GB2254102A

GB2254102A - Boundary box

Info

Publication number: GB2254102A
Application number: GB9206868A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edwin Albert Walter Dunkey
Original assignee: Fusion Meters Ltd
Current assignee: Severn Trent Metering Services Ltd
Priority date: 1991-03-28
Filing date: 1992-03-30
Publication date: 1992-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 2012-03-30
Also published as: GB2254102B; GB9206868D0

Abstract

A boundary box (1) comprises a base member (2) that is closed at one end and open at the other, apertures (4) in the base member for the passage of inlet and outlet pipes (5, 6), an extension member (10) detachably secured to the open end of the base member, and an inspection cover support member (15) adjustably mounted on the remote end of the extension member. The remote end of the extension member is preferably of tubular section and is internally or externally threaded to receive a respectively externally or internally threaded tubular inspection cover support. <IMAGE>

Description

BOUNDARY BOX This invention relates to boundary boxes, and is particularly concerned with boundary boxes for use in the water industry.

There is the need with any building of domestic, commercial or industrial type to provide a stop tap to isolate the building from the mains water supply, and there is the growing employment of water meters that must be sited at a convenient position downstream of the stop tap.

Thus, it is known to employ so-called boundary boxes and inspection covers to house stop taps below ground with the inspection cover flush with the ground surface above the stop tap.

Traditionally such boundary boxes have been in the form of various materials such as glazed ceramics, cement tubes, brick built, concrete, or plastics, in the form of a sleeve to encircle a stop tap, with a cast metal or plastics inspection cover. Such constructions, whilst easing the task of setting the box such that the cover is flush with the ground surface, give no protection to the stop tap from below.

Equally, should a fault develop at the stop tap with the leakage of mains water, this does not necessarily appear at the surface immediately, and a considerable amount of water can be absorbed in the ground surrounding the boundary box with a considerable weakening effect on the subsoil to the detriment of a laid surface on the ground above.

Attempts have been made to form boundary boxes such as to encase a stop tap. However, such constructions have the difficulty that if the stop tap and associated inlet and outlet pipes are not set below ground at exactly the depth to match the height of the boundary box, there are considerable installation difficulties to be dealt with, frequently leading to the use of spacer members to put the inspection cover at ground level.

It is the object of the invention to provide a housing that solves those problems mentioned above.

According to the present invention, a boundary box comprises a base member that is closed at one end and open at the other, apertures in the base member for the passage of inlet and outlet pipes, an extension member detachably secured to the open end of the base member, and an inspection cover support member adjustably mounted on the remote end of the extension member.

Preferably, the inlet and outlet pipes are in sealed engagement with the apertures in the base member, and a sealing means is provided between the base member and the extension member.

Further preferably, at least the remote end of the extension member is of tubular section and is internally or externally threaded to receive an externally or internally threaded tubular inspection cover support, and whereby the height of the inspection cover is infinitely variable within the length of the respectively threaded extension member and inspection cover support.

To facilitate the load bearing characteristics of the boundary box, buttress threads should be employed on the extension member and on the inspection cover support.

The boundary box of the invention lends itself well to production from an appropriate plastics material. Thus the base member can be formed as a cup shaped moulding with appropriate inlet and outlet holes for the subsequent reception of sealing rings and the passage of inlet and outlet pipes. Extending upwardly from the cup shaped moulding a tubular length is provided either formed integrally with the cup shaped moulding or separately formed and subsequently there secured, such as by fusion or by mechanical fasteners, the base member towards it upper end being shouldered to provide an upper length of smaller diameter. The base member therefore provides a water-tight housing for the connections of inlet and outlet pipes to a stop tap to be located within the housing.The extension member may be a simple extrusion of tubular section of an internal diameter to correspond to the external diameter of the upper end of the base member and preferably diametrically opposed L-slots are provided emerging in the bottom edge of the extension member to engage with appropriate projections diametrically located at the upper end of the base member and such that the extension member can be a push fit on to the base member and with rotation of the extension member causing it to be locked to the base member.

Desirably, a sealing ring is provided to provide a sealing engagement between the extension member and the base member.

The extension member towards its upper end may be formed integrally with inner or outer screw threads, but preferably, and for simplicity of production, a separately formed internally or externally threaded tubular length is provided and suitably secured such as by fusion, to the end of the extension member. Preferably, a sealing ring is provided between the threads of the extension member and the threads of the inspection cover support of a character that permits relative rotation between the two.

The externally or internally threaded inspection cover support may again be formed of an appropriate plastics material and formed with an inside and an outside diameter at its upper end to suit the two conventional sizes required of inspection covers and whereby the same housing can have fitted to it a required smaller or larger inspection cover.

Preferably, a sealing ring is provided between the inspection cover and the inspection cover support.

Preferably, a flexible sheath is provided and attached between the extension member and the inspection cover support, that can unfurl or collapse as the inspection cover support is rotated, and whereby to protect the exposed threads from the surrounding sand or soil.

In addition to forming a boundary box for a stop tap, it will readily be understood that by forming the housing of the invention of an appropriate internal diameter, it readily serves the purpose of forming a housing for a water meter connected in the supply line adjacent to and downstream of the stop tap, or forming a housing for a manifold of the type described in Application No.9106700.9 co-pending herewith.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a sectional side elevation through a boundary box in accordance with the invention, In the drawing, a boundary box 1 is formed by a base member 2 that is closed at one end and open at the other.

Conveniently the base member is formed from three components, a closed bottom section 3 provided with apertures 4 for the passage of inlet and outlet pipes 5, 6, a distance piece 7 and a top member 8 having a top annular flange 9 through which can extend the connections of the inlet and outlet pipes to a water meter and suitable on/off valve (not shown) with the annular flange 9 providing support for those connections.

With each element of the base member formed from an appropriate plastics material, the elements can be suitably secured together such as by fusion, or by the employment of an appropriate adhesive and to provide a watertight structure.

Within each inlet and outlet hole or the inlet and outlet pipes an appropriate sealing ring may be provided to ensure the prevention of the ingress of water.

An extension member 10 is provided in detachable engagement with the top member 8 of the base, the extension member having an internal diameter to be a sliding fit externally of the top member and provided with diametrically opposed L-shaped slots 11 emerging at the bottom of the extension member to engage pin means 12 provided on the top member. Thus by simply pushing the extension member on to the top member of the base and rotating the extension member to position the pin means within the arms of the L-shaped slots, a simple and highly effective means of detachably securing the extension member to the base, is provided. Preferably, a relative simple sealing ring is provided at the upper end of the base member to provide sealing engagement as between the base member and the extension member.

Towards the upper end of the extension member 10 an internally buttress threaded section is provided. Preferably, and for manufacturing convenience, the buttress threads are provided internally of a threaded member 13 secured to the top of the extension member. Here again, it is preferable for an appropriate plastics material to be used and for the threaded member to be secured to the extension member such as by fusion or by the employment of an appropriate adhesive to provide a watertight engagement. In engagement with the internal buttress threads of the threaded section are the external buttress threads of an inspection cover support member 14 and to which an extension cover 15 is detachably secured.

Thus, and at the point of installation, an excavation is made and whereby the base member can be positioned at the depth required and to suit the depth to which the inlet and outlet pipes are to be laid. The appropriate meter/valve arrangements can then be secured to the connections at the position of the annular flange 9 on the top member 8 of the base, and when the extension member can then be fitted to the base member. With then simple rotation of the inspection cover support member 14, it can then be positioned in relation to the extension member and such that the inspection cover 15 lies flush with the surface of the ground at the position of the inspection cover.

Thus, in highly efficient and cost-effective manner, a boundary box is provided that can accommodate a wide variety of different depths or intended depths of the inlet and outlet pipes and with the considerable ease and certainty of sopositioning the inspection cover flush with the surface of the ground. Additionally, and by having a watertight base member and the extension member in sealed engagement therewith, any leakage of water is confined within the boundary box, with the relative immediacy of the emergence of water at the surface and to signal a fault at the stop tap.

Claims

1. A boundary box comprising a base member that is closed at one end and open at the other, apertures in the base member for the passage of inlet and outlet pipes, an extension member detachably secured to the open end of the base member, and an inspection cover support member adjustably mounted on the remote end of the extension member.

2. A boundary box as in Claim 1, wherein the inlet and outlet pipes are in sealed engagement with the apertures in the base member.

3. A boundary box as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein a sealing means is provided between the base member and the extension member.

4. A boundary box as in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein at least the remote end of the extension member is of tubular section and is internally or externally threaded to receive an externally or internally threaded tubular inspection cover support.

5. A boundary box as in Claim 4, wherein the threads on the extension member and on the inspection cover support are load-bearing threads.

6. A boundary box as in any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the base member is formed by a bottom cup-shaped member, a distance piece, and a top member, each of a suitable plastics material and suitably secured together in watertight manner.

7. A boundary box as in any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the extension member is a tubular sectioned extrusion of an internal diameter to be a sliding fit on the base member.

8. A boundary box as in Claim 7, wherein the extension member has diametrically opposed L-slots emerging at its bottom end to engage with appropriate projections diametrically located on the base member to provide a push and rotation engagement and locking of the extension member to the base member.

9. A boundary box as in Claim 8, wherein an appropriate sealing means is provided between the extension member and the base member.

10. A boundary box as in Claim 4, or any of Claims 5 to 9 when appended to Claim 4, wherein the threads at the upper end of extension member are provided on a separate threaded member suitably secured in watertight manner to the upper end of the extension member.

11. A boundary box as in any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein a flexible sheath is provided and attached between the extension member and the inspection cover support that can unfurl or collapse as the inspection cover support is rotated to adjust its height, and whereby to protect the exposed threads from the surrounding sand or soil.

12. A boundary box substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.