CA1253654A - Drain closure - Google Patents

Abstract

A B S T R A C T

A drain closure that has all the advantages of and none of the disadvantages of both hand and foot tub closures. A
post (24) which is threaded into the bottom of the strainer body (10) receives a stopper (41) which moves up and down on the post (24) to open or close the drain. A
metal spring (38) carried by the post (24) exerts a frictional force against the stopper (41) interior sufficient to hold the stopper (41) open and enhance its sealing ability when closed. The stopper (41) can be closed by hand or foot. The stopper (41) cannot be removed without first removing the stopper knob (60). Out of sight under the stopper (41) is an integral collar which receives an open end wrench which permits tightening of the stopper knob (60) to a point where stopper (41) theft is virtually eliminated.

Description

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DRAI~ CLOSURE
This invention relates to drain closure~ which s~rve primarily to open and clo~e the drains of bathtubs but which can also be used in ~inks, laundry tubs and the like.

Ba~htub dxain clo~ures are of two ba~ic type~; i.e., trip lever and non trip lever. The trip lever device consist~
of a clo~ure connected by means of a linkage sy~tem to a trip lever h~ndle mounted on the front end wall of the tub. The closure i~ opened and closed by rai~ing or lowering the trip lever handle. The non trip lever clo~ure requires direct contact with hand or foot to open and close.

The main purpo~e of ths present inven~i3n i8 to combine into one clo~ure the advantage~ of nontrip lever hand and foot operated clo3ures while at the same time eliminating the disadvantages. Another purpo~e i~ to provide a ~topper which 1~ interchangeable with other ~toppers in foot operated clo~ures.

Foot operated clo~ures are opened and clo3ed by pressing down with a foot on the ~topper portion of the closure, as described in U.S. Patent NosO 3,771,177 and 4,103,372.
The principal advantage claimed over hand cperated closures is that the u~er doea not have to bend over to operate the closure.

In reality, it i~ only the ability to close the closure , . .

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lZS3654 without bending over that i8 a meaningful adYantage. The reason i~ that, with rare exceptions, the clo~ure i8 closed only when the user takes a bath which i~ invariably done in a sitting po~ition. After completing the bath, it ia a~ easy to ir~t open the ~losure by hand and then - stana up and vacate the tub a~ it i~ to first stand up, open the closure by foot and then vacate th~ ~ub.
Therefore, the ability to open a tub closur2 by foot i~ of minimal value to most users.
The foot operated closures that ara now available have several significant shortcomings. The fir~t i~ that, dua to the nece~sarily more complicated design, they are le~
reliable and ail more o~ten than hand operated closure~.
Another disadvantage o~ some foot operat~d clo~ures i8 that the closure is su~ceptible to damage by gue-~ts in hotels and motel~. Specifically, foot pres~ure on one side of the ~topper is required to open the clo~ure while foot pres~ure on the opposite ~ide i8 required to close. Adding to the problem i8 the fact that the location o~ these two pre~ure points will vary ~rom tub to tub depending upon how tightly the stopper a3sembly i8 threaded into the tub strainer body. Although the open close pre3sure p~ints are marked on the stopper top, these markings are not legible to most while standing up due to poor lighting in the tub bottom and go unnoticed by others. A~ a result, some guests not familiar with this type o~ closure, will step down several times without results, becoming convinced that the closure is stuck, and then step down with exce~ive force or give the ~topper a kick to free it up. Damage to the closure can and does occur along with an occasional bruised foot.

A third disadvantage i8 the ease with which the stopper assembly can be removed and stolen. The stopper assembly is typically installed by threading the po~t portion o~ the stopper assembly into female threads

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3 --locatd in the bottom of the strainer body. This i8 accompll~hed by hand~ Further tightening by a pair of pliers or a wrench is normally not done since the appli-cation of pre~sure on the plastic stopp2r by plier~ or a wrench can cause it to crack or flex enough to break the bond between the plastic and the chrome finish.
Therefore, it i~ relatively easy for most people to remove the hand tightened ~topper assembly. Unfor~unately, some gue~ts in hotel~ and motels do ju~t that, as do vandals roaming through unfini~hed housing projects.

AB a direct re~ult of thi~ seaurity problem, one ~nufacturer of foot operated cloaures has offered a theft resi~tant model. However, this design ha~ three di~tinct disadvantages: ~1) it C08t8 sub~tantially more; (2) the theft resistant stopper require~ a special ~trainer body and will not fit any other strainer body; and (3) a special tool, available only from this manuXacturer, i8 required to remove the stopper.
Hand operated tub closure~ are most often a type cammonly referred to as lift and turn or lift and lock. In this type of unit, the metal stopper stay6 in the down position due to its own weight. To open, the ~topper iB lifted up and then turned in either direction. Thi~ rotation po~ition~ a small pin over a shoulder on either a post or ~leeve and thereby holds the stopper up in the open position.

Lift and turn clo~uxes h~ve advantage~ over foot operated closures in several important re~pects. The lift and turn alo~ure~ are much simpler, require fewer movin~
part~, and are not plagued by field problems to the extent that foot operated closure~ are. In addition, the lift and turn closure~ can be made entirely from metal ~except for the neoprene seal u~ed by some), as preferred by many plumbers.

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The di~advantages of li~t and turn closure~ vary with individual de~ign~. By far the most popular i~ one which incorporate~ a metal po~t that moves up and down in~ide a sleeve attached to the bottom of the 0trainer body. The bottom of the po~t has a retainer ring whiah prevents the po~t ~rom b~ing pulled completely out of the ~l~eve.
A emall p~g or pin protrudes from the po~t. This peg fits in a 810t in the upper portion of the sleeve and prevents the post fram turning when in the down or clo~ed position, thereby permitting the dtopper to be threaded onto ~he top end of the post. When the stopper is lited and rotated, the peg 1~ positioned over the top of the sleeve and holds the stopper in the open poeition.

One disadvantage of thi~ type of closure is that the topper can be easily stolen. Only moderate prs~sure with a tool can be used to tighten the stopper onto the post to avoid breaking the peg. Accordingly, the ~topper can be removed relatively easily from the post by thieves and vandals Another disadvantage is that the peg can be broken if a sharp blow i~ applied to the top of the ~toppex while it i~ in the up or open po~ition.

Another lift and turn design features a post with a flat on one side attached to the bottom of the strainer body. A brass set screw located out of sight i~ threaded through an integral collar on the bottom of the stopper.
The end of the set ~crew projects beneath a head on top of the po~t and thereby holds the stopper on the po~t. When the set ~crew i8 aligned with the flat on the post, the stopp~r drops to the clo~ed po~ition. However, when the stopper i~ lifted and turned to move the set screw out of alignment with the flat, the set screw rest~ on a shoulder to hold the ~topper up in the open position.
Although the problem of stopper theft is vir~-ually eliminated in thi~ type of unit, several other problems are created. A blow applied to the ~topper while in the up (open) position can bend the end of the set screw, thus -~ ~2536Si~

maki~g it impossible to bacX the ~et ~crew o~ to permit removal of the stopper when it i8 neCeg8ary to obtain acce~s to the drain. Corrosion of the threads on the set screw or collar cau~ed by prolonged expo~ure to moisture S can likewise make it difficult to back off the set screw, Even Lf the ~et screw i~ not damaged or corroded, its out of ~ight location makea it nece~sary to locate its head by feel, i.e., by apply~ng the finger to the bottom o~ the stopper untll the head of the ~et screw i~
located. Thi8 iB dlfficult at be~t and may be impossihle for per~on~ with large fingers. Also, the type (phillips or regular) and si~e of screw driver to use ~or looaening of the set screw i~ not known to per~on~
un~amiliar with this par~icular closure.
Another lift and turn closure feature~ a plastic skirt attached to the bottom of the stopper. The exterior of the ~kirt has vertical and horizontal grooves which receive two bo~se~ punched into opposite sides of the top vertical wall of the strainer body. Stopper theft can be easily accomplished simply by pùlling up on the ~topper and continuing to rotate it . Another di~advantage ia that a ~harp blow to the ~topper top can cause damage to the pla~tic skirt or cause the bossea and grooves to di~engage and thereby jam the closure.
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All lit and turn closure~ have one common di~advantage compared to foot operated clo~ures - they cannot be clo~ed without bending over and opexating the clo~ure by hand.
Still another non trip lever closure i~ be~t described referred to as a pu~h-pull. It operate~ the ~ame a~ a lift and turn clo~ure éxcept that no rotation of the ~topper i~ required in order to keep the stopper open in the up position. The pu~h-pull stopper features one or more rigid plastic leg~ that are deflected to install the stopper. The main disadvantage of this design i8 that a sharp pull upward iB all that i~ required to remove the ~2~3~

stopper. Another disadvantage is that the plastic legs are relat-ively fragile as compared to metal and are susceptible to fracture.
A plastic construction is necessary because of the need for the legs to deflect. As a result, this design is generally unacceptable.
The proliferation of designs in hand and foot operated tub closures is a direct result of attempts by various manufac-turers to solve the problems that have plagued non trip lever closures for many years. Unfortunately, these designs have created ~ almost as many problems as they have solved. In addition, many : 10 plumbing wholesalers are now forced to stock several different types of non trip lever closures to meet the varying preferences of their customers. The present invention provides an lmproved closure with all of the meaningful advantages and none of the meaningful disadvantages of both hand and foot operated closures.
According to this invention there is provided a drain closure assembly comprising:
a strainer body adapted to be installed in a drain such as a bathtub drain, said strainer body having a threaded opening;
a post having a threaded end mating with said threaded opening to mount said post in the strainer body;
a stopper having a bore therethrough receiving said post : in a manner permitting said stopper to move up and down on the post between open and closed positions, said stopper substantially surrounding said post and being rotatable thereon to prevent 365~

disconnection of the post from said strainer body while said stopper is on the post;
an enlarged head on said post located in said bore on the end of the post opposite said threaded end and acting to prevent said stopper from being lifted off of said post;
a knob for said stopper to facilitate lifting of the stopper to ~he open position, a threaded connection for connecting said knob to said stopper at a location to enclose said enlarged head of the post, 0 said threaded connection permitting selective removal of said knob from s~id stopper-upon relative rotation therebetween to expose said enlarged head, thereby permitting said post to be threaded out of said threaded opening and separated from said stopper; and a wrench receiving surface on said stopper accessible only in the open position thereof and specially formed to be engaged by a wrench and held thereby against rotation while said knob is turned relative to said stopper to effect tightening of ~aid threaded connection for securing the knob against removal from the stopper.
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in whlch like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a bathtub drain closure constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with a portion of the strainer body broken away for purposes of illustration;

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t _ 7a -Figure 2 is a sectional view of the assembled drain closure taken on a vertical plane and showing the stopper in the closed position:
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Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2, but showing the stopper raised to the open position;

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Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 4~4 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig, 5 is a sectional view 3imilar to Fig. 2 but ahowing a ~econd embodim~nt of the i~vention, with the 3topper in the closed po~ition;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 9 but with the stopper in the open position; and ., 10 Fig. 7 i~ an exploded perspective view of the po~t and the ~prlng loaded ball elemRnt included in the aecond embodiment o the invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and initially to Figs. 1-4, numeral 10 generally designates a strainer body having a cylindrical wall 12 which i9 externally threaded at 14 in order to thread into a drain fitting under the floor of a bathtub (or a sink, laundry tub or other draln opening). Within the strainer body, a dxain passage 15 i~ provided for dralning of liquid firom ' the tub. The top edge of the strainer body 10 i~ provided with an annular flangc 16. The top or entry to passage 15 i8 tapered or beveled as indicated by numeral 17, al hough it need not be. Formed within the lower portion of the atrainer body is a ring 18 carried on a ~pider 20 ~ecured to the in ide surface of the wall 12. The ring 18 concentric with wall 12 and ha~ internal threads 22.

Mounted wqthin the ~trainer body 10 i5 a bras~ post 24 having male threads 26 on its botto~ end that mate with the female hreads 22 of ring 18. The po~t 24 can thus be threaded into ring 18 and i8 mounted in thie manner to extend along the central axi~ o the 3trainer body. The main body or shank of po8t 24 i8 cylindrical. A flat head 32 iB formed on ~he upper end o~ po~t 24. The head ~2 is enlarged in diameter compared to the shanX of post 2~.
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An annular groove 36 is formed in the shank of post 28 at a location somewhat above it9 midpoint. An arcuate metal spring element 38 i8 inserted into groove 36 and fit~
closely therein. The ~pring element 38 ha~ the shape of a di~continued or interrupted ring with two ~ree ends 40 ~paced apart and confronting one another. The ends 40 are preferably rounded 50 that no ~harp corners are presented.

Fitted on post 24 i~ a metal stopper 41 having a disk ~haped head 42 and an integral sleeve 44 projecting from it3 lower ~urface. The head 42 has an enlarged flange 45 forming its top surface. A cylindrical bore 46 i~ formed centrally throu~h the stopper 41. ~he bore i8 ~urrounded by an internal surface ~7 of the stopper. The upper portion of the bore 46 within head 42 larger than the remainder of the bore and is i~ internally threaded at 48. An upwardly ~acing annular shoulder 50 i9 formed within the bore at the lower end of the threaded - p~rtion 48 where it intersect~ with tha main bore surface 47.
The stopper head 42 i8 larger in diameter than the drain pasaage 15 provided within the ~trainer body 10. A
; flapper type gaaXet 52 includes a ring portion 52a which fits closely in an annular groove 54 formed in the outer edge of the stopper head at a location immediately below the flange 45. The ga~ket 52 al80 includes a rim portion 52b which projects generally outwardly from the rim 52a. In this natural undeformed condition, the rim ; 30 52b ha~ a frusto-conical shape. When the stopper 41 iR in the fully closed position shown in Fig. 2, the rim 5~b is pres3ed flat again t the strainer body flange 16 by the stopper flange 45 to form a tight seal which closes the drain passage 15. In the open position o~ the 3topper shown in Flg. 3, the stoppsr head and flapper are displaced well above the top of the strainer body, and the drain is then opened for drainage of liquid from the bathtub or other vessel equipped with the drain clo~ure.
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It should be understood that the flapper 52 i~ optlonal and i~ not nece~sary for a sati~factory 0eal, although jt doe~ provide ~ome added protection against leakage. The stopper may instead be equipped with an o-ring or another type of sealing element, or it may be constructed to aeal the drain pas~age without any ~eparate sealing element at all. The clos~re of the present invention doe~
not depend upon any particular seal to work effectively.

.~ 10 The bore 46 ha~ a slightly larger diameter than the po~t 24, and th~ atopper 41 i~ rec0ived on post 24 ~or up and down sliding movement thereon between the open po~i-tion ~Fig. 3) and ~he clo~ed po~ition (Fig. 2). At the same time, the clo~e fit of bore 46 on post 24 prevent~
the ~topper assembly from wobbling. In addition, the fit of po~t 24 in bore 46 permits the stopper 41 to turn - about the axis of the vertical post 240 When ~topper 41 i8 fitted on post 24, the internal stopper surface 47 compresses spring 38 into groove 36. The internal spring force of the ccmpressed ~pring 38 cause3 the ~pring to expand radially against ~urface 47 at all positions of the stopper, thereby exerting a spring force between the po~t and stopper.

In as~embling the closure, the ~topper 41 ia applied to the bottom end of post 24, and the enlarged head 32 of the po~t i3 able to enter the threaded area 48 but not th~
smaller main portion of bore 46. The head 32 contacts ~houlder 50 to prevent the stopper from being li~ted of the top of the post 24 or moving upwardly on the post beyond the position shown in Fig. 3.

The upper end of bore 46 i3 closed by a knob 60 having a knurled exterior surface 62. The lower end of the Xnob i~
externally threaded at 64 in order to mate with the internal threads 48 formed in the upper portion of bore 46. When the Xnob 60 i8 threaded into the stopper head 42, it close~ the top end of bore 46 and ~nclo~es the head ::;
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32 of the po~t. ~xtending upwardly into knob 60 is an internal blind pas~age 66 having a slightly larger diameter than the post head 32. The head 32 of po~t 24 is accomm~dated within pa~sage 66, as be~t shown in Fig. 2.
Knob 60 facilitates lifting o~ the ~topper and inhibit~ stopper theft, as will be explained m~re fully.

With particular reference to Figs. 1 and 4, the ~leeve 44 is provided with flat oppoBite ~ide~ 68 ~or receiving a standard 9/16 inch open end wrench. A3 best shown in Fig. 3, the ~leeve 44 and it3 flat ~ides 68 are exposed sufficiently to receive a wrench only when the ~topper i~
in the fully open po~it~on. By applying a wrench to the 1at side~ 68, the stopper assembly can be held in place while knob 60 i8 threaded tightly into the ~topper by applying pliers or another tool to the knurled portion 62 of tha knob. When the knob has been ully tightened on the stopper, lt appears to be an integral part of the ~topper rather than a separate part as it actually i8.
The drain closure i~ in~talled by first applying the ~topper 41 to the po~t 24 and then threading the lower end ;~ 26 of the post into ring 18 of the strainer body. The knob 60 i~ then threaded onto the top of the 3topper to complete the inBtallation~ Once installed, the stopper 41 cannot be removed from po~t 24 until the knob 60 h a~ first been removed and post 24 has been dl~connected from the strainer body 10.

Normal in tallation call~ for the in~taller to gra~p the stopper 41 in one hand, thread on the knob 60 with the other hand, and then further tighten the knob with plier~
or a wrench. For additional protection against stopper theEt, the in~taller may apply a standard 9/16 inch open ~' 35 end wrench to the flat side~ 68 of ~leeve 44 in order to hold the stopper while the knob 60 i~ further tightened with pliers or a wrench.

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Assuming that normal installation has occured, the po~ibility o~ stopper theft i8 very remote since most stopper theft~ are ~pur of the moment and are accomplished without the uje o any tools. Very few people have a ~trong enough grip to unscrew the knob 60 which is nece~ary for ~topper removal. In addition, the knob 60 and the ~topper 41 appear to be a single integral piece, ~imilar to most li~t and turn stopper~ now on the market. Thi3 alone deters some ~topper thefts. In order to remove po~t ~4~ it must be threaded out of the ring 22, and the po~t is not accessible for turning. The stopper 41 turns on the post to fru~trate any attempt to unscrew the po~t by turning the stopper.

In u~e of the drain closure, the stopper 41 can be moved to the clo~ed position of Fig. 2 simply by pressing downwardly with hand or oot on the ~topper or knob 60.
The stopper then slide~ downwardly until the flapper 52 i8 flattened and seals tightly again~t the flange 16 of the strainer body. In addition to the weight of the stopper assembly, the ~riction provided by the ~pring 38 helps to retain the stopper in the closed position, thereby enhancing its effectiveness in preventing leakage.

It is noted that the foot or hand pressure can be applied to any portion o~ the ~topper asse~bly at virtually any angle and without the need for undue force. The only force that need~ to be overcome to move the 3topper aseembly downwardly i8 the frictional ~orce provided by the ~prlng 38 bearing again~t the internal surface 47 around bore 46.

To open the drain closure, knob 60 i~ grasped and pulled upwardly to raise the stopper assembly to the open po3ition of Fig. 3. Thi8 i~ easily done since the user will be ~itting in the bathtub at the time it is to be dralned. When the stopper a~sembly has been raised to the fully open position, it can be relea~ed, and the i3~

frictional force provided by the ~pring 38 expanding acting against ~urface 47 thereafter retaln~ the stopper in the open position. The cGmpressed spring 38 expands outwardly with sufficlent force to provide a frictional force be~ween the apring and s~opper that is greater than the weight of the stopper as~embly. Accordingly, the weight ~f the ~topper i8 in~ufficient to lower it from the open position, and it i8 maintained in $he open position until again moved by hand or foot to the clo~ed po~ition. The frictional force iB the sole ~orce holdlng the ~topper open, and it can be overcome by pushing downwardly with the hand or foot.

It is pointed out that the apring 38 i8 maintain~d ~t all times undex virtually the 3ame amount of compres~ion and i~ not ~tretched and campressed each time the unit i~
cycled between the open and clo ed positions. Conse-quently, the ~pring i3 not subject to fatigue or other failure due to cycling, and it can continue to maintain the same force again~t surface 47 virtually indefinitely. It i5 also noted that the ability of the stopper a~embly to rotate on post 24, along with the ; rounded configuration of the ~pring end~ 40, minimizes the wear on the ~topper ~urface 47 and avoid~ the formation of ; 25 groove~ therein.

It is thus apparent that the uni~ue drain closure of this invention takes full advantage of the desirable feature~
of both foot and hand actuated clo~ure3 without any of the di~advantage~ of either type of unit. The con~truc-tion i~ ~imple and reliable in c~mpari~on to foot actuated devices, and yet it takes full advantage of the main desirable feature of the foot actuated device, namely the ability to effect clo~ure with the foot without the nece~sity of bending down. Aleo, the closure can be constructed entirely from metal (except for the flapper 52 i~ it iB provided), a~ preferred by most plumbers and required by many. There is no tendency for the stopper ' ~ 3L;2531~5~

assembly to ~tick or jam, and it i~ able to with~tand repeated blows without being damaged. Force~ that are appli~d to the stopper while it i~ in the closed po~ition are spread throughout the a~embly and are not concentrated at any one area or on any one part.

The entire closure unit, including the ~trainer body 10, can be installed on both new and existing bathtubs and on o~her ve~sel~ ~uch a~ sinks, laundry tubs and ~imilar container~ which mu~t be drained. It i8 important to note that the stopper 41 and post 24 can be installed in an exi~ting ~trainer body ln place of the foot operated stopper that wa~ originally in the strainer body. It i~
contemplated that the post and ~topper will be provided in replacement kit form without the strainer body for ~n~tallation in existing strainer bodie~ to replace foot operated stoppers.

Figs. 5-7 illuetrate an alt~rnative embodiment of the ~nvention which for the most part i8 identlcal to the embodiment ~hown in Figs. 1-4, as indicated by the u~e of the same reference numeral~ for identical parts. The only significant difference $n the embodiment shown in Fig~. 5-7, i~ that the groove 36 and ~pring 38 are eliminated and replaced by a lateral blind pa~sage 136 in post 24 and a coiled compression spring 138 which acts again~t a metal ball 140. The pas~age 136 extend~ generally radially into ~hanX 28 and receivee the spring 138. The spring engagea the base or blind end o~ pas~age 136 at one end and the ball 140 at the other end. The ball is urged outwardly by ~pring 138 and project~ slightly out of pa~uage 136 80 that it can engage'and apply a frlction force again~t the internal ~urface 147 of stopper 141.
The beveled surface 17 ~hown in Fig~ 4 may be eliminated in the strainer body ~hown in Figs. 5 and ~, as may the enlarged flange 45 on the ~toppar head.

The fon~ of the invention shown in Fig~. 5-7 differ~ from ' '''' ;

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that of Fig~ 4 only in the specific arrangement of the ~pring action between the post and 8topper. A~ ~hown in Fig. 5, when the ~topper is pushed downwardly to the closed position, the gasket rim 52b seats firmly on top of the flange 16 of the ~trainer body in order to provide a seal between the gasket and strainer body or ef~ective c108 ing of the drain. The use o~ the ~lapper 52 permits the stopper to be u~ed with strainer bodies whether or not they include the beveled ~urface 17.
When the stopper 41 ha~ been rai~ed to the fully open position of Fig. 6 aiud released, the frictional force exerted by ball 140 again~t surface 47 retains the stopper in its open position in much the ~ame manner as spring 38. The compre3~ion spring 138 pushes outwardly on ball 140 with enough force to provide a frictional force between the ball and stopper that i~ greater than the weight of the stopper a~sembly. Like spring 38, spring ; 138 i~ maintained under virtually the same compression at all times and is not cycled such that it would be Rubject to fatigue. Also, the ability of po~t 26 to rotate resultQ in even wear and avoid~ the formation of rut~ in the surface 47.

Like the stopper a~sembly o Fig~ 4, the ~topper a~sembly shown in Figs. 5 and 6 can be provided along with ; the strainer body 10 or it can be provided alone to replaca a previou~ly in~talled stopper assembly such as that of a conventional foot operated closure. In order to carry out the replacemenk, the existing stoppar assembly i8 removed from the strainer body, and the new ~topper is in~talled in the ~trainer body in place of the old stopper a3~embly. Installation i~ carried out in the same manner ~et forth in connection with Figs. 1-4, and the stopper a3~embly functions in e~sentially the same manner desaribed previously in connection with Figs. 1-2S36S~

I h~ve found the spring 38 to be preferable from a manufacturing and a~sembly atandpoint, and it iB thUB
preerred in mo~t instance~, although the spring and ball arrangement ~hown in Fig~. 5-7 al~o worX~ in a sati~factory manner~

From the foregoing, it will be ~een that th1~ invention i~
one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove ~Pt forth together with other advantages which are obviou~ and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain feature~ and ~ubcombination~ are of utility and may be qmployed without reference to other features and ~ubcombinations. Thi8 iB
contemplated by and is within the ~cope of the claims.

Since many pos~ibl2 embodiment~ may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it i~
to be under~tood that all matter herein eet forth or shown in the accompanying drawing i8 to be interpreted a~
illustrative and not in a limiting ~en~e.
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Claims (5)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A drain closure assembly comprising:
a strainer body adapted to be installed in a drain such as a bathtub drain, said strainer body having a threaded opening;
a post having a threaded end mating with said thread-ed opening to mount said post in the strainer body;
a stopper having a bore therethrough receiving said post in a manner permitting said stopper to move up and down on the post between open and closed positions, said stopper substan-tially surrounding said post and being rotatable thereon to prevent disconnection of the post from said strainer body while said stopper is on the post;
an enlarged head on said post located in said bore on the end of the post opposite said threaded end and acting to prevent said stopper from being lifted off of said post;
a knob for said stopper to facilitate lifting of the stopper to the open position;
a threaded connection for connecting said knob to said stopper at a location to enclose said enlarged head of the post, said threaded connection permitting selective removal of said knob from said stopper upon relative rotation therebetween to expose said enlarged head, thereby permitting said post to be threaded out of said threaded opening and separated from said stopper; and a wrench receiving surface on said stopper accessible only in the open position thereof and specially formed to be engaged by a wrench and held thereby against rotation while said knob is turned relative to said stopper to effect tightening of said threaded connection for securing the knob against removal from the stopper.

2. A drain closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, including means for maintaining said stopper in the open position when moved thereto.

3. A drain closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, including:
a passage in said post extending laterally therein at a location to be enclosed within said bore at all positions of said stopper between the open and closed position;
a friction member in said passage engaging said stopper at a location within said bore; and means for urging said friction member outwardly in said passage toward said stopper to apply a frictional force there-to sufficient to overcome the weight of the stopper and connected parts, whereby said frictional force maintains said stopper in the open position when moved thereto.

4. A drain closure assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein:
said friction member is in the form of a metal ball;
and said urging means comprises a spring in said pas-sage acting against said ball.

5. A drain closure assembly as set forth in claim 1, including:
an annular groove in said post; and a spring fitted in said groove, said spring having the form of an interrupted ring with spaced apart ends and expand-ing against said stopper by spring action to apply a frictional force thereto sufficient to overcome the weight of the stopper and connected parts, whereby said frictional force maintains said stopper in the open position when moved thereto.