AU604748B2

AU604748B2 - Adjustable seal friction swivel joint

Info

Publication number: AU604748B2
Application number: AU78222/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Arno Fritsch
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Fritsch Arno
Priority date: 1986-09-17
Filing date: 1987-09-09
Publication date: 1991-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-09
Also published as: AU7822287A

Description

-'087 011 Collector of Public Moneys This form must be accompanied by either a provisional spec cation (Form 9 and true copy) or by a complete specification (Form 10 and true copy).

These sections are to be completed only where applicable..

C. J. TIompEsoN.Commonweallh Governmcnt Printer P/00/O11 _AUSTRALIA~p PATENTS ACT 1952-1973 Form COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Class: Int. Cl: 6044 Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: ThiS docUlnxn11 C0n11tin S the aillidn-fis inade under Sect.;,Il 49) aild Is correct Cor Related Art: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: PAUL FRITSCH Address of Applicant: 2 Beaumont Place, Wheelers Hill, Victoria, 3150 Actual Inventor: ARNO FRITSCH Address fMr Service: JOHN L.DAVIES CO.Patent Attorney P.O.Box 436 39 Cheviot Rd.) Mt.Waverley, Vic. 3149 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: ADJUSTABLE SEAL FRICTION SWIVEL The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known~ to me- 'Note: The description is to be typed in double spacing, pica type face, in an area not exceeding 250 mm in depth and 160 mm in wvidth.

on tough white paper of good quality and it is to be inserted inside this form.

11710/76-L C J.1IIONII',O~4, C,~IIllt1oItO~~dIIII CnvcrI,?111n1 Pri,~wr. C~tnlcrr.i __34 (Signature of Declarant) (IMPORTANT Cross out inapplicable words in the above Form.) C. J. THOMrSN, Commonwealth Goverment Printer This invention relates generally to rotatable water pipe unions and liquid seals therefor and more particularly concerns an adjustable-seal friction swivel joint suitable for use in the joints of adjustable shower arm assemblies with rose fittings.

It is an object of this invention to provide a functionally, adjustable-seal friction swivel joint adaptable to compensate for variations in operating conditions in a shower arm.

The invention, according to a general aspect a o comprises a hand-adjustable friction swivel joint with a 0 0 ao o water seal and for use with an adjustable shower rose and 0o0o arm for installation in a shower recess and which comprises 0 0 0o a hand-rotatable coupling union of two axially opposed, 0 rotatable tubular coupling members forming a tubular joint, one member having a male extension portion adapted to be o c~ partly inserted within a female extension portion of the Sao other member, both members being held together under handadjustable tension by an assembly bolt with an external screw thread on one end and an internally threaded nut screwed onto the said end thereof, the bolt being passed a o centrally, completely through both members which are mutually rotatable abcut the longitudinal axis of the bolt, the bolt being prevented from rotation by a male flat, provided on or adjacent the external screw thread on one end thereof, the male flat fitting into a corresponding female flat provided on an outer end of the female coupling member, the male coupling member having two external, circumferentially-extending stepped portions or shoulders forming an external bearing or frictional face transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bolt, the female coupling member having a single corresponding circumferentially extending internal step or shoulder forming an internal frictional face opposed to the external bearing or frictional face of the male coupling member, both faces being transverse to the bolt axis, both faces forming recesses into which there is interposed an elastomeric or fibre sealing annular disc member, whereby when the bolt is axially tensioned by turning an internally threaded hand adjustment member in relation to an o 0 0 0 00 00 upper or lower end of the bolt respectively, having an 0 external thread thereon, frictionally sealing pressure is So O exerted on the faces of the male and female coupling members 0 by the sealing annular disc member to compensate for wear of the disc or water temperature variations.

In one form of the invention, an internally threaded oa hand-adjustment nut is provided on an external screw thread So on the upper end of the bolt and above an outer upper surface of the female coupling member to allow adjustment of frictionpressure on all bearing surfaces compensating for wear and fluctuating water temperatures in the joint, the nut being provided with an annular groove in the underside thereof for 0 0 9 receiving and holding an O-ring sealing member for sealing the top of the ferale coupling member against water leaks.

In another form of the invention, a hexagonal head bolt with an external screw thread is provided with the head thereof adapted to bear against the upper outer surface of the female coupling member which is provided with an annular recess about the bore thereof and an O-ring seal is adapted -2a I i j~ to be placed within the recess, the lower end of the male coupling member is internally threaded to receive the external screw thread of the hexagonal head bolt to enable frictional adjustment between male and female coupling members, and an internally-threaded dome nut is adapted to be screwed onto the external screw thread of the lower end of the hexagonal head bolt to lock the bolt against the female coupling member.

It 4 4 4a 0 44 0 4 S It 6 41 4* t o 4 4t 4 44 '4 4.

4 :r t V Several practical arrangements of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in I which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal, sectional view of one embodiment of an adjustable seal friction joint for a shower arm in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged scrapview of the embodiment of Figure 1 showing bearing faces between male and female jointing K members.

i Figure 3 is an enlarged scrapview of the embodiment of Figure 1, showing sealing between bolt head and union member.

Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 1 of an alternative embodiment.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the hand adjustment knob.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1, a hand-adjustable friction joint with a water seal and for use with an adjustable shower rose and arm for installation in a shower recess and which comprises a rotatable coupling union with a tubular female member 10, tubular male member 11 and an hexagonal wall fitting 12 which is silver soldered into the male member 11 for attachment to a plumbing outlet on a wall. A centre bolt 13 retains male and female members 10, 11, together d the bolt is prevented from rotation by a male flat 14, fitting into corresponding female flat 15 of the female member 10. The male union member 11 has two external circumferentially-extending stepped portions or shoulders forming an external bearing or frictional face 16, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bolt 13, while the female member 10, correspondingly has a single -3circumferentially extending internal step or shoulder forming an internal frictional face 17, opposed to face 16, both faces 16 and 17 being transverse to the bolt axis., Opposed surfaces and faces of the male and female union member form recesses into which there is interposed an elastomeric or fibre sealing /i and friction washer 18. An additional elastomer or fibre friction washer 19 is interposed in the recess formed between the bolt head outer face 20 and an inner face 21 of the male union member 11. A hand adjustment nut 22 on the bolt 15 allows for adjust- Hi ment of frictional pressure on all bearing faces compensating I for wear, fluctuating water temperature in the fitting. An ii elastomeric seal 23 is provided between the bolt 13 and female un ion member 10 for limited self-compensation water leak sealing i| to some extent, allowing for variations between female member and bolt 13. The cap 24 holds the seal 23 in place. Water is delivered through the outlet tube 25 which is silver soldered 4 into the female union member In the alternative construction shown in Figure 4, a hex bolt 27 is provided and the underside is sealed against the I top of the female part of union member 10, by an O-ring seal 26. The bottom 28 of the bolt is threaded and fits into an internally threaded aperture 29 at the bottom of the male part of union member 11. A dome nut 30 locks the bolt against bottom of the union male part 11.

In Figure 5 of the drawings, the hand adjustment nut has an O-ring 31 in an annular groove on the underside thereof for sealing top of the female union part 10 against water leaks.

-4-

A

When initially rigid fibre sealing washers are used to seal the joint between faces of male and female coupling parts, moisture is absorbed which changes the initial rigid physical state of the material to a more pliable state. Furthermore, shrinkage occurs during drying out, so manual adjustments of variable sealing pressures of the joint is essential. The joint of the present invention enables adjustment of axial sealing pressure of contact faces against a fibre of elastomeric o sealing washer to compensate for fluctuations in water tempera- :6 ture in a shower head fitting and for physical staib of the o ft o sealing disc, whether due to ageing, wear or wetness or dryness of the seal and also variations in manufacturing tolerances.

The axial sealing pressure applied to the sealing member by faces of both male and female coupling members normal to the axis of the joint assembly also results in diametrical expansion of the sealing member, thus achieving two dimensional friction between rotable coupling members.

i .i 1

Claims

1. A hand-adjustable friction swivel joint with a water seal and for use with a adjustable shower rose and arm for installation in a shower recess and which comprises a hand-rotatable coup±ing union of two axially opposed, rotatable tubular coupling members forming a tubular joint, one member having a male extension portion adapted to be partly inserted within a female extension portion of the other member, both members being held together under hand- adjustable tension by an assembly bolt with a external screw thread on one end and an internally threaded nut o oo0 screwed onto the said one end thereof, the bolt being 0 00 0 0 o°°oO passed centrally completely through both members which are o o mutually rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the bolt, the bolt being prevented from rotation by a male flat provided on or adjacent the external screw thread on one oo end thereof, the male flat fitting into a corresponding 000r °oo 6 female flat provided on an outer end of the female coupling member, the male coupling member having two external, circumferentially-extending stepped portions or shoulders forming an external bearing or frictional face transverse oa,, 0. to the longitudinal axis of the bolt, the female coupling member having a single corresponding circumferentially extending internal step or shoulder forming an internal frictional face opposed to the external bearing or frictional face of the male coupling member, both faces being transverse to the bolt axis, both faces forming recesses into which there is interposed an elastomeric or fibre sealing annular disc member, whereby when the bolt .i is axially tensioned by turning an internally threaded hand adjustment member in relation to an upper or lower end of 1i the bolt respectively, having an external thread thereon, frictional sealing pressure is exerted on the faces of the male and female coupling members by the sealing annular disc member, to compensate for wear of the disc or water I temperature variations. i

2. The joint according to claim i, wherein an internally ithreaded, hand-adjustment nut is provided on an external i screw thread on the upper end of the bolt and above an outer upper surface of the female coupling member to allow j adjustment of frictional pressure on all bearing surfaces i compensating for wear and fluctuating water temperatures in the joint, the nut being provided with an annular groove in 4 the underside thereof for receiving and holding an O-ring sealing member for sealing the top of the female coupling member against water leaks.

3. The joint according to claim i, wherein a hexagonal head bolt withan external screw thread is provided with the head thereof adapted to bear against the upper outer surface of the female coupling member which is provided with an annular recess about the bore thereof and an O-ring seal is adapted to be placed within the recess, the lower end of the male coupling member is internally threaded to receive the external screw thread of the hexagonal head bolt to enable frictional adjustment between male and female coupling members.

4. The joint according to claim 3 wherein an internally- threaded dome nut is adapted to be screwed onto the external /V 7 \j I .,z3 1) 0'~~J11 ~E screw thread of the lower end of the hexagonal head bolt to lock the bolt against the female coupling member.

An adjustable-seal, friction swivel joint substan- tially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

6. An adjustable-seal, friction swivel joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A shower rose assembly incorporating at least one adjustable-seal swivel joint substantially as hereinbefore Sdescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. "a o 4 1 0 10 DATED this 18th day of September 1990 JOHN L. DAVIES CO. i