US1931568A - Bathtub drain - Google Patents

Description

Patented o... 24, 1933 UNITED STATES new Company, consin Kohler, Wis, a corporation of Wis- Original application June 19, 1931, Serial .No. 545,441, Patent No. 1,867,725. Divided and this application June 30, 1932. Serial N0. 620,070

3 Claims.

The invention relates to bathtubs and to drains therefor, and has for an object the provision of a bathtub of simple construction having but few parts and fittings, and so arranged as to facilitate the mounting and cleaning of the trap and the installation of the waste valve .and its operating means.

Another object of the invention is to'provide a bathtub having waste valve operating means including a rod insertable through the overflow opening and passage to its operating position and having a lower end portion which is .detachably secured to a valve upwardly removable from the drain opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bathtub including an integrally formed overflow passage having a plurality'of selectively usable outlets facing in different directions to facilitate connection to a drain conduit.

A further object is to provide a bathtub having a drain opening which is controlled by a mechanically operated valve including a resilient rubber valve element adapted to seat directly on the vitreous surface of the tub, thus avoiding the necessity for mounting a metal valve seat member in the tub.

The invention further consists in the. several features hereinafter set forth-and more particularly defined by the annexed claims.

This case constitutes a division of application Serial No. 545,441, filed June 19, 1931, now matured into Patent No. 1,867,725..

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an end portion of a bathtub constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail bottom view of the tub, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation of a modified form of waste valve.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a cast iron bathtub of the built-in type having a vitreous enameled surface and having formed integral therewith in the same casting the walls of an overflow passage 11, which at its upper end communicates with the interior of the tub through an overflow opening 12. The lower walls of the overflow passage extend below the bottom of the bathtub and are there provided with an internally threaded annular outlet 13, which is axially aligned with a large drain opening 14 formed in the bottom wall of the tub.

The enameled surface of the downwardly con-. verging drain opening 14 forms a valve seat engageable by the tapered side walls of an inverted cup shaped valve 31 of rubber or other suitable resilient material, thus obviating the necessity of fitting a metal valve seat member to the tub. The valve 31 is clamped between metal washers 32 and is secured by a screw 83 to the upper end of a valve stem 24, the lower end of which has a reduced threaded extension 35 detachably threaded into the lower end of a bent rod 22 extending upwardly within the overflow passage 11. The valve stem 3 is provided with radially extending verticaljwings 36 which center the valve stem in the drain opening 14.

The rod 22 has a hook-shaped upper end 24, which is pivotally secured to'a crank pin. 25 carried on a rock shaft'26. The rock shaft 26is journalled in a downwardly opening hood 27, which conceals the overflow opening 12 andis attached to the wall of the tub in any suitable manner. An operating handle 28 is secured to the outer end of-the' rock shaft 26. The valveoperating rod 22 is introduced into place by being passed through the overflow opening 12 and downwardly within the overflow passage 11.

When access is desired to interior passages and parts therein for purposes of inspection or cleaning, it'is only necessary to unscrew the pop-up valve member 31, 34 from the rod 22 and to lift the valve member out, thus permitting easy access to the passages through the comparatively large drain opening in the bottom wall of the tub.

In addition to the downwardly opening outlet 13, the integrally formed overflow passage is also provided with a rearwardly opening interiorly threaded outlet 29 and a forwardly opening interiorly threaded outlet 30, the latter being offset laterally from the outlet 13 and having a slight downward pitch, so that a pipe with an elbow attached'can be turned without interfering with the tub. The axes of the outlets 13 and 29 are arranged at right angles to each other, and the outlet 29 is so located that a pipe connected thereto will pass over the upper edge of an adjacent floor beam. One of the threeoutlets is selected for connection with the drain piping, the other two being closed by pipe plugs of conventional type. If a trap is desired, it can be attached to the downwardly opening outlet 13. In this position, the trap can be swung about the vertical axis of the outlet to any angle in order to facilitate connection with the drain pipe and to clear adjacent floor beams. The connection to the sewer can be made from any angle which is not possible with a drain of the usual type, in which connection is made into one side of a T communicating with the drain outlet and the overflow. The trap may be readily cleaned from the inside of the tub through the large aligned drain openings after removing the valve 31, 34.

The modified form of valve shown in Fig. 4 is similar except that the valve element consists of a resilient rubber disk 31 which is adapted to seat on the enameled bottom surface of the tub about the drain opening 14'.

The overflow, being cast integral with the tub,

eliminates the use or" all separate overflow pipes.

This results in a saving of expensive brass parts, considerably reduces the time necessary for in stallation by reason of the lesser. number of joints and fittings which must be made, and also as there are less joints the tendency to leak is minimized. The construction is such as to eliminate the use of rubber-sealed joints, which become leaky when the rubber deteriorates.

Since all working parts are accessible and removable from the inside of the tub, repairs can be made in the bathroom itself and it is unnecessary to disturb two rooms for this purpose, which is an important feature especially in hotels and apartment buildings. Furthermore, it renders unnecessary the usual practice of providing a removable panel in the wall of an adjoining room for access to the overflow and drain piping when repairs or adjustments are to be made.

The drain passages may be easily cleaned through the large drain opening after removing the valve. Because of the small amount of brass required, the outlet passages of the tub can be made considerably larger than is now possible without material additional cost. This results The entire assembly can be packed inone package for shipping, which minimizes loss and damage and assures that'the fittings arrive at the job the same time as the tub. This obviates the usual practice of shipping the brass fittings for the tubj'in a separate package.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bathtub having a drain opening and an integral overflow passage com'rmmicating with said opening, said overflow passagehaving a plurality of selectively usable outlets facing in different directions.

2. A bathtub having a drain opening and an integrally formed overflow passage communicating with said opening, said over low passage having a pair of selectively usable outlets respectively facing rearwardly and forwardly of the tub.

3. A bathtub having a drain opening and an integrally formed overflow passage c0mrnunicata ing with said opening, said overflow passage having a plurality of selectively usable outlets including a downwardly facing'outlet aligned with said drain opening and a pair of outlets respec tively facing rearwardly and forwardly of the tub. V

FRANK BROTZ;

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