Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the water flow meter;
More particularly, the present invention related to the easy, quick to install and economical installation apparatus of water flow meter on already laid pipes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A flow meter is a device which is typically used to measure how much liquid or gas is passing through a pipe in given amount of time. The water flow meter is used to measure the flow rate and quantity of water through pipeline. Water flow meter plays important role in measuring the amount of water being used for commercial and residential use.
Typically, water flow meters are installed in the track of pipeline after the pipes are laid down and may get buried inside ground. A chamber is constructed at the location where the flow meter is supposed to placed and installed.
The existing technique of installing a water flow meter on already laid pipe consists of different components namely flow meter, flanges, gasket, nut, and bolts. Initially the pipe is cut at three different places. This results into forming two cut pieces of pipe. A gap is created by removing the one of the cut pieces of pipe. A flange is welded to the remaining end of the pipe. Another flange is welded to the remaining cut piece of the pipe. By placing a gasket between the welded flanges and flanges of flow meter, a leakproof joint is ensured. The flanges are attached and tightened by nut and bolts. Then the meter with attached cut piece of pipe is welded to the mainstream pipe by lap welding process.
The existing technique needs availability of pipe cutting and welding equipment and workers at the installation site. The process of cutting the pipe, constructing a chamber, and performing multiple welding steps can be labor-intensive and time-consuming. It requires skilled workers and specialized equipment, making the installation process complex and cumbersome.

The existing technique requires welding equipment and workers to be available at the installation site. This dependency can cause delays if the necessary resources are not readily accessible.
Despite efforts to ensure a leakproof joint with gaskets and tight bolt connections, there is still a possibility of leaks occurring over time. Any leakage can result in water loss, accuracy issues in measuring flow rates, and increased maintenance and repair needs.
Once the flow meter is installed using the existing technique, it becomes challenging to relocate or reposition the meter if necessary. This lack of flexibility can be a disadvantage in situations where changes to the pipeline layout or system are required.
Accordingly, there exists a need to provide an apparatus for quick installation of water flow meter on already laid pipe.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for installation of water flow meter on already laid pipes;
Further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method for quick installation of water flow meter;
Another object of the invention is to provide an easy method for installation of water flow meter;
Another object of the invention is to provide economic way to install the water flow meter on already laid pipes to measure the water flow rate through pipeline;
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide ease of removing, replacing the water meter during maintenance or re-calibration. Ease of re-establishing flow through the pipe by providing a pipe piece swappable with the water meter removed for maintenance /re-calibration purpose on already laid pipes, reducing installation time and costs, and improving accuracy in measuring water flow rates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present disclosure present technological improvements as a solution to one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems recognized by the inventor in existing techniques.
The present disclosure seeks to provide an apparatus for quick installation of water flow meter on already laid pipes.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the easy, quick to install and economic apparatus for installation of water flow meter includes a water flow meter, a pair of gaskets, a pair of grooved couplings and nut and bolts to tight the grooved couplings.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the water flow meter is a device used to measure the flow rate of water through pipeline where the water supply is provided for commercial or residential use. The water flow meter comes in different types namely, mechanical water flow meter, magnetic water flow meter, ultrasonic water flow meter, electro-mechanical water flow meter. The water flow meter has inlet and outlet pipes which can be modified as per need of application.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a pair of gaskets, one gasket at any of the end of the inlet or outlet pipe of the water flow meter and other gasket at another end of the water flow meter is used to cover the gap between the main pipeline and inlet or outlet pipe of the water flow meter.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a pair of grooved coupling, one coupling at either end of the inlet or outlet pipe of the water flow meter and other coupling at another end of the water flowmeter are tightened over the gasket to ensure leakproof joint. The grooved coupling comes in two half cylindrical outer shells.
According to an aspect of the present invention, just a pair of nuts and bolts are used to tightened the two half outer shells of grooved coupling with each other over the gasket to ensure the leakproof joints at both the ends of water meter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The foregoing Summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the drawings as well as experimental results. The accompanying drawings constitute a part of this specification and illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the following with reference to the drawings, which are for the purpose of illustrating the present preferred embodiments of the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same. The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the disclosure is read in conjunction with the following figures, wherein
Figure 1 shows typical installation of the flow meter;
Figure 2 shows typical pipe cutting on already laid pipe;
Figure 3 shows typical rigid assembly of flow meter using flanges;
Figure 4 shows typical location of lap weld joint;
Figure 5 shows the location of pipe cutting before flow meter installation in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention;
Figure 6 shows the top and side view of the easy, quick to install and economic apparatus for installation of water flow meter in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention;
Figure 7 and 8 shows the modified grooved couplings according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 9 shows the modified end pipe connections according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure and ways in which the disclosed embodiments can be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art would recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or practicing the present disclosure are also possible.
The present invention provides an apparatus (001) for quick installation of water flow meter on already laid pipe.
The present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. These reference numbers are shown in brackets in the following description.
The apparatus (001) consists of a water flow meter (115), a pair of gaskets (117-1, 117-2), a pair of grooved couplings (116-1, 116-2), and nuts and bolts. The water flow meter (115) is a device used to measure the flow rate of water through the pipeline. It can be of various types, such as a mechanical water flow meter, magnetic water flow meter, ultrasonic water flow meter, or electro-mechanical water flow meter..
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the water flow meter (115) is being installed on already laid pipeline within a chamber (105). The chamber is constructed at the intended site of installation. It prevents the flow meter (115) from external damaging agents and given an access to the maintenance personals during maintenance.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in the figure 9, the inlet and outlet end pipe of water flow meter (115) can be modified as per need of an application and comes with four different modifications –
(i) Plain end water flow meter (122): In this type of modification or configuration, the water flow meter has plain ends on both the inlet and outlet pipes, allowing direct connection to the main pipeline using the apparatus;
(ii) Grooved end Flow meter pipe (123): In this type of modification or configuration, the inlet and outlet pipes of the water flow meter have grooved ends, facilitating easy connection to the main pipeline using grooved couplings;
(iii) One sided Flange end and another side with groove (124): This type of modification or configuration features a flange on one end of the water flow meter and a groove on the other end, providing flexibility in connecting to the main pipeline based on specific requirements;
(iv) One sided Flange end and another side without groove (126): In this modification, the water flow meter has a flange on one end and a plain end on the other, enabling connection options based on the pipeline setup.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in the figure 5, the laid pipe is being cut at two locations resulting into the formation of three pieces of pipe namely 112, 113 and 114. The piece numbered 113 is removed and kept as a spare. While the gap is formed between 112 and 114.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig 6, one gasket 117-1 at one end of the flowmeter and another gasket 117-2 at another end of the water flowmeter (115) is slipped over the pipe number 112 and 114 respectively. The gaskets are used to ensure the leakproof joints.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in the figure 7 and 8, the modified grooved couplings (116-1, 116-2) comes with two half cylindrical outer shells. The water flow meter (115) is placed in the gap between pipe 112 and 114 and aligned. Two grooved couplings (116-1, 116-2) are placed on the gaskets, one grooved coupling on one gasket and other grooved coupling on another gasket is placed and tightened using nut and bolts.
The apparatus (001) is easy to install and eliminates the need of welding equipment and welding process. The apparatus (001) utilizes less number of auxiliary elements and eliminates cumbersome and time consuming process while installation of water flow meter (115). The apparatus (001) provides economic process for installation of water flow meter (115) on already laid pipeline.
The apparatus (001) provides a quick, easy, and economical solution for installing a water flow meter on already laid pipes. It eliminates the need for pipe cutting, welding equipment, and specialized workers, resulting in a simplified and cost-effective installation process. The use of gaskets and grooved couplings ensures leakproof joints, minimizing the possibility of leaks and water loss. Additionally, the apparatus allows for easy removal, replacement, and repositioning of the water meter during maintenance or re-calibration, reducing installation time and costs and improving accuracy in measuring water flow rates.
, Claims:We claim,
1. An apparatus for quick installation of water flow meter, the said apparatus comprising:
- a water flow meter (115);
- two gaskets (117-1, 117-2), one placed at each end of the water flow meter to ensure a leakproof joint;
- two grooved couplings (116-1, 116-2) with half cylindrical outer shells, positioned over the respective gaskets;
- nut and bolts for securely tightening the grooved couplings (116-1, 116-2);
characterized by water flow meter (115) being able to accurately measure the flow rate through an existing pipeline
2. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the water flow meter (115) is selected from the group of mechanical, magnetic, ultrasonic, or electro-mechanical type flow meters.
3. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the inlet and outlet end pipes of water flow meter (115) can be modified as plain end water flow meter (122); grooved end flow meter pipe (123); one sided flange end and another side with groove (124) and one-sided flange end and another side without groove (126).
4. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the gaskets ensure a secure and leakproof joint by being placed at the respective ends of the water flow meter (115).
5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grooved couplings (116-1, 116-2) with the half cylindrical outer shells, are positioned over the gaskets and tightened using nut and bolts to create a robust connection.
6. A method for quick installation of water flow meter (115), the said method comprising:
- constructing a chamber (105) at the intended installation location to house the water flow meter (115) securely and providing convenient access for maintenance;
- cutting the existing pipeline at two locations, resulting in the formation of three pipe sections (112, 113, 114);
- removing a section (113) which creates a gap between the remaining sections (112, 114) for installing the water flow meter;
- aligning the water flow meter (115) with the pipeline and placing the gaskets over the joints;
- tightening the grooved couplings (116-1, 116-2) over the gaskets (117-1, 117-2) to ensure a leakproof connection;
characterized by streamlined installation process using grooved couplings, gaskets, and a chamber and eliminating the need for complex welding operations and extensive pipe modifications, making it quick, cost-effective, and suitable for retrofitting water flow meters on existing pipelines.