Access assembly for underground irrigation systems and accessing assembly cooperable therewith

A water pressure access assembly for connection with an irrigation system riser pipe containing water under pressure, said water pressure access assembly comprising

• an access structure providing (1) chamber means for containing water under pressure (2) inlet means for communicating with said chamber means (3) main outlet means for communicating with said chamber means and (4) pilot pressure outlet means for communicating with said chamber means,
• means on said access structure for enabling the same to be fixedly mounted on the riser pipe in a relationship such that said inlet means is in communication with water under pressure within the riser pipe,
• main valve means mounted with respect to said main outlet means for movement between (1) a closed access position preventing water under pressure within said chamber means from flowing through said main outlet means and (2) an opened accessed position enabling water under pressure within said chamber means to flow through said main outlet means,
• first detachable means on said access structure for enabling an accessing assembly connected with a sprinkler head assembly to be conveniently manually detachably secured to said access structure in a relationship such that access to water under pressure within said chamber means can be obtained by movement of said main valve means into said opened position,
• pilot pressure valve means mounted with respect to said pilot pressure outlet means for movement between (1) a closed inoperative position preventing water under pressure within said chamber means from flowing through said pilot pressure outlet means and (2) an opened operative position enabling water under pressure within said chamber means to flow through said pilot pressure outlet means, and
• second detachable means on said access structure for enabling a pilot pressure communicating means of the accessing assembly to be conveniently manually detachably secured with said access structure in a relationship such that access to the water under pressure within said chamber means can be obtained through said pilot pressure outlet means when said pilot pressure valve means is in said opened position so as to enable the pilot pressure communicating means of the accessing structure to effect movement of said main valve means into said opened accessed position.

A water pressure accessing assembly for connection with a sprinkler head assembly for enabling the sprinkler head assembly to be selectively connected with an irrigation system riser pipe containing water under pressure in accessed relation to the water under pressure therein, said water pressure assembly comprising:

• an accessing structure providing sprinkler head outlet means,
• first detachable means on said accessing structure for enabling said accessing assembly to be conveniently manually detachably secured to a riser pipe mounted access assembly having chamber means communicating with a main outlet means controlled by main valve means and a pilot pressure outlet means controlled by pilot pressure valve means in a relationship such that access to water under pressure within the chamber means through the main outlet means of the access assembly can be obtained when the main valve means of the access assembly is opened for communication with said sprinkler head outlet means,
• means on said accessing structure for engaging a sprinkler head assembly to be secured on said accessing structure in a relationship such that said sprinkler head outlet means is communicated with the sprinkler head assembly,
• operating means mounted on said accessing structure for movement from an inoperative position into an operative position in resposne to the communication of water under pressure therewith,
• means for communicating a source of water under pressure with said operating means to thereby effect movement of said operating means from said inopeative position into said operative position, and
• second detachable means operatively associated with said water pressure communicating means for conveniently manually detachably connecting said water pressure communicating means with the access assembly in a relationship such that access to water under pressure within the chamber means of the access assembly for communication with the said operating means by said water pressure communicating means can be obtained through pilot pressure outlet means of the access assembly when the pilot pressure valve means thereof is opened.

Apparatus for enabling an output conduit to be detachably mounted on an input conduit containing water under pressure in accessed relation to the water under pressure within the input conduit, said apparatus comprising:

• an access assembly including an access structure providing (1) chamber means for containing water under pressure, (2) inlet means for communicating with said chamber means, (3) main access outlet means for communicating with said chamber means, and (4) pilot pressure outlet means for communicting with said chamber means,
• means on said access structure for enabling the same to be fixedly mounted on the input conduit in a relationship such that said inlet means is in communication with water under pressure within the inlet conduit,
• main valve means mounted with respect to said main outlet means for movement between (1) a closed access position preventing water under prssure within said chamber means from flowing through said main outlet means and (2) an opened accessed position enabling water under pressure within said chamber means to flow through said main outlet means,
• pilot pressure valve means mounted with respect to said pilot pressure outlet means for movement between (1) a closed inoperative position preventing water under pressure within said chamber means from flowing through said pilot pressure outlet means and (2) an opened operative position enabling water under pressure within said chamber means to flow through said pilot pressure outlet means,
• an accessing assembly including an accessing structure providing output conduit outlet means,
• means on said accessing structure for enabling an output conduit to be secured on said accessing structure in a relationship such that said output conduit outlet means is communicated with the output conduit,
• main detachable interengaging means operatively associated between said access and accessing structures for enabling said accessing structure to be conveniently manually secured on said access structure in a relationship such that access to water under pressure within said chamber means can be obtained by movement of said main valve means into its opened position,
• operating means mounted on said accessing structure for movment from an inoperative position into an operative position in response to the communication of water under pressure therewith to thereby effect movement of said main valve means into its open position and establish communication of water under pressure from said chamber means with said output conduit outlet means through said main outlet means,
• means for communicating a source of water under pressure with said operating means so as to effect movement thereof from said inoperative position into said operative position, and
• second detachable interengaging means for conveniently manually effecting a securement of said water pressure communicating means in communicating relation with said pilot pressure outlet means so that access to water under pressure within said chamber means can be obtained for communication with said water pressure communicating means when said pilot pressure valve means is in its opened position.

A water pressure access assembly for connection with a conduit containing water under pressure, said water pressure access assembly comprising

• an access structure providing (1) chamber means for containing water under pressure (2) inlet means for communicating with said chamber means (3) main outlet means for communicating with said chamber means and (4) pilot pressure outlet means for communicating with said chamber means,
• means on said access structure for enabling the same to be fixedly mounted on the conduit in a relationship such that said inlet means is in communication with water under pressure within the conduit,
• main valve means mounted with respect to said main outlet means for movement between (1) a closed access position preventing water under pressure within said chamber means from flowing through said main outlet means and (2) an opened accessed position enabling water under pressure within said chamber means to flow through said main outlet means,
• first detachable means on said access structure for enabling an accessing assembly to be conveniently manually detachably secured to said access structure in a relationship such that access to water under pressure within said chamber means can be obtained by movement of said main valve means into said opened position,
• pilot pressure valve means mounted with respect to said pilot pressure outlet means for movement between (1) a closed inoperative position preventing water under pressure within said chamber means from flowing through said pilot pressure outlet means and (2) an opened operative position enabling water under pressure within said chamber means to flow through said pilot pressure outlet means, and
• second detachable means on said access structure for enabling a pilot pressure communicating means of the accessing assembly to be conveniently manually detachably secured with said access structure in a relationship such that access to the water under pressure within said chamber means can be obtained through said pilot pressure outlet means when said pilot pressure valve means is in said opened position so as to enable the pilot pressure communicating means of the accessing structure to effect movement of said main valve means into said opened accessed position.

A water pressure accessing assembly for connection with an output conduit for enabling the output conduit to be selectively connected with an input conduit containing water under pressure in accessed relation to the water under pressure therein, said water pressure assembly comprising:

• an accessing structure providing an output conduit outlet means,
• first detachable means on said accessing structure for enabling said accessing assembly to be conveniently manually detachably secured to a riser pipe mounted access assembly having chamber means communicating with a main outlet means controlled by main valve means and a pilot pressure outlet means controlled by pilot pressure valve means in a relationship such that access to water under pressure within the chamber means through the main outlet means of the access assembly can be obtained when the main valve means of the access assembly is opened for communication with said output conduit outlet means,
• means on said accessing structure for engaging an output conduit to be secured on said accessing structure in a relationship such that said output conduit outlet means in communicated with the output conduit,
• operating means mounted on said accessing structure for movement from an inoperative position into an operative position in response to the communication of water under pressure therewith,
• means for communicating a source of water under pressure with said operating means to thereby effect movement of said operating means from said inoperative position into said operative position, and
• second detachable means operatively associated with said water pressure communicating means for conveniently manually detachably connecting said water pressure communicating means with the access assembly in a relationship such that access to water under pressure within the chamber means of the access assembly for communication with the said operating means by said water pressure communicating means can be obtained through pilot pressure outlet means of the access assembly when the pilot pressure valve means thereof is opened.

Apparatus for obtaining temporary access to fluid under pressure comprising

• access struture for containing the fluid under pressure having a main outlet and a pilot pressure outlet,
• accessing structure separate from said access structure cooperable therewith to obtain temporary access to the fluid under pressure contained in said access structure,
• main interengaging means for manually establishing a mechanical connection of said accessing structure with said access structure without establishing communication of the fluid under pressure contained in said access structure with said accessing structure through said main outlet,
• pilot interengaging means for manually establishing a pilot pressure flow path through the pilot pressure outlet to said accessing structure for fluid under pressure contained within said access structure, and
• means for utilizing fluid under pressure communicated to said accessing assembly through said pilot pressure flow path as a power source the establish communication of the fluid under pressure contained in said access structure with said accessing structure through said main outlet.

A method of temporarily connecting separate fluid accessing structure in rigid fluid communicating relation with successive spaced access structures containing fluid under pressure, which comprises the steps of

• manually establishing an initial mechanical connection of said accessing structure with a first one of said spaced access structures which is (1) less rigid than that finally required and (2) non-fluid communicating,
• utilizing a portion of the fluid under pressure contained in said first access structure as a power source to (1) rigidify the initial mechanical connection to that finally required and (2) establish communication of the fluid under pressure in said access structure with said accessing structure,
• ceasing the utilization of said portion of fluid under pressure as a power source and restoring the initial mechanical connection of said accessing structure with said first access structure,
• manually separating said accessing structure from the initial mechanical connection with said first access structure,
• manually establishing an initial mechanical connection of said accessing structure with a second one of said spaced access structures which is (1) less rigid than that finally required and (2) non-fluid communicating,
• utilizing a portion of the fluid under pressure contained in said second access structure as a power source to (1) rigidify the initial mechanical connection to that finally required and (2) establish full communication of the fluid under pressure in said access structure with said accessing structure.