Patent Grant
7455277
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1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to security devices for preventing theft of articles accessible to the general public and especially out of doors, and more particularly to the securing of pipe runs especially for drinking water.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Quinn et al., U.S. 2004/00111096, discloses a method of securing an ATV or any device that allows for connection with the invention. The invention, known as Sureloc, has a five axis articulating head design which allows for connection with a device in any direction. The Auger section of Sureloc allows for securing a device into the ground without assistance from other objects. This allows Sureloc to be used as a portable security device. The shaft of Sureloc has a vertical movement of approximately 6″ as an adjustment to reach various heights of different devices. The shad guide rotates 180 degrees giving Sureloc a 2′ attachment range in a 360 degree area.
Kinsic, U.S. 2004/0177661, discloses an antitheft locking assembly for a motorbike that is anchored to the ground or other immobile anchorage, and locks over the motorbike in a manner that prevents theft of the motorbike. The antitheft locking assembly has first post means adapted to be anchored to the ground and second post means spaced apart from the first post means. The second post means comprises a mounting post member adapted to be mounted securably into the ground and a locking post member adapted to be lockably engaged to the mounting post member and extend upwardly therefrom. Rail means adjustably interconnect the first post means and the locking post member and is movable between a first position where the rail means) allows access of the motorbike to and from a parked location in a space between the first post means and the second post means, and a second position where the rail means obstructs access of the motorbike to and from the parked location. The rail means is lockably secured in its second position over the motorbike So as to prevent the theft of the motorbike.
Daroowalla, U.S. Pat. No. 259,263, discloses a device for securing water taps against theft from their positions on supply pipes consisting o a bracket or clamp secured round the tap and locked or secured to an adjacent wall.
Mattson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,232, discloses a bicycle that includes a down tube extending diagonally from a steering head above the yoke which supports the front wheel to a bottom bracket which supports the pedal crank shaft. A bicycle locking rack includes a locking box fixedly mounted in position where the bicycle can be parked with a central portion of the down tube immediately adjacent the locking box. A pair of parallel down tube retaining bars are integral with and extend outwardly from the box in position to encompass the bicycle down tube when the bicycle is so parked. A key operated locking mechanism within the box permits a J-shaped bike locking bar to be slide ably mounted with respect to the box for movement between a closed condition where the shorter end of the J-bar extends through openings provided in each of the retaining bars to be in an encompassing, locked relationship to a bicycle down tube situated between the retaining bars, and an opening of only on of the retaining bars and is in clearing relation to the opening between the retaining bars and the down tube situated there between.
Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,575, discloses a telescoping trailer hitching post having a ball coupling member at its upper end for coupling engagement with a coupling socket at the front end of a trailer tongue, a pair of rings welded to opposite sides of the post, a chain anchored at its one end to one of the rings and adapted to be wrapped around the trailer tongue and locked by means of a padlock to the one or to the opposite ring to prevent theft of the trailer. A ground receptacle is anchored in concrete with its upper end flush with the surface of the ground, and the post is telescoped within the receptacle between a completely housed position within the receptacle and a raised position above the ground. A pair of vertically spaced discs are provided near the bottom end of the post, for cooperative engagement with a vertical key welded to the inside of the receptacle adjacent its top edge to support the post in the raised position and to prevent the post from being pulled out of the receptacle.
Boslough, U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,079, discloses a bicycle stand which holds a bicycle upright in place, and to which the bicycle may be locked. An upright member, embedded in cement, or anchored to a base plate, has an arm pinned hingeably, with parallel plates welded on each side of the arm that project past the free end of the arm. A U-shaped bracket is hinged to one plate, which may be passed about a frame member of a bicycle and fitted into a slot in the plate, with holes in the bracket for fastening the shackle of a lock, with the lock shackle completely enclosed by the two parallel plates in the latched position.
Stratichuk, U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,303, discloses a tubular portion that is embedded vertically into the ground and has a screw threaded upper end substantially flush with the surface of the ground. A screw threaded stem or post detachably engages the upper end when a trailer is to be parked thereon, and the stem is provided with the ball portion of a trailer coupler assembly on the upper end thereof engageable by the coupler portion of the trailer coupler assembly situated on the front end of the hitch frame. A padlock through the release lever prevents unauthorized removal of the trailer from the post and the post can be unscrewed and stored when the trailer is not parked at the post assembly.
The related art described above discloses several devices for securing articles so as to avoid theft. Of particular interest is Klinsic which tube-in-tube construction with dual spaced apart units. Also, Lee, who teaches a similar arrangement for setting a hitching post in an extended or a retracted position. Stratichuk is similar to Lee but does not use telescoping tubes. However, the prior art fails to disclose a means for mounting telescoping tubes above ground, yet secured to piers, and also fails to disclose a clasp suitable for gripping a section of pipe. The prior art does not disclose a pair of pipe gripping clasps spaced apart for protecting pipe structure between. Therefore, the present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.
This disclosure teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
Drinking water is supplied through pipes that must be tested from time to time for bacteria and other potential problems. To accomplish this these water pipes, which are typically laid under ground, are formed with pipe run portions that are positioned above ground level to provide access to certain test fixtures on these pipe runs. Because component parts of these pipe runs may become a temptation to thieves for their resale value, or to terrorists, securement of these systems may be necessary. To accomplish this at low cost, the present invention uses a pair of straight tubes, coaxially engaged with an inner one of the tubes slidingly engaged within an outer one of the tubes. Each of the tubes provides a closure plate at one end with one or more apertues in it. A cover on an upper end of the inner tube is able to engage the pipe run to prevent it from being disassembled or pulled from its installation. To service the pipe run, the cover may be opened and the inner pipe lowered into the outer pipe. The tubes are secured to a mooring. Two of the apparatuses may be positioned in spaced apart locations on the pipe run to secure components of the pipe run that are between the apparatuses.
A primary objective inherent in the above described apparatus and method of use is to provide advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide an apparatus for securing a water pipe testing station while allowing easy access to the pipe structure that makes-up the station.
A further objective is to provide such an apparatus that is able to grip a pipe run at two spaced apart locations to secure components therebetween.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the presently described apparatus and method of its use.
Illustrated in the accompanying drawing(s) is at least one of the best mode embodiments of the present invention In such drawing(s):
The above described drawing figures illustrate the described apparatus and its method of use in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiment, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications to what is described herein without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it must be understood that what is illustrated is set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as a limitation in the scope of the present apparatus and method of use.
Described now in detail is an antitheft apparatus 10 for a conduit structure such as conduits that carry water, oil, fuel, electrical wires, optical fibers and so forth. In this disclosure, such conduits shall be referred to as a “pipe run” and denoted on the attached drawings by numeral 20. In that the apparatus 10 and the pipe run 20 are bi-functional, i.e., each influences the physical state of the other, we shall consider apparatus 10 and pipe run 20 to be a combination article in one embodiment of this invention. The antitheft apparatus 20 may be used as a single unit, in pairs as shown in
In a first preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention, as shown in
A J-shaped steel lag bar 60 engages one of the apertures 34, of plate 32 and extends through and distally beyond plate 42, as shown in
Typically, when the apparatus is installed for use, the lag bar 60 is set into a mooring 70 such as a concrete block or footing as shown in
Critically, clamp 50 is shaped, as for instance circularly for a round pipe, so as to tightly circumscribe a portion of the pipe run 20. It is considered critical that clamp 50 lie in an abutting relationship with the portion of the pipe run 20 so that a jimmy or crow-bar cannot be used to pry clamp 50 loose. To this point, should pipe run 20 take a cross-sectional shape other than round, clamp 50 will mimic the shape so as to assure a tight abutting fit.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, as shown in
In a still further embodiment of the present invention, as shown in
The enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of the apparatus and its method of use and to the achievement of the above described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element.
The definitions of the words or drawing elements described herein are meant to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements described and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim.
Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas.
The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that each named inventor believes that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 259263 | Daroowalla | May 1925 | A |
| 3660935 | Boots | May 1972 | A |
| 3802232 | Mattson et al. | Apr 1974 | A |
| 3809348 | Di Laura | May 1974 | A |
| 3857575 | Lee | Dec 1974 | A |
| 3879907 | Olson | Apr 1975 | A |
| 3944079 | Boslough | Mar 1976 | A |
| 3972639 | Lening | Aug 1976 | A |
| 4373303 | Stratichuk | Feb 1983 | A |
| 6082697 | Grunfeld | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6484544 | Wing | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 20040011096 | Quinn et al. | Jan 2004 | A1 |
| 20040177661 | Klinsic | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080078218 A1 | Apr 2008 | US |
