Fire hydrant with releasable actuating shaft

Claim 1

A HYDRANT WHICH COMPRISES A HOLLOW VALVE HOUSING, A VALVE SEAT IN THE VALVE HOUSING, A BEARING MOUNTED IN THE VALVE HOUSING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE VALVE SEAT, A VALVE OPERATING NUT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE BEARING, AN UPRIGHT VALVE STEM MOUNTED IN THE VALVE OPERATING NUT IN THREADED ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, MEANS PREVENTING ROTATION OF SAID STEM RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING, A VALVE MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID VALVE STEM AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE VALVE SEAT TO CLOSE THE VALVE, SAID NUT HAVING A SOCKET THEREIN EXTENDING AXIALLY OF THE VALVE STEM, A HOLLOW ELONGATED MAIN HOUSING EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE VALVE HOUSING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE VALVE STEM, A CAP CLOSING AN UPPER END OF THE MAIN HOUSING, A VALVE OPERATING PLUG ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE CAP IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE AXIS OF THE VALVE STEM, SAID PLUG HAVING A DOWNWARDLY OPENING SOCKET THEREIN, AN ELONGATED SHAFT EXTENDING FROM THE PLUG TO THE NUT, END PORTIONS OF THE SHAFT BEING TELESCOPICALLY AND NONROTATABLY RECEIVED IN THE SOCKETS OF THE PLUG AND OF THE VALVE OPERATING NUT, THE SHAFT BEING RELEASABLE FROM BOTH OF THE SOCKETS UPON DISPLACEMENT OF THE MAIN HOUSING.