Air valve assembly for a fire hydrant
OwnerMichael David Wigzellinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air valve assembly for a fire hydrant includes a pressure responsive valve means removably mounted at or near a top of a fire hydrant and more specifically to a fire hydrant bearing housing. The pressure responsive valve means is adapted to open when the fire hydrant is not in use and to close when the fire hydrant is in use.
Claims14
An air valve assembly for use with a fire hydrant, said assembly having a housing with an air valve located therein, said fire hydrant having a barrel with a main valve located at a lower end of said barrel, said barrel being connected to a water supply, said main valve being operable to control flow of water under pressure to substantially fill and replenish said barrel when said main valve is on and to cut off said flow of water under pressure when said valve is off, said barrel having drainage valves located at or near said main valve, said drainage valves being pressure operated to open and close when said main valve closes and opens respectively, said air valve assembly being mounted to connect an interior of said barrel with ambient air when said air valve is open and to cut off said hydrant from ambient air when said air valve is closed, said air valve being operable between an open position and a closed position in response to pressure within said barrel, said air valve closing when said main valve is on and opening as pressure within said barrel decreases when said main valve is off.
An air valve assembly and fire hydrant in combination, said combination comprising a hydrant having a barrel with a main valve operable between an on position and an off position, said main valve being located at a lower end of said barrel and being open to charge said hydrant and to supply water from said hydrant, with drain valves located near said main valve, said drain valves being pressure operated to close when said main valve is on and to open when said main valve is closed respectively, said air valve assembly being located in a wall of said barrel at or near a top thereof, said air valve assembly having access to ambient air, said air valve assembly having an open position and a closed position, said air valve assembly being constructed to close under pressure when said hydrant is charged with water and said hydrant is on and being constructed to open under pressure when said hydrant is turned off. Said air valve assembly permitting air to enter said barrel to cause said barrel to drain properly.
A method of constructing a fire hydrant having a barrel with a main valve, said main valve being connected to a water supply, said main valve having an on position and an off position, there being drain valves around a base of said barrel that open under pressure when said main valve is turned off, said drain valves being closed off when said main valve is on, said method comprising installing an air valve assembly in said barrel to connect an interior of said barrel with ambient air, constructing said air valve assembly to close under pressure when said main valve is turned on and to open to allow ambient air to enter said interior of said barrel when said main valve is turned off, said ambient air causing the water within said barrel to substantially drain from said drain valve when said main valve is off.
An air valve assembly for a fire hydrant, said air valve assembly comprising a pressure responsive valve mounted in a housing at or near a top of said hydrant, said assembly having a closed position and an open position, in an open position said assembly providing a passage between ambient air and an interior of said hydrant, said hydrant having a main valve and a drain valve, said assembly being constructed to move to said closed position when said hydrant is on and to move to said open position when said hydrant is off.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.