The present disclosure relates generally to fluid handling devices associated with the wall of a building, and in particular, to a two-part sillcock.
Outdoor water faucets mounted on or adjacent the walls of buildings at approximately sill-height are commonly known as sillcocks, hose bibs or bibbs, spigots, garden valves, wall hydrants and a the like. For purposes of this disclosure, the term “sillcock” will refer to any suitable fluid handling device that may be used to implement the disclosed structures and methods.
Sillcocks are typically installed on an exterior wall at or near the sill of a home or other building to provide a threaded connection for a hose or a spout for filling a watering can. Conventional sillcocks include a faucet body having an inlet, an outlet or spout, and a flow control valve operably connected to a valve stem worked by a handle or key. In colder climates, frostproof sillcocks are commonly employed, in which the sillcock inlet end is connected to an elongate inlet pipe that extends through the foundation sill into the warmer building interior, where it is connected to a building supply pipe. The fluid control valve is positioned at the interior end of the inlet pipe and the valve stem is sized to extend from the faucet handle to the interior control valve.
In new construction, rough plumbing must be installed early, while the walls and floors remain. While it is common to temporarily cap kitchen and bathroom water supply lines to await the installation of cabinets and sinks, it is more efficient to install the exterior sillcocks as soon as the water supply lines are in place. However, sillcocks installed while a building is still under construction are vulnerable to damage by inadvertent impact from tools, equipment, and construction materials during the installation of sheathing, siding, brick or stonework, decking, concrete or stonework patios and walkways, and foundation landscaping. They may also be fouled by viscid materials such as mortar, concrete and paint. When this occurs, the entire sillcock assembly may need to be removed and replaced.
Both during and after construction, buildings and homes are frequently left unattended for extended periods of time during which the water may be turned on without permission of the owner. Even when a building or home is occupied, sillcocks are generally not visible from the inside because of their location on the exterior at or adjacent the top of the sill. In commercial and industrial applications, attempts have been made to address this by the use of a “loose key” assembly, in which a special tool is required to operate the faucet. In one example, a cylinder with a coaxial square peg is substituted for the sillcock handle. A key having a square socket may be inserted over the peg to open and close the faucet, and removed when not in use. This solution has also been employed by homeowners adjacent beach areas to prevent passers-by from using the home sillcocks for rinsing sand from their feet. Some homeowners curtail this practice by removing the sillcock handles. While effective, both loose keys and handle removal can lead to the loss of the key or handle required needed to operate the sillcock. Attempts have been made to equip conventional sillcocks with friction-fit nipples that can be screwed into the sillcock, inserted inside the building water supply pipe, and held in place by bolts. Such nipples do not protect the water supply pipe from freezing and rupture, and subsequent removal of the sillcock requires access to the interior of the building and disruption of the water supply.
Thus, there is a need for a frostproof sillcock having a faucet body that can be selectively removed from the exterior of a building and disengaged from a fluid control valve that remains in place in the interior of the building, and that can be reinstalled, all of which can be accomplished easily from the exterior of a building, without the need for access to the building water supply pipe or disruption of the water supply to the sillcock valve.
A two-part sillcock in accordance with the present disclosure includes a first or interior sillcock assembly and a second or exterior sillcock assembly. The sillcock assemblies are operably and releasably coupled to one another to actuate the flow control assembly of a faucet. The interior sillcock assembly includes a housing that is generally installed within the interior of a building. The housing includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, with a flow channel therebetween. A fluid flow control assembly including a valve is disposed within the housing and a control rod or stem is operably connected with the valve. A key structure is connected with the faucet end of the valve stem. An adapter is disposed adjacent the fluid outlet and includes a protective socket configured to support the valve stem key. A first coupling assembly includes a first flange that is connected to the housing for securing the interior sillcock assembly within a wall with the adapter socket and valve stem key accessible from outside the building for connection with corresponding members of a second coupling assembly. The exterior sillcock member includes a faucet body having an O-ringed inlet shank with a fluid inlet, a spout with a fluid outlet and a flow channel therebetween. A handle is operably connected with a handle shaft terminating at the inboard end in a socket for receiving the valve stem key. A second coupling assembly includes a faucet flange fitting that engages the O-ringed faucet shank containing the projecting handle shaft. When the second coupling assembly is connected to the first coupling assembly, the adapter socket receives the faucet handle shaft socket, the faucet handle shaft socket receives the valve stem key, and the faucet handle shaft operably engages the valve stem so that movement of the handle controls operation of the valve to deliver or stop the outward flow of water from a pipe inside the building through the faucet spout. Connection of the second coupling assembly to the first coupling assembly also secures the exterior sillcock member to the exterior of the building.
In another embodiment, a mixing assembly interconnects a pair of two part sillcock assemblies to provide temperature control of the outflow from a common spout. The mixing assembly includes a mixer pipe and a pair of O-ring mixer inlet stubs that are sealingly received within the respective sillcock faucet spouts so that the sealed fittings will not disconnect under normal pressure of a fluid or air flowing through the assemblies. A threaded connector attached to each inlet stub protects the O-rings and engages the respective external faucet threads.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure.
Referring now to the drawings, a two-part frostproof sillcock 1, in accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated in
A first releasable coupling assembly 24 of the first sillcock assembly 2 (
The first or interior sillcock assembly 2 is shown in more detail in
The hex area 32 provides faceted gripping surfaces for engagement by a wrench or the like in making up the connection. The midsection portion 33 of the fitting adjacent the hex area is generally cylindrical with an unthreaded outer circumference that is sized for close reception within the housing channel 9. The inlet fitting midsection 33 is fixedly attached to the inner surface of the housing 6 by conventional welding, brazing, solvent weld or any other suitable means. (
As best shown in
An elongated valve rod, shaft, or stem 52 is connected at one end to the valve fitting 30, which is apertured to receive the stem. The inlet or sealing end of the stem includes a threaded bore 53 for receiving a seat screw 54 that holds in place a seat packing or washer 55 that seals against the valve seat 35 and the inner surface of the valve fitting 30. The flow control assembly 28 is described and drawn as a screw-down tap assembly having a flexible washer that may be selectively urged against the valve seat to regulate fluid flow through the sillcock using a screwing movement of a valve stem. However, any suitable type of fluid control device suitable for regulating the flow of water through the sillcock 1 may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Some exemplary types of valves that may be employed in various embodiments of the disclosure include, but are not limited to, gate, needle, ball, plug, butterfly, globe, diaphragm, O-ring, and pinch valves. Any suitable drive mechanism may also be used to operate the valve, including, but not limited to, a socket, key, cam, plate with pins, or magnet. The drive mechanism may actuate a valve stem as described and shown, or it may be used to actuate a cable or any other suitable connector between the valve and the drive mechanism.
A radially expanded valve stem bearing member 56 is positioned in spaced relation to the outlet end of the valve stem 52. The outlet end of the valve stem 52 includes a key portion 57 having a square or otherwise non-cylindrical shaped cross section. The portion of the valve stem on the outlet side of the bearing 42 is supported within the tubular housing 6 by a sleeve or adapter 62. As best shown in
The outlet end 8 of the housing 6 is fixedly connected to a flanged fitting such as a weld neck flange 74. The weld neck flange 74 includes a neck portion or weldment 75 equipped with internal threading 76 connected with a radially expanded flange 77 having two pairs of apertures 78 and 79 for receiving fasteners, such as screws or bolts 80. The apertures 78 are sized for receiving fasteners suitable for connecting the flange 77 to the wall of a building to secure the interior sillcock assembly in place. The Apertures 79 are sized to receive fasteners suitable for removably connecting the interior and exterior sillcock assemblies 2 and 3. When the interior sillcock assembly is made up, the threaded portion 63 of the adapter engages the internal threading 76 of the flange 74 and the seal 65 engages the tubular sidewall of the housing. In another aspect, the adapter 62 and flange 74 are fixedly connected or of unitary construction, with the internal threading 76 of the flange and the external threading 63 of the adapter omitted. As best shown in
The second or exterior sillcock assembly 3 is shown in
A faucet handle shaft 100 extends through the faucet body between the inlet 15 of the faucet body and the handle 19. As best shown in
The outboard portion of the handle shaft 100 is supported by an annular handle shaft bearing 112 having an axial bore 113 that is sized for reception of the faucet handle shaft 100 therethrough. The interface between the bore 113 and the handle shaft is sealed by the O-ring seals 104. The exterior surface of the inboard portion of the handle shaft bearing 112 includes a groove 114 for receiving a seal 115 such as an O-ring. The midsection of the bearing 112 includes external threading 116 for mating engagement with the internal threading 93 of the faucet body handle end. The outboard end of the bearing 112 includes a faceted head 117 such as a hex head for gripping by a wrench or the like. The head 117 is axially relieved about the outer opening of the bore 113 (
The inlet shank 14 of the faucet body 13 is removably connected to a faucet flange fitting 126 having a neck portion 127 sized for reception of the adapter sleeve 62 of the first sillcock assembly 2. The neck 127 includes a central aperture 128 that is sized for reception of the inlet end portion of the faucet body 13, an annular shoulder 129 that is held in place by the retaining ring 95 and a radially expanded rim 130. The rim includes a pair of apertures 131 sized for receiving fasteners 132 (
When the first and second couplings 24 and 25 are engaged, the seals 87 of the faucet inlet shank 14 of the second sillcock assembly contact the inner surface of the adapter socket 66 of the first sillcock assembly for sealing engagement, and the faucet flange retaining ring 95 contacts the internal 129 of the faucet flange neck 127, to prevent the faucet flange fitting from being pulled from the faucet inlet shank 14.
A cover or cap 136 (
An exemplary mixing two-part sillcock embodiment is shown in
The faucet spouts 16 are interconnected by a mixing assembly 210 including a mixing pipe 211 that is sized to extend between the faucet spouts 16, a pair of normally upstanding, inlet stubs 212 and a spout 213. The mixer pipe is open at one end, which is equipped with a removable plug 214 to enable cleanout of the interior of the pipe, for example to remove accumulated sediment. As best shown in
The Mixing assembly 210 includes a pair of connectors 224, each having a first or faucet end 225 and a second or connector end 226. The inner surface of the faucet end 225 includes threading 227 for mating engagement with external threads 88 on the faucet spouts when the inlet stubs are inserted into the faucet spouts. The second end is axially curved to form an internal shoulder 228. An adjacent groove 229 receives a retaining ring 230 that encircles a respective inlet stub 212. The shoulder 228 of the second end 226 prevents the connector 224 from being pulled from the faucet inlet shank 14.
The two-part sillcock 1 may be constructed of brass, iron, synthetic resin or any other suitable material. It may be provided as a unit to be assembled on site, or it may be provided as a modular assembly, with the interior sillcock assembly 2 constructed to have an inlet end 7 with fittings that correspond to the type of water supply pipe and the exterior sillcock assembly 3 constructed in accordance with the intended use. For example, the exterior sillcock may include exterior threading for use as a hose bibb, to include a handle or handle wheel, or it may be constructed of rough brass, or it may be chrome plated.
In an exemplary use, a two-part sillcock assembly 1 is installed by selecting an embodiment of an interior sillcock assembly 2 that corresponds with the type of water supply pipe (i.e., iron, copper, brass, PEX, or any other supply pipe) or using an adapter to make the connection. The housing 6 of the interior sillcock is inserted into the interior of the building through a pre-drilled hole in the sill plate or other suitable building member. The hole is predrilled to have a slight downward pitch toward the outside of the building to allow any water that remains in the housing after the valve is closed to drain outside and away from the building. The interior sillcock 2 is attached to the outer wall of the building by inserting a pair of fasteners 80 through corresponding holes 79 in the flange portion 77 of the weldneck flange 74. The inlet fitting 29 of the interior sillcock is connected to the building water supply pipe in a conventional manner. It is foreseen that connection of the interior sillcock to the building water supply pipe may be made either before or after the interior sillcock is attached to the outer wall of the building. Following installation of the interior sillcock the adapter socket 66 and valve stem key 57 within the socket will be noticed to protrude slightly beyond the flange 77.
An exterior sillcock assembly 3 may be selected from an array of exterior sillcock assemblies having various purposes of operation and/or aesthetic appearance, such as material, color, or style. In certain embodiments the array of assemblies may include spouts configured to include male hose threading for attachment to a garden hose, or spouts configured to include MIP threads for connection with a section of pipe, or an aeration cap for dispensing water directly from the sillcock 1. In other embodiments the exterior sillcock assembly may be roughly constructed from inexpensive materials such as a synthetic resin, which may be available in a variety of colors, or of more costly materials such as brass or plated brass, or it may be constructed to have a shiny, brushed or matte finish. Use of such exterior sillcock modules may provide a lower cost initial sillcock 1, which may be later upgraded to include a more costly exterior sillcock assembly 3 without the need to replace the entire sillcock 1.
The exterior sillcock 3 is positioned for insertion of the inlet shank 14 through the central aperture 128 of the faucet flange neck 127. The central aperture is equipped with a pair of opposed grooves for alignment with a pair of matching lands on the faucet body and the faucet flange 126 may be rotated to align the two. The faucet flange 126 is then snugged against the faucet body 13 until the retaining ring 95 has been captured by the shoulder 129 of the flange neck. Once the faucet flange is installed, if viewed from the inlet side, the faucet handle shaft 100 with its axial socket 101 will be noticed to protrude slightly beyond the faucet flange 126.
The exterior faucet flange 126 is then placed over the weldneck flange 77 and the respective holes aligned for reception of fasteners 132. As the respective flanges are urged together, the faucet handle shaft is received within the adapter socket 66 and the valve stem key 57 is received within the faucet handle shaft socket 101. In this manner, the faucet handle shaft socket is coupled with and may be used for turning the valve stem key 57. The faucet handle 19 that is bolted into the bolt hole 106 on the outlet side of the faucet handle shaft 100 is thus remotely coupled with and may be used to turn the valve stem 52 and rotate the valve 30 toward or away from the valve seat 35.
Advantageously, when all of the parts of the first and second coupling assemblies 24 and 25 are mutually engaged and fastened in place, the valve stem key 57 is enclosed and protected by the faucet handle shaft socket 101, both the valve stem key and the faucet handle shaft socket are enclosed and protected by the adapter socket 66, and all of the foregoing parts are enclosed by (or sandwiched between) and protected by the first flange and faucet flange fittings 74 and 126. In this manner, the operable parts of the sillcock 1 receive multiple layers of protection during operation. The first flange 74 and all parts of the first coupling assembly are also covered from view. In one embodiment, the faucet flange fitting 126 is constructed to have a finished, aesthetically pleasing surface and shape to enhance the visual appearance of the sillcock 1.
These steps may be reversed for disassembly of the exterior sillcock assembly 3 from the interior sillcock assembly 2. Once disassembly is complete, an operator may install a protective cap 136 by placing the cap over the exposed interior sillcock adapter socket 66, valve key 57, and flange 77, aligning the flange apertures 78 with the apertures 138 of the cap, and inserting fasteners 79. These steps may be reversed to remove the cap 136 from the interior sillcock.
An exemplary use of the dual two-part sillcock assembly is similar to that of the two part sillcock assembly 1, except that a pair of interior sillcocks 2 are positioned within the building and connected to respective building water supply pipes. In addition, the interior sillcock 2 flange 77 is attached to the backplate 201 rather than the exterior building wall. The backplate is captured between the weldneck and faucet flange fittings 74 and 126 and the backplate is attached to an exterior wall of the building by inserting fasteners through the apertures 204. The mixing assembly 210 with attached connectors 224 is installed by inserting the inlet stubs 212 into respective faucet spouts 16 for sealing engagement of the inlet stub inner seals 216 with the inner surfaces of the respective faucet spouts 16. Rotation of the connectors 224 engages their internal threading 227 with the faucet hose threads 88. The retaining rings 230 on the inlet stubs 212 engage the connector shoulders 228 and prevent pulling disengagement of the inlet stubs from the connectors 224. The preceding steps may be reversed for disassembly of the exterior sillcock assemblies of dual two-part sillcock assembly from the interior sillcock assemblies.
The present application is a continuing application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/703,960, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,550,550, filed Sep. 13, 2017, entitled “MODULAR TWO-PART SILLCOCK,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20200165802 A1 | May 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15703960 | Sep 2017 | US |
Child | 16780747 | US |