Abstract:
A swivel protection device comprises an enclosure and a locking plug. The enclosure covers a portion of a swivel of a fire department connection that includes a set plug. The set plug holds the swivel onto the fire department connection. The enclosure covers the set plug such that, when the enclosure is locked over the swivel, access to the set plug is severely limited or excluded.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/121,484, filed on Dec. 10, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention generally relates to devices designed to protect a components of a fire department connection. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices designed to protect swivels that form a part of fire department connections. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Fire Department Connections (FDC)  100 , such as that shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , are used to supply supplemental water to fire sprinkler systems. In use, the responding fire department connects an outside water source (e.g., afire truck pumper) to the sprinkler system via the FDC with a lay of fire hose. 
         [0006]    The hose is attached to the FDC  100  with a threaded coupling  102 . With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the threaded coupling  102  forms a rotary connector to the FDC  100 . The rotary connector is commonly referred to as a swivel. Ball bearings (not shown) can be installed between the rotary connector  102  and the stem of the FDC  100 . In the illustrated assembly, the stem each includes a channel  104  that receives the ball bearings. These ball bearings are held in the channel, or coupling race, with an external screw plug or set screw  106 . 
         [0007]    The swivel  102  typically is made of either brass or aluminum. Due to the high value of scrap brass and aluminum, the swivels  102  have become a target of thieves. Removal of the swivel  102 , however, renders the FDC  100  useless and high pressure water cannot be pumped to the sprinkler system once the swivel  102  has been removed. 
         [0008]    In addition, vandals have been known to incapacitate fire department connections by banging on the swivel  102  with sufficient force to limit or completely prevent relative rotational movement between the swivel  102  and the stem of the FDC  100 . Such attacks on the FDC coupling can render the FDC useless to a responding fire department. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Accordingly, certain features, aspects and advantages of the present invention relate to a product to safeguard couplings of fire department connections (FDC) from theft and malicious tampering. 
         [0010]    One aspect of an embodiment that is arranged and configured in accordance with certain features, aspects and advantages of the present invention relates to a swivel protection device. The swivel protection device is designed for assembly onto a fire department connection swivel. The device comprises an enclosure and a locking plug. The locking plug is adapted to lock within an opening of the fire department connection. The locking plug has an outside diameter. The enclosure comprises at least one side wall. The at least one side wall is connected to an end wall. The end wall comprises an opening that has a cross dimension that is smaller than the outside diameter of the locking plug. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of a preferred embodiment, which embodiment is intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention, and in which figures: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wall-type fire department connection having two swivels. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the FDC of  FIG. 1  with a set screw removed from one of the swivels and one of the swivels shown exploded from the balance of the FDC. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the FDC of  FIG. 1  with a swivel protection device installed over both swivels. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a sectioned view of the swivel protection device of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the swivel protection device of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]      FIGS. 3-5  illustrate a swivel protection device  200  that is arranged and configured in accordance with certain features, aspects and advantages of the present invention. As illustrated, the swivel protection device  200  can be installed over at least a portion of the swivel  102  of the FDC. In some configurations, the swivel protection device  200  can cover substantially all of the exposed surfaces of the swivel  102 . In other configurations, the swivel protection device  200  covers at least the screw plug  106  of the swivel  102 . 
         [0018]    The illustrated swivel protection device  200  generally comprises a cup-like enclosure  202 . The enclosure  202  can be secured in place on the FDC with a locking plug  204 , such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,882, issued on De. 3, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and specifically with regard to the construction of, and method of using, the locking plug  204 . As will be explained, the locking plug  204  can be used to secure the enclosure  202  in position over top of the screw plug  106  of the swivel  102 . 
         [0019]    The enclosure  202  comprises at least one side wall  206  and an end wall  208 . Other configurations are possible. For example, more than one side wall  206  can be used in some configurations. In addition, in some configurations, the side wall  206  extends around only a portion of the circumference of the swivel  102  and one or more than one such side wall  206  can be used. 
         [0020]    Preferably, the at least one side wall  206  extends around the full circumference and comprises one or more cutouts, openings or recesses  210 . The cutouts  210  accommodate two pin lugs  112  that extend outward from the sidewall of the swivel  102 . In some configurations, the cutouts  210  can be replaced by embossments or the like that cover the pin lugs  112 . Other configurations also are possible. 
         [0021]    As explained above, the enclosure  202  also preferably comprises the end wall  208 . The end wall  208  preferably defines an opening  214  though which a portion of the plug  204  can extend into the opening of the swivel  102 . Preferably, the opening has a smaller inner diameter D 1  than an outer diameter of the plug  204  on both sides of the end wall  208 . In other words the inner diameter D 1  of the opening  220  is less than the largest outer diameter D 2  of the plug  204  and the largest outer diameter D 3  of the face plate D 3 . While expressed in terms of diameters, other shapes can be used for one or all of the components such that the dimension is not a diameter but another form of cross dimension. 
         [0022]    In some configurations, the end wall  208  has a sufficient thickness to limit any axial movement of the enclosure  202  relative to the plug  204  to a range of less than a distance D between the opposite end  210  of the at least one side wall  206  and the screw plug of the FDC. In other words, any axial movement of the installed enclosure  202  preferably is less than the amount of movement that will allow access to the screw plug of the FDC. 
         [0023]    In a preferred configuration, the plug  204  comprises a face plate  216  and a plug body  218 . At least a portion of the end wall  208  of the enclosure  202  is positioned between the plug body  218  and the face plate  216 . The end wall  208  is capable of rotational movement relative to the plug  204  such that the enclosure  202  can remain stationary while the plug  204  is rotated into position within the swivel  102  or vice versa. 
         [0024]    In the illustrated configuration, the face plate  216  comprises a step  220  that receives the opening  214  of the enclosure. In some embodiments, the plug body  218  can comprise the step  220 . Other configurations also are possible, including those without the step  220 . With the end wall  208  positioned between the plug body  218  and the face plate  216 , a threaded member  222  (e.g., a bolt) can be used to secure the plug body  218  to the face plate  216 , which in turn secures the enclosure  202  in position relative to the plug  204 . 
         [0025]    Preferably, the plug body  218  comprises an outer sidewall  224 . The outer sidewall  224  generally is threaded. Other configurations also can be used keeping in mind the desire to contact inner threads of the swivel  102  without deforming the inner threads. An inner surface  226  of the at least one sidewall  206  preferably extends generally parallel to, and is spaced apart from, the outer sidewall  224  of the plug body  218 . In the illustrated embodiment, a gap G is defined between the outer sidewall  224  and the plug body  218 . The gap G is sufficiently large to accommodate the sidewall of the swivel  102 . Preferably, the gap G also is not overly large compared to the sidewall of the swivel  102  such that the space defined between the inner surface  226  of the enclosure and the outer surface of the swivel  102  does not leave open significant room for prying or insertion of other tools between the enclosure  202  and the swivel  102 . 
         [0026]    To install the device  200 , first the enclosure  202  is placed over the unprotected FDC  100  with the swivel  102  being generally enclosed by the at least one side wall  206  and threads of the plug body  218  resting in contact with threads of the swivel  102 . The pin lugs  112  of the swivel  102  can be received within the cutouts  210  of the at least one side wall  206 . With the enclosure  202  placed over the swivel, the locking plug  204  can be threaded into the opening of the FDC and then locked in place. Removal can be performed by unthreading the locking plug  204  and then removing the device  200 . Other methods also can be used. For example, in some embodiments, the plug body  218  can be collapsed downward to a sufficient degree that it can be inserted into the swivel without significant threading and/or removed from the swivel without significant unthreading. 
         [0027]    Although the present invention has been described in terms of a certain embodiment, other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art also are within the scope of this invention. Thus, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, various components may be repositioned as desired. Moreover, not all of the features, aspects and advantages are necessarily required to practice the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined only by the claims that follow.