GB2254390A - Manifold - Google Patents

Abstract

A manifold unit for location between mains water supply and a point of end usage e.g. domestic or commercial/ industrial buildings), is provided to simplify the fitting of a water meter and enable automatic switch-off of mains supply when the meter is removed. The manifold unit comprises a body part 2 and manifold head part 3 detachably secured in sealed engagement with body part 2, valved inlet and exit ports 4, 5 to part 2, first passageway through head part 3 connecting to the inlet port 4 to part 2, second passageway through head part 3 to a position where it is in sealed 3 engagement with exit port 5, the passageways emerging in the outer face of part 3 at positions for connection to inlet and outlet bores of a water meter when fitted thereto. The unit includes means (cam 2D, cam-follower 21) extending between an inner surface of head part 3 and the valve in port 4 for causing the inlet valve to open when part 3 is secured to part 2. <IMAGE>

Description

MANIFOLD This invention relates to manifold units.

In the supply of mains water to a building of domestic or commercial/industrial type, there is the essential requirement of the provision of a stop tap between a water mains and a branch line supplying the building.

With certain types of commercial/industrial buildings, such copious volumes of water are required that metering of the water supply is necessary. With domestic supply and certain types of commercial properties the employment of a metered water supply is optional to the payment of water rates, and here there is a growing recognition that the provision of a metered supply can have a financial advantage.

Hitherto, where a meter has been necessary or is the option selected by the user, an adequate location has had to be found to site the meter downstream of the stop tap.With supply to new buildings, a larger excavation can be formed at the location of the stop tap to site the meter adjacent the stop tap. Whether located adjacent the stop tap or remote from it, two separate fitting operations are required to secure the stop tap and the meter in the line from the mains to the building, and when any servicing or maintenance of the meter is required, it is necessary first to close the stop tap and then remove the meter for inspection.

It is the object of the invention to simplify considerably the fitting of a water meter in a branch line to a building and to enable the automatic switch-off of mains supply when the water meter is removed.

According to the present invention, a manifold for location in a water supply line comprises a body part and manifold head means detachably secured in sealed engagement with the body part, valved inlet and exit ports to the housing, first passageway means through the manifold head means connecting to the inlet port to the body part, second passageway means through the manifold head means and extending within the manifold head means to a position where it is in sealed engagement with the exit port, said first and second passageway means emerging in the outer face of the manifold head means at positions for connection to inlet and outlet bores of a water meter when fitted to the manifold head means, and there being means extending between an inner surface of the manifold head means and the valve in the inlet port and whereby the inlet valve is opened when the manifold head means is secured to the body part.

Thus, the body part can be a plastics moulding with integral inlet and outlet ports, and the valves in the ports of a type spring-loaded towards their closed positions. With the inlet port suitably connected to mains, and the outlet port connected to a service line to the building and with the manifold head means removed, both valves are closed preventing flow of water from the mains and back flow of water from the building.

With the manifold head means now provided with a water meter applied to the body part, the means associated with the inlet valve is contacted by the inner surface on the manifold head means to open the inlet valve, water flowing into the housing and through the first passageway means in the manifold head means, through the meter and back through the second passageway means through the manifold head means to the exit port from the body part, the water pressure being such as to open the spring-loaded non-return valve in the outlet port, for water to flow down the service line to the building.

Preferably, the manifold head means is a single moulding of a plastics material with a central bore constituting the second passageway means and a number, preferably three passageways encircling the central bore, the central bore having a tubular extension extending into a counterbore in the manifold head means face, and the encircling passageways emerging in the couterbore. Thus, with the meter of the type with an inlet concentric with an outlet, the outlet can have an externally threaded boss for screw engagement with the counterbore in the manifold head means to put the outlet from the meter in sealed engagement with tubular extension to the central bore in the manifold head means and put the encircling passageways in communication with the inlet to the meter.

Preferably, the manifold- head means is a push and rotate fit on the housing. Thus, lugs can be provided on the inner wall of the body part to engage channels formed on the manifold head means and the channels formed such that the manifold head means can first engage the lugs as the manifold head means is pushed linearly into the body part, and then allow the manifold head means to be rotated to engage the lugs in horizontal extensions to the passageway. Said lugs may be integrally formed on the inner wall of the body part or may be separately formed and suitably secured against the inner wall of the body part.

With such a construction, it is most desirable that the means extending between the manifold head means and the inlet valve is a rod-like cam follower, and the surface in the manifold head means formed as a cam surface, the cam surface being so shaped that on first presentation of the manifold head means to the body part and the manifold head means pushed linearly into the body part the inlet valve remains closed, and as the manifold head means is rotated to its secured position, the cam surface engages the follower to open the valve. This has the advantage that when there is the need to remove the meter for inspection or maintenance, rotating of the manifold head means to the position enabling its removal causes the closure of the inlet valve before the manifold head means can be removed from the body part.

To guard against the unlikely event of the inlet valve sticking in an open position, it is desirable to provide a means of preventing the manifold head means from being rotated to a position where it can be removed from the body part, with water under pressure acting on it. This could result in the manifold head means being blown from the body part with possible risk to the operative. Thus, the manifold head means can have first axial channels to engage the lugs in the body part leading to first horizontal channels, the horizontal channels extending to second axial channels leading to second horizontal channels. Thus, on applying a manifold head means, it is first inserted to the depth dictated by the first axial sections and then rotated to bring the second axial channels in line with the lugs.Over this rotation, no contact is made with the cam follower, and the inlet valve remains closed.

The manifold head means is then further inserted for sealing means on the manifold head means to engage the body part, to the depth governed by the second axial channels, and the manifold head means then further rotated, and when the cam surface in the head engages the cam follower to open the inlet valve. Consequently, and when the manifold head means is to be removed, a first opposite rotation is effected to close the inlet valve, and the manifold head means pulled out to the degree dictated by the second axial channels, and when a second opposite rotation is effected to put the first axial channels in line with the lugs, and when the manifold head means can be removed. If, however, at the end of the first opposite rotation, the inlet valve is not closed, pressure on the manifold head means forces it out to the degree determined by the second axial channels with the lugs abutting the walls of the horizontal channels to break the seal between the manifold head means and the body part, to relieve the pressure behind the manifold head means and additionally ensure that the manifold head means cannot be blown from the body part.

The second opposite rotation can then be effected in safety for the removal of the manifold head means.

To provide a further assurance against accidental rotation of the manifold head means to enable its removal from the body part, means, such as elongate screw means, may be provided to extend through the manifold head means from its face to a position such that with the manifold head means positioned on the body part the end of the screw means is able to contact the lugs within the body part thereby limiting the ability of the manifold head means to be rotated beyond its position where the inlet valve has been closed.To enable the deliberate removal of the manifold head means, either the meter must be removed to expose the head of the screw for rotation by a conventional drive tool to withdraw the screw to a position where it does not interfere with the lugs or, and conveniently, a lever means may be provided attached to the screw head and such that the lever means can be rotated by an operative from a first position where the end can interfere with the lugs to a withdrawn second position where the manifold head can be further rotated to its position enabling its removal from the body part.

To prevent the unauthorised supply of water following the fitting of the manifold unit of the invention in a supply line to a required end usage, it can simply be that the connection between the cam surface and the inlet valve is removed and put in place by an operative at the point that supply has been authorised. Equally it would be possible to form the cam surface as a separate member to the manifold head means and to be secured to the manifold head means by an operative again at the point that supply has been authorised.

The invention therefore provides in efficient and cost-effective manner a ready means of locating a water meter in a supply line to a building and the automatic closing of a stop valve as and when a meter needs to be removed for inspection or maintenance.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded, part-sectional perspective view of a manifold unit in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the body part of the unit of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the manifold head of the unit of Figure 1; and Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 3 but shows an alternative construction of manifold head.

In the drawings, a manifold unit 1 is formed by a generally cup-shaped body part 2 and a manifold head 3 to which a water meter is to be secured. The body part has inlet and outlet ports 4, 5, respectively connected to inlet and outlet pipes 6, 7, the inlet pipe 6 extending to a source of mains supply, and the outlet pipe 7 extending to the service requiring the supply of water. Within the outlet 7 is valve means, not shown, closable by back pressure from the service through the outlet pipe, and within the inlet port 4 is a valve openable against the pressure in the inlet pipe 6, as will be further explained below. On the internal wall of the body part two diametrically opposed lugs 8 are provided, separately formed and held against the internal wall by bolts 9 securing the lugs 8 to an internal shoulder 10 in the body part.

The manifold head 3 has a top flange member 11 and a dependent connecting boss 12 to locate in an annular cavity 13 in the body part. Extending through the boss to emerge in a threaded countersink 14 centrally of the flange is a central bore 15 formed by a central tubular member 16 for connection in fluid-tight manner with the inner wall 17 of the annular cavity 13. The tubular member 16 is surrounded by three concentric passageways 18 for communication with the inlet port 4 to the body part.

Prior to locating a meter in place, the threaded countersink 14 can be closed by a threaded cap 19.

On the dependent boss 12 and concentrically arranged around the passageways 18 is a cam surface 20 and extending upwardly from the valve in the inlet port to the body part is a rod-like cam follower 21. Externally of the dependent connecting boss 12 two diametrically opposed recesses 22 are provided, emerging in its bottom face, to co-operate with the lugs 8 on the internal wall of the body part, each recess 22 extending to a transverse channel 23 externally of the boss, having a first sector 24 at one level and a second sector 25 at a higher level, with a vertical connecting section 26.

Thus, with a water meter in place on the manifold head 3, and the head clear of the body part 2, the valve in the inlet 4 is closed. The manifold head is then presented to the body part to position the lugs 8 within the recesses 22 and the manifold head pushed inwardly of the body part to bring the lugs into alignment with the first sectors 24 of the transverse channels 23. The cam surface 20 on the manifold head is arranged so as to be clear of the rod-like cam follower 21, and to maintain the inlet valve 4 closed.The manifold head is then rotated to bring the lugs into alignment with the vertical sections 26 of the transverse channels 23, and when the manifold head is pushed further into the body part to bring the lugs 8 in the body part into alignment with the second sectors 25 of the transverse channels 23, the rodlike cam follower 21 is brought into contact with the cam surface 20. The cam surface 20 is so arranged that during further rotation of the manifold head to bring the lugs 8 to the ends of the second sectors 25, the rod-like cam follower 21 is depressed to open the inlet pipe and to put the inlet pipe 6 into communication with the outlet pipe 7 through the meter.

The invention provides the first advantage of automatic closure of the inlet valve on the removal of the manifold head and meter, such as for service, repair or replacement. The invention in its particular form as described has the second advantage that if for some reason a fault develops in the inlet valve to the housing, and the valve is not closed during a first reverse rotation of the manifold head to bring the lugs 8 into alignment with the vertical sections 26 of the transverse channels, pressure internally of the body part drives the manifold head upwardly but only to the extent permitted by the length of the connecting sections 26 when the manifold head is held against further movement, and a fault signalled to the operative by the leakage of water from within the body party around the manifold head.

In the alternative construction shown in Figure 4, and to provide for security against the removal of the manifold head from the body part, a screw 27 is provided to extend through the top flange of the manifold head, and to emerge in the body part when the manifold head is in place. Thus, a rotation of the manifold head is limited by the interference between the end of the screw and the lugs 8, necessitating the withdrawal of the screw before the further rotation of the manifold head can take place to bring it to its position where it can be removed from the body part. Thus, the transverse channels 23 are not required to have two spaced sectors, with the reduced manufacturing costs involved.To facilitate ease of assembly, particularly of the meter on the manifold head, it is desirable for that to be effected before the connection of the manifold head to the body part, but the meter then obscures the head of the screw which cannot then be screwed down to its operative position. Thus, a lever means 28 can be provided attached to the head of the screw to lie against the face of the flange of the manifold means and between it and the meter with the end accessible to an operative. Following the positioning of the manifold head on the body part, the lever can then be rotated by the operative to drive the screw downwardly to a degree sufficient to enable the end of the screw to be positioned such that it interferes with the lugs.

When the positive removal of the meter head is required, the lever can be rotated oppositely to withdraw the end of the screw to a position clear of the lugs.

Claims (10)

1. A manifold unit for location in a water supply line comprising a body part and manifold head means detachably secured in sealed engagement with the body part, valved inlet and exit ports to the housing, first passageway means through the manifold head means connecting to the inlet port to the body part, second passageway means through the manifold head means and extending within the manifold head means to a position where it is in sealed engagement with the exit port, said first and second passageway means emerging in the outer face of the manifold head means at positions for connection to inlet and outlet bores of a water meter when fitted to the manifold head means, and there being means extending between an inner surface of the manifold head means and the valve in the inlet port and whereby the inlet valve is opened when the manifold head means is secured to the body part.

2. A manifold as in Claim 1, wherein the body part is a plastics moulding with integral inlet and outlet ports and the valves in the ports are of the type spring-loaded towards their closed positions.

3. A manifold as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the manifold head means is a single moulding of a plastics material with a central bore constituting the second pasageway means and a number of passageways combining to form the first passageway means, encircling the central bore.

4. A manifold as in Claim 3, wherein the central bore has a tubular extension extending into a counterbore in the manifold head means face and the encircling passageways emerge in the counterbore and whereby a meter with a concentric inlet and outlet can be connected to the counterbore to put the inlet and outlet of the meter in communication with the second and first passageways respectively through the meter head means.

5. A manifold as in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the manifold head means is a push and rotate fit on the housing.

6. A manifold as in Claim 5, wherein lugs are formed on the inner wall of the body part to engage channels formed on the manifold head means, said channels being so formed that there is first engagement with the lugs as the manifold head means is pushed linearly into the body part and maintained engagement between the lugs and the channels as the manifold head means is rotated.

7. A manifold as in any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein a cam surface is provided within the manifold head means and arranged concentrically with the bore through the manifold head means, and there being a rod-like cam follower extending from the inlet valve and for contact with the cam surface.

8. A manifold as in Claim 7, wherein the channels formed on the manifold head means have first and second horizontal sections interconnected by a vertical section, the cam surface being so formed that during a first rotation of the manifold head means to transport the lugs across the first horizontal sections there is no interaction between the rodlike cam follower and the cam surface, said cam follower being brought into engagement with the cam surface by the further linear insertion of the manifold head means into the body part, the cam surface causing a depression of the rodlike cam follower and the opening of the inlet valve during the further rotation of the manifold head means to transport the lugs across the second horizontal section of the channel.

9. A manifold as in any of Claims 1 to 7 wherein screw means are provided to extend through the manifold head and, when in place, to extend into the cavity of the body means, the exposed end of the screw means contacting the lugs in the body means to restrict rotation of the manifold head 10.

10. A manifold for location in a water supply line, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.