Pitless adapter assembly

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a pitless adapter assembly. A pitless adapter is a unit designed to permit water service pipes to pass through the wall of a well-casing below the frost line to prevent entrance of contaminants, to prevent freezing of water in the pipes, and to provide full access to the water system components within the well. Pitless adapters hang the well pump from a hole drilled in the well-casing. The hole drilled in the well casing both holds up the weight of the pump and the supply pipe and water from the pump, and allows the pumped water to exit through the casing wall. Existing products require multiple attachments to be furnished as separate items when using plastic pipe for installing a pitless adapter. The majority of submersible well pumps are now installed with plastic pipe. This requires separate fittings not furnished as a package with existing products. Plastic pipe facilitates pump installation and removal because of its flexibility and does not require extending the pipe vertically thereby creating a dangerous situation, especially when the well may be hundreds of feet deep.

Even though plastic pipe is now the preferred installation method, a potential exists for the pipe coming off of the adapter. Should this occur, the well can be rendered unusable and non-repairable. The assembly disclosed and claimed herein provides a compact, ready-to-install unit which includes integral plastic pipe barbs and protected safety cable attachment device. In addition, the invention also includes a streamlined, curved internal shape which reduces water turbulence and increases flow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a pitless adapter which is simple to install.

It is another object of the invention to provide a pitless adapter which securely retains the pump suspended therefrom.

It is another object of the invention to provide a pitless adapter which reduces turbulence and friction-induced drag within the assembly.

It is another object of the invention to provide a pitless adapter which permits connection to plastic supply pipe delivering water from the well to the pitless adapter without the need of other attachment components.

It is another object of the invention to provide an integrally-formed safety eyelet for retaining a safety cable attached to the pump in the well.

It is another object of the invention to provide an integrally-formed safety eyelet for retaining a safety cable attached to the pump in the well which is recessed into the overall dimensions of the pitless adapter and this thus protected from accidental impact.

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a pitless adapter assembly for a water well system or the like operable by a pump suspended in the well below the pitless adapter assembly to pump underground water upwardly through a plastic supply pipe to a feed pipe through a fitting in a well casing, and comprising a housing having a generally right-angle flow path therein defined by an housing inlet and a housing outlet for interconnecting the supply pipe with the feed pipe through the well casing. The housing includes an integrally-formed eyelet for receiving and retaining a safety cable to which the pump is suspended in the well and a plurality of annular serrations formed in the walls of the housing surrounding the housing inlet for receiving and retaining an upper end of the feed pipe. Interior walls of the housing defining the flow path extend between the housing inlet and the housing outlet and are curved to provide right-angle turn which reduces turbulence in the water flowing through the housing from the supply pipe to the feed pipe.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing includes a threaded collar for receiving a matingly threaded pull pipe.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the threaded collar is integrally-formed with the housing.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing includes a pair of integrally-formed flanges for cooperating with a mating pair of recesses in a fitting positioned through a hole in the well casing for retaining the pitless adapter assembly in the fitting.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the flanges and recesses are adapted to be oriented in vertically-extending relation within the well casing.

Preferably, the safety eyelet is integrally formed in the housing at a juncture between the threaded collar and the housing intermediate the housing inlet and the housing outlet.

Preferably, the flanges are integrally-formed on the housing.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the annular serrations comprise a plurality of concentric, ring-shaped barbs each having a taper which progressively enlarges in the flow direction of water from the well into the housing.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the pitless adapter includes a submersible pump suspended in the well below the pitless adapter assembly and interconnected thereto by the supply pipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some of the objects of the invention have been set forth above. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the invention proceeds when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1

is a side elevational view of a typical well design where a pitless adapter according to the invention is useful;

FIG. 2

is a fragmentary side elevation of a pitless adapter according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3

is a partial vertical cross-section of the pitless adapter shown in

FIG. 2

, showing the portion of the pitless adapter in the interior of the well casing;

FIG. 4

is a top plan view of the pitless adapter shown in

FIG. 2

; and

FIG. 5

is a horizontal cross-section taken substantially along lines

5

—

5

of FIG.

2

.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT AND BEST MODE

Referring now specifically to the drawings, a typical water well system including pitless adapter

10

according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG.

1

. In this arrangement, a well “W” is fitted with a well casing

11

in the upper extent thereof in accordance with local regulations. A submersible pump

12

is suspended in the well “W” below the water level on one end of a supply pipe

13

. The upper end of the supply pipe

13

is attached to the inlet side of the pitless adapter

10

, as described in further detail below. Water from the supply pipe

13

passes through the pitless adapter

10

and into a feed pipe

15

, which delivers water to a building, such as a house, or to a storage tank. The pitless adapter

10

is supported in its position by the side walls of the well casing

11

through which it extends. A pull pipe

17

is threaded into a top end of the pitless adapter

10

and permits the pitless adapter

10

and the pump

12

to be pulled from the well “W” when necessary.

A strong wire safety cable

18

interconnects the pitless adapter

10

and the pump

12

and provides secondary security against loss of the pump

12

in the bottom of the well “W” should the supply pipe

13

disconnect for whatever reason from either the pitless adapter

10

or the pump

12

. Electrical connections, not shown, supply power to the pump

12

.

Referring now to

FIG. 2

, the pitless adapter

10

is preferably formed of cast bronze in accordance with ASTM B584-C84400. A housing

20

includes an inlet portion

21

having a plurality of annular serrations or barbs

22

on the outer surface thereof. This arrangement permits easy and quick attachment to plastic supply pipe without additional fittings being needed. An integrally-formed threaded collar

24

permits attachment of the pull pipe

17

. An eyelet

26

is integrally-formed in the pitless adapter

10

at the juncture between the threaded collar

24

and the housing

20

intermediate the housing inlet

21

and a housing outlet

28

formed in a separate fitting

29

which extends through an access hole “H” in the side of the well casing

11

. As is best shown in Figures and

3

, the eyelet

26

is formed in an integral web

27

which is recessed within the overall dimensions of the housing

20

at the point where the collar

24

is formed. This protects the attachment point of the cable

18

against an inadvertent impact which could sever the cable

18

and remove the protection against loss of the pump

12

should the supply pipe

13

become disconnected.

The fitting

29

also includes a plurality of annular serrations or barbs

30

on the outer surface thereof which permits easy and quick attachment to plastic feed pipe without additional fittings being attached.

Referring now to

FIG. 3

, the portion of the pitless adapter

10

which is positioned within the well casing

11

is shown in cross-section. As is shown, the inlet

21

and outlet

28

communicate with a passage

35

which extends at right angles through the housing

20

. The passage

35

defines a smoothly curved right-angle transition intermediate the inlet

21

and outlet

28

, providing a correspondingly smooth, non-turbulent flow of water from the well upwardly into the pitless adapter

10

and into the feed pipe

15

.

As is best shown in

FIGS. 4 and 5

, the fitting

29

includes a passage

36

which interconnects with the passage

35

in housing

20

. The interconnection is maintained by means of a pair of flanges

40

,

41

which are received within a pair of recesses

44

,

45

formed in an enlarged retaining bracket

48

in fitting

29

. As is shown in both FIG.

4

and

FIG. 5

, an elastomeric O-ring

50

provides a water-tight seal between the flanges

40

,

41

and the recesses

44

,

45

. An elastomeric gasket

52

provides a water-tight seal between the retaining bracket

48

and the inner wall of the well casing

11

. An elastomeric gasket

54

provides a water-tight seal between the retaining bracket fitting

29

and the outer wall of the well casing

11

. A compression nut

56

is threaded onto the fitting

29

and tightened against a collar

57

to compress the gaskets

52

and

54

. The O-ring

50

is lubricated and the housing

20

is slid into the fitting

29

.

The pitless adapter

10

is assembled by cutting the hole “H” in the sidewall of the well casing

11

so that the hole “H” will be at the appropriate distance below ground level when inserted into the well. Installation may proceed in one of several different ordered steps. According to one installation method, after the well casing

11

has been inserted into the well, the fitting

29

with the gasket

52

in place is passed through the hole “H” from the inside so that the outlet

28

extends laterally outwardly through the well casing

11

. The pump

12

is connected by properly measured supply pipe

13

to the inlet

21

and the safety cable

18

is attached to the eyelet

26

of the housing

20

. The pull pipe

17

is attached to the pitless adapter

10

and the assembly is lowered into the well. The housing

20

is connected to the fitting

29

by inserting the flanges

40

,

41

into the recesses

44

,

45

of the bracket

48

until the passages

35

and

36

are aligned. A stop tab

25

formed in the housing

20

prevents movement of the housing

20

past the proper alignment point on the fitting

29

. The collar

57

is placed onto the fitting

29

and the compression nut

56

is tightened to the proper torque, completing the assembly.

While the pitless adapter

10

is shown in use with a submersible pump, it may also be used with a jet pump. In such cases, either two well pipes or two pitless adapters would be required. The integrally-formed barbs

22

and

30

permit easy attachment of plastic supply and feed pipes

13

and

15

, respectively without other attachment pieces.

A pitless adapter is described above. Various details of the invention may be changed without departing from its scope. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation—the invention being defined by the claims.