GB2483661A

GB2483661A - Hydrant security device

Info

Publication number: GB2483661A
Application number: GB201015352A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Oliver Gamblin
Original assignee: AVK Holding AS
Current assignee: AVK Holding AS
Priority date: 2010-09-14
Filing date: 2010-09-14
Publication date: 2012-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 2030-09-14
Also published as: GB2483661B; GB201015352D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a hydrant security device for use with a hydrant (1 figure 1) having an outlet 3 and an actuator 4 for operating a valve to control the flow of liquid from the outlet 3. The security device comprises a first anti-tamper cap 6 which is engageable over the actuator 4 so as to prevent access. The first cap 6 has an arm 6b extending therefrom which has an opening (6c figure 3c) sized and positioned to engage over the outlet 3 with the outlet protruding through the opening (6c figure 3c) when the first cap 6 is located on the actuator 4. A second outlet cap 7 is engageable over the outlet 3 and arm 6b so as to prevent access to the actuator 4 and prevents removal of the opening (6c figure 3c) from the around the outlet 3. The second outlet cap 7 is then securable to the outlet 3, over the arm of the first cap 6, thereby preventing unauthorised access to both the outlet and the actuator. Later embodiment relates to a method of securing a hydrant using said security device.

Description

I

Hydrant Anti-Tam_per Assembjy The present invention relates to improvements in the security of hydrants for controlling access to water supplies in publically accessible places, and more particularly to improvements in devices for securing hydrants whilst allowing rapid access to water supplies by authorised persons.

Hydrants such as fire hydrants are a particular type of valve head assembly used to provide controlled access to water supplies at outside locations. The most common use for hydrants is by emergency services such as the fire services to provide a high pressure supply of water for use in fighting fired. A hydrant is secured to the top of a riser pipe connected directly to the water main, and is usually located in a chamber beneath a cover plate so as to protect against damage and tampering.

A typical hydrant has an inlet at its lower side which is secured to the top of the riser pipe, and outlet at its upper side through which water may be obtained by an authorised person, a valve operable to control water flow from the inlet to the outlet, and an actuator accessible from the outside of the hydrant and operable to move the valve between open and closed positions and hence turn on and off the supply of water from the outlet of the hydrant.

Hydrants are, however, prone to attempts by unauthorised users to gain access to the water supply, for example to steal water, such as in the case of person or persons illegally occupying sites which have no water supply to them, and also to attempt to contaminate standing water supply by using the hydrant to gain access to the water main and then introducing contaminants to the water. In order to prevent such unauthorised access, secure caps, requiring special tools to remove them, are known to be used to prevent access to each of the hydrant outlet and the valve control actuator. This system works well to hinder unauthorised access to the water main, but has the problem that it also makes it more difficult and hence time consuming for authorised users to access the water supply due to the need to remove two anti-tamper devices -one for the outlet and one for the actuator.

According to the present invention there is provided a hydrant security device for use with a hydrant having an outlet and an actuator for operating a valve to control the flow of liquid from the outlet, the device comprising a first cap which, in use, is engageable over one of the outlet and the actuator for preventing access thereto, said first cap having an arm extending therefrom which has an opening formed therein sized and positioned so that, in use, the other of the outlet and the actuator is engageable through said opening when said first cap is located on said one of the outlet and the actuator, and further comprising a second cap which, in use, is engageable over the other of the outlet and the adapter so as to prevent access thereto, said second cap being securable to said other of the outlet and the adapter, over the arm of the first cap, so as to prevent unauthorised access to both the outlet and the adapter.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a security member for a hydrant comprising a cap which, in use, is engageable over one of an outlet and an actuator for preventing access thereto, and an arm secured to and extending radially from the cap, the arm having an opening formed therein sized and positioned so that, in use, the other of the outlet and the actuator is engageable through said opening when said first cap is located on said one of the outlet and the actuator.

The present invention further provides a hydrant assembly comprising a hydrant having an inlet, an outlet, a valve member for controlling fluid flow between the inlet and the outlet, and an actuator for operating said valve member, and further comprising a hydrant security device according to the invention.

The present invention still further provides a method of securing a hydrant having and outlet and an actuator, comprising the steps of providing a first cap having an arm extending therefrom with an opening formed therein, positioning the first cap over one of the outlet and the actuator so that the other of the outlet and the actuator extends through the opening in the arm, and securing over the other of the outlet and the actuator a second cap such that said second cap overlies the arm of the first cap and prevents removal of said arm from said other of the outlet and actuator, thereby securing both the outlet and the actuator.

The present invention has the advantage that both the outlet and the actuator of a hydrant are effectively secured against unauthorised access, but an authorised user has only to release the securing system for the second cap in order to gain access to both parts of the hydrant. Once the second cap is released, the first cap can simply be lifted away. As a result, authorised access can be gained much more quickly than with prior art system without compromising the security of the hydrant when it is unattended.

Preferably, the second cap has an internal thread formed therein which is complementary to an external threat formed on the one of the adapter and outlet with which it is cngageable so that said second cap is screwingly engageable therewith. In particular, the second cap advantageously engages with the outlet and has an internal threat which is complementary to the external thread adapter provided on a typical hydrant outlet for securing a water pipe such as a first hose thereto. This has the advantage that the system can be retro-fitted to existing hydrants without any modification of the hydrant being required.

The second cap may be provided with locking means which engage with the outlet of the hydrant so as to secure the cap thereto, the locking means being releasable only using a special key. Preferably, however, the second cap itself is formed so as to be rotatable only when a specially designed adapter key is engaged onto the second cap. In particular, the second cap preferably has a generally smooth outer surface so as to make gripping with a general tool such as a pair of grips difficult. The adapter key then has a recess extending from one end which is of complementary shape to the outer profile of the second cap so that, when the adapter key is engaged onto the outer surface of the second cap, a close tolerance fit therebetween creates a high friction engagement allowing high torque transmissions from the key to the cap without slipping.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the outer profile of the second cap is elliptical in cross-section and the recess of the key is similarly elliptically shaped such that, when the key is fully engaged on the second cap, relative rotation therebetween is prevented and hence the key can be used to tighten and loosen the cap without slipping. Other asymmetrical shapes for the outer profile of the second cap and corresponding shape for the recess of the adapter key are also possible.

In an alternative arrangement, a specially shaped recess may be formed in the second cap into which only a correspondingly shaped protrusion is engageable, the adapter key being formed with that protrusion so as to enable torque transmitting engagement with the second cap.

IN order to facilitate rotation of the adapter key, it is advantageously provided with a shaped recess or protrusion which can be used by an authorised person to rotate the adapter key using a standard tool, such as a spanner, a tee key or the like.

It is preferably for the second cap to be a tight fit against the top of the arm of the first cap so that it is not obviously apparent from external inspection which of the first and second cap is formed separately of the arm. This has the advantage of making it difficult for an unauthorised user to identify which of the two caps he should be trying to rotate.

In order that the invention may be well understood, there will now be described an embodiment thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hydrant having a security device in accordance with the invention fitted thereon; Figure 2 is a partially cut away perspective view corresponding with Figure 1; Figures 3a to 3d are various views of a first cap which forms part of the security device according to the invention; Figures 4a to 4d are various views of a second cap which forms part of the security device according to the invention; and Figure 5 is a perspective of corresponding with Figure 1 showing an adapter key used to remove and replace the second cap.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown hydrant 1 having an inlet 2 at its bottom side, an outlet 3 at its top and an actuator 4 next to the outlet 3 on the top for operating a valve (not shown) for opening and closing fluid flow from the inlet 2 to the outlet 3. as shown more clearly in Figure 2, an outlet adapter S is screwed to the top of the outlet 3 having a threaded collar 5a formed on the top thereof for screwing a pipe connector (not shown) thereto, for example for securing a fire hose to the hydrant.

In order to secure the hydrant against unauthorised use of the hydrant, an anti-tamper cap 6, 7 is secured over each of the threaded collar 5a of the outlet adapter 5 and the actuator in order to prevent unauthorised access to those parts.

Actuator cap 6, shown in detail in Figures 3a to 3d, is formed by a domed cap 6a, and a mounting arm 6b extending radially from the lower, open end of the domed cap 6a, seen most clearly in Figure 3d. A circular opening 6c is formed in the arm 6b proximate the end of the arm 6b remote from the cap 6a, the diameter of the opening 6c being large enough to allow the threaded collar 5a of the outlet 3 to fit through the opening 6c.

Furthermore, the distance between the central axis of the cap 6a and the centre of the opening óc is equal to the distance between the central axis of the actuator 4 and the central axis of the threaded collar 5a of the outlet 3, 50 that, when the opening 6c in the arm 6b is fitted onto the threaded collar 5a, the cap 6a is positioned to completely overlie and hence prevent access to the actuator 4 as shown in Figure 2.

In the illustrated embodiment, a step 6d is fonned in the arm such that the plane of the opening 6c is below the plane of the open end of the cap 6a so as to accommodate height differential between the adapter the threaded collar 5a, but it will be understood that the exact form of the arm can be varied to suit the requirements of different hydrant designs.

Indeed, the axis of the opening 6c may be inclined to the axis of the adapter in the event that the axis of the threaded adapter 5a is not parallel to the axis of the adapter as in the illustrated hydrant.

Outlet cap 7, shown in more detail in Figures 4a to 4d, is formed by a domed cap 7a sized and shaped to fit over the threaded collar 5a of the outlet 3 so as to prevent access to the outlet when the caps secured in place. The inner surface 7b of the cap 7 is threaded to complement the thread formed on the threaded adapter 5a so that the cap 7 is securable to the outlet by simply screwing onto the threaded adapter 5a as shown in Figures 2 and 5.

In order to hinder unauthorised removal of the outlet cap 7, the outer surface thereof has a smooth finish so as to prevent a firm grip being made on the outer surface of the outlet cap 7 from above with a standard tool such as a pair of grips. Since the cap will be tightly screwed onto the threaded adapter 5a, a significant torque will need to be applied in order to overcome the friction required to loosen the outlet cap 7 from the threaded adapter 5, and it is unlikely that the required level of torque would be achievable by an unauthorised person using stand available tools -instead those tools would simply slip on the smooth outer surface of the cap.

Authorised removal can, however, be achieved by using a specially designed adapter key 9 as shown in Figure 5. The adapter key 9 has post 10 extending from its upper end 9ahaving flats 1 Oa formed thereon, onto which a spanner or the like can grip in order to rotate the adapter key 9. The height of the post 10 is such that it will extend above the level of the recess in which a typical hydrant is located when the adapter key 9 is fitted onto the outlet cap 7 as described below in order to facilitate free rotational movement of a spanner around the axis of the post 10. 7 7

The adapter key 9 has a recess formed therein extending from its lower end 9b remote from the post 10 which is of complementary shape to the outer surface of the outlet cap 7.

In particular, as can be most clearly seen in Figure 4c, the outer profile of the outlet cap 7 is elliptical in cross section, and the recess of the adapter key 9 is similarly elliptically shaped so as to create a keying engagement of the adapter key 9 on the outlet cap 7 which enables high torque transmission from the key to the outlet cap 7. The recess of the adapter key 9 is furthermore a close tolerance fit onto the outer surface of the outlet cap 7 so that there is maximum surface area contact between the inner surface of the adapter key 9 and the outer surface of the outlet cap 7 when the adapter key 9 is fitted onto the outlet cap 5. As a result, the frictional engagement between the two parts is sufficient for an authorised user to transmitted sufficient torque through the adapter key 9, to the outlet cap 5 to overcome friction and unscrew the outlet cap 7 from the threaded adapter 5a.

IT will, of course, be understood that other locking systems may be used to prevent unauthorised removal of the outlet cap 5. For example, the outer surface of the outlet cap may be asymmetrical in shape, the recess in the adapter key 9 being of complementary asymmetrical shape so that, when the adapter key 9 is engaged onto the outlet cap 7 in the correct orientation, the asymmetry preventing relative rotation. Alternatively, the outlet cap 7 may have a specially shaped recess or opening formed therein into which only a complementary specially shaped key is engageable so as to enable torque to be transmitted to the cap for unscrewing it from the threaded adapter.

The security device is operated as follows: The actuator cap 6 is fitted onto the top of the hydrant 1 so that the opening 6c of the actuator cap 6 is engaged over the threaded collar 5a of the outlet adapter 5 and the domed cap 6a is located over the actuator 4, completely overlying it and therefore preventing operation of the actuator and hence the valve. The outlet cap 7 is then screwed onto the threaded collar 5a of the outlet adapter 5 over the top of the arm 6b of the adapter cap 6, thereby preventing removal of the adapter cap 6 from the hydrant.

The outlet cap 7 can be loosely screwed onto the threaded collar 5a by the operator just using his hands, but once the outlet cap 7 is finger tight on the outlet adapter 5, the adapter key 9 is engaged onto the outer surface of the domed cap 7a of the outlet cap 7, full seating of the adapter key 9 on the domed cap 7a being achieved when the two parts are properly rotationally aligned. The operator then uses an appropriate tool to rotate the adapter key 9 and hence tighten the outlet cap 7 onto the threaded collar 5a of the outlet adapter 5. The adapter key is then removed, leaving both the outlet and the actuator secure against unauthorised access. It will, of course, be apparent that size of the outlet cap 7 at the bottom is larger than size of the opening 6c in the arm 6b of the actuator cap 6 so as to prevent the actuator cap 6 being removed from the hydrant with the outlet cap 7 in place.

In order to gain access to the hydrant, an authorised person will use the adapter key 9 to loosen the outlet cap 7 from the adapter collar 5 by engaging the adapter key 9 onto the top of the outlet cap 7 and then unscrewing using a suitable tool. Once unscrewed, the outlet cap 7 can then simply be lifted off of the hydrant. The actuator cap 6 is then free to simply be lifted off the actuator, making both the outlet and the actuator available to the authorised person for operating the hydrant.

It will be understood that although the invention has been described in a configuration in which the cap with the arm fits over the actuator and the other cap fits onto the outlet, it is also possible, within the scope of the invention, for the opposite configuration to be implemented, that is for the outlet cap to be formed with an arm having an opening which engages over the actuator and for the actuator cap to them be secured to the actuator, either by screwing in a similar manner described above or by other securing or locking means. * 9

Claims

Claims 1. A hydrant security device for use with a hydrant having an outlet and an actuator for operating a valve to control the flow of liquid from the outlet, the device comprising a first cap which, in use, is engageable over one of the outlet and the actuator for preventing access thereto, said fir St cap having an arm extending therefrom which has an opening formed therein sized and positioned so that, in use, the other of the outlet and the actuator is engageable through said opening when said first cap is located on said one of the outlet and the actuator, and further comprising a second cap which, in use, is engageable over the other of the outlet and the adapter so as to prevent access thereto, said second cap being securable to said other of the outlet and the adapter, over the arm of the first cap, so as to prevent unauthorised access to both the outlet and the adapter.
2. A hydrant security device according to claim 1, wherein the second cap has an internal thread formed therein which is complementary to an external thread formed on the one of the actuator and outlet with which it is engageable so that said second cap is screwingly engageable therewith.
3. A hydrant security device according to claim 2, wherein the second cap engages with the outlet and has an internal threat which is complementary to the external thread * adapter provided on a typical hydrant outlet for securing a water pipe such as a first hose * ** s* * * thereto. * ** * * 0 * *0
4. A hydrant security device according to claim 3, wherein the second cap includes locking means which engage with the outlet of the hydrant so as to secure the cap thereto, °* the locking means being releasable only using a special key. * *
5. A hydrant security device according to any of claim 1 to 3, further including an adapter key, the second cap being formed so as to be rotatable only when the adapter key is engaged onto the second cap. S 10
6. A hydrant security device according to claim 5, wherein the second cap has a generally smooth outer surface so as to make gripping with a general tool difficult, the adapter key having a recess extending from one end which is of complementary shape to the outer profile of the second cap so that, when the adapter key is engaged onto the outer surface of the second cap, a close tolerance fit therebetween creates a high friction engagement allowing high torque transmissions from the key to the cap without slipping.
7. A hydrant security device according to claim 6, wherein the outer profile of the second cap is asymmetrical in cross-section and the recess of the key is similarly asymmetrically shaped such that, when the key is fully engaged on the second cap, relative rotation therebetween is prevented and hence the key can be used to tighten and loosen the cap without slipping.
8. A hydrant security device according to claim 7, wherein the outer profile of the second cap and the recess of the key are elliptically shaped.
9. A hydrant security device according to claim 5, wherein a specially shaped recess is formed in the outside of the second cap into which only a correspondingly shaped protrusion is engageable, the adapter key being formed with that protrusion so as to S...* enable torque transmitting engagement with the second cap.* .. eSs * S *:::*
10. A hydrant assembly comprising a hydrant having an inlet, an outlet, a valve member for controlling fluid flow between the inlet and the outlet, and an actuator for operating said valve member, and further comprising a hydrant security device according S...any of the preceding claims.

*5.S.. * .
11. A security member for a hydrant comprising a cap which, in use, is engageable over one of an outlet and an actuator for preventing access thereto, and an arm secured to and extending radially from the cap, the arm having an opening formed therein sized and * 11 positioned so that, in use, the other of the outlet and the actuator is engageable through said opening when said first cap is located on said one of the outlet and the actuator.
12. A method of securing a hydrant having an outlet and an actuator, comprising the steps of providing a security member according to claim 11, positioning the cap of the security member over one of the outlet and the actuator so that the other of the outlet and the actuator extends through the opening in the arm, and securing over the other of the outlet and the actuator a second cap such that said second cap overlies the arm of the security member and prevents removal of said arm from said other of the outlet and actuator, thereby securing both the outlet and the actuator.
13. A hydrant security device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. A hydrant assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
15. A security member for a hydrant substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.S.....*
16. A method of securing a hydrant substantially as herein described with reference to S.....0 the accompanying drawings. * *. * S * * S. S... * *455S * .