Post wellhead collar

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention pertains to the field of static structures. More particularly, the invention pertains to apparatus for shedding water away from the base of pipes and poles, square posts, wellheads and the like, and/or deterring the growth of vegetation near the base of such static structures.

2. Description of Related Art

As a result of surface water seeping into a well casing, among other possible causes, the well or the aquifer itself may become contaminated with surface water and substances contained therein. Furthermore, the growth of undesirable vegetation around a wellhead or other static structure, such as a pipe, pole or post, requires mowing, trimming or weeding close to the wellhead, pipe, pole or post, which is disadvantageous, and frequently is difficult or impossible in practice. For example, many lawn mowers, particularly the riding type, do not have a small enough turning radius to cut close to a wellhead casing, pole or post.

There are a number of already existing devices that are intended to aid in shedding water or other liquids away from wells and other static structures in the ground. Some such devices are intended to, for example, prevent erosion of the soil from around the static structure, or prevent aquifer contamination, or to improve the aesthetic appearance of the static structure.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,952 discloses a stabilizer for an underground valve housing, comprising a ground engaging hollow, disk-like support mounted coaxially about the top end of the upper section of an underground valve box, and having a conical top wall, which sheds water to the outer edge of the disk to prevent softening and erosion of ground under the disk-like support, leading to vertical destabilization of the valve box.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,034 discloses a cased water well having a generally tubular well casing extending from subgrade to above grade. A flexible pad is attached to the water well casing for preventing aquifer contamination. The pad has an upwardly extending, generally tubular, flexible and water impermeable neck, which is circumferentially continuous. The neck has an axially disposed opening, which is adapted to be removably received over the upper terminus of the well casing, and the neck is compressibly and sealingly attached to the outer surface of the well casing.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,587 discloses a wellhead casing seal for sealing the opening around a wellhead to prevent inadvertent spillage or escape, while permitting the recovery and recycling of drilling fluids during the drilling operation.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,079,835 discloses a cover for wells and cisterns, comprising a disk-like plate having an opening in the center thereof for receiving a pipe.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,532,734 discloses a pole and post protector, comprising a frusto-conical sheet metal shield.

There also are a number of already existing devices that are intended to aid in preventing vegetation from growing next to trees, shrubs and garden plants, or to protect the base of the plant, or the soil around the base of the plant.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,044 discloses adjustable landscaping cloth of various shapes for covering the soil around the trunks of shrubs, trees, and garden plants to prevent the growth of weeds.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,500 discloses a mound-like tree skirt, having a generally dome-shaped body, which is designed for placement around a tree. A radial slit extending from the approximately centered opening to the peripheral edge allows the mound-like tree skirt to be slipped around a tree, until the tree's trunk is in the centered opening. At least one hole in the anchor lip and a corresponding number of anchor stakes hold the tree skirt in position.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,869 discloses a weed control plate installed to cover the ground around the root of a plant to prevent the propagation of weeds. The weed control plate is a thin plate having a conical surface, provided in the center with an opening for passing the support. The plate has a single parting line extending from the outer periphery to the inner periphery of the plate. Two edges of the plate that are divided by the parting line are fastened so as to join together.

U.S. Pat. No. Des. 437,194 discloses an ornamental design for a plant soil protector.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,528 discloses a tree protector comprising two plastic moldings fastened together to form a cone around a tree. The protector prevents salt from leaching down to the root-ball of the tree, and protects the tree from damage from snow and slush piled around the tree.

Although there are known devices that are intended to aid in shedding water away from static structures in the ground, one problem with the prior art devices is that the devices are not adjustable and thus are not adapted to receive a variety of standard pole and/or post configurations of different sizes and shapes. Thus, the known devices cannot provide an adequate snug fit around a variety of different standard wellheads, circular pipes and poles, or square posts of different sizes and configurations.

Furthermore, although there are known devices that are intended to aid in preventing vegetation from growing next to trees, shrubs and garden plants, or to protect the base of the plant, or the soil around the base of the plant, these devices also are not adapted to provide an adequate snug fit around a variety of different standard wellhead, pole and post configurations, and moreover are not suited to shedding water from a wellhead casing.

To Applicant's knowledge, the prior art fails to teach or describe an adjustable multipurpose device for shedding water away from the base of wellheads and other static structures that provides a convenient means for adapting a single collar to a variety of standard pole and/or post configurations of different sizes and shapes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an adjustable device for shedding water away from the base of pipes and poles, square posts, wellheads or any similar static structure.

Briefly stated, an adjustable collar for positioning around a tubularly cased well, pipes or poles, square posts, or any similar static structure, includes a substantially water impermeable disk-like plate having a conical surface extending a substantial radial distance outward and downward from the casing, pipe, pole or post, the disk-like plate having a centrally disposed opening for receiving the upper end of the casing, pipe, pole or post, the opening being surrounded by one or more annular series of marks or perforations, each series defining a removable annular segment for adjusting the size of the opening for receiving multiple sizes of an upper end of the casing, pipe, pole or post, and one or more series of marks or perforations defining at least one removable conduit segment, eccentric with respect to the central opening, for receiving a wiring conduit of a well, with the removable segments being perforated or scored to break along predefined seams.

In the preferred embodiment, the invention provides an adjustable multipurpose, formfitting, water impermeable collar that fits around the base of circular pipes and poles, square posts, or wellheads of different sizes. The collar includes an adjustable central opening for accommodating various sizes of pipes, poles or posts. The adjustability is achieved through pre-scored or perforated removable concentric segments, which optionally can be removed to obtain various desired configurations. The adjustable collar preferably includes one or more additional removable segments to accept a wiring conduit for the well, and optionally includes further additional removable segments to accept round pipes and poles or square posts of various sizes.

In an alternative embodiment, the water impermeable disk-like plate comprises a multi-piece construction and fastening means for reversibly fastening the pieces together, thereby engaging the inner peripheral surface of the central opening to the outer peripheral surface of the well casing, pipe, pole or post.

The adjustable collar is engaged with the ground around the base of the wellhead, pipe or post, and extends outward and downward a substantial radial distance from the static structure to facilitate the shedding of water, optionally including a gasket or adhesive sealant between the disk-like plate and the static structure. The invention is useful in preventing surface water and contaminants from seeping into the well casing and contaminating the well or the aquifer, and further provides for deterring the growth of vegetation near the base of such static structures, as well as improving the appearance of the static structure, as described in further detail below.

These and other features and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a top view of an adjustable wellhead collar apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an adjustable wellhead collar apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of an adjustable wellhead collar apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an adjustable post, pole, or wellhead collar apparatus having a snap together design, according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description relates to certain preferred embodiments of an adjustable wellhead collar apparatus made in accordance with the present invention. It will be readily apparent that numerous variations and modifications other than those specifically indicated will be readily apparent to those of sufficient skill in the art. In addition, certain terms are used throughout the discussion in order to provide a convenient frame of reference with regard to the accompanying drawings, such as “center” “annular”, “eccentric”, “concentric”, and the like. Such terms are not intended to be specifically limiting of the invention, except where so indicated in the claims.

The invention provides an adjustable multipurpose, formfitting, water impermeable collar that fits around the base of wellheads, circular pipes and poles, or square posts of different sizes. The collar includes an adjustable central opening for accommodating various sizes of pipes, poles or posts. The adjustability is achieved through pre-scored or perforated removable concentric segments, which optionally can be removed by breaking them off individually, either with pliers or by hand for example, to obtain various desired configurations. In its preferred form, the adjustable collar includes one or more additional removable segments to accept a wiring conduit for the well, and optionally includes further additional removable segments to accept round pipes and poles or square posts of various sizes.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, two embodiments of the present invention are shown. The adjustable wellhead collar 100 comprises a water impermeable disk-like plate, which optionally is a multi-piece construction, as shown in FIG. 1, or a unitary construction, as it appears in FIG. 2. The adjustable wellhead collar 100 includes a substantially water impermeable disk-like plate 110 having a conical surface extending a substantial radial distance outward and downward from the casing 200, pipe, pole or post. The water impermeable disk-like plate 110 includes an opening 120 substantially in the center area for receiving the end of the well casing 200, pipe, pole or post. The central opening 120 is surrounded by one or more annular series of marks or perforations 130, each series defining a removable annular segment 140 for adjusting the size of the opening 120 to receive a well casing 200, pipe, pole or post of different sizes. Additionally, another series of marks or perforations 150 defines a removable conduit segment 160 for receiving the wiring conduit 170 for the well. The removable conduit segment 160 is adjacent to or in abutment with the removable annular segments 140, allowing room for the wiring conduit 170 next to the wellhead casing 200. The removable segments can be removed to obtain a variety of pre-determined configurations, by breaking the removable segments off selectively, either with pliers or by hand for example, to obtain the desired configuration. The water impermeable disk-like plate 110 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being circular, however, the shape of the outer edge of the plate 110 optionally is any regular or irregular shape large enough to surround the wellhead and shed water away from the well casing.

The water impermeable disk-like plate 110 preferably comprises a plastic material, however the particular material and/or its composition is not a critical feature of the present invention. Essentially any rigid or semi-rigid, water impermeable material is sufficient, including, for example, metal alloys, thermoplastics or polyolefin polymers, such as polyethylene teraphthalate (PET), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene, polybutylene, polypropylene, or other plastic materials. The collar can be manufactured by well known manufacturing processes, such as compression molding, injection molding, blow molding or rotational molding. Injection molding is a particularly suitable process for producing the parts of the collar with very fine details, a uniform thickness and a suitable finish. The following materials are best suited for producing the collar using plastic injection molding: ABS, acrylic, polycarbonate, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, acetal, polyamide, low density polyethylene, polypropylene, and filled and blended plastics. The parts produced using this method have greater dimensional control, and it is well suited for producing the parts in large quantities.

In one embodiment of the adjustable collar 100, the water impermeable disk-like plate 110 comprises a single-piece or unitary construction, as it appears in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, once the configuration of the adjustable collar has been adjusted as desired, the collar is fitted over the upper end of the wellhead 200, pipe, pole or post to be protected, lowered to the base thereof and engaged with the ground around the base of the wellhead, pipe, pole or post.

In another embodiment of the adjustable collar 100, the water impermeable disk-like plate 110 comprises a multi-piece construction (as shown in FIG. 1) and fastening means for reversibly fastening the pieces together, such as screws, pins, bolts and nuts or wing-nuts, fastening components that hook, snap, or comprise interlocking parts, snug-fitting male/female pieces, adhesives, clips, or bands. In this embodiment, the collar, after being adjusted for size as desired, is fitted around the base of the wellhead 200, pipe, pole or post to be protected, engaging the inner peripheral surface of the central opening to the outer peripheral surface of the well casing, pipe, pole or post, and the pieces are fastened together and the plate engaged with the ground.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown, including a series of marks or perforations 180 defining one or more removable post segments 190 for receiving one or more pipes, poles and/or posts, said removable post segment 190 or segments being concentric (and/or optionally eccentric) with respect to said central opening 120. The removable post segment 190 (or segments) optionally comprises one or more shapes, such as circular, semi-circular, rectangular and square (FIG. 3), and are perforated or scored to break along predefined seams.

Referring now to FIG. 4, another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown, including marks or perforations 240 defining one or more removable post, pole, or wellhead segments 250 for receiving one or more pipes, poles, wellheads and/or posts 230 in the central opening 120. This alternative embodiment also shows a method of attaching two or more collar pieces using male snap pieces 220, and female slots 210 to receive the snaps.

According to its contemplated use, the adjustable collar is adjusted to obtain a variety of pre-determined configurations, by selectively breaking off one or more of the various removable segments, either with pliers or by hand for example, to obtain the desired configuration. For example, some of the removable segments can be removed and others left in place. The adjusted collar is then fitted over top of the static structure to be protected (or around the base with the multi-piece embodiment) and engaged with the ground. The multi-piece embodiment is advantageous particularly where the static structure to be protected is tall or connected to something large that would prevent fitting the collar over the top of the pole or post. The multi-piece embodiment also allows for a tighter fit by firmly fastening the inner peripheral surface of the central opening of the collar to the outer peripheral surface of the well casing, pipe, pole or post. A gasket or other sealing material, such as a sealer or adhesive composition, optionally is provided to improve the seal between the adjustable collar and the well casing, pipe, pole or post, or to fill undesired gaps between the mating surfaces. For example, the use of a gasket or sealant may be desirable in particular where the wiring conduit is received through the collar, to improve the seal around the wiring conduit. Additional weather resistant sealing material and/or insulation or other filler materials optionally are used to fill undesired gaps between the collar and the static structure.

In one embodiment, the adjustable collar is provided with various removable segments for receiving multiple different standard sized pipes, posts, poles and/or wellheads. These sizes preferably include (but are not limited to) concentric 4″ by 4″ square, 5″ external diameter, 5.563″ external diameter, 6.625″ external diameter, 8.625″ external diameter, 10.75″ external diameter, as well as one or more non-concentric removable pieces to accommodate the electrical conduit of a wellhead. The shapes of the pipes, poles or posts received by the collar may include (but are not limited to) circular, semi-circular, rectangular and square.

Thus, numerous various optional configurations of the adjustable collar are possible, allowing the adjustable collar to serve a multi-purpose function, such that it can be used around standard tubularly cased wells or other structures, such as round pipes or poles, or square posts, depending on which removable segments are removed.

Furthermore, the adjustable collar itself is removable, such that the well can be maintained as needed, and allowing the collar to be removed or replaced as desired. The collar further serves a decorative purpose as well and can be painted or decorated as desired. The adjustable collar is particularly useful in preventing surface water and contaminants from seeping into a well casing and contaminating the well or the aquifer, and further provides for deterring the growth of vegetation near the base of the well or other static structures, as well as improving the appearance of the static structure. In addition, by shedding water and deterring the growth of vegetation near the base of the wellhead, the collar also deters fungi, insects and other pests from inhabiting the area near the wellhead.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.