Tamper-proof hydrant cover

• US 4,727,900 A
• Filed: 12/11/1986
• Issued: 03/01/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gene R. Vanek, Joseph S. Dooling, Kenneth F. Vanek
• Original Assignee: Gene R. Vanek, Joseph S. Dooling, Kenneth F. Vanek
• Inventors: Vanek, Kenneth F., Vanek, Gene R., Dooling, Joseph S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, George L.
• Application Number:
  US06/940,747
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 137/296, 137/382, 137/385, 137/800, 220/284, 220/285, 220/286, 220/85 P, 29/267, 81/488, 251/291
• US Class Current: 137/296
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 9/06 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5468 Cap, cover or hood
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7062 Valve guards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9247 With closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53896 having lever operator

Abstract

A tamper-proof cover for the operating nut of a hydrant. The cover includes a housing adapted to be positioned above the operating nut for covering the operating nut, the housing having an opening, a housing mounting device securable to the hydrant and engagable with the housing for securing the housing to the hydrant, and a locking device for removably securing the housing to the mounting device which includes a pin positionable in the opening in the housing and engagable with a recess defined in the mounting device, a locking member engagable with the pin and the recess in the housing, a frangible shoulder within the recess in the mounting device against which the locking member seats and which must be broken to remove the pin. Other forms of the tamper-proof cover and a tool for removing the cover are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A tamper-proof cover for the operating nut of a hydrant, the cover comprising:

a housing adapted to be positioned above the operating nut for covering the operating nut, the housing having an opening;

mounting means securable to the hydrant and engagable with the housing for securing the housing to the hydrant; and

locking means for removably securing the housing to the mounting means including a pin positionable in the opening in the housing and engagable with a recess defined in the mounting means, a locking member engageable with the pin and the recess in the mounting means, a frangible shoulder within the recess in the mounting means against which the locking member seats and which must be broken to slidably remove the pin from the recess so that the housing can be removed to provide access to the operating nut.

2. The cover of claim 1 wherein:

the hydrant includes a standpipe above which the operating nut extends and said mounting means is adapted for securable engagement with the standpipe.

3. The cover of claim 1 wherein:

the hydrant includes a bonnet above which the operating nut extends and said mounting means is adapted for securable engagement with the bonnet.

4. The cover of claim 1 wherein:

the mounting means includes a ring-shaped member having a plurality of holes corresponding to bolt positions in the hydrant and a plurality of arcuate flanges spaced around the ring; and

the housing is dome-shaped for covering the mounting means and has a circular base portion with an external diameter approximately that of the outer diameter of the ring, and has a plurality of arcuate flanges on its inner surface corresponding to the flanges on the ring and matingly shaped so that rotation of the housing relative to the ring causes the flanges to engage or disengage so as to secure or unsecure the housing to the ring.

5. A cover as defined in claim 4 wherein:

the pin is cylindrical and has a groove around its circumference;

the mounting means includes a pin retaining member pivotally mounted to the ring in alignment with the opening in the housing, the pin retaining member containing the recess and the frangible shoulder, the recess being in the form of a cylindrical hole of slightly larger diameter than the pin and the shoulder being an annular shoulder in a groove within the recess of slightly larger diameter than the recess; and

the locking member is an expandable ring positionable in the groove and insertable in the hole with the pin so as to expand in the groove in the recess and prevent withdrawal of the pin by engaging the shoulder in the groove in the recess.

6. A cover as defined in claim 5 wherein:

the housing includes an extension around the opening; and

an end of the pin, remote from the recess in the mounting means when the pin is positioned in the recess, extending into the extension and having a further groove therein for receiving a portion of a tool positionable in the extension for use in extracting the pin from the mounting means and housing.

7. A cover as defined in claim 6 wherein the extension is formed with an inverted generally U-shaped cavity opening downwardly from its outer end to the surface of the housing adjacent the hole therein, and outer side surfaces of the extension are tapered towards one another and the top surface tapered downwardly from the adjacent surfaces of the housing.

8. The cover of claim 1 wherein the housing is disk shaped and includes a downwardly extending tab having the opening therein;

and

the mounting means is generally cylindrically shaped having an inwardly extending lip around the top circumference for supporting the disk shaped housing thereon.

9. The cover of claim 8 wherein the housing includes another downwardly extending tab having a sloped shoulder and the mounting means includes another recess for receiving the other tab, the other recess having an edge for engaging the shoulder thereby holding the housing to the mounting means.

10. A cover as defined in claim 9 wherein:

the pin is cylindrical and has a groove around its circumference;

the mounting means includes an inwardly extending holder and a pin retaining member in the holder in alignment with the opening in the housing, the pin retaining member containing the recess and the frangible shoulder, the recess being in the form of a cylindrical hole of slightly larger diameter than the pin and the shoulder being an annular shoulder in a groove within the recess of slightly larger diameter than the recess; and

the locking member is an expandable ring positionable in the groove and insertable in the hole with the pin so as to expand in the groove in the recess and prevent withdrawal of the pin by engaging the shoulder in the groove in the recess.

11. A cover as defined in claim 10 wherein:

the mounting means includes an extension around the recess; and

an end of the pin, remote from the recess in the mounting means when the pin is positioned in the recess, extending into the extension and having a further groove therein for receiving a portion of a tool positionable in the extension for use in extracting the pin from the mounting means and housing.

12. A cover as defined in claim 11 wherein the extension is formed with a generally U-shaped cavity opening downwardly from its outer end to the surface of the mounting means adjacent the hole therein, and outer side surfaces of the extension are tapered towards one another.

13. A tool in combination with the tamper-proof cover defined in claim 1, the tool comprising:

a block insertable in the housing and having a cavity therein for receiving the end of the pin extending from the opening in the housing;

a pawl mounted in the block for pivotal movement into engagement with a groove in the end of the pin extending into the cavity when the block is inserted in the cavity;

means for removing the block from the extension while the pawl engages the pin so as to cause the frangible shoulder to break and release the pin for removal with the block.

14. A tamper-proof cover for the operating nut of a hydrant, the cover comprising:

a housing adapted to be positioned above the operating nut and completely covering the operating nut;

housing mounted means securable to the hydrant and covered by and engagable with the housing for securing the housing to the hydrant;

the mounting means and the housing each having a plurality of mating flanges which are covered by the housing when mutually engaged and which are radially spaced around the housing and mounting means such that rotation of the housing relative to the mounting ring causes engagement and disengagement of the flanges; and

locking means for preventing rotation of the housing relative to the mounting means, the locking means including a pin engageable with the housing and a recess defined in the mounting means, a locking member engageable with the pin and the recess in the mounting means, frangible means in the locking member for securing the pin to the locking member, the frangible means being breakable to remove the pin from the recess so that the housing can be removed to provide access to the operating nut.

15. The cover of claim 14 wherein:

the hydrant includes a standpipe above which the operating nut extends and said housing mounting means is adapted for securable enagagement with the standpipe.

16. The cover of claim 14 wherein:

the hydrant includes a bonnet above which the operating nut extends and said housing mounting means is adapted for securable enagagement with the bonnet.

17. The cover of claim 14 wherein:

the mounting means includes a ring-shaped member having a plurality of holes corresponding to bolt positions in the hydrant and the plurality of flanges thereon are arcuate and spaced around the ring; and

the housing is dome-shaped with a circular base portion with an external diameter approximately that of the outer diameter of the ring, and has a plurality of arcuate flanges on its inner surface corresponding to the flanges on the ring and matingly shaped so that rotation of the housing relative to the ring causes the flanges to engage or disengage so as to secure or unsecure the housing to the ring.

18. A tamper-proof cover for the operating nut of a hydrant, the cover comprising:

a housing adapted to be position above the operating nut and completely covering the operating nut;

housing mounting means securable to the hydrant and covered by and engageable the housing for securing the housing to the hydrant;

the mounting means and the housing each having a plurality of mating flanges which are covered by the housing when mutually engaged and which are radially spaced around the housing and mounting means such that rotation of the housing relative to the mounting ring causes engagement and disengagement of the flanges;

locking means for preventing rotation of the housing relative to the mounting means;

the mounting means including a ring-shaped member having a plurality of holes corresponding to bolt positions in the hydrant and the plurality of flanges thereon are arcuate and spaced around the ring;

the housing is dome-shaped with a circular base portion with an external diameter approximately that of the outer diameter of the ring, and has a plurality of arcuate flanges on its inner surface corresponding to the flanges on the ring and matingly shaped so that rotation of the housing relative to the ring causes the flanges to engage or disengage so as to secure or unsecure the housing to the ring;

the housing including an opening in a side portion thereof; and

the locking means including a pin positionable in the opening in the housing and engageable with a recess defined in the mounting means, a locking member engageable with the pin and a recess in the mounting means, a frangible shoulder within the recess in the mounting means against which the locking member seats and which must be broken to slidably remove the pin from the recess so that the housing can be removed to provide access to the operating nut.

19. A cover as defined in claim 18, including:

the housing includes an extension around the opening; and

an end of the pin, remote from the recess in the mounting means when the pin is positioned in the recess, extending into the extension and having a further groove therein for receiving a portion of a tool positionable in the extension for use in extracting the pin from the mounting means and housing.

20. A cover as defined in claim 19 wherein the extension is formed with an inverted generally U-shaped cavity opening downwardly from its outer end to the surface of the housing adjacent the hole therein, and outer side surfaces of the extension are tapered towards one another and the top surface tapered downwardly from the adjacent surfaces of the housing.

21. A tamper-proof cover for the operating nut of a hydrant, the cover comprising:

a housing adapted to be positioned above the operating nut for covering the operating nut;

mounting means securable to the hydrant and engageable with the housing for securing the housing to the hydrant;

the mounting means having a passageway and the housing having a tab for engagement in the passageway; and

locking means for securing the tab in the passageway to prevent removal of the housing from the mounting means, the locking means including a pin engageable with the tab and a recess defined in the mounting means, a locking member engageable with the pin and the recess in the mounting means, frangible means in the locking member for securing the pin to the locking member, the frangible means being breakable to remove the pin from the recess so that the housing can be removed to provide access to the operating nut.

22. The cover of claim 21 wherein:

the hydrant includes a standpipe above which the operating nut extends and said mounting means is adapted for securable enagagement with the standpipe.

23. The cover of claim 21 wherein:

the mounting means includes a ring-shaped ledge having a plurality of holes corresponding to bolt positions in the hydrant and an inwardly extending lip at an end of the mounting means opposite the ledge; and

the housing is disk-shaped with external dimensions slightly greater than that of the lip.

24. A tamper-proof cover for the operating nut of a hydrant, the cover comprising:

a housing adapted to be positioned above the operating nut for covering the operating nut;

mounting means securable to the hydrant and engageable with the housing for securing the housing to the hydrant;

the mounting means having a passageway and the housing having a tab for engagement in the passageway; and

locking means for securing the tab in the passageway to prevent removal of the housing from the mounting means;

the mounting means including a ring-shaped ledge having a plurality of holes corresponding to bolt positions in the hydrant and an inwardly extending lip at an end of the mounting means opposite the ledge;

the housing is disk-shaped with external dimensions slightly greater than that of the lip;

the mounting means including an opening in a side portion thereof; and

in a side portion thereof; and

the locking means including a pin positionable in the opening in the mounting means and engageable with a recess defined in the tab, a locking member engageable with the pin and a recess in the mounting means, a frangible shoulder within the recess in the tab against which the locking member seats and which must be broken to slidably remove the pin from the recess so that the housing can be removed to provide access to the operating nut.

25. A cover as defined in claim 24, including:

the mounting means includes an extension around the opening; and

an end of the pin, remote from the recess in the tab when the pin is positioned in the recess, extending into the extension and having a further groove therein for receiving a portion of a tool positionable in the extension for use in extracting the pin from the mounting means and housing.

26. A tamper-proof cover for the operating nut of a hydrant, the cover comprising:

a domed-shaped housing adapted to be positioned above the operating nut and completely covering the operating nut, an extension on a side portion of the housing and a circular hole in the housing within the extension;

a housing mounting ring securable to the hydrant, the ring having means providing a cylindrical recess therein positionable in alignment with the opening in the housing;

the ring and the housing each having a plurality of mating flanges which are covered by the housing when mutually engaged and which are radially spaced around the housing and ring such that rotation of the housing relative to the mounting ring causes engagement and disengagement of the flanges; and

locking means for preventing rotation of the housing relative to the ring, including a cylindrical pin positionable in the hole in the housing and matingly engageable with the cylindrical recess when the recess and a hole are aligned, the means providing the recess having a frangible shoulder within the recess spaced from but adjacent the pin, the pin having a groove therein adjacent the shoulder and a ring fitted in the groove and engaging the shoulder when the pin with the ring is inserted in the recess whereby the pin cannot be removed without the ring breaking the shoulder, the pin being slidably removable from the recess upon breaking the shoulder so that the housing can be removed to provide access to the operating nut.

27. The cover of claim 26 wherein:

the hydrant includes a standpipe above which the operating nut extends and said housing mounting ring is adapted for securable engagement with the standpipe.

28. The cover of claim 26 wherein:

the hydrant includes a bonnet above which the operating nut extends and said housing mounting ring is adapted for securable engagement with the bonnet.

29. A cover as defined in claim 26 wherein the extension is formed with an inverted generally U-shaped cavity opening downwardly from its outer end to the surface of the housing adjacent the hole therein, and outer side surfaces of the extension are tapered towards one another and the top surface tapered downwardly from the adjacent surfaces of the housing.

30. A tool in combination with the tamper-proof cover defined in claim 26, the tool comprising:

a block insertable in the extension from the housing and having a cavity therein for receiving the end of the pin extending from the hole in the housing;

a pawl mounted in the block for pivotal movement into engagement with a groove in the end of the pin extending into the cavity when the block is inserted in the cavity;

means for removing the block from the extension while the pawl engages the pin so as to cause the frangible shoulder to break and release the pin for removal with the block.

31. A tool in combination with the tamper-proof cover defined in claim 30, wherein the means for removing the tool includes:

a camming member pivotally mounted to the block remote from the cavity, the camming member having a pair of semi-cylindrical end portions disposed on opposite sides of the block and eccentric to the pivotal mounting on the block so that as the camming member is pivoted the distance from the one end of the block to the semi-cylindrical end portions of the camming member will change.

32. A tamper-proof cover for the operating nut of a hydrant, the cover comprising:

a disk-shaped housing adapted to be positioned above the operating nut for covering the operating nut, a tab extending from the housing and a circular hole in the tab;

a mounting securable to the hydrant and having means providing a cylindrical recess therein positionable in alignment with the opening in the housing;

the mounting having a passageway, the tab being engageable in the passageway, the mounting being covered by the housing when the housing and mounting are engaged; and

locking means for securing the housing to the mounting, including a cylindrical pin positionable in the hole in the tab and matingly engageable with the cylindrical recess when the recess and hole are aligned, the locking means providing the recess having a frangible, shoulder within the recess spaced from but adjacent the pin, the pin having a groove and engaging the shoulder when the pin with the ring is inserted in the recess whereby the pin cannot be removed without the ring breaking the shoulder, the pin being slidably removable from the recess upon breaking the shoulder so that the housing can be removed to provide access to the operating nut.

33. A tool in combination with the tamper-proof cover defined in claim 32, the tool comprising:

a block having a cavity therein for receiving the end of the pin extending from the hole in the tab;

a pawl mounted in the block for pivotal movement into engagement with a groove in the end of the pin extending into the cavity when the block is inserted in the cavity;

a block having a cavity therein for receiving the end of the pin extending from the hole in the tab;

a pawl mounted in the block for pivotal movement into engagement with a groove in the end of the pin extending into the cavity when the block is inserted in the cavity;

means for removing the block from the extension while the pawl engages the pin so as to cause the frangible shoulder to break and release the pin for removal with the block.

34. A tool in combination with the tamper-proof cover defined in claim 33, wherein the means for removing the tool includes:

a camming member pivotally mounted to the block remote from the cavity, the camming member having a pair of semi-cylindrical end portions disposed on opposite sides of the block and eccentric to the pivotal mounting on the block so that as the camming member is pivoted the distance from the one end of the block to the semi-cylindrical end portions of the camming member will change.

35. A tool for unlocking locking means for removably securing a housing for covering an operating nut of a hydrant to mounting means for securing the housing to the hydrant, the locking means including a pin positionable in an opening in the housing and engageable with a recess defined in the mounting means, a locking member engageable with the pin and the recess in the mounting means, a frangible shoulder within the recess in the mounting means against which the locking member seats and which must be broken to slidably remove the pin from the recess so that the housing can be removed to provide access to the operating nut;

the tool;

comprising;

a block having a cavity in one end thereof;

a pawl mounted in the block for pivotal movement into and out of the cavity for engaging a circumferential groove in the pin inserted in the caviy and preventing removal of the pin from the cavity; and

a camming member pivotally mounted to the block at another end thereof remote from the one end in which the cavity is formed, the camming member having a pair of semi-cylindrical end portions disposed on opposite sides of the block and eccentric to the pivotal mounting on the block so that as the camming member is pivoted the distance from the one end of the block to the semi-cylindrical end portions of the camming member will change.

36. A tool as defined in claim 35, including a handle secured to the camming member extending away from the block for providing leverage for pivoting the camming member relative to the block.