US3248786A

US3248786A - Tool for removing a fire hydrant seat

Info

Publication number: US3248786A
Application number: US353519A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Smith
Original assignee: Mueller Co
Current assignee: Mueller Co
Priority date: 1964-03-20
Filing date: 1964-03-20
Publication date: 1966-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-03

Description

May 3, 1966 J. J. sMn-H 3,248,785

TOOL FOR REMOVING A FIRE HYDRANT SEAT Filed March 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WM 539i?! M@ @www May 3, 1966 J. J. sMrrH 3,248,786

TOOL FOR REMOVING A FIRE HYDRANT SEAT Filed March 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 3, 1966 J. J. SMITH 3,248,786

TOOL FOR REMOVING A FIRE HYDRANT SEAT Filed March 20, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent O John .3'. Smith, Decatur, Ill., assigner to Mueller Co., Decatur, lll., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 2d, 1964, Ser. No. 353,519 Claims. (Cl. 29-213) The present invention relates to a novel and improved tool for effectively removing the valve seat of a hydrant valve positioned in the lower portion of a hydrant barrel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tool for extracting the hydrant valve seat by utilizing the hyvdrant valve stem so that the entire valve means including the hydrant valve seat and movable valve part are removed simultaneously.

In lire hydrants of the `type having a vertical barrel with a hydrant shoe attached to and forming the lower end portion of the barrel, the shoe supporting a hydrant valve means, the valve means being operated through a valve stem extending upwardly within the barrel and detachably connected to operating means in a top closure plate or bonnet. In more detail, the operating mechanism for the valve stem usually includes an operating nut 4ing compact, simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and

threadedly engaging the upper end of the valve stem, the

nut when rotating, causing the valve stem to reciprocate in one direction or the other. The main hydrant valve located at the lower end of the valve stem cooperates with the hydrant valve seat in that it is reciprocated by the valve stem into and out of engagement therewith. The hydrant valve seat, which is threadedly received in a brass ring bushing positioned in the lower portion of the hydrant barrel or shoe, is keyed to the valve seat so that it cannot rotate relative thereto, but can have reciprocating motion with respect thereto.

Heretofore when it is desirable to remove the valve seat for inspection, cleaning and replacement, it was necessary to use a complicated tool which extended downwardly through the barrel of the hydrant and engaged directly with lugs on the valve seat, the tool acting as a wrench to unthread the seat from the lower end of the barrel. Oftentimes it was difficult to lift the valve seat and it further necessitated a second operation in removing the movable hydrant valve after the valve seat had been removed. Such prior arrangements which actually engaged the valve seat to unthread it were difficult to operate when re-inserting the valve seat into the shoe on the l Vvide an improved tool for extracting a valve seat from a fire hydrant or the like, the tool decreasing the maintenance and difiiculty of suchoperation and eliminating the danger of damaging the threads in the insert ring bushing carried by the shoe of the hydrant.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve seat extracting tool in which the tool simultaneously removes the valve seat and the movable valve member.

Ancillary to the immediately preceding object, it is a lfurther object to the present invention to provide an .improved valve seat extractor or removable tool for hydrant valves, the tool operating through the valve stem of the hydrant valve means to remove the valve seat and movable valve member.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tool for extracting themain `hydrant valve and its valve seat from a iire hydrant, the tool be- ICC easy to operate without the danger of causing damage to `the threads of the insert ring bushing retained in the lower portion of the hydrant barrel or the valve seat itself.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool for extracting the valve seat of a tire hydrant or the like, the tool being utilized to lift the entire valve means out in one operation,

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the improved tool and its operation as found in the specication and claims and the accompany-ing drawings in which:

' FIGURE l is an -enlarged vertical sectional view, partly fragmentary and partly in elevation, of a tire hydrant and illustrating the operating mechanism for the hydrant valve means positioned in 'the lower end of the hydrant barrel;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the hydrant shown in FIGURE 1, and taken from the upper right-hand side of such figure, the view being on a reduced scale;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of the re hydrant of FIGURE l,but illustrating the `tool of the present invention in its operating position for removing the lire hydrant valve means;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view through the hydrant valve seat and hydrant valve extractor tool of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the extractor tool shown in FIGURE 4, the view being from the right of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a top elevational view of the extractor tool of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like character or reference numerals represent like or similar parts, a typical hydrant generally designated by the numeral 10' is shown in. FIGURE 1, the hydrant having a vertical hydrant barrel 12 with a hydrant shoe 14 defining the lower end thereof and adapted to be connected to a water main (not shown). The hydrant shoe 14 is provided with an upwardly facing flange 16 which is bolted to a downwardly facing flange 18 on the lower end of the hydrant barrel 12 by means of the bolts 20.

A top closure plate assembly or ybonnet 22 is detachably connected to a ange 24 on the upper end of the hydrant barrel 12 by means of the cap screws 26 threaded into the split ring 27. The usual barrel gasket or seal 28 is provided between the closure plate asesmbly 22 and the ange 24. The hydrant thus far described is substantially identical to that disclosed in .a copending application of Frank H. Mueller and John J. Smith, Serially Numbered 160,538, filed December 19, 1961, now abandoned. Only so .much of the re hydrant 10 will be further described in this application as isl necessary to understand the operation of the extractor tool of the present invention in removing the valve means therefrom.

The hydrant shoe 14 of the hydrant normally is formed of cast iron and is provided in its mouth with an upwardly facing internal shoulder 30 against which is seated a brass ring bushing 32. The ring bushing 32 is held in position by a plurality of uniformly circumferentially spaced stainless steel drain tubes 37 which are force fitted through radially aligned apertures in the ring bushing and in the hydrant shoe 14. Brass ring bushing 32 is provided with interior threads 34 in its upper end which are engaged by complementary exterior threads 36 on the upper end of a hydrant valve seat ring 38. The valve seat ring 38 which has a downwardly flaring frusto conical hydrant main valve seat 40, also is provided with longitudinally extending interior grooves (not shown), such grooves being arranged to receive longitudinally extending ribs (not shown) on a vertically reciprocal valve member generally designated at 42.

The hydrant valve member 42 is provided with a onepiece annular rubberlike valve Washer 44 having an upwardly facing frusto conical seating surface 46 complementary to the downwardly flaring frusto conical main valve seat 40. A valve stem 48 suitably connected to the valve member 42 extends upwardly therefrom through the hydrant barrel 12. The valve stem 48, at its upper end, is externally threaded as indicated at 50 (FIGURE 1) and is provided with a pin 52 extending transversely thereof and projecting from each side thereof. The pin 52 is positioned closely adjacent and below the threads 50 and the purpose of the pin 52 will be described in more detail later in the specification when the extractor tool is described.

The top closure plate assembly 22 is provided with a stem operating assembly generally designated by the numeral 51. In more detail, the stern operating `assembly 51 includes a tubular portion orvsleeve 53 extending downwardly from the top plate assembly 22 and serving as a guide for snugly receiving an operating nut 54. The nut 54, which is preferably made of brass, has a threaded socket 56 in its lower end for threadedly engaging the threaded upper end 50 of the stem 48. Rotation of the nut 54 relative to the plate assembly 22 is prevented by means of a longitudinal keyway 58 in the interior of the guiding portion of the sleeve 53 which slidingly receives a key 60 which is engaged in an opposed longitudinal keyway 62 in the nut 54. The upper end of the nut 54 is provided with a socket 64 having threads and arranged to snugly receive the threaded end of an operating shaft or screw 70. The shaft or screw 70 extends through the plate assembly 22 and is provided on its upper end with a weather cap 72 having the usual non-circular wrench-engageable projection 74.

The hydrant may be operated by applying a wrench to the projection 74 and rotating the shaft 70. Rotation of the shaft 70 causes the nut 54 to reciprocate carrying with it the valve stem 48. Depending on the direction of rotation of the projection 74, the Valve member 42 will either move downwardly to open the valve means or it will move upwardly to seat against the valve seat 40 of the seat ring 38.

A tool generally designated by the numeral 80 is best shown in FIGURES 3 to 6, inclusive. The tool 80 which is used for removing the hydrant valve seat 38 includes a tubular guide sleeve 82 having a at guide plate 84 at its upper end thereof. In more detail, the guide plate 84 of the guide sleeve 82 extends transversely of the axis of the sleeve and lies in a plane normal to the axis of the sleeve. The length of the guide plate 84 is at least equal to the width of the largest re hydrant on which the extraction tool is to be used. .It will be noted that the guide plate 84 is provided on its oppositely disposed outer ends with a plurality of

holes

86, 88 and 90 which are spaced at different radii from the axis of the guide sleeve 82. The purpose of providing the

plurality'of holes

86, 88 and 90 is so that the tool may bevused with various size hydrants and, thus, when installed properly on the upper flange of the hydrant, one set of the

holes

86, 88 or 90 will align with the holes in the flange of the barrel and the tool will be perfectly aligned.

The tubular guide sleeve 82 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed transversely extending

bosses

92 and 94, the

bosses

92 and 94 being internally threaded as indicated at 96 in FIGURE 5. It is Well to note that the

bosses

92 and 94 extend from the guide sleeve 82 .at substantially the same end as the plate 84 so that when the

bosses

92 and 94 receive handles 98 for rotating the guide sleeve 62, such handles can be rotated until and even after the guide plate 84 comes into engagement with the flange 24 of the hydrant barrel 12. A more detailed description of the purpose of rotating the guide sleeve 82 will follow later in the specification.

As clearly shown in FIGURE 4, the tubular guide sleeve 82 is provided with interior threads 100 along its entire length so that the guide sleeve 82 can threadedly receive the exteriorly threaded tubular body member 102. Body member 102 has exterior threads 104 along a portion of its length, the body member 102 extending both upwardly and downwardly out of the guide sleeve 82. The lower end of the body member 102 is provided with slots 106 in its end wall so that when it is slipped over the upper end of the hydrant valve stem 48, the slots 106 can receive the transversely extending pin 52. In addition to being provided with the slots 106 in its lower end, the tubular body member is provided with an upwardly facing interior annular shoulder 108 positioned slightly above the slots 106, the purpose of the shoulder 108 being described in more detail later in the specification. The upper end portion of the tubular body member 102 extending upwardly and out of the guide plate 84 includes a pair of transversely extending oppositely disposed bosses or

tubular sleeves

110 and 112 integral therewith. The

bosses

110 and 112 are provided with bores 114 and 116 therethrough which are axially aligned with each other and arranged to receive the ends of the handles 118.

A stem-retaining rod is carried within the tubular body member 102, the stem-retaining rod 120 being capable of rotary movement as well as limited longitudinal movement relative to the tubular body member 102. A portion of the stem-retaining'rod 120 extends upwardly and outwardly of the upper end of the tubular body member 102 through an aperture in a cover plate 122, de-

tachably held onto the tubular body member 102 by means of the studs 124. At the upper end of the stemretaining rod 120 there is provided an eye bolt 1,26, the eye bolt being welded thereto.

The lower end of the stem-retaining rod 120 is of reduced dimension and receives a tubular sleeve r128 welded thereto as vindicated at 130. The tubular sleeve 128'extends beyond the lower end of the rod 120 and is interiorly threaded as indicated at 132. The diameter of the sleeve member 128 is such that its end can abut the upwardly facing shoulder 108. Since the maximum diameter of the sleeve member 128 is also greater than the aperture through which the rod 120 extends in plate 122, the rod 120 can have limited vertical movement lbetween the position shown in FIGURE 4 to a position where the upper end of the sleeve 128 abuts against the cover plate 122. The threads 132 in the sleeve 128 at the lower end of the stem-retaining rod are capable of threadedly receiving the upper end of the hydrant valve stem 48.

The operation of the tool 80 in extracting the hydrant valve means or in replacing the hydrant valve means may be briefly described as follows:

First, the usual shutoff valve ahead of the lire hydrant 10 is closed so that there will be no. water under pressure against the valve in the hydrant. After shutting off line pressure, the hydrant 10 is then pened by removing the closures (FIGURE 2) of the hydrant nozzles and then fully opening the valve member 42 of of the hydrant valve seat 40. When this is accomplished, any water under pressure trapped between the hydrant valve and the shutoff valve in the water main will have its pressure relieved and will be drained from the hydrant.

After the hydrant valve means is moved to its open position and the 'hydrant 10 is drained, then the cap screws 26 of the top plate assembly 22 are removed so that the top plate assembly can be rotated in a counterclockwise direction. When the top plate assembly 22 isy rotated in a counterclockwise direction, it will in turn cause the nut 54 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction and thus be unthreaded from the upper end of the hydrant valve stem 48. Once the nut 54 is free of the threads 50 on the valve stem 48, then the top plate assembly 22 can be removed as a unit from the upper end of the hydrant barrel 12. After the plate assembly 22 has been removed, then the barrel gasket 28 is taken oif.

The hydrant is now in condition to have its hydrant main valve removed for cleaning, repair and the like.

The hydrant tool 80 is prepared for the valve extraction operation by checking to see that the guide plate 84 of the guide sleeve 82 is in a position where it is retracted as close as possible to the upper end of the tubular body member 102. This position of the tool will be similar to that disclosed in FIGURE 4 where it will be noted that plate 84 is very close to the bosses or

sleeves

110 and 112.

With the tool adjusted in this manner, the tubular body member 102 is lowered onto the upper end of the main hydrant valve stem 48 until the pin 52 of the valve stem 48 engages in the slots 106. After the pin 52 of the valve stem 48 has engaged in the slots 106, then the eye bolt 126 is rotated in a clockwise direction so that the threads 132 0n the lower end of the stem-retaining rod 120 engages the threads 50 on the upper end of the Valve stem 48.

After the eye bolt 126 has been rotated so las to cause the sleeve 128to be drawn down until it engages the upwardly facing interior shoulder 108, then the handles 98 are threaded into the

bosses

92 and 94, respectively, of

the guide sleeve 82. The guide plate 84 along with the guide sleeve 82 can now be rotated clockwise until the guide plate 84 contacts the hydrant barrel flange 24.

During rotation of the guide sleeve 82, the tubular body` member 102v is restrained vfrom rotating by its engagement with the Valve stem 42 and, therefore,.there is relatve vertical movement 'between the guide member 82 and the body member 102. After the guide plate 84 has contacted the barrel ange 24, the plate 84 is still rotated until tubular body me-mber102 is raised approximately two and a half inches. The tubular body'mem'ber 102 will raise because, as mentioned above, the same is effectively prevented from rotating by its engagement with the valve stern 48 through the pin 52. When the tubular body member 102 raises the two and one-half inches, it will also be raising the main valve member 42 as the shoulder 108 will carry the retaining rod 120 upwardly along with, the valve stem 48 threaded therein. Once the main valve member 42 has been moved to its closed position against the valve seat 40, then the guide plate 84 of the guide sleeve 82 is aligned with two of the bolt holes in the llange 24 of the hydrant barrel 12 and a couple of flange cap screws are dropped therein so as to prevent rotation of the guide plate 84 and its guide sleeve 82 relative to the hydrant barrel 12.

The handles 118 (FIGURE 3) are then inserted intoy the

bosses

110 and 112 of the body member 102. If desired, the handles 98 may serve the dual function of being utilized with the

bosses

110 and 112 as well as the

bosses

92 and 94. After attaching the handles 118 to the

bosses

110 and 112, then the tubular body member 102 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction approximately five revolutions so as to unthread the seat ring 38 of main hydrant valve means. It will be understood, the pitch of the

threads

100 and 104 of the guide sleeve 82 and body member 102, respectively, is the same as the pitch of the threads 34 and 36 of the ring bushing 32 and seat ring 38 as the seat ring rises together with the seat wrench or body member 102 when the latter is rotated. With -the hydrant valve closed, the valve plate of the same is in its strongest driving engagement with the seat ring and this position is not changed throughout removal of the seat ring because the pitch of the aforementioned seat wrench is the same as that of the seat ring so that the two rise together. Once the seat ring 38 has been unthreaded from the 'brass ring 32, then the entire tool assembly 80 with the stem 48, main valve 6 member 42, and seat ring 38 can be removed vertically from the barrel 12 by lifting with the eye bolt 126.

The usual service operations after removing the main hydrant valve means from the hydrant barrel includes bending over one edge of the stainless cap nut lock 160 (FIGURE 1) and removing the cap nut 162 so that the valve member 42 may be disassembled. Once the parts have been disassembled, they are cleaned, examined and replaced. Of course, the O-rings and gaskets in the main hydrant valve means are usually replaced during such a servicing process.

After the servicing operation the main hydrant valve means is reassembled in the reverse order with the stainless cap nut lock washer being bent into locking position after the cap nut 162 hasbeen sufficiently tightened. The

guideplate 84 of the tool 80 is moved to its uppermost position by rotating it in a counterclockwise direction and then the entire tool along with the hydrant valve means -attached thereto is lowered slowly into the barrel 12 until the threads 36 of the seat ring 38 engage the threads 34 in the brass ring bushing 32. When .this is accomplished, the entire tool 80 is rotatedl in a clockwise direction approximately two revolutions to start the seat ring 38 into the bushing 32.

After the seat ring 38 has been started in the bushing 32, guide plate 84 is then rotated until contact is made with the upper |barrel flange 24. The guide plate 84 is then rotated clockwise sutliciently to ensure that the main Valve member 42 is seated on the seat ring 38 and as soon as this is done, then two cap screws are dropped through the bolt holes in the guide plate 84 so as torestrain the guide plate 84 from rotation. The tubular body member is then rotated by means of the handles 118 in a clockwise direction to finish inserting the seat ring 38 into the ring 'bushing 32. As mentioned before,

the pitch of the threads of the seat ring and of the body member are the same and, thus, the seat ring is lowered with the body member as the seat ring is threaded into the ring bushing. The valve plate stays at its strongest relative ldriving position with respect to the seat ring throughout the insertion of the seat ring into the ring bushing.

When it is determined that the seat ring 38 is properly threaded into the bushing 32, then the eye bolt 126 is rotated so as to release the stem-retaining rod from the upper end of lthe Valve stem 48. The tool 80 is then removed and the hydrant is ready to have its top plate assembly 22 replaced.

Having set forth the nature, objects and advantages of the present invention, it -will be perceived tha-t certain changes, aljustments, and modifications may be made to the tool described herein Without departing from the principle and spirit of -the invention. Therefore, the terminology used throughout the specification and the details of the drawings are but for the purpose of description and not limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tool for removing a hydrant valve means threadedly retained in the lower end of a hydrant bar` rel, the hydrant valve means having a reciprocating valve operating stem extending upwardly within the barrel and provided with a threaded upper end and a transversely extending and projecting pin positioned immediately below said upper end, the improvement comprising: a tubular body member having means'in its lower end arranged to engage the projecting pin; a valve stem re-` taining rod positioned within said tubular body member and rotatable and reciprocal with respect thereto, said rod having its lower end threaded so that it may be threadedly connected to the threaded upper end of the valve stem; and a guide sleeve surrounding said tubular body member and threadedly engaged therewith, said guide sleeve being provided with a guide plate at its upper end arranged to engage the upper end of the barrel of the hydrant.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular body member extends upwardly beyond the upper end of said guide sleeve, said tubular body member being provided on its upper end with means for receiving a handle lwhereby the same may be rotated.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2 in 'which said sternretaining rod extends upwardly and outwardly of said tubular body member, said stern retaining rod including means on its upper end'for rotating the same.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular body member is provided at its lower end with an inwardly and upwardly facing shoulder arranged to engage the lower end of said stem-retaining rod whereby said tubular `body moves said rod upwardly when the shoulder isrin engagement with the lower end of said rod.

5. A tool as claimed in. claim 1 in -which said guide sleeve is provided at its upper end with oppositely arranged bosses, said bosses being interiorly threaded and arranged to receive threaded ends of handles whereby said sleeve and its guide plate can be rotated until the guide plate engages the upper end of the hydrant barrel.

6. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which the lower end of said stem-retaining rod is interiorly threaded.

7. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which said guide plate is provided with a plurality of holes each spaced at a different radius from the axis of the guide sleeve, said holes being arranged to receive a bolt whereby said guide plate can be attached to the upper end of the hydrant barrel.

8. In a tool for removing a hydrant valve means threadedly retained in the lower end of a hydrant barrel, the hydrant valve means having a reciprocating valve operating stem extending upwardly within the barrel and provided with -a threaded upper end and a transversely extending and projecting pin positioned immediately below said upper end, the improvement comprising: a tubular guide sleeve having interior threads along at least a portion of its length, said tubular guide sleeve having a guide plate at its upper end extending radially therefrom and being at least as long as the width of the upper end of the hydrant barrel; means for rotating said tubular guide sleeve; an elongated tubular body member having exterior threads along a portion of its length, said tubular body member being threadedly received in said tubular guide sleeve and extending from both ends of said guide sleeve, said tubular body member having its lower end provided with a conguration for receiving said pin whereby said Stem can be rotated;

means on the upper end of said tubular body member for rotating said tubular body relative to said tubular guide sleeve; :and a stem-retaining rod having its lower end threaded, said stem-retaining rod extending through said tubular body member and having its upper end projecting therefrom; and means on the projecting upper end of said stem-retaining rod whereby said stem-retaining rod may be rotated as well as lifted vertically to thereby remove the valve means from the hydrant barrel when the valve means have been unthreaded from the same.

9. A tool as claimed in claim 8 wherein said means on said guide sleeve for rotating the same includes oppositely disposedV bosses on the upper end of said guide sleeve, each of said bosses being interiorly threaded, and handles having threaded ends received in the interior threads of said bosses.

10. A tool as claimed in claim 8 in which said means on the upper end of said tubular body member for rotating the same includes a pair of opposi'tely disposed and transversely extending tubular members, said members being arranged to receive an operating handle.

11. A tool as claimed in claim 8 in which said means on the upper end of said stem-retaining rod for rotating the rod as well as lifting the rod to lift the valve means from the hydrant barrel is an eye bolt tixedly connected thereto.

12. A tool as claimed in claim 8 in which Said tubular body member includes means to limit the downward movement of said stem-retaining rod therein.

13. A tool as claimed in claim 12 in which said lastmentioned means includes an interior shoulder at the lower end of said tubular body member, said shoulder facing upwardly.

14. A tool as claimed in claim 8 in which the threaded lower end of said stem-retaining rod is a sleeve rigidly attached to said rod, said sleeve having interior threads.

15. A tool as claimed in claim 14 including an interior shoulder in said tubular body at the lower end thereof, said shoulder having a diameter less than the maximum diameter of the sleeve on the end of said stem-retaining rod whereby said shoulder engages the end of the same to Alimit the downward movement of said stem-retaining rod.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,641,052 6/1953 Fennerna et al. 29-213 WLLIAM FELDMAN, Prima/'y Examiner.

J. yC. PETERS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A TOOL FOR REMOVING A HYDRANT VALVE MEANS THEREADEDLY RETAINED IN THE LOWER END OF A HYDRANT BARREL, AND HYDRANT VALVE MEANS HAVING A RECIPROCATING VALVE OPERATING STEM EXTENDING UPWARDLY WITHIN THE BARRLE AND PROVIDED WITH A THREADED UPPER END AND A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING AND PROJECTING PIN POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID UPPER END, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A TUBULAR BODY MEMBER HAVING MEANS IN ITS LOWER END ARRANGED TO ENGAGE THE PROJECTING PIN; A VALVE STEM RETAINING ROD POSITIONED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR BODY MEMBER AND ROTATABLE AND RECIPROCAL WITH RESPECT THERETO, AND ROD HAVING ITS LOWER END THREADED SO THAT IT MAY BE THREADEDLY CONNECTED TO THE THREADED UPPER END OF THE VALVE STEM; AND A GUIDE SLEEVE SURROUNDING SAID TUBULAR BODY MEMBER AND THREADEDLY ENGAGED THEREWITH, SAID GUIDE SLEEVE BEING PROVIDED WITH A GUIDE PLATE AT ITS UPPER END ARRANGED TO ENGAGE THE UPPER END OF THE BARREL OF THE HYDRANT.