling structure, said sheath and open rimmed end
being sized to telescope over the hydrant's inlet end until the
sheath's rim mates against the hydrant's flange, wherein said
sheath is axially sized such that with the rimmed end abutting the
hydrant's flange the internal coupling structure is located to
couple and seal with the hydrant's inlet end, wherein said sheath's
rimmed end is formed with a vent for venting leakwater from the
hydrant outdoors and not indoors in cases if the hydrant leaks as
being burst by freezing because water got stopped in the conduit
between the valve seat and outlet and failed to drain despite an
open outlet.
2. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 1 wherein the vent comprises one or more
spoke-like grooves recessed in the rim and thereby forming a water
passage between the sheath's hollow interior and the outdoors.
3. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 1 wherein the sheath's coupling structure further
includes terminal structure adapted for coupling to an indoor
plumbing line.
4. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 1 wherein the hand-portion comprises a handle and
operative actuation comprises twisting.
5. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 4 wherein the apertured outdoor end comprises
internal thread and packing to form a leak-free operative seal with
the valve shaft which is formed with corresponding external
thread.
6. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 1 wherein the valving member forms a conic plug
and the valve seat forms a corresponding countersunk ring for
tightly mating with the valving member, whereby the conic plug has
a smaller outside diameter than the conduit's inside diameter in
order to allow annular flow thereby.
7. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 1 wherein the hydrant's indoor inlet end
terminates in an externally threaded portion and the sheath's
corresponding coupling structure includes an internally threaded
socket for accepting the hydrant's externally threaded portion.
8. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 1 wherein the lateral outlet forms a spigot with
external thread adapted for connecting to garden hose.
9. A combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant comprising: a frost-resistant wall hydrant having: a
wall-penetrating conduit extending between an indoor inlet end and
an outdoor apertured actuator end; a wall bracket on the conduit
intermediate the outdoor and indoor ends, wherein said conduit is
provided with a lateral outlet that discharges to the outdoors and
is formed with an internal valve seat intermediate the bracket and
inlet end; an actuating member comprising an elongated shaft that
extends through the apertured actuator end and from there is
operatively linked to a termination inside the conduit that forms a
valving member that is movable axially relative to the inlet valve
seat, said elongated shaft terminating outdoors in a hand-portion
allowing operative actuation and hence opening and closing the
valving member relative to the inlet valve seat; whereby the valve
seat is located in a presumptively above-freezing indoor climate
and spaced back from the wall and hence the outdoors so as to
reduce the chances of freezing outdoor temperatures from freezing
any water stopped behind the valve seat; and a leak-containing
sheath extending between spaced open ends of which one is formed
with an abutment structure and the other is formed internally with
coupling structure, said sheath and open abutment end being sized
to telescope over the hydrant's inlet end until the sheath's
abutment mates against the hydrant's bracket, wherein said sheath
is axially sized such that with the abutment end abutting the
hydrant's bracket the internal coupling structure is located to
couple and seal with the hydrant's inlet end, wherein said sheath's
abutment end is formed with a vent for venting leakwater from the
hydrant outdoors and not indoors in cases if the hydrant leaks as
being burst by freezing because water got stopped in the conduit
between the valve seat and outlet and failed to drain despite an
open outlet.
10. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 9 wherein the vent comprises one or more
spoke-like grooves recessed in the sheath's abutment end and
thereby forming a water passage between the sheath's hollow
interior and the outdoors.
11. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 9 wherein the sheath's coupling structure further
includes terminal structure adapted for coupling to an indoor
plumbing line.
12. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 9 wherein the hand-portion comprises a handle and
operative actuation comprises twisting.
13. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 12 wherein the apertured outdoor end comprises
internal thread and packing to form a leak-free operative seal with
the valve shaft which is formed with corresponding external
thread.
14. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 9 wherein the valving member forms a conic plug
and the valve seat forms a corresponding countersunk ring for
tightly mating with the valving member, whereby the conic plug has
a smaller outside diameter than the conduit's inside diameter in
order to allow annular flow thereby.
15. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 9 wherein the hydrant's indoor inlet end
terminates in an externally threaded portion and the sheath's
corresponding coupling structure includes an internally threaded
socket for accepting the hydrant's externally threaded portion.
16. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 9 wherein the lateral outlet forms a spigot with
external thread adapted for connecting to garden hose.
17. A combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant comprising: a frost-resistant wall hydrant having: a
wall-penetrating conduit extending between an indoor inlet end and
an outdoor apertured actuator end; a wall bracket on the conduit
intermediate the outdoor and indoor ends, wherein said conduit is
provided with a lateral outlet that discharges to the outdoors and
is formed with an internal valve seat intermediate the bracket and
inlet end; an actuating member comprising an elongated shaft that
extends through the apertured actuator end and from there is
operatively linked to a termination inside the conduit that forms a
valving member that is movable axially relative to the inlet valve
seat, said elongated shaft terminating outdoors in a hand-portion
allowing operative actuation and hence opening and closing the
valving member relative to the inlet valve seat; whereby the valve
seat is located in a presumptively above-freezing indoor climate
and spaced back from the wall and hence the outdoors so as to
reduce the chances of freezing outdoor temperatures from freezing
any water stopped behind the valve seat; and a leak-containing
sheath extending between spaced open ends of which one is formed
with an abutment structure and the other is formed internally with
coupling structure, said sheath and open abutment end being sized
to telescope over the hydrant's inlet end until the sheath's
abutment mates against the hydrant's bracket, wherein said sheath
is axially sized such that with the abutment end abutting the
hydrant's bracket the internal coupling structure is located to
couple and seal on the hydrant somewhere intermediate the valve
seat and the inlet end thereof, wherein said sheath's abutment end
is formed with a vent for venting leakwater from the hydrant
outdoors and not indoors in cases if the hydrant leaks as being
burst by freezing because water got stopped in the conduit between
the valve seat and outlet and failed to drain despite an open
outlet.
18. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 17 wherein the vent comprises one or more
spoke-like grooves recessed in the sheath's abutment end and
thereby forming a water passage between the sheath's hollow
interior and the outdoors.
19. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 17 wherein either the sheath's coupling structure
is further coupled to an indoor plumbing line or else the sheath's
coupling structure does not interfere with the hydrant's inlet end
from coupling to the indoor plumbing line.
20. The combination leak-containing sheath and frost-resistant wall
hydrant of claim 17 wherein the lateral outlet forms a spigot with
external thread adapted for connecting to garden hose.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/188,066, filed Mar. 9, 2000 [not yet known, to
be inserted by applicant's attorney].
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention generally relates freeze-resistant wall
hydrants that provide an outdoor faucet from indoor plumbing and
the like, and more particularly to a leak-containing sheath for
such freeze-resistant hydrants just in case of freezing in any
event, and the consequent bursting and leaks which follow.
Additional aspects and objects of the invention will be apparent in
connection with the discussion further below of preferred
embodiments and examples.
[0004] 2. Prior Art
[0005] Freeze-resistant hydrants are known, including what is shown
by U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,805--Chrysler, entitled "Frost-resistant
Hydrant." The Chrysler hydrant is provided for mounting to an
outdoor wall and providing an outdoor faucet from indoor plumbing.
The hydrant 20 is called "frost-resistant" because the valve stem
thereof is lengthy so that the valve seat can be located deep
indoors. Presumptively, any residue tapwater remaining in lengthy
valve-stem chamber is free to drain out the faucet's outlet.
[0006] Hence during freezing weather the lengthy valve-stem chamber
has hopefully drained dry. The frost or frost line might likely not
extend back in the long valve-stem chamber from the outdoors, as
far indoors as the valve seat.
[0007] Nevertheless problems are experienced with the prior art
frost-resistant hydrants. Problems most often arise, among other
causes, when a garden hose or the like is left attached to faucet's
outlet. The attached garden hose might be accidentally left full
with water. In which case, that will plug the frost-resistant
hydrant and prevent the tapwater backed-up in the lengthy
valve-stem chamber, from draining out the hydrant's outlet. Again,
the hydrant's outlet is effectively "plugged" by virtue of having
connected to it a full hose. Comes the freezing weather, and the
tapwater trapped in the lengthy valve-stem chamber will indeed
freeze. Freezing bursts the hydrant despite its design to prevent
this. A burst hydrant consequently leaks after thawing.
[0008] The leaks are virtually always indoors, not outdoors. For
residential homeowners, the leaks may go undetected for quite some
extended time period. The experience of one actual homeowner
serviced by the inventor's plumbing company is representative of
the experience of numerous others. This actual homeowner incurred a
$1,500 leak-water damage bill despite having taken the precaution
to install freeze-resistant hydrants for all his outdoor
hydrants.
[0009] What is needed is an improvement which addresses the
shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a back-up safety
measure for frost- or freeze-resistant hydrants in cases where they
are burst by freeze or frost nevertheless.
[0011] It is an alternate object of the invention that the above
back-up safety measure be shaped to operatively couple with many or
most of the given frost- or freeze-resistant hydrants. In other
words, the invention is not a substitute for the hydrant. Rather,
the invention is an enhancement to the given hydrant.
[0012] It is another object of the invention that the above back-up
safety measure cost less than if not a fraction of the cost of the
given hydrant, and be easy to insert in the pre-established piping
of the hydrant with the indoor plumbing.
[0013] These and other aspects and objects are provided according
to the invention in a combination leak-containing sheath and
frost-resistant wall hydrant. The frost-resistant wall hydrant
comprises a wall-penetrating conduit and an actuating member. The
wall-penetrating conduit extends between an indoor inlet end and an
outdoor apertured actuator end. The conduit has a wall-mounting
flange affixed to it in between its outdoor and indoor ends. The
conduit is also provided with a lateral outlet that discharges to
the outdoors. It is also formed with an internal valve seat in
between the flange and the inlet end. The actuating member
comprises an elongated shaft that extends through the apertured
actuator end of the conduit to terminate inside the conduit in a
valving member that is movable axially relative to the inlet valve
seat. The actuating member terminates outdoors in a hand-portion
that allows operative actuation and hence affords the opening and
closing of the valving member relative to the inlet valve seat.
[0014] Given the foregoing, the valve seat is located in a
presumptively above-freezing indoor climate and spaced back from
the wall flange and hence the outdoors so as to reduce the chances
of freezing outdoor temperatures from freezing any water stopped
behind the valve seat.
[0015] It is an aspect of the invention that the foregoing
frost-free wall hydrant is combined with a leak-containing sheath.
The sheath extends between spaced open ends of which one is formed
with a peripheral rim and the other is formed internally with
coupling structure. The sheath and open rimmed end are sized wide
enough to telescope over the hydrant's inlet end until the sheath's
rim mates against the hydrant's flange. The sheath is axially sized
such that with the rimmed end abutting the hydrant's flange the
internal coupling structure is located to couple and seal with the
hydrant's inlet end. The sheath's rimmed end is formed with a vent
for venting leakwater from the hydrant outdoors and not indoors in
cases if the hydrant leaks as being burst by freezing because water
got stopped in the conduit between the valve seat and outlet and
failed to drain despite an open outlet.
[0016] The vent arrangement optionally comprises one or more
spoke-like grooves recessed in the rim and thereby forming a water
passage between the sheath's hollow interior and the outdoors. The
sheath's coupling structure further includes terminal structure
adapted for coupling to an indoor plumbing line.
[0017] The hand-portion might comprise a handle and operative
actuation comprises twisting. The apertured outdoor end comprises
internal thread and packing to form a leakfree operative seal with
the valve shaft which is formed with corresponding external thread.
On the opposite end, the valving member forms a conic plug and the
valve seat forms a corresponding countersunk ring for tightly
mating with the valving member. Accordingly, the conic plug has a
smaller outside diameter than the conduit's inside diameter in
order to allow annular flow thereby.
[0018] The hydrant's indoor inlet end can be arranged to terminate
in an externally threaded portion and the sheath's corresponding
coupling structure would therefore include an internally threaded
socket for accepting the hydrant's externally threaded portion.
Preferably, the lateral outlet forms a spigot with external thread
adapted for connecting to garden hose and the like.
[0019] Additional aspects and objects of the invention will be
apparent in connection with the discussion further below of
preferred embodiments and examples.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] There are shown in the drawings certain exemplary
embodiments of the invention as presently preferred. It should be
understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments
disclosed as examples, and is capable of variation within the scope
of the appended claims. In the drawings,
[0021] FIG. 1 is a section view of a leak-containing sheath in
accordance with the invention, taken along a vertical plane of
symmetry through a central axis thereof, for containing leaks in
frost- or freeze-resistant hydrants, one example of which is shown
in dotdash lines to illustrate the operative use environment for
the invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view, with potions broken away, of
the outdoor mounting end thereof; and,
[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view, with potions broken away, of
the indoor coupling end thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a sheath 10 in accordance with the invention,
for containing leaks (if any should develop) in an outdoor hydrant
of the type used to provide an outdoor tap from indoor plumbing.
Such hydrants are commonly found provided with, among other type of
structures, residential homes. In the more preferred use
environment, the sheath 10 is utilized to surround a special
outdoor faucet that is known variously as frost- or
freeze-resistant hydrants, one example of which is indicate as 20
in the drawings.
[0025] Frost-resistant hydrants 20 cause various miseries for
homeowners, as the inventor has observed from the vantage of his
plumbing service, because they provide a false sense of security
that they are freeze-proof. However, there are ways in which their
frost- or freeze-resistant safety features can be frustrated. When
frost-resistant hydrants do indeed freeze, they may leak undetected
for quite an extended length of time. Leaks in frost-resistant
hydrants seem to catch homeowners by great surprise. Such
homeowners are especially aggravated because they believed they had
foreseen and addressed that problem of freezing hydrants in
advance, and solved it for all times. The economic measure of water
damage varies with what got soaked and destroyed. It never is
accepted cheerfully regardless if even the damage is rather
slight.
[0026] In the drawings, a representative frost-resistant hydrant 20
is shown in dot-dash lines. This very particular hydrant 20 is more
exactly shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,805--Chrysler, entitled
"Frost-resistant Hydrant," the disclosure of which is incorporated
by this reference to it. This example frost-resistant hydrant 20 of
like hydrants (eg., a.k.a. "freeze-resistant" or "no freeze" and
"freeze proof" and so on) is chosen merely for convenience of a
representative example, the production of the sheath 10 allowing
proportioning and customizing to work with about all forms of such
hydrants now or hereafter known, and accordingly, the adoption of
this hydrant 20 for use in the drawings does not limit the
inventive sheath 10 to it alone.
[0027] In view of the foregoing, the given hydrant 20 is mounted
with its handle "H" extending outdoors from exterior wall 22 of a
building. The hydrant 20 is called "frost-resistant" because the
valve stem 24 is sufficiently elongated so that the valve seat 26
can be located deep indoors. Any residue tapwater remaining in
correspondingly elongated valve-stem chamber 28 is free to drain
out the faucet-outlet 30. Presumptively, during freezing weather,
the elongated valve-stem chamber 28 would hopefully have drained
dry. That way, the frost line likely won't extend back from the
outdoors as far as indoors as the valve seat 26.
[0028] Nevertheless problems are experienced with the
frost-resistant hydrants. Problems are most often caused by, among
other causes, leaving a hose 32 attached to the faucet-outlet 30.
The hose 32, if left full of water and not drained, effectively
plugs the hydrant 20. The full hose 32 thus prevents tapwater from
draining out the valve-stem chamber 28. In freezing weather,
tapwater trapped in the valve-stem chamber 28 will indeed freeze,
and burst the hydrant 20 despite the hydrant 20 being specifically
designed to resist freezing.
[0029] The inventive sheath 10 takes substantially the format of an
oversized tube installed surrounding and enclosing the
frost-resistant hydrant 20. The inventive sheath 10 extends between
a flanged-end 40 and an opposite reduced-down bell-end 42 for a
solder connection with indoor piping "T" (see, eg., FIG. 3) The
bell-end 42 flares out in the direction toward the flanged-end 40
to allow formation of internal-thread socket 44. The given hydrant
20 has an external-thread fitting 34 which screws into
internal-thread socket 44. To turn to the flanged-end 40, it either
has a drain-hole formed in it (not shown by the drawings) or else
it defines a gap 48 with the hydrant 20's corresponding flange. In
use, the sheath 10 collects unwanted leakwater leaking out of a
burst hydrant 20 in the indoor domain of the hydrant 20, which
leakwater is drained outdoors by drain-gap 48. Also, the inventive
sheath 10 allows quick replacement of a defective hydrant 20 by
virtue of screw fitting 34/44.
[0030] It is an inventive aspect of the sheath 10 that it contains
leaks in such frost-resistant hydrants 20 after they have failed
their purpose (eg., been burst by ice).
[0031] The invention having been disclosed in connection with the
foregoing variations and examples, additional variations will now
be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The invention is not
intended to be limited to the variations specifically mentioned,
and accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims
rather than the foregoing discussion of preferred examples, to
assess the scope of the invention in which exclusive rights are
claimed.
* * * * *