GB2554979A

GB2554979A - Cap and cap rotating tool

Info

Publication number: GB2554979A
Application number: GB1712013.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Garton John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-08-16
Filing date: 2017-07-26
Publication date: 2018-04-18
Also published as: GB201712013D0; GB201613980D0

Abstract

A hydrant cap 1 has a top face 3, an open bottom face 4 forming an opening to a threaded recess 5, the cap being adapted to be screwed onto a threaded hydrant water outlet Y. Cap 1 has a projection 6 extending from the cap top face with at least two, preferably four opposing planar surfaces 6A,6B,6C,6D. A cap plate 7 on the projection covers the projection and is spaced from the cap top face. The cap projection may have an air line bayonet socket with a passage connecting it to the threaded recess. The cap removal tool 10 has a base 11 with a pair of opposing L-shaped arms 12,13 extending from the base forming a C-shaped jaw 14, and has a shaped projection 15 adapted to engage with a rotating tool B to rotate the cap rotating tool. In use the removal tool C-shaped jaw can be placed around cap plate with the ends of each L-shaped arm engaging said two opposing planar surfaces of the cap projection. The removal tool may have a restricted gap on one side of the jaws to prevent the cap plate from passing entirely through the gap between the jaws. The restricted gap could be a smaller aperture (27A, fig 3) or a blocking plate or bridge (26, fig 3).The removal tool is rotated by a standard square socketed T-bar to screw the cap on or off a hydrant water outlet.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Cap and cap rotating tool Abstract Title: Hydrant cap and cap removal tool (57) A hydrant cap 1 has a top face 3, an open bottom face 4 forming an opening to a threaded recess 5, the cap being adapted to be screwed onto a threaded hydrant water outlet Y. Cap 1 has a projection 6 extending from the cap top face with at least two, preferably four opposing planar surfaces 6A,6B,6C,6D. A cap plate 7 on the projection covers the projection and is spaced from the cap top face. The cap projection may have an air line bayonet socket with a passage connecting it to the threaded recess. The cap removal tool 10 has a base 11 with a pair of opposing L-shaped arms 12,13 extending from the base forming a C-shaped jaw 14, and has a shaped projection 15 adapted to engage with a rotating tool B to rotate the cap rotating tool. In use the removal tool Cshaped jaw can be placed around cap plate with the ends of each L-shaped arm engaging said two opposing planar surfaces of the cap projection. The removal tool may have a restricted gap on one side of the jaws to prevent the cap plate from passing entirely through the gap between the jaws. The restricted gap could be a smaller aperture (27A, fig 3) or a blocking plate or bridge (26, fig 3).The removal tool is rotated by a standard square socketed T-bar to screw the cap on or off a hydrant water outlet.

Figure 1

This print incorporates corrections made under Section 117(1) of the Patents Act 1977.

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TITLE: Cap and Cap RotatingTool

The present invention relates to a cap and cap rotating tool.

It known to create water hydrants at locations around the water supply network. Often these are located underground and accessed through access flaps. The water hydrants have a valve which can be operated by rotating a valve square projection, and a water outlet with an outlet cap removable by hand. The valve square projection is rotated using a square headed socket on a Tbar.

Such hydrants are often interfered with by unauthorised persons by removing the outlet cap and operating the valve so that water gushes out. This can cause flood damage and is also a waste of water.

The invention seeks to provide a solution to this problem.

According to the present invention there is provided a cap and cap removal tool comprising singly or in combination:

a) a cap having a top face, an open bottom face forming an opening to a threaded recess, said cap being adapted to be screwed onto a threaded hydrant water outlet, a projection extending from the cap top face with at least two opposing planar surface, and a cap plate on the projection covering the projection and spaced from the cap top face, and

b) a cap removal tool having a base with a pair of opposing L-shaped arms extending from the base forming a C-shaped jaw, and a shaped projection adapted to engage with a rotating tool to rotate the cap rotating tool, in use the removal tool C-shaped jaw can be placed around cap plate with the ends of each reshaped arm engaging said two opposing planar surfaces of the cap projection, and the removal tool rotated by said rotating tool to screw the cap on or off a hydrant water outlet.

Preferably the cap projection is a square headed projection providing with two pairs of opposing planar surfaces.

Preferably the cap plate is circular.

Preferably the cap projection further supports an air line bayonet socket.

In one embodiment the C-shaped jaw includes a stop to prevent the cap plate sliding through said one side of the jaw and only allowing the cap plate to slide through a second opposing side of the jaw between the L-shaped arms. Preferably the stop is a bridge on one first side of the jaw between the ends of the L-shaped arms whereby to prevent the cap plate sliding through said one side of the jaw and only allowing the cap plate to slide through a second opposing side of the jaw between the L-shaped arms. Preferably the bridge abuts against the cap projection.

Preferably the C-shaped jaw creates a slot on said one side narrower than the diameter of the cap plate and creates a slot on the opposing other side of the jaw wider that the diameter of the cap plate.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a rotating tool, cap removal tool, and cap above a hydrant outlet,

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the cap removal tool with the ends of each L-shaped arm engaging said two opposing planar surfaces of the cap projection, and

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the cap removal tool, and

Figure 4 shows the tool of Figure 3 engaging said two opposing planar surfaces of the cap projection.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a water hydrant W with a valve X and a threaded water outlet Y. Valve X has a square head projection Z which can be rotated by a square headed socket A on a T-bar B. Hydrant W and T-bar B are well known in the art.

In accordance with the invention, there is shown a cap 1 and cap removal tool 10. Cap 1 is adapted to fit on or be removed off a threaded water outlet Y by cap removal tool 10 which in turn is rotated by a known T- bar B.

It is envisaged that Cap 1 and removal tool 10 could be sold to a user singly or in combination.

Cap has a cylindrical body 2 with a top face 3, an open bottom face 4 forming an opening to a threaded recess 5 to screwed onto threaded water outlet Y.

A square projection 6 extends from the cap top face 2 with two pairs of two opposing planar surfaces 6A,6B and 6C,6D. A circular cap plate 7 is provided on the projection 6 covering the projection 6 (so the footprint of plate 7 is larger than the footprint of projection 6). Plate 7 is spaced from the cap top face 3.

The cap projection further supports an air line bayonet socket 8 with a passage communicating the socket 8 with the threaded recess 5.

Cap removal tool 10 has a rectangular base 11 with a pair of opposing L-shaped arms 12,13 extending from the base forming a C-shaped jaw 14. L-shaped arms have opposing parallel free end faces 12A,13A. A square shaped projection 15 is provided to engage with a rotating tool in the form of a T-bar B to rotate the cap rotating tool.

As shown in Figure 2, in use the removal tool C-shaped jaw 14 can slide over and thus be placed around cap plate 7 with the free end faces 12A,13A of each L-shaped arm 12,13 engaging two opposing planar surfaces (6A,6B or 6C,6D) of the cap projection 6. The removal tool 10 can be rotated by said rotating tool to screw the cap on or off a hydrant water outlet.

Also whilst the cap is on the water outlet Y, various different apparatus can be connected to the bayonet socket 8 to test water pressure and the like.

It will be appreciated that the cap plate 7 makes it very difficult for a person to rotate and thus remove cap 1 from outlet Y unless that person is in possession of removal tool 10. Thus the invention helps prevent unauthorised persons removing the outlet cap 1 and operating the valve X so that water gushes out.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown an alternative cap removal tool 20.

Cap removal tool 20 has a rectangular base 21 with a pair of opposing L-shaped arms 22,23 extending from the base forming a C-shaped jaw 24. L-shaped arms have opposing parallel free end faces 22A,23A. A square shaped projection 25 is provided to engage with a rotating tool in the form of a T-bar B (such as shown in Figure 1) to rotate the cap rotating tool. A bridge 26 is provided on one first side 24A of the jaw between the ends of the L-shaped arms to create a slot 27A into the jaw narrower than the diameter of cap plate 7. A slot 27B, wider than the diameter of cap plate 7, is provided on die opposing second side of the jaw.

As shown in Figure 4, in use the removal tool C-shaped jaw 24 can slide over and thus be placed around cap plate 7 with the free end faces 22A,23A of each L-shaped arm 22,23 engaging two opposing planar surfaces (6A,6B or 6C,6D) of the cap projection 6. The removal tool 10 can be rotated by said T-bar B to screw the cap on or off a hydrant water outlet.

Cap plate 7 can only slide into the jaw of removal tool 20 through slot 27B of the second side 24B of the jaw until the square projection 6 abuts the bridge 26 with only part of the plate 7 extending through slot 27A. This prevents the cap plate 7 sliding through the opposing first side 24A of the jaw and only allowing the cap plate to slide through the slot 24B on the second opposing side of the jaw between the L-shaped arms. This helps to retain the jaw on the plate when cap tool 20 is rotated, as well as making it easier to locate the jaw in the correct position over the plate to engage the two opposing planar surfaces (6A,6B or 6C,6D) of the cap projection 6. It would be possible to omit the bridge 26 and have just the narrower slot 27A to prevent the cap plate 7 sliding through the opposing first side 24A of the jaw, or omit the narrower slot 27A and just have the bridge 26 to prevent die cap plate 7 sliding through the opposing first side 24A of the jaw.

The invention may take a form different to that specifically described above.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cap and cap removal tool comprising singly or in combination:

b) a cap removal tool having a base with a pair of opposing L-shaped arms extending from the base forming a C-shaped jaw, and a shaped projection adapted to engage with a rotating tool to rotate the cap rotating tool, in use the removal tool C-shaped jaw can be placed around cap plate with the ends of each Lshaped arm engaging said two opposing planar surfaces of the cap projection, and the removal tool rotated by said rotating tool to screw the cap on or off a hydrant water outlet.

2. A cap and cap removal tool according to claim 1, wherein the cap projection is a square headed projection providing with two pairs of opposing planar surfaces.

3. A cap and cap removal tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cap plate is circular.

4. A cap and cap removal tool according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the cap projection further supports an air line bayonet socket.

5. A cap and cap removal tool according to any preceding claim, wherein the C-shaped jaw includes a stop on one first side of the jaw between the ends of the L-shaped arms whereby to prevent the cap plate sliding through said one side of the jaw and only allowing the cap plate to slide through a second opposing side of the jaw between the L-shaped arms.

6. A cap and cap removal tool according to claim 5, wherein the stop is a bridge on one first side of the jaw between the ends of the L-shaped arms.

7. A cap and cap removal tool according to claim according to claim 6, wherein the bridge abuts against the cap projection to prevent the cap plate sliding through said one side of the jaw.

8. A cap and cap removal tool according to claim according to any preceding claim, wherein the C-shaped jaw creates a slot on said one side narrower than the diameter of the cap plate and creates a slot on the opposing other side of the jaw wider that the diameter of the cap plate.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1712013.0 Examiner: Mr Ralph Plowman