Hydrant Tool With Extensible Leverage Bar

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Fire hydrant operators face challenges due to hydrant placement near structures, leading to restricted tool rotation, increased risk of injury from elongated tools, and hazardous conditions when opening or closing hydrants, including loose discharge caps and slip hazards in inclement weather.

Innovation Solution

A hydrant operating tool featuring a base wheel with finger grip protrusions, an extensible leverage bar, and a socketed opening for safe and efficient operation, allowing operators to stand firmly and safely, with customizable socket inserts and safety features like detents and pawls for secure engagement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If elongated hydrant tools are used to reach hydrants near structures, then the operator can access the hydrant, but the operator cannot stand safely in one place and must overreach or extend their body, causing back and shoulder injuries

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperator safetyVSAvoidtool length

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The tool incorporates an extensible leverage bar that can be extended or retracted based on operational needs. The base wheel remains compact for safe operator positioning, while the leverage bar can extend to provide sufficient leverage for opening or closing hydrant valves, eliminating the need for overly long fixed tools that compromise operator safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If elongated hydrant tools are used to reach hydrants near structures, then the operator can access the hydrant, but full 360-degree rotation of the tool is restricted, impeding the speed of hydrant operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrant operation speedVSAvoidtool length

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The extensible leverage bar can be quickly extended to provide leverage for valve operation, then retracted to allow the base wheel to rotate freely 360 degrees without obstruction. This dynamic adjustment enables fast hydrant operation by optimizing tool configuration for each phase of the task.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If the leverage bar is made extensible with detents and pawls, then the bar can be retained in extended and retracted positions, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveleverage bar position retentionVSAvoidmechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The leverage bar system uses a self-locking mechanism where detents engage with corresponding features on the bar to automatically retain it in extended or retracted positions. The spring-loaded pawl provides automatic engagement and disengagement without requiring additional actuators or complex control systems, achieving reliable position retention with minimal added complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10760248B2Hydrant tool

Publication Date: 2020.09.01 DEUBLER IV RICHARD EUGENE

AI summary

A hydrant tool for performing fire hydrant operations. The hydrant tool includes a wheel shaped base, a selectively extensible leverage bar that extends from a lateral edge of the wheel shaped base. A wrench opening, preferably a Storz wrench opening extends is defined in a lateral edge of the base. A center portion of the base includes a configurable socketed opening for operation of the hydrant valve.