US2202099A - Vacuum breaker for flushometers - Google Patents

Description

May 28, 1940. D. AQ GILLEN VACUUM BREAKER FOR FLUSHOMETERS Filed Feb. 9, 1939 EYS m TU vN v Mn I A d mm a. j M

WITNESSES Patented May 28, 1949 VACUUM BREAKER FOR FLUSHOMETERS Daniel A. Grillen, Flushing, N. Y.

Application February 9, 1939, Serial No. 255,442

6 Ciaims.

This invention relates to Vacuum` breakers for lushometers, and has for an object to provide a construction which may be used in the tailpiece of the ilushometer or' in the fiushometer itself.

Another object is to provide a construction which will automatically function to break any vacuum in the stand pipe supplying water to a ilushometer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vacuum breaker which is used in connection with iiushometers and which automatically closes when the water is passing through the flushometer and automatically opens after the water has passed.

An additional and more specific object of the invention is to provide a vacuum breaker which may be applied to the iiushometer itself or to any pipe between the iiushometer andV the fiush bowl with the structure so formed as to quickly close as the water iiows andquickly open after the water has passed so as to immediately provide air froma point exterior of the ushometer to a point interior thereof, thus presenting an automatic means for supplying air through the iiushometer to. the stand pipe whenever the flushometer is opened by suction from the stand pipe.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. l is a perspective view oi a iiushometer, toilet bowl, and associated parts, together with a vacuum breaker embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating an embodiment of the vacuum breaker in the lushometer tailpiece;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through Fig. 2 approximately on the line 3 3;

Fig. l is a View partly in section and partly in elevation of a flushometer and illustrating the invention applied directly to the ushonieter.

In large buildings and elsewhere a stand pipe or water supply pipe is provided for supplying water to the toilets, wash bowls, etc. in the buildings. vided a valve l which is known as a iiushometer because when it is operated it will iiush the toilet bowl and alloviT a certain amount oi water to pass and then automatically close. As long as the stand pipe or water supply pipe to the iushometer is provided with water Linder pressure, the iiushometerV will. remain closed unless opened manually. However, sometimes where there is a nre or for some other cause, a stand pipe in a building is deprived of water andas the Water recedes in the stand pipe a certain amount nmost buildings atpresent there is piooi rareaction will be produced and this rareaction or suction will cause the various flushometers in the building to open and allow air to pass from the various toilet bowls into the stand pipe. Ii any of the toilet bowls are contaminated, germs will pass in the air and will contaminate the stand pipe so that when water is again supplied the water will be contaminated. These stand pipes are not only connected with flush bowls but with wash basins and even with valves from which drinking Water isv drawn.

To obviate the entrance of germs from foul flush bowls, the vacuum breaker embodying the invention has-been provided and arranged as shown in the accompanying drawing, so that immediately upon the slightest opening yof the flushometer i, by reason of rarefaction in the stand pipe, clean air from the room will pass into the stand pipe. If the entire building is provided with devices embodying the' invention, these devices will vautomatically function as the water lowers from floor to floor. If there should be iteen iiushometers on a given door, there would be fteen vacuum breakers'and, consequently, fresh air from the room will be supplied to the stand pipe through flfteenvacuum breakers, whereby little or none of the foul air from the bowls can enter the stand pipe. This eliminates or reduces to a minimum the chances of germs entering the stand pipe and spreading disease germs to the drinking water or washing water.

As illustrated in Figsf'l to 3, the vacuum breaker 2, which embodies the invention, is shown applied to the flushometer tail-piece 3, which is nothing more than a tube having a flange 4 clamped to the iiushometer l by a suitable nut lin applying the vacuum breaker 2, it is only necessary to drillv two holes, namely, holes ii and l', and then place the vacuum breakerin position. The vacuum breaker 2 is formed with what may be termed a body 9 whichI is really a T- shaped tubular structure having a threaded opening lil discharging into the passageway Il, which in turn-dischargesy intov passageways i2 and i3, which latter passageways are enlarged.

The passageways i E and i3 are formed by what may betermed tubular extensions I4 and l5.y Thimbles or hollow bushings it and il are fitted intothese tubular extensions and have. heads it and i9 pressed against the outer surface of the tail-piece 3. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, each of these thimbles has a passageway 2i) eX- tending entirely therethrough and discharging into the chambers or passageways l2 andi. In

constructing the device the thimbles or bushings I6 and I'I are intended to fit very tightly within the passageways I2 and I3 and, in fact, to have a substantially driving fit. The flanges or heads I8 and I9 are also pressed tightly against the tail-piece 3. Usually the tail-piece 3 with the thimbles I6 and I'I partly forced into position are placed in a press and the parts pressed firmly together so that they will be arranged as shown in Fig. 2. The threaded opening II) faces longitudinally of the tail-piece 3 in a direction away from the flushometer I. 'I'he tubular member 2| is screwed into the opening IB and is provided with a passageway 22 merging into an enlarged chamber 23 having a valve seat 24. An elongated cap 25 is threaded on to the tubular member 2l,

as shown in Fig. 2, and is provided with an aperture 26 in the bottom. A wire mesh screen 21 is arranged to cover the opening 26 and immediately above the Wire mesh screen is a pin 2B on which the head 29 of a valve 3H normally rests. This valve is provided with flattened sides 3D so that air may readily pass around the valve when it is in open position. Preferably the valve has a very loose fit in the chamber 23 so air will not only pass along the flattened parts 30' but around the entire valve. 'Ihe valve 3Il fits loosely in the chamber 23 and is provided with a beveled end 3|, which iits against the seat 24 when the valve member is raised by the pressure of water entering the opening or aperture 26. In this way the water is prevented from passing into the passageway 3| and eventually out through the passageways 2li.

In operation normally the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2. When the handle 32 of the flushometer is actuated a certain volume of water will quickly pass into and through the tail-piece 3 for flushing the toilet bowl 33. This volume of water will produce a pressure in the tailpiece 3 and, consequently, some of the water will pass through aperture 26 and raise the valve 30 for closing the same. As soon as all the water has flowed past the vacuum breaker 2, the weight of the valve 39 will cause the same to automatically move downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereby air from the room may pass into` the tail-piece 3 through passageways 20, passageway 22, chamber 23, and aperture 26.

By means of the structure just described, no water can pass outwardly through the passageways Ztl, but clean air from the room may quickly pass into and fill the interior of the tail-piece 3 so that this tail-piece is always provided with clean air and this clean air is renewed any time the iiushometer is caused to function.

In case the water in the supply stand pipe falls below the flushometer, there will be produced a certain rarefaction. This will open the flushometer I and immediately air in the tail-piece will flow through the iiushometer into the stand pipe and fresh new air will pass in through passageways and associated passageways. In this way clean air is supplied through each iiushorneter whenever the ushometers on any floor open by reason of rarefaction in the stand pipe.

Instead of arranging the vacuum breaker as shown in Fig. 2 in the tail-piece 3, the vacuum breaker could be arrangedin the depending portion SLi of the flushometer I, as shown in Fig. 4. Aside from this new arrangement or new position, the structure in Fig. 4 is identical with that shown in Fig. 2 and, therefore, will need no additional description. Incidentally, it will be readily seen that easy access may be had to the vacuum breaker whether arranged as shown in Fig. 2 or as shown in Fig. 4.

As no water passes through the vacuum breaker, it will be readily seen that it will function for many years without getting out of order as nothing but clean air passes therethrough.

I claim:

1. A vacuum breaker for flushometers, comprising a supporting body having a passageway therethrough and a threaded opening intermediate the ends of the passageway, a hollow bushing snugly fitting into each end of said passageway for connecting the supporting body to a support, and a valve carried by said body adapted to move under the action of gravity to an open position and under the action of water pressure to a closed position, said valve having a hollow casing open at both ends, one end being exteriorly threaded, the threaded end being screwed into said threaded opening, a gravity actuated valve member loosely positioned in said casing, and means carried by the casing for supporting said valve member when spaced from its seat.

2. A vacuum breaker comprising a tubular body having a threaded outlet intermediate its ends, a tubular member having one end screwed into said outlet, said tubular member having a valve seat, a valve member positioned in said tubular member and adapted when in one position to close said tubular member, means for normally supporting said valve member in an open position, and tubular bushings snugly tting into the ends of said body for securing' said body to a tubular structure through which water is adapted to pass.

3. A vacuum breaker comprising a tubular body having a passageway entirely therethrough and a right-angle passageway merging into the first-mentioned passageway, a pair of friction held thimbles extending into the respective ends of said body for holding the body in functioning position, each of said thimbles having a passageway extending entirely therethrough, a tubular member formed with a valve seat, a valve loosely fitted in said tubular member and adapted to be moved to a position against said valve seat, a cap carried by said tubular member having an aperture therein, and a pin carried by said cap for holding the valve member away from said aperture whereby when said valve member is resting on said pin air may pass freely through said thimbles, said body, said tubular member and said aperture.

4. A vacuum breaker adapted to be installed in the tail-piece of a flushometer, a pair of tubular thimbles extending through the side walls of said tail-piece, a tubular body supported by said thimbles, and a valve for regulating the passage of air through said body into said tail-piece, said Valve being gravity actuated.

5. A vacuum breaker including a pair of supporting hollow bushings, a tubular body having its ends snugly fitting over said bushings so as to be supported thereby, said body having a threaded aperture, a valve casing formed with a seat having one end screwed into said threaded aperture and a valve member in said casing adapted to engage said seat for closing communication between points exterior of thevtubular body and points interior thereof.

6. The combination with the tail-piece of a fiushometer having aligned apertures, a tubular headed thimble extending through each of said apertures to points interior of the tail-piece, a tubular body telescopically fitted over those parts threaded on to said tubular means and extending below the same', said cap having an aperture at the end farthest from said tubular member, a screen arranged interiorly of` said cap covering said aperture, and a supporting member arranged interiorly of said screen, said supporting member acting to support said Valve when in an open position.

DANIEL A. GILLEN.

Images