Abstract:
A device for automatically flushing a dead-end of an underground municipal water distribution system includes an inlet for receiving pressurized water from the water distribution system, an outlet fluidly connected to the inlet conduit for discharging pressurized water from the inlet, and a control valve for controlling the flow of pressurized water between the inlet and the outlet. A housing surrounding the outlet redirects the water radially outwardly. An upper mounting plate locates the device within the housing. The upper mounting plate is mounted to an in-ground enclosure; releasing the upper mounting plate from the enclosure allows pulling the device from the underground water distribution system entirely from above.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/717,704, filed Sep. 17, 2005, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/736,425, filed Nov. 14, 2005, from both of which priority is claimed, and the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     This invention relates to hydrants or valves attached to municipal water systems, and in particular to a device for simplifying the flushing of portions of water systems.  
         [0004]     The need for periodically flushing portions of water systems, particularly dead-ends in the systems, has been recognized for many years, as shown for example in Lazenby III, U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,479. A summary of many of the problems requiring such flushing, as well as of the traditional solutions to those problems, is contained in my co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,338. More recently, such flushing operations have been automated, as described in McCarty, U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,270. The McCarty patent is owned by a company related to the assignee of the present invention. A similar approach is described in Newman, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,035,704 and 6,358,408. Other approaches are shown in Poirer, U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,259, and Esmailzadeh, U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,498, and in Taylor et al, published applications US 20040252556, US 20040238458, US 20040238037, and US 20040238028.  
         [0005]     Although the prior art systems have met with success, the complexity of the systems, the time and effort required to install and use them, the difficulties attendant to removing and servicing them, and their consequent expense have limited their use.  
         [0006]     In accordance with another approach to providing automatic flushing, described in my co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,635, a portable device is installed externally to the outlet of an existing hydrant. This approach requires keeping the hydrant&#39;s manual valve open, and the device must be removed from the hydrant in freezing weather.  
         [0007]     It is important to maintain water quality, including chlorine residuals, at dead ends of municipal water systems regardless of how the line is purged. If it is flushed infrequently, a large amount of water must be flushed from the system; if it is flushed frequently, then a much smaller amount of water need be expelled.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Briefly stated, one aspect of the present invention provides a device and method for automatically flushing portions of a municipal water system by providing a housing for an upper outlet portion of the device, the housing including a diffuser having peripheral openings for expelling water from the device laterally near ground level and a cover extending above the diffuser.  
         [0009]     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a device for automatically flushing a dead-end of an underground municipal water distribution system includes an inlet for receiving pressurized water from the water distribution system, an outlet fluidly connected to the inlet conduit for discharging pressurized water from the inlet, and a control valve for controlling the flow of pressurized water between the inlet and the outlet. A first mount positions the device and holds it in place. The first mount is releasably mounted to an in-ground enclosure; releasing the upper mount from the enclosure allows pulling the device from the underground water distribution system entirely from above. A push-together connector on the lower, inlet, end of the device structure fits an outlet fitting in an underground municipal water system, to allow the device to be removed from the municipal water system entirely from above ground.  
         [0010]     In an illustrative embodiment, the device includes a second mount attached to the in-ground enclosure, and the first mount is releasably attached to the second mount. The second mount allows the inlet and the valve to be pulled upward through the in-ground enclosure. The first mount is preferably removed with the device. The first mount is conveniently a plate which acts as a baffle for water flowing through the device.  
         [0011]     Other aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the following description of illustrative embodiments of the invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of the features and components of the foregoing patents and applications may be utilized in embodiments of the present invention. All the foregoing patents and applications are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view in cross section showing a flushing hydrant in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a view corresponding to  FIG. 1 , partially disassembled for service.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a view in perspective of the device of  FIG. 1 , showing an upper portion of the device of  FIG. 1  with a cover removed.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view showing a bracket mounted in a lower casing portion of the device of  FIG. 1 , for positioning the casing with respect to an inlet adapter.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a lower mounting plate of the device of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of an upper mounting plate of the device of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a view in side elevation of the device of  FIG. 1 , with its cover on, flushing water.  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic view in partial cross section showing a flushing hydrant in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]     The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention.  
         [0022]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , an illustrative embodiment of the invention includes an automatic flushing device  1  attached to an underground water main  3  through a shut-off valve  4  and an elbow  6 . The elbow  6  has an upwardly opening 2″ fitting  5 , having female threads. The main is set in a bed of gravel or dirt  7 .  
         [0023]     An inlet adapter  9  of the flushing device  1  is threaded into the fitting  5 . The inner bore of the upper portion of the adapter  9  is machined to close tolerance, to accept a mating piece as described hereinafter. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the inlet adapter  9  is held to a casing  11  by a bracket  13 , which holds the adapter  9  frictionally. The bracket  13  is mounted to the casing by bolts  15 . The casing  11  is made of heavy-gauge polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and has a diameter of about twelve inches. The casing  11  has a height proportioned to the depth of bury of the main  3 , so that the top of the casing  11  is preferably flush with, or somewhat above, ground level. A plastic debris shield  16  may be adhered to the bottom of the casing  11  for ease of installation of the device. The debris shield  16  permits water to drain through or around it, but tends to keep rocks and dirt out of the casing  11 . Brackets  17  at the upper end of the casing  11  mount a splash guard  19  to the top of the casing  11 . The splash guard  19  is illustratively a twenty-four-inch square of 0.75″ thick PVC, with a central ten-inch diameter circular opening. Mounted to the top of the splash guard  19  is a lower mounting plate  21 , shown in more detail in  FIG. 5 . The lower mounting plate  21  is an aluminum casting. Plate  21  has an outer rim  23  through which screws  25  attach the lower plate  21  to the splash guard  19 , and a pair of segments or webs  27  defined by parallel chords and spaced apart about 6.5″. The webs  27  have tapped holes  29 . Four radial tapped holes  31  in the rim  23  of the lower plate  21 , displaced 45° from the holes for screws  25 , accommodate screws  33  which mount a cylindrical water diffuser  35 . The diffuser  35  is formed of PVC and has an inner diameter of about 10.2″ and a height of about seven inches. About 1.5″ from the lower edge of the diffuser  35  is a circumferential ring of outlet openings  37 , each about one inch in diameter and spaced apart about one-half inch.  
         [0024]     The parts of the device  1  described thus far are all intended to be mounted permanently in a hole dug to the depth of the fitting  5  on the main  3 . The inlet adapter  9  is threaded into the fitting  5  on the main, and the lower end of the casing  11  is lowered to rest on the gravel or dirt  7 , with the bracket  13  holding the inlet adapter  9  frictionally. Once buried, this part of the device  1  is stable.  
         [0025]     The remaining parts of the device  1  are designed to be easily removed for servicing.  
         [0026]     An o-ring coupler  41  includes a plug part  43 . The plug part  43  includes a plurality of circumferential grooves carrying spaced-apart o-rings. The plug part  43  is sized to be pushed into inlet adapter  9  and form a water-tight fit with it, regardless of how far into the inlet adapter  9  the plug part  43  is pushed, so long as at least the first o-ring engages the inner wall of the inlet adapter  9 . At its upper end, the coupler  41  is threaded as shown at  45  to fit a 2″ electrically operated valve  47 .  
         [0027]     The valve  47  is illustratively a 2″ plastic irrigation valve sold by Hunter Industries Incorporated as its model ICV. This valve is described in “Product Information: ICV Valves,” P/N 700327 (Hunter Industries Incorporated, November 2003) and ICV Commercial Valves brochure P/N 700683. The valve  47  is a diaphragm valve in which line pressure exerted over the diaphragm holds the valve closed, and opening of a bleed port by a solenoid relieves pressure in the diaphragm chamber and causes the valve to open. The construction and operation of such valves are well known in the art and are described for example in Hunter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,608 and Scott, U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,482. The valve  47  is illustratively oriented with its inlet  49  and its outlet  51  directed vertically. The valve  47  is manually adjustable by means of manual adjuster  53  to permit flow rates from a trickle (0.10 gallons per minute) to as high as forty gallons per minute. In the present embodiment, however, the flow rate is set high and the valve  47  is not normally adjusted.  
         [0028]     The solenoid of valve  47  is controlled by a Hunter SVC battery-operated valve controller  55 . The controller  55  is described in Product Information, Battery-Powered Controllers, P/N 700885 (Hunter Industries Incorporated, January 2004). The controller  55  is battery powered and includes manually operable buttons for setting the operating cycle, the run time, and the beginning of the run time, and can utilize multiple programs. The controller  55  may be accessed for programming as described hereinafter.  
         [0029]     A lower outlet pipe  61  is threaded into the outlet of the valve  47 . The lower outlet pipe  61  is sized to terminate at or near ground level. A threaded pipe coupling  63  is provided at its upper end. A standard ball check valve  64  is threaded into the side of lower outlet pipe  61  to provide drainage of the system above the check valve whenever the valve  47  is closed. An upper outlet pipe  65  is threaded into the coupling  63 . To the upper end of the upper outlet pipe  65  is mounted a cross fitting  67 . The upper end of the cross fitting carries a flow adjuster  69  having a manual handle  71  to adjust the flow through horizontal arms  73  of the cross fitting. When the desired flow is established, set screw  75  is tightened to prevent accidental movement of the adjuster  69 .  
         [0030]     Between the pipe coupling  63  and the cross fitting  67 , a machined stainless steel upper plate  77  is slidably mounted on the upper outlet pipe  65 . The inner opening  78  of the upper plate  77  is closely sized to stabilize the upper outlet pipe  65  and to allow the plate  77  to abut the coupling  63 . The outer diameter of the upper plate  77  is slightly less than the inner diameter of the cylindrical diffuser  35 , to permit the upper plate  77  to slide smoothly within it.  
         [0031]     As shown particularly in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , lift bolts  79  are threaded into two pads  81  of the upper plate, and hand-screws  83  are threaded through openings in two other pads  81  of the upper plate into the tapped holes  29  of the lower mounting plate  21 . The hand-screws  83  hold the upper plate  77  to the lower mounting plate  21 , thereby locking the o-ring coupler  41  in the inlet adapter  9 .  
         [0032]     The lower side of the upper plate  77  includes a bracket  85  which carries the controller  55  for the valve  47 .  
         [0033]     A cover  91  is placed over the diffuser  35 , with notches in its lower edge placed over bolts  93  extending out from the diffuser  35  to align the cover. The cover  91  is sized to telescope snugly over the diffuser  35 . In this illustrative embodiment, the cover  91  and diffuser  35  are formed from a standard telecommunications equipment enclosure, available from Channell Communications Corporation, Temecula, Calif., as its Budget Pedestal Housing model BPH 1022, having a diameter of about ten inches and an overall height of about twenty-seven inches. This housing is equipped with a standard hasp lock  95  and padlock  97 .  
         [0034]     When the hand-screws  83  are unscrewed, the top plate can be lifted by the lift bolts  79  to access the controller, without disturbing the rest of the device. As shown in  FIG. 2 , however, if it is desired to access the valve  47 , unscrewing the hand-screws  83  allows lifting the upper outlet pipe  65 , thereby pulling the o-ring coupler  41  from the inlet adapter  9  and allowing the entire unit to be pulled up through the openings in the splash guard  19  and the lower mounting plate  21 ; the pipe coupling  63  will lift the upper plate  77  with it. Controller  55  is either removed or unplugged during removal of the unit.  
         [0035]     The use of the device  1  is simple. The controller  55  is set for the desired interval, the upper plate is slid into place, and the hand-screws  83  are tightened. When the controller  55  opens the valve  47 , water flows from the inlet at o-ring coupler  41 , through the horizontal arms  73  of the outlet, into contact with the inner vertical wall of the cover  91  from which it rebounds laterally and exits laterally from the circumferential openings  37  with considerable force. Because the water exits laterally in a large circle, rather than discharging directly and forcefully in a small area directly below the device, and because it is discharged intermittently over relatively long intervals, it does not tend to erode the area where it lands. It will be seen that most of the discharged water lands outside the splash pad, whose function is largely in maintaining a clear area around the device  1  and in preventing the creation of a muddy area directly adjacent the device.  FIG. 7  illustrates a typical discharge pattern of the illustrative embodiment of the invention.  
         [0036]     When the valve  47  closes, the ball check valve  64  is released and discharges the water remaining in the pipes  61  and  65  into the interior of the casing  11 , from which it drains through the gravel or dirt  7 , thereby protecting the system from freezing.  
         [0037]     In situations in which freezing is not a problem, the device can be modified and simplified. One illustrative embodiment of such a device  101  is shown in  FIG. 8 . In this device, the valve  147  and controller  155  (which may be the same as valve  47  and controller  55  of the first embodiment) are mounted above ground in an enclosure or housing comprising a diffuser  135  and a cover  191  (which may be the same as diffuser  35  and cover  91  of the first embodiment) on a splash guard  119  corresponding to splash guard  19  of the first embodiment.  
         [0038]     In this embodiment, as in the previous embodiment, a separate manual shut-off valve  104  is conventionally provided between an upstream part of the water main and the device  101 . Sections of two-inch brass pipe are threaded into the main  103  to a height a few inches below ground level, terminating in a female fitting  102 . A two-inch brass pipe  161  is threaded into the fitting  102  and extends through an opening in the splash guard  119 . A coupling  162  is bolted to the base  119  as shown at  120 . A PVC bushing  122  is threaded into the coupling  162 , and an upper, threaded end of the pipe  161  is threaded through the bushing  122 , leaving a short threaded end extending above the bushing  122 . A two-inch PVC traffic coupling  124  is threaded onto the upper end of the pipe  161  to provide a breakaway. The lower half  126  of a conventional quick-disconnect coupling  128  is threaded into the upper half of the traffic coupling  124 . The upper half  130  of the quick-disconnect coupling  128  is held to the lower half by conventional cam handles  132 . The valve  147  is attached to the upper half  130  of the quick disconnect coupling  128  by a two-inch brass nipple  164 . A sampling tube  166  having a manual sampling valve  168  and a manual shut-off valve  170  is tapped into the nipple  164  to permit sampling independent of the electrically operated valve  147 . Above the valve  147 , a two-inch brass nipple  172  is threaded into its outlet. A diverter cage  174  is threaded onto the upper end of nipple  172 . The diverter cage  174  has a solid top wall  176  against which water from the nipple  172  impinges. The controller  155  is held in a holder  178  on the upper side of the top wall  176  by screws  180 . The sampling tube  166  is held by clips  182  to the diverter cage  174  for stability. Because the valve  147  is above ground, its manual flow adjustment knob  153  is easily accessible and the flow adjuster  69  is not required.  
         [0039]     The diffuser  135  of this embodiment is held by L-brackets  136 , held by bolts  138  to the splash guard  119 , by means of bolts  140 . The cover  191  is attached in the same way as the cover  91  of the previous embodiment and performs the same functions.  
         [0040]     It will be noted that to accommodate the valve  147  in the cover  191  of the housing, the pipe  161  is offset from the center of the diffuser  135 .  
         [0041]     If desired, a rubber or plastic apron may be wrapped around the nipple  172  to protect any water-sensitive parts below the nipple  172 .  
         [0042]     The discharge pattern of this illustrative embodiment is similar to that of the first illustrative embodiment.  
         [0043]     As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.  
         [0044]     Numerous variations in the flushing device of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing disclosure.  
         [0045]     Merely by way of illustration, other enclosures can be utilized, as can other arrangements of outlet apertures or other outlets entirely, such as those described in the aforementioned Newman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,704, although this approach is not presently preferred.  
         [0046]     The second mount need not be in the form of a lower plate; it can be a different mount, as long as it is a structure (or structures) mounted on or integral with the casing  11  that allows structure (illustratively the upper plate) to be attached to it to hold an inlet coupler to an outlet of a water main, and that allows the main valve to be extracted. The first mount may likewise be structure other than a plate, so long as it is functionally attached to the inlet coupler and can be removably attached to the second mount to hold the inlet coupler in a water-tight seal with the outlet of the water main. If the first mount is not an upper plate, some sort of plate-like structure is preferably provided in the illustrative embodiment, to prevent a large part of the discharge water from falling into the casing  11 ; in arrangements in which inhibiting water from falling below the first mount is not important, the first mount may be of almost any form. In the illustrative embodiment, a rubber shield may be placed over the upper plate.  
         [0047]     The splash guard  19  may be of various sizes and configurations, or eliminated altogether. It may be positioned at any desired height relative to the ground, preferably at or above ground level.  
         [0048]     The outlets  37  can be changed to direct the water in any desired direction, and various baffles could be included to direct the water in different directions before it is discharged laterally. It is preferred, but not always essential, for the water to be discharged in a full 360° halo. The flow adjuster  69  may be eliminated and a tee fitting substituted for the cross fitting of the illustrative embodiment.  
         [0049]     A feed chemical such as dechlorination tablets may be placed in the water path, or check valves and backflow preventers may be incorporated, as is well known in the art. Different check valves and other freeze-proofing systems, or none, may be used. Sampling piping may be added to allow sampling of water in the main  3  independent of the valve  47 .  
         [0050]     Other automatically controllable valves and other controls may be utilized, although the preferred solenoid valve and control are particularly simple. As set out in DeLattre et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,417, the control may be powered in various ways, such as a rechargeable battery charged by solar or wind power, and may be controlled in various ways such as infra-red, telephone, or radio communication, either one-directional or bidirectional. As also set out in that patent, condition sensors rather than a timer may be used for controlling the operation of the device; it is therefore to be understood that the “periodic” operation of the valve need not occur on a strict timetable. More complex controls may also be used, as for example those described in Waltzer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,142, Kendall, U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,776, and Kendall et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,532. The controller  55  can be of any desired construction. If the controller is of the long-known type which can be programmed remotely, removal of the upper plate  77  is less important. Likewise, access to the controller  55  could be through a door or slot in the upper plate  77 . Portions of the invention may be used with entirely different systems, such as systems having manually operable valves.  
         [0051]     These variations are merely illustrative.  
         [0052]     All of the patents and printed publications mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference.