Yard hydrant

Claim 1

A yard hydrant, comprising: a casing having an upper and lower end, a valve housing with a spring loaded valve means therein in fluid seal contact with the lower end of said casing, a fitting means secured to the lower end of said casing and adapted for flow communication with the source of fluid under pressure, said fitting means having an orifice plug with an externally threaded neck extended into the lower end of said casing, said valve housing being removably threadably attached to said threaded neck, a head section including an integral nozzle, means for arranging said head section relative to the upper end of said casing for vertical reciprocation and rotation relative thereto, a standpipe within said casing having one end secured to said head section in flow communication therewith and being vertically reciprocal with corresponding movement of said head section, a cylinder having an upper and lower end and arranged in the lower end of said casing, means for securing the lower end of said cylinder in fluid seal contact with said valve housing, said other end of said standpipe being disposed axially within said cylinder and vertically reciprocal relative thereto, fluid seal means on said standpipe being operable relative to said cylinder whereby a fluid reservoir is defined at the bottom by said valve housing, at the top by said fluid seal means and for the reservoir wall component by said cylinder, the downwardly movement of said standpipe and fluid seal means thereon effecting the reduction in size of said reservoir and with said other end of said standpipe acting against said valve means to open fluid flow through said hydrant, the upwardly movement of said standpipe and fluid seal means thereon elevating said standpipe from contact with said valve means permitting it to close and simultaneously enlarging said reservoir whereby fluid in said standpipe upon closing of said valve means drains therefrom into said reservoir for storage, the upper end of said cylinder being provided with a notch, and a lug key secured to said standpipe at a point thereon whereby in a downwardly movement of said standpipe said lug key is engaged in said notch so that an assembly comprising said head section, standpipe, cylinder and valve housing with valve means can be manually rotated to remove said valve housing from said fitting means to permit withdrawal from said casing as a unit said assembly for purposes of repair or maintenance.