US1302154A - Valve-controlling means for flush-tanks. - Google Patents

Description

w.' u GRIFFITHS.

VALVE CONTROLLING ME-ANS FORFLUSH TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25 .1916- Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

WILLIAM U. GRIFFITHS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE-CONTROLLING- MEANS FOR FLUSH-TANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Application filed October 25, 1916. Serial No. 127,548.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM- U. GRIF- rrrns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the, city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful I1nprovements in Valve-Controlling Means for Flush-Tanks, of, which thefollowing is a specification.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide means whereby the valve for closing the outlet port of a flush tank may be held more tightly closed than is now the case as far as I am aware.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby a force, other than that due to the weight of the valve and parts associated therewith, may be applied to the said valve or to a part connected therewith to exert an additional pressure or force upon the said valve to hold it normally tightly and closely shut.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby arelatively small weight may be caused to exert a relatively great force upon the valve closing the port opening into a flush pipe leading from the water tank to the part which is desired to flush with water from said tank.

' Other objects and advantages of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out in the detailed description of my invention which follows or will be apparent from such description.

In order that my invention may be more readily understood and its practical advantages more fully appreciated reference should be had to the accompanying drawings in which Ihave illustrated one form of a convenient embodiment thereof. It will be understood, however, that changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from my invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of mechanism embodying my invention and also showing portions of the flush tank .in section and the outline of two sides of the flush tank, and the water therein being indicated by dash and dot lines; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. 1

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the bottom of a flush tank to whichwater is supplied through a pipe- 2. The flow of water through said pipe is controlled by a valve 3, the latter being controlled by means of a pivoted cam acting member 4, actuated by the rise and fall of a float 5. The rising and falling of the float 5 is occasioned by therising and falling of the water 6 within the flush tank in known manner. When the float 5 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the valve 3 is in closed position and is permitted to open under the influence of the pressure of the water in the pipe 2, as the float 5 falls or moves toward the bottom 1 of the flush tank.

. Normally the water in the flush tank is in the position indicated in Fig. 1.

10 designates ashort section of pipe which is adapted to be connected with a flush pi e (not shown) having connection with t e part to be flushed, as for instance, a water closet bowl. Normally the upper end of said pipe or other port through which the water is adapted to be discharged from the tank is closed by means of a valve 11 pivotally supported at 12 upon a lever 12 pivoted at 13. The outer swinging end of the lever 12 is provided with a float 14 thebuoyancy of which, when acted upon by water in the tank, tends to lift the valve 11 to open the port. Normally however upward movement of the float 14 is prevented bythe action of aweight 17, the said weight being supported upon the outer end portion of an angular arm or member 18, pivoted at 19 upon a bracket 20 projecting upwardly from an upper endportion of the section of pipe 10.

When the lever 12 is in a substantially horizontal position, as shown in the drawing with the valve 11 in closed position, the arm 18 extends transversely of the said lever and is in contact with and bears upon the same, as shown very clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The point upon the arm 18 which is in contact with the lever 12 is relatively near the pivotal point 19 of the said arm.

When it is desired'to open the valve 11, the same is lifted in known manner by the action of acrank 21 through a link 21', the latter having connection at its 'upper end with the said crank and at its lower end with the lever 12*. Upon turning the crank 21 into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the valve 11, lever12 and float 14 are lifted upwardly into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The arm 18 is provided with a portion till .the outlet port into the flush pipe.

which occupies a substantially horizontal position when the lever 12 is in its lowermost position to close the valve 11, as shown in Fig. 1 and also with the portion 22 extending downwardly substantially at right angles to the horizontal portion. These two portions are connected by means of a diagonally extendingcam acting portion 23. The outer end of the portion 22 is bent and inclined inwardly as indicated at 2'4: and constitutes a stop to limit the upward movement of the lever 12. The weight 17 is supported upon the portion 22 of the arm 18.

lVhen the arm 12 is lifted by the crank 20 and link 21 it causes an upward swinging movement of the arm 18 and by reason of the presence of the cam acting portion 22 the arm 18 is thrown and moved to a posi-- tion so as to transfer the line=of the center of gravity of the combined weight of said arm and the weight 17 from the right hand to the left hand side of the pivot 19. The

movement of the arm toward the left is limited by the-contact thereof with the stop 26 upon the upper end of the'bracket 20-. As soon as the lever 12 is lifted to open the valve 11. the water begins to flow through The buoyancy of the float 11 is sufficient to support the lever 12 in position to hold the valve 11 open, but as the water in the tank falls the float 14 falls until finally the lever 12 strikes the projection 27 which occupies the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 when the arm 18 is in the dotted position shown in that figure. The weight of the valve 11, lever 12 and the float 14 upon the said projection 27 is sufficient to cause pivotal movement of the arm 18 toward the right to carry the same into position so that thelineof gravity of the combinedweight thereof and of the weight 17 is moved to the 4 right hand side of the pivot 19, after which the said arm under the influence of its own weight and that of the weight 17 falls into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and operates to hold the lever 12 in depressed position with the valve 11, tightly closed,-

notwithstanding the tendency to move upward under the influence of the buoyant'action of the float 14, as the water rises in the maintains the water in the tank at a height sufiicient to act upon the float 1 1 to prevent the valve 11 from seating closely against its seat. In other words, the valve is held partially open or is cracked so that the water continues to 'flow through the outlet port and the "tank does not fill. Then a device embodying my invention is employed it operates as above descri-bedtoclosetightly the valve for theoutlet port and thus avoids the difficulty just referred to.

I claim H v 1. In combination, a pivotally swinging valve for closing a port, a pivoted device adapted to contact with a, portion of the valve structure tor holding the valve in closed position when once closed, the said device swinging in a plane-evtending transversely of the: plane in yvhieh the said valve swings, and the said device: being lifted by contact therewith of a portion of said valve structiue-w-hen thelatter is lifted toopen the said valve.

2. In combination, a; pivotally movable valve structure for closing a port of a flush tank, means for opening and closing the said valve structure, means extending transversely of the. plane of movement of and contacting witlrthe-sa-id valve structure for holding the same in closed position when once closed, and the said valve structure when lifted te open position acting upon said n'i'eans to lift the same.

3. In combination, a pivoted valve structure for closing a. port,. said valve structure moving in a verticalpl'ane, meansfor causing movement of valve structure to open and close said port, and a pivoted device adapted to fall upon said valve structure as it moves toward itsclesed position to cause asudden closing movement of the same and to exert pressure upon the same to hold it in tightly closedposition afterit'- has once been closed,

4. In combination, pivotal swinging valve for closing a port, a pivoted device adapted to contact with a portion of the valve structure as holding the valve in closed position when once closed, the said device swinging: in a plane extending transversely of the plane in which the said valve swings, and the said device being' iifted by contact therewith oi 'aportien (if said valve structi'ire when the latter is lifted to open the said valve, said device being-provided with means at its outer end for contacting with a'p orti on of the said 'val'vestru'eture for limiting the epenin'g movement thereof;

5. In combination, a lever-pivoted at one end, a valve pivotally supported uponsaid lever intermediate its ends which valve is adapted to close a port e-f a flush tank, a buoyant device supported upon the outer sw in ging'end of said lever, means for lifting the said lever t'o-open the said valve and to penni't' a flow'of water from the said tank through the said port, an pivotally supported adjacent to said lever and swinging in a planetransv'ersely' ef sa id "lever and normally resting upon said lever said arm being adapted. tobe liftedand swung ab'out its pivot by the upward movement of the said lever-and the said arm being provided with means which is adapted to be contacted with by the said lever as the latter falls to close the said valve, the weight of the said lever, the said valve and the said buoyant means causing movement of the said arm about its pivot in the position to again rest upon the said lever.

6. In combination, a lever pivoted at one end, a valve pivotally supported upon said lever at a point intermediate its ends and adapted to close an outlet port of a flush tank, a buoyant device having connection with said lever and tending to move said valve into open position, a weighted device pivotally supported adjacent to said lever and normally resting upon the same to prevent upward movement thereof and means for lifting the said lever to open the said valve, such movement of said lever causing an upward swinging movement of the said weighted device, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a lever pivoted at one end, a valve connected with said lever at a point intermediate its ends and adapted to close an outlet port of a flush tank, a buoyant member carried upon the outer end of said lever, said member tending to move upwardly under the influence of water in the said tank, an arm pivotally supported adja cent to the said lever, the pivot of said arm being substantially parallel with the adjacent portion of said lever, a weight carried upon said arm, the said arm normally extending across and resting upon the said lever to hold the same in depressed position, means for lifting the said lever to open the said valve and to cause a swinging movement of said arm about its pivot to transfer the line of the center of gravity of the combined weight of the said arm and the weight carried thereby to the opposite side of the pivot thereof from that occupied by the said lever, the said arm having means for limiting the upward movement of the said lever and the said arm also having means whereby the said lever as it descends causes pivotal movement of the said arm into its normal position transversely of and in contact With said lever.

8. In combination, a pivoted member, a valve secured to said member, said valve being adapted to open and close a port, a pivotally supported arm provided with a weight, a distance from its pivot, said arm swinging in a plane at right angles to the said pivoted member and the said arm being adapted to rest upon the said member, when the latter is in its lowermost position with the valve secured thereto closing said port, to hold the said valve tightly closed and means for lifting the said member to open the said valve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 23rd day of October, A. D. 1916.

WILLIAM U. GRIFFITHS.

Klopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

sshington, D. U.

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