Patent ID: 7090261

Claim:
A watering system for a poultry house, the watering system comprising: a watering line, said watering line comprising a plurality of pipe segments connected together by a coupling mechanism; said pipe segments each including at least one drinker opening positioned along a side of the pipe segment and an opening in the form of a slot extending inwardly from an end of said pipe segment; said coupling mechanism comprising a tube having opposed opened ends, said tube being sized and shaped to axially and slidingly receive said pipes segments in the opposed opened ends of said tube; a seal to form a fluid tight seal between said pipe segments and said tube; and a keying element which engages ends of said pipe segments; said coupling mechanism being at a predetermined location relative to said drinker opening; said coupling mechanism rotationally fixing said pipe segments relative to each other such mat the drinker openings of the pipes segments in the watering line are rotationally aligned and rotationally fixed; said coupling mechanism tube keying element being integral with said tube and extending from a surface of said tube; said keying element comprising a rib extending axially along a surface of said tube; said opening in said pipe segment comprising a slot extending inwardly from an end of said pipe segment; said keying element further including an axially extending can on said rib, said cap having a bottom surface which extends outwardly from opposite sides of said rib, whereby said key has a generally T-shaped configuration in end elevation, said key rib having a height slightly greater than the annular width of said pipe segment; whereby, said key cap will sandwich said pipe segment between said key can and said tube inner surface; a stabilizing bar, said stabilizing bar including an axially extending shoulder; and a plurality of clips which suspend said watering line from said stabilizing bar; whereby, said coupling mechanism keys and rotationally fixes said pipe segments of said water line on to another to ensure alignment of said drinker openings and to prevent rotational movement of said pipe segments relative to each other.