AU593457B2 - Prefabricated plumbing units - Google Patents

Description

593457 Ulmt~n 9 Axi W II t

W

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 t t t t#t$ t '4 t 4 O t ,t I 0 I t I, .9 S S S 9 *9

S

9 Name of Applicant Address of Applicant Actual Inventors Address for Service ARGENTS AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.

270 Water Street, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, 4006,

AUSTRALIA

JOHN GILMEISTER GRANT ADAMS COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 333 Adelaide Street, BRISBANE. QUEENSLAND. 4'000

AUSTRALIA.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: "PREFABRICATED PLUMBING? UNITS" The foll.owing statement 18 a full. description of the Invention Including the best miethod of performing it known to us.

r v-.i Li .jl i I

A

a ac a a *4 a *r i s'S t a.

*I 9 a THIS INVENTION relates to plumbing and in particular to a prefabricated unit by which various ones of vanity basins, toilet bowls, bidets, baths and the like may be installed within a building.

In the construction of buildings, and the installation therein of toilets, bathrooms and other like facilities, it is not unusual for a considerable amount of labour to be expended in adapting the building to suit selected fittings whose mounting requirements and connections may not match what was anticipated in construction of the building. The modifications requiring to instal many of the fittings selected for a building may be costly and may not be readily suited to whatever finish is selected for the room in question, 15 such as a tiled surface of a bathroom, so that additional costly work is required to enable finishing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide prefabricated units that may be employed in the completion of buildings so as to facilitate the mounting 20 and connection to service lines of various items such as aforementioned. Other objects, and various advantages of the invention will hereinafter become apparent.

The invention achieves its object by provision of a prefabricated unit whereby sanitation and other 25 like fixtures may be mounted adjacent a wall and connected to service lines therefor comprising: a support frame that stands vertically, in use, in which opposed upright side members are spanned by an upper cross piece at their upper ends and the support frame is provided with a lower cross piece beneath; a spaced apart pair of supporting legs adjustably attached to the lower cross piece whereby the frame may be supported at a selected height above floor level; 2 Sji~ at least one bracket at the upper end whereby the apparatus may be fixed to a wall or other like support; framing elements spanning the support frame internally and joined thereto; and connection points on the framing elements whereat a fixture may be attached; the support frame taking the weight of fixtures mounted thereto and transmitting the load via the supporting legs to the floor; the framing elements providing support for plumbing to the fixtures.

The above set out unit has advantages in its 5 prefabricated nature enabling a lot of what plumbing 15 work is otherwise done on site to be done under factory conditions with advantage taken of production line techniques. The resulting unit secures an added advantage in that the unit becomes the structural element for fittings that would otherwise be mounted to walls, loading them in an undesirable manner. In use, a e0 ~unit is stood in place; brackets are fixed to secure. it *vertically; a fitting is mounted (its weight being transmitted to the floor); and the fitting is connected to its various service lines (which may be mounted off 25 the floor and on the wall). The unit is modular in character and a plurality may be utilised whereby an array of fittings may be installed.

The prefabricated unit of the invention may be 5* used to mount a weighty fixture, such as a toilet bowl, cantilevered thereof, so that the weight of the fixture is largely directed to the floor through its feet.

In use, plumbing lines may be provided over the wall that the unit is placed against to be connected with the unit which receives a sanitation fixture thereon, following which, the wall may be covered over 3 QiZ i4 Ki o pV -f A with whatever finish should be required, the finish may go over the face of the unit so as to prod Je whatever wall surfacing is desired.

The unit may incorporate support points for one or more of various fixtures with internal lines as required by each .rom preset connection points for the external service lines. The unit may incorporate cisterns for flushing of fixtures or selectively operable valving for 'flushing valve' operation of E r St rt, I E 4 Ctt 41 4

IE

t V i t

I

IS

fixtures. A small range of prefabricated modular units might be devised for use for a far wider range of fixtures, each unit being suited to the mounting of a variety of fixtures, or units may be specifically adapted for the installation of a single fixture. Use of the unit enables a more systematic and planned approach to the installation of the various types of sanitary devices than has been the case to date.

The invention will now be described in greater I0 detail with reference to preferred embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are front and side elevations •it and cross-section respectively of a prefabricated unit r r in accordance with the invention; FIGS. 4 to 6 show details of the unit of FIGS.

1 to 3; FIGS. 9 to 16 show forms of the prefabricated unit, adapted to support specific fixtures; FIGS. 17 to 19 show an alternate form of the prefabricated unit.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show the element of a basic frame having uprights 10 and 11 spanned at the top by crosspiece 12 and at the bottom by crosspiece 13. The frame elements may be cold formed sheet stock given a channel section for strength, each being welded to each other at their respective mating corners. The frame may Sbe stood upon adjustable legs 14 and 15 on feet 16 and 17 on floor 18. What loads exist in the frame are this way distributed largely to the floor. The top end of the frame may be connected to a wall, stud, etc. by a suitable bracket such as 19 which is fixed (possibly by welding) to crosspiece 12, at 20, with an upstanding flange 21 for attachment to a wall. This way the moment of a cantilevered sanitation unit is counteracted. The adjustable feet may be plates 17 on shafts that may be threaded, passed through holes in crosspiece 13, with 4 4' 4.

9 4~*4 4* 4 4*4 4 44*44, 4 4 4*4444 4 4 44 4 4 4 44 44 4. 4 4 .4 4. 4 44 4.

44 4 4 4 4 4 44

C

nuts at each side to lock a selected position.

Crosspiece 13 may be square section to enable the support of the adjustable feet.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a basic frame as in FIG, 1 showing alternate wall fastenings. The wall bracket 19 has its flange 21 connected to an adjoining stud 22. Alternatively, or at the same time, the bracket 23 may be fitted to a wall 25 at 24 by suitable connector whose choice will depend upon the nature of the wall; brick, concrete block, etc.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are an elevation and plan view of an adjsutable leg (typically adjustable thrcugh a height of 150mm) with a shaft 26 (typically 12mm diameter threaded rod) with a foot plate 27 holes at 28 15 and 29 whereby connectors may be applied to tie the unit to a floor underneath. The adjustment enables achievement of a correct fixture height relative to the floor below when its finish is applied.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are two views of a bracket which 20 might be used in f ixing the unit to a wall.

FIGS. 9 to 11 show a prefabricated unit structured to support, a W.C. Like elements are numbered similarly to the elements of FIG. 1. The top section of the frame of the prefabricated unit is provided with 25 cross pieces 30 and 31 which together with support 41 may hold a cistern and flushing mechanism. Cistern outlet pipe 33 may be clamped at 34 behind element 39 to mate at 35 with the flushing inlet of a W.C. (niot shown). A clamp at 36 enables the W.C. outlet to be connected up to a waste pipe (not shown) which, preferably runs to its exit from the room along a wall.

Cut-awaY 42 in the uprights of the frame accommodates this, By this means, all the sanitation equipment may be raised above the floor, mouinted against the wall, t~o be either exposed or covered V, er by a decorativ e panelling. The W.C. may be supported on bolts passed into threaded holes at the cross overs between cross piece 40 and internal uprights 37 and 38. The weight of the W.C. is distributed via the internal uprights and cross pieces to the frame and ultimately the floor.

FIGS. 12 to 14 show a variation of the unit by which a bidet may be mounted in place. Internal uprights 44 and 45 are supported at their upper ends by cross-piece 43. Each internal upright is provided with a threaded hole 46 and 47 (or other suitable connection point) whereat a bidet may be attached. As with all the connection points provided in the units described herein, the holes may be located to suit a specific "t model or any of a series of models where standardised t Srconnection points are provided. A clamp may be provided at 48 for receipt of a waste pipe and 49 and 50 are holes provided for hot and cold water supply connectors.

SThe space 51 may be retained for an overhead water supply unit if required.

FIG. 15 shows the position of various connectors for a urinal. It should be apparent that an array of internal vertical elements and crosspieces may be provided in similar manner to the earlier embodiments so as to provide mounting points for the connectors.

The waste connection 52 may have a trap built into it.

25 Threaded holes 53 and 54 are located as before to receive the chosen model (or one of a range of models i for which the unit is suited). In the upper zone 56 may be provided a flushing vaLve or cistern; water supply; i stop cocks and pipe work which may be required to feed "i 30 flushing water to water connector FIG. 16 shows the position of various connectors for a basin, which may be attached at threaded holes 57 and 58 in crosspiece 59 standing over i internal uprights 60 and 61 which support hot and cold water supply pipe connectors at 63 and 64 with waste pipe connector 62 therebetween.

6 4..i 4.

A prefabricated unit of the type set forth in FIG. 1 might be used to mount the requisite elements of a bath or a shower. Mounting points may be provided as set out above for built in pipework for taps, shower, thermostat, supply connectors, mixing valves, diverter valves, as required for specific applications. For a shower, the unit may have to stand taller but its basic elements may remain the same.

In the above described embodiments, the mounting points for specific products are threaded holes provided at various points as dictated by the specific product. Clearly, one frame might accommodate one of a nmvunber of units if a plurality of such threaded holes be t provided at the requisite locations. In the next embodiment, an alternate means of supporting the unit is described.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show an alternative form for a prefabricated unit. Unit 65 may have an access panel 66 and be formed with steel framing side and end panels such as 67, to stand on leg members 68 and 69 on a cross beam 70 that stands on studs 72 and 73 over a floor 13 to which studs may be coupled by connectors 75 passed through feet 74. A pan 76 (shown in dotted outline) is mounted at 81 and 82 which may be threaded holes in legs 25 69 and 68. Pan 76 is connected at 77 to soil pipe 78.

A layer of insulation 79 may be applied to the inner side of the front wall of the unit and so as to enable application of a finish theeover, a metal lath may be used to hold a plaster coating.

In unit 65, cross beam 71 is fixed to frame 67 and legs 81 and 82, which are passed through and fixed to the bottom of frame 67, to create a rigid unit that stands on studs 72 and 73 which studs may be adjustable in height so as to account for variations in the floor surface 13. The unit of FIGS. 17 and 18 are designed Sfor the mounting of relatively low fixtures.

7 The mounting points for fixtures to be supported on the prefabricated unit, 88 and 89 may be made variable by use of the now standard channel nuts which are slidably locatable along a length of basically C-section channelling with lips at the open face behind which locking nuts may be retained.

In FIGS. 17 and 19 the leg members 68 and 69 house spring nuts or channel nuts 85 and 86 therein that are slidable vertically in the usual manner so as to be locatable at any selected point. Bolts 93 and 94 engage nuts 85 and 86 through end plates 96 and 95 to attach cross member 87 to legs 68 and 69. Cross member 87 may itself be a length of the C-shaped locking channel with spring or channel nuts 88 and 89 slidably located therein to receive mounting bolts for a fixture. This way the mounting points may be located over a range of horizontal and vertical positions to adjust to suit any of a range of standard or non-standard fixtures. The end plates 95 and 96 may be welded to the back of a St 20 length of Unistrut or other like channel so as to be in S* the same plane as the leg members 33 and 34.

f. FIG. 18 shows how the soil pipe 78 may be supported by a bracket 90 mounted to leg member 80 and a channel nut might be used to adjustably mount the 25 bracket which may be a Unistrut or other like bracket.

In FIG. 18 the cistern 91 is shown as it might be located within the unit with flush pipe 84 passing flush water to fixture 76, A flush button 92 may be mounted in the facing panel for operation of the cistern.

The above described unit may be employed with standard plumbing combinations such as a bath and shower. It may incorporate mixing valves, flow diverters etc., as required for distribution of water to various points as required by such combinations. The prefabricatedanits might be made compatible for side by side disposition for multiple wall mountings and 8 intercoupling of the units as required by such combinations.

By using the above described prefabricated unit, all piping to fixtures, other than that associated with floor waste, may be wall mounted. All plumbing of the fixtures may be readily assessible, easily inst.led and adjusted.

The above described unit may be pre-assembled utilising jigs and automated processes so as to reduce labour and costs, with units pressure tested prior to installation, using less skilled labour than was previously required. Additionally, the unit serves to transmit the loads to the floor.

Whilst the above has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be clear that many modifications and variations may be made thereto that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

f t I 'f

Claims (9)

1. A prefabricated unit whereby sanitation and other like fixtures may be mounted adjacent a wall and connected to service lines therefor comprising: a support frame that stands vertically, in use, in which opposed upright side members are spanned by an upper cross piece at their upper ends and the support frame is provided with a lower cross piece beneath; a spaced apart pair of supporting legs adjustably attached to the lower cross piece whereby the frame may be supported at a selected height above floor level; *t 15 at least one bracket at the upper end whereby the apparatus may be fixed to a wall or other like support; framing elements spanning the support frame internally and joined thereto; and connection points on the framing elements whereat a fixture may be attached; the support frame taking the weight of fixtures mounted thereto and transmitting the load via the supporting legs to the floor; 25 the framing elements providing support for plumbing to the fixtures.

2. A prefabricated unit as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the support frame side members, upper crosspiece, and the framing elements are channel sections and the lower crosspiece is a box section, the respective sections being formed from steel plate and welded to form the unit.

3. A prefabricated unit as claimed in either one of Claims 1 or 2 wherein the adjustable supporting legs comprise a threaded rod passed through the lower 5, crosspiece, nuts being screwed against the crosspiece on opposed sides to lock the leg at a selected height.

4. A prefabricated unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the connection points whereat a fixture is supported comprise a threaded hole for the receipt of supporting bolts.

A prefabricated unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the depth of the rectangular frame is sufficient to accommodate a cistern 0 10 therein, the cistern being supported in the upper region on a transverse support beam. r

6. A prefabricated unit as claimed in Claim 1 xx,, wherein the framing elements comprise two spaced apart S" vertical members which members are channel sections open n 15 in the same direction, and a channel section cross piece attached at its ends by channel nuts to the vertical members to be spanned therebetween, the channel section cross piece receiving channel nuts therein for supporting fixtures thereto.

7. A bathroom or other like structure comprising a plurality of prefabricated units as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the units are stood adjacent a wall and the pipework to each unit is supported off the wall behind the units.

8. A bathroom or like ot\her structure as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the units and their connecting t pipework are panelled over with a selected external I" finish applied thereto.

9. A prefabricated unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 9. DATED this twenty-first day of August 1989 ARGENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, By their Patent Attorneys, GRANT ADAMS COMPANY. S1i I 7 A /l v