Auxiliary valve for hydrant
AssigneeMueller International, LLC
InventorsSean Michael Allen, Justin Blaine Childress, Christopher Joseph Duckett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve assembly for a hydrant can include a main valve defining a bore; and an auxiliary valve assembled to and extending through the bore of the main valve, the auxiliary valve defining a fluid channel through the auxiliary valve, the auxiliary valve including: an upper auxiliary valve shaft; a lower auxiliary valve shaft, the upper auxiliary valve shaft movable in a vertical direction with respect to the lower auxiliary valve shaft, a position of the lower auxiliary valve shaft restrained with respect to a position of the upper auxiliary valve shaft within a predetermined movement range; and a sealing element preventing fluid flow through the fluid channel.
Claims20
A valve assembly for a hydrant, the valve assembly comprising:
- a main valve defining a bore;
- and
- an auxiliary valve assembled to and extending through the bore of the main valve, the auxiliary valve defining a fluid channel through the auxiliary valve, the auxiliary valve comprising:
- an upper auxiliary valve shaft;
- a lower auxiliary valve shaft, the upper auxiliary valve shaft movable in a vertical direction with respect to the lower auxiliary valve shaft, a position of the lower auxiliary valve shaft restrained with respect to a position of the upper auxiliary valve shaft within a predetermined movement range;
- and
- a sealing element preventing fluid flow through the fluid channel.
A hydrant comprising:
- a hydrant body defining an inlet and an outlet and an internal cavity extending from the inlet to the outlet, the inlet connectable to a fluid supply;
- and
- a valve assembly defining a first end and a second end, the valve assembly comprising:
- a main valve defining a first side and a second side, the main valve configured to prevent flow of a fluid of the fluid supply to the internal cavity from an area in fluid communication with the second end of the valve assembly;
- an auxiliary valve assembled to and extending through the main valve, the auxiliary valve defining a fluid channel therethrough, the auxiliary valve comprising:
- an upper auxiliary valve shaft;
- and
- a lower auxiliary valve shaft, the upper auxiliary valve shaft movable within a predetermined range of movement in a vertical direction with respect to the lower auxiliary valve shaft.
A method of using a hydrant, the method comprising:
- moving an upper auxiliary valve shaft of an auxiliary valve of the hydrant in a vertical direction with respect to a lower auxiliary valve shaft of the auxiliary valve of the hydrant;
- and
- opening a fluid channel defined in the auxiliary valve, the auxiliary valve extending through a main valve of the hydrant and a fluid of the system able to thereby flow through the auxiliary valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.