Hydrant station for snow making apparatus

Abstract

A tower hydrant station for a snow making apparatus is illustrated wherein underground air and water pipes are respectively connected to remote sources of air and water under pressure and air and water hydrant pipes are respectively connected to these underground air and water pipes for supplying air and water under pressure above ground. Valves are respectively connected to these hydrant pipes for valving air and water therefrom. A substantially vertical closed metal snow tower mounting pipe is provided and has a hollow interior and is embedded in ground and exposed above ground for supporting a snow making tower thereon. The air hydrant pipe is connected to the interior of this tower mounting pipe whereby the interior portions of the mounting pipe constitute a portion or segment of the air hydrant pipe system and air under pressure supplied to the air hydrant coupling is circulated through above ground portions of the mounting pipe for cooling. The tower mounting pipe is also directly tied to the water hydrant so that the tower hydrant station is provided as a prefabricated single unit for easy installation. In another embodiment of the invention, hydrant drain couplings are disposed in the supply hoses for air and water to the snow making apparatus from the hydrant for respectively draining the hoses when a predetermined minimum pressure is attained therein. These hydrant drain couplings may also be provided with additional ports for simultaneously supplying air and water to a second or a secondary snow making apparatus.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A snow making tower hydrant station for mounting a snow making tower and connecting the same to remote sources of air and water under pressure, comprising; 
 underground air and water pipes respectively connected to remote sources of air and water under pressure;    air and water hydrant pipes respectively connected to said underground air and water pipes for supplying air and water under pressure above ground;    air and water valves respectively connected to said air and water hydrant pipes for valving air and water therefrom:    couplings on above ground exposed ends of said hydrant pipes for coupling said hydrant pipes to a snow making device;    a substantially vertical closed metal snow tower mounting pipe with a hollow interior and having bottom portions embedded in ground and having portions exposed above ground for supporting a snow making tower thereon; and    said air hydrant pipe connected to the interior of said mounting pipe whereby said interior portions constitute a segment of said air hydrant pipe and air under pressure supplied to said air hydrant coupling is circulated through above ground portions of said mounting pipe for cooling.    
     
     
         2 . The snow tower hydrant station of  claim 1 , wherein underground portions said water hydrant pipe and said mounting pipe are secured together in closely spaced juxtaposition whereby said water hydrant and said mounting pipe are a combined unit for unified installation.  
     
     
         3 . The snow tower hydrant station of  claim 2 , wherein said water valve is positioned on underground portions of said water hydrant.  
     
     
         4 . The snow tower hydrant station of  claim 3 , including a spring biased check valve disposed in underground portions of said water hydrant and biased to open when a predetermined minimum pressure is attained in said water hydrant for draining said water hydrant.  
     
     
         5 . The snow tower hydrant station of  claim 1  wherein said ground is provided in the form of a removable earth mound covering said bottom portions of said mounting pipe.  
     
     
         6 . The snow hydrant station of  claim 1  in combination with a snow making apparatus having water and air inlets respectively connected with flexible hoses to said water and air hydrant pipe couplings, and a drain coupling disposed in at least one of said hose connections for draining said at least one hose when a predetermined minimum pressure is attained therein.  
     
     
         7 . A prefabricated hydrant station for mounting a snow making tower and connecting the same to remote sources of air and water under pressure, comprising: 
 an upright elongate water hydrant pipe having upper and lower ends with a hose coupling at the upper end for delivery of water under pressure to a snow making apparatus and a water conduit coupling connected to the lower end for coupling to a source of water under pressure;    an upright elongate closed metal mounting pipe with a hollow interior and juxtapositioned with the water hydrant pipe and extending upwardly beyond the upper end of said water hydrant pipe for supporting a snow making tower structure thereon;    support tie means securing said water hydrant pipe and said mounting pipe together as a unit;    an air inlet coupling positioned on said mounting pipe for introducing air under pressure into lower portions of the hollow interior from a source of air under pressure; and    a conduit coupling positioned on said mounting pipe intermediate its ends for delivering air under pressure from said hollow interior to a snow making apparatus.    
     
     
         8 . The prefabricated hydrant station of  claim 7 , including a valve disposed between the lower end of said water hydrant pipe and said water conduit coupling for valving water supplied to said water hydrant, and an elongate valve operating handle shaft extending upwardly from said valve to a position above the upper end of said water hydrant pipe for operating said valve from said position.  
     
     
         9 . The prefabricated hydrant station of  claim 8 , including a spring biased drain disposed between said valve and the lower end of said water hydrant pipe for draining said water hydrant pipe when a predetermined minimum pressure is attained therein.  
     
     
         10 . A hydrant coupling for snow making apparatus comprising: 
 a conduit coupling having at least three intercommunicating terminal coupling ports;    a first one of said coupling ports connected to a drain valve;    a second one of said coupling ports connected to an inlet conduit coupler for coupling the conduit coupling to a fluid supply pipe; and    a third one of said coupling ports providing an outlet port for coupling to a snow making apparatus.    
     
     
         11 . The hydrant coupling of  claim 10  wherein said drain valve is comprised of a spring biased check valve which is biased to open when a predetermined minimum pressure is attained in said conduit coupling.  
     
     
         12 . The hydrant coupling of  claim 11 , said conduit coupling including a fourth port for providing an outlet port for coupling to a second snow making apparatus.  
     
     
         13 . The hydrant coupling of  claim 12 , including a plug for selectively plugging one of said third and fourth ports.  
     
     
         14 . The hydrant coupling of  claim 13 , wherein said plug is tethered to said conduit coupling.  
     
     
         15 . The hydrant coupling of  claim 11 , wherein said predetermined minimum pressure is selected to be in the approximate range of 20 to 30 psi.  
     
     
         16 . The hydrant coupling of  claim 10 , including a length of flexible hose coupled to said inlet conduit coupler.  
     
     
         17 . The hydrant coupling of  claim 10  in combination with adjacent valved water and air hydrants and a snow making apparatus having water and air inlets, and the combination further including a pair of said hydrant couplings having their inlet conduit couplers respectively connected to said water and air hydrants and having said third ones of said coupling ports of said conduit couplings respectively connected to said water and air inlets of said snow making apparatus.  
     
     
         18 . The hydrant coupling of  claim 17 , including a fourth port in said conduit couplings and a second snow making apparatus having water and air inlets respectively connected with flexible hoses to said fourth ports for simultaneously operating two snow making apparatus.  
     
     
         19 . The hydrant combination of  claim 18 , including a hose connection between said water hydrant coupling and said water hydrant, said hose connection being sufficiently long whereby said hydrant coupling will rest on a ground surface which is lower than the point of connection to said hydrant and to the water inlet for said snow making apparatus for facilitating the drainage of said water hoses when said predetermined pressure is attained.