Portland Oregon Fire Hydrant Specifications, 1911 Source: City of Portland, Stanley Parr Archives and Records Center, Water Bureau, Bound Correspondence, A2001-020, 16/15   "Volume 19 - pages 500-599", 1911 (Excerpt from a set of instructions to bidders for a City hydrant contract.) These hydrants must be of some standard make, with one four (4") inch steamer butt, and two two-and-one-half (2-1/2") inch hose butts, having independent valves.     The dimenions [SIC] and details of the hydrants shall be as follows: - Depth below sidewalk to bottom of connecting pipe, four (4 ft.) feet. - Diameter of valve opening, five (5") inches. - Size of pipe connection to main, six (6") inches. - Number and size of butts: Two (2) two and one-half (2-1/2") inch and one (1) four (4") inch. - Size of nut: According to template. - Number of threads per inch on butts: As per sample furnished by Engineer. - Diameter at top of threads, hose butts: As per sample furnished by Engineer. - Diameter at top of threads, steamer butt: As per sample furnished by Engineer.     Detailed plans, showing all materials, dimensions and parts of the hydrants to be furnished with each proposal.     Hydrants must be so designed that with ordinary usage they will not cause water hammer; also change of the water passages through the hydrant must have easy curves, and all outlets must have rounded corners of good radius.     Hydrants shall be iron body, with bronze mountings and shall open by turning to the left. Each hydrant shall bear the name or trade mark of the manufacturer and shall have an arrow with the word "Open" on the casting, indicating the direction of the opening. Working parts shall be so arranged that they may be removed without digging around or disturbing the bottom of the hydrant. Each hydrant shall have hub end of the size and shape as specified for six-inch cast iron pipe by the New England Waterworks Association specifications.     The portion of the hydrant barrel which goes below the sidewalk, after being cleaned, shall be painted with three coats of paraffine varnish, applied hot, or other equally efficient coating shall be applied. The top, or that portion above the ground, to have two coats of best white enamel paint. All the iron castings shall be made from a superior quality of iron, tough and of even grain, and shall possess a tensile strength of not less than eighteen thousand pounds per square inch. Test bars, each 25 in. long, by 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick, shall be made from each heat or run of metal. The bars when placed flatways upon supports 24 inches apart and loaded in the center, shall support a load of 2,000 lbs. and show a deflection of not less than .30 of an inch. The test bars shall be poured from the ladle before or after the casting has been poured, and shall present a true specimen of the iron used in making the casting.     All composition metal used, except the valve stems, shall be non-rusting and shall have a tensile strength of not less than 30,000 lbs. per sq. in.     Valves to be made of rubber where they come in contact with the seat.     Valve stems to be made of bronze.     The working portions of the valve spindles to be made of Tobin bronze, or an equally strong and non-rusting material.     Drip, or bleeder valve, to be so constructed that it shall be closed and water tight when the main valve is open, and it shall be open when the main valve is closed.     All of the inside working parts, including the independent valve spindles must be constructed in such manner and with such materials that a force of 300 lbs. applied at the end of a 13-inch wrench, when the hydrant is either fully open or fully closed, will not damage said parts.     All parts of the hydrants to be fully interchangeable.     All operating nuts to be pentagonal and of such dimensions as to fit the template furnished by the Engineer. These operating nuts to be connected to the stems in such a manner that they cannot be removed without first removing the cap or hood of the hydrant.     The friction losses in the hydrants when flowing through two 2-1/2 inch butts at a rate of 800 gallons per minute, shall not exceed 3.5 lbs.     Hydrants to withstand, without leaks, a hydraulic pressure of 300 lbs. per sq. in.

Portland Oregon Fire Hydrants