GB2449321A

GB2449321A - Water meter connector

Info

Publication number: GB2449321A
Application number: GB0721846A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Oswald Peter John Meli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-05-14
Filing date: 2007-11-07
Publication date: 2008-11-19
Also published as: GB0721846D0; GB0709220D0

Abstract

A connector 10 for connecting a concentric water meter 12 to a stopcock or stop valve body 14 as a replacement for the stop valve has a body 50, with a tubular spigot 62 with an external screw thread 64 to engage a corresponding thread 40 on the stop valve body 14, the body 50 also having a tube 70 which forms an inlet, concentric with the spigot 62 to engage a seat 36 in the stop valve body 14. The external surface of the tube 70 is spaced from the internal surface of the spigot 62 to form an annular outlet 66. The body 50 has a second annular outlet 120 to engage an annular inlet of the concentric water meter 12, and a concentric second inlet 94 to engage a return bore of the concentric water meter 12. A valve 124 may close the connection between the first inlet at 70 and second annular outlet 120. A drain outlet 110 may be provided to drain the water meter 12.

Description

244932 #\

WATER METER CONNECTOR

The present invention relates to a connector for the installation of a concentric water meter having, a tubular body with an external screw thread at an inlet end of the meter. An annular inlet and concentric return bore open to the inlet end of the meter.

The present invention provides a connector for a concentric water meter which may be mounted in the body portion of a standard BS1O1O stop valve, the connection incorporating valve means for controlling flow of water to the water meter. Moreover the connection may also provide a connection for draining the meter, when it is disconnected from the water supply.

According to one aspect of the present invention a connector for a is concentric water meter comprises a body member, the body member defining a tubular spigot formation at first end, the tubular spigot formation having an external screw thread formation adapted to engage a corresponding thread on the body portion of a stop valve, in place of the valve mechanism; the body member also defining a tubular formation, the 20 tubular formation being concentric with and extending axially beyond the *. spigot formation, the tubular formation being adapted to sealingly engage a * ** seat formation on the body portion of the stop valve, when the thread formation of the spigot formation is engaged with the thread formation on *.S the body portion of the stop valve, the external surface of the tubular :.: 25 formation being spaced from the internal surface of the spigot formation to define a first annular outlet from the body member, the bore of the tubular formation defining a first inlet; the body member also being provided, at a second end axially remote from the first end, with a second annular outlet adapted to sealingly engage an annular inlet of a concentric water meter, and a concentric second inlet adapted to sealingly engage a return bore of the concentric water meter, a thread formation being provided at said second end for engagement of a corresponding thread on the concentric water meter; a first passageway being provided through the body member to connect the first inlet with the second annular outlet and a second passageway being provided through the body member to connect the first annular outlet to the second inlet; valve means being provided in the first passageway to close connection between the first inlet and second annular outlet.

The connector in accordance with the present invention may replace the valve mechanism of a conventional stop valve to provide a connection for a concentric water meter, without the need to install further components in the pipe work. The valve means on the connector may be used in place of the stop valve to close off the water supply, if required.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a further outlet is provided in the second passageway to provide a drain, by which water may be drained from the water meter, before it is removed for replacement or maintenance purposes. * S 5S5

: * The invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to S...

the accompanying drawing, in which:-S..

:.:. 25 Figure 1 is a sectional view of a connector in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view showing a modification to the connector illustrated in figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a connector 1 0 for connecting a concentric water meter 1 2 (only part shown), to the body portion 14 of a conventional stop valve, the connector 10 replacing the valve mechanism of the stop valve.

The concentric water meter 1 2 has a tubular body 20 which is stepped towards the inlet end 22 and has an external screw thread 24. The meter 1 2 has an annular inlet 26, which is coaxial with a return bore 28.

The stop valve body portion 14 has a tubular wall section 30 defining a coaxial inlet 32 and outlet 34 at opposite ends. The inlet 32 and outlet 34 are adapted to be connected, in line, to a water supply pipe in conventional manner, for example by means of compression or push fit connectors (not shown). An annular valve seat 36 is provided intermediate of the inlet 32 and outlet 34, the axis of the valve seat 36 being perpendicular to the axis of the inlet 32 and outlet 34. A cylindrical wall section 38 extends perpendicular to the tubular wall 30 coaxially of the valve seat 36, the cylindrical wall section having an internal screw thread 40, which when the valve body 14 is used as a stop valve would locate the valve mechanism.

The cylindrical wall section 38 opens into the bore formed by the tubular 1.* wall section 30, on the outlet 34 side of the valve seat 36. * S.

The connector 10 has a body member 50, comprising a first annular member **.

52 and a second member 54 which are secured together by interengaging :.:. 25 screw threads 56,58 and sealed by means of an elastomeric 0-ring 60.

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The first annular member 52 is stepped, defining a spigot formation 62 with an external screw thread 64 which corresponds to the screw thread 40 on the stop valve body portion 14. The first annular member 52 also has a stepped bore 66.

The second member 54 has an axial tubular extension 70, the external diameter of which is smaller than the internal diameter of the spigot formation 62 of the first annular member 52. When the first and second members 52,54 are secured together and the first member 52 is fully tightened on the stop valve body portion 14, the free end 72 of the tubular extension 70 extends coaxially of the spigot formation 62, beyond the spigot formation 62 and is a close tolerance fit through the valve seat 36. An elastomeric 0-ring 74 is located in a groove 76 in an external flange formation 78 adjacent the free end 72 of tubular extension 70, to provide a seal with the valve seat 36.

The bore 80 of the tubular extension 70 is closed at its inner end. A cross bore 82, from the side of the second member 54, opens into the closed end of the bore 80.

The end of the second member 54 remote from the first member 52 has a pair of coaxial annular wall formations 90,92, the inner wall formation 92 20 defining a central closed bore 94 and the walls 90,92 between them defining an annular recess 96. An internal screw thread 98 corresponding to the * ** screw thread 24 on the water meter 12, is provided on the outer wall 90.

The water meter 1 2 may thus be secured to the connector 1 0, the inner S..

annular wall 92 extending into the return bore 28 of the water meter 1 2 and : 25 the annular inlet 26 of the water meter 1 2 extending into the annular recess 96. An elastomeric 0-ring 100 locates between the inner wall 92 and the wall defining the return duct 28 to provide a seal therebetween.

A cross bore 110 extends from the diametrically opposite side of the second member 54 as the bore 82, the cross bore 11 0 being offset axially towards the water meter end of the second member 54 and opening into the closed bore 94. The cross bore 110 is closed at its outer end by means of a screw threaded plug 11 2. A further bore 114 opens into the cross bore 110 and extends to the end of the second member 54 connected to the first member 52, so that it is spaced radially of the tubular extension 70 but opens into the enlarged diameter portion 68 of the bore 66.

An axially extending bore 1 20 extends from the annular recess 96 and opens into cross bore 82. The cross bore 82 is stepped, having an enlarged diameter outer portion 1 22. A ball valve 1 24 is located in the outer portion 1 22 of bore 82, the ball valve 1 24 comprises a pair of ball valve seats 126,128 which sealingly engage a balll3O. The ball 130 has a right angled passageway 132, an inlet portion 1 34 of the passageway 1 32 being disposed on the axis of rotation of the ball 1 30 and opening to the end of the cross bore 82 which opens into bore 80. The outlet portion 136 of passageway 1 32, when the ball valve 1 30 is opened, is coaxial with the bore 120.

A screw threaded cap 140 closes the cross bore 82, a spindle 142 being ** mounted through the cap 140 and being sealed with respect thereto by * ** elastomeric 0-rings 144. The inner end of spindle 142 has a projection 146 * . S **** of square section, which engages a corresponding recess 1 48 in the ball *.* 1 30, so that rotation of the spindle 1 42 will rotate the ball 1 30. A flange :.:. 25 formation 1 50 adjacent the inner end if the spindle 142 engages a recess 1 52 in the inner end of the cap 1 40 to locate the spindle 1 42 axially with respect to the cap 140. A lever 1 54 is attached to the outer end of spindle 142, by which the spindle 142 and ball 1 30 attached thereto may be rotated between an open position in which the outlet portion 136 of passageway 132 is aligned with and opens to the bore 120 and a closed position in which the outlet portion 1 36 of passageway 1 32 is disposed at 900 to the passageway 1 20.

When assembled, as illustrated on figure 1, water entering the stop valve body portion 1 4 through inlet 32, will pass through bore 80, passageway 1 32 of the ball valve 1 24, bore 1 20 and the annular recess 96 to the annular inlet 26 of the water meter 1 2. Water returning from the water meter 1 2 will pass through bore 94, cross bore 110, bore 114, the annular channel formed by the enlarged diameter portion 68 of bore 66 and the annular channel between the spigot formation 62 and tubular extension 70, back to the stop valve body portion 14 and out through outlet 34.

The ball valve 1 24 may be closed to shut off flow of water to the meter 1 2, and the plug 11 2 may be removed in order to drain water from the meter 12. According to an alternative embodiment, the plug 11 2 may be replaced by a drain valve.

As illustrated in figure 2, the tubular extension 170 may be telescopically mounted in a collar 1 90 which screws into the second body member 54 * S. * coaxially of the spigot formation of the first annular body member 52. The : * tubular extension 1 70 is sealed with respect to the collar 1 90 by means of **..

elastomeric 0-ring 1 92 which is retained in a circumferential groove 1 94 in the inner cylindrical surface of the collar 190 adjacent the end of collar 190 :.:. 25 remote from body member 54. The bore 200 of the collar 1 90 is of enlarged diameter at the end adjacent body member 54, to form a shoulder 202, adjacent the end remote from body member 54. A circlip 1 96 engages a circumferential groove 198 adjacent the end of the tubular extension 1 70 which engages the collar 1 90, the circlip 196 being located in the enlarged diameter portion of bore 200, so that engagement of the shoulder 202 by circlip 1 96, will limit movement of the tubular extension 1 70 away from the second body member 54. A helical compression spring 204 acts between the end of the collar member 190 remote from body member 54 and an external flange formation 1 78 adjacent the free end of tubular extension 1 70, to bias the tubular extension 1 70 out of collar 1 90 and a sealing ring 1 74 mounted in a groove 1 76 in the flange formation 1 78, into sealing engagement with a valve seat 36.

This modification accommodates variations in the axial position of the valve seat 36 and valve body 50, and ensures that the tubular extension 1 70 is sealed with respect to the valve seat 36.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention, for example, the ball valve 124 may be replaced by any other suitable form of valve mechanism. * S. * S * * ** S... * S **S* * .* * S S **. * ** * * * S.. I

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Claims

Claims 1. A connector for a concentric water meter comprising a body

member, the body member defining a tubular spigot formation at first end, the tubular spigot formation having an external screw thread formation adapted to engage a corresponding thread on the body portion of a stop valve, in place of the stop valve mechanism; the body member also defining a tubular formation, the tubular formation being concentric with and extending axially beyond the spigot formation, the tubular formation being adapted to sealingly engage a seat formation on the body portion of the stop valve, when the thread formation of the spigot formation is engaged with the thread formation on the body portion of the stop valve, the external surface of the tubular formation being spaced from the internal surface of the spigot formation to define a first annular outlet from the body member, the bore of the tubular formation defining a first inlet; the body member also being provided, at a second end axially remote from the first end, with a second annular outlet adapted to sealingly engage an annular inlet of a concentric water meter, and a concentric second inlet adapted to sealingly engage a I...

* return bore of the concentric water meter, a thread formation being provided at said second end for engagement of a corresponding thread on the S..

concentric water meter; a first passageway being provided through the body member to connect the first inlet with the second annular outlet and a second passageway being provided through the body member to connect the first annular outlet to the second inlet; valve means being provided in the first passageway to close connection between the first inlet and second annular outlet.
2. A connector according to claim 1 in which the valve means in the first passageway is a ball valve.
3. A connector according to claim 1 or 2 in which sealing means is provided adjacent a free end of the tubular formation for sealingly engaging the seat of the stop valve body.
4. A connector according to claim 3 in which a flange formation is provided adjacent the free end of the tubular formation, an elastomeric 0-ring being provided in an annular groove in the flange formation, for sealing engagement of the stop valve seat.
5. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tubular formation is mounted in telescopic manner with respect to the connector body member and is resiliently biased into sealing engagement with the stop valve seat, when the thread formation of the spigot formation is engaged with the thread formation on the body portion of the stop valve.
6. A connector according to claim 5 in which the tubular formation is *:*::* slidably sealed with respect to the connector body member. * * ****
7. A connector according to claim 5 or 6 in which means is provided to * 20 limit movement of the tubular formation outwardly from the body member. **

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8. A connector according to any one of claims 5 to 7 in which means is provided to slidably seal the tubular formation of the body member.
9. A connector according to any one of claims 5 to 8 in which a helical compression spring is mounted about the tubular formation and acts between the body member and an external flange formation on the tubular formation.
10. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims in which a drain outlet is provided from the second passageway.
11. A connector substantially as described herein, with reference to and as shown in figure 1 or figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. * S. ** * * S. *.** * . * S * S *

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