US2203185A

US2203185A - Force cup

Info

Publication number: US2203185A
Application number: US286277A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walus Andrew
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-07-24
Filing date: 1939-07-24
Publication date: 1940-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1957-06-04

Description

June 4, 1940. A; WAL S 2,203,185

FORCE CUP I Filed July 24, 1939 TTTTTTT YS Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE FORGE CUP Andrew Walus, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application July 24, 1939, Serial No. 286,277

2 Claims.

My invention relates to the elimination of obstructions in plumbing systems, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved force cup.

The conventional force cups employed in. removing obstructions from plumbing installations in the nature of closet bowls, sink pipes and the like comprise a rubber cup provided with a handle for manipulation of the cup. The cleaning action is consummated through repeated collapsing of the cup. While the conventional cups collapse easily, the cups as a rule do not immediately spring back to their original contour. Frequent- 1y, it is necessary to exert a considerable pull on the handle for bringing the cup back to normal. This feature not only entails additional time and effort but it frequently happens that the pull exerted is of such force as to violently jerk the cup. from its seat with consequent spilling of water or other cleaning liquid. To perform the work efficiently, the cup must return to normal contour of its own accord, and the cup must remain in a predetermined position during manipulation thereof.

Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide a force cup embodying novel means for immediately bringing the cup back to its normal position of its own accord after being collapsed, wherein said means are so constructed and arranged as to provide a cup which yields easily to pressure forces applied thereto. More specifically, the cup embodies a contour conforming generally to conventional cups wherein I provide a plurality of radial ribs molded integrally with the cup in combination with segmental ribs formed integrally with the cup but located in parallelism with its seating face. The segmental ribs have their ends terminating in closely spaced relation with the radial ribs, but are of such length as to provide a substantially unbroken reinforcing circle located in the plane of maximum fiexure of the cup for urging the cup wall back to normal contour.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Figure 2.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, the cup In includes the usual cupshaped body l2 terminating in a centrally located neck l4 provided with a threaded opening l6 for connection with the threaded end l8 of a handle 20. The seating face 22 is flat and is widened through the medium of the laterally extending bead 24. The cup is molded of rubber such as is employed in conventional force cups.

Fig. 2 illustrates the inner farce 26 of the cup 5 as being provided with a plurality of radial ribs 28, which ribs are of equal length-and terminate short of the axis of the cup. Fig. 1 illustrates the ribs 28 as being considerably thicker intermediate their ends, with the end runs as decreasing in thickness toward their ends. The lower ends of the ribs fade into the wall of the cup slightly above the seating face 22. The upper ends of the ribs also fade into the wall of the cup. The ribs are equally spaced and integrally molded with the cup body I2.

Segmental ribs 30 are integrally molded with the cup body I2 and project inwardly from its face 26. These ribs are arranged in. parallelism with the seating face 22, and the ends of the ribs terminate in closely spaced relation with the radial ribs 28, as indicated at 32. At the same time, the ends 34 of the ribs converge downwardly from their associated radial ribs 28, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Segmental ribs 30 are located in a plane substantially midway between the seating face 22 and the top area 36 of the inner face 26, so as to lie in the plane of the greatest flexing of the cup body l2.

In operation, the force cup is manipulated in the usual manner. The cup flexes easily for 001- lapsing purposes but the ribs 28 and the segmental ribs 30 constitute resilient reinforcing means which are effective in springing the cup back to its normal contour so that the cup may be repeatedly collapsed without the necessity of exerting a pull on the handle 20. Angular faces 34 of the segmental ribs 30 terminate in spaced relation with the radial ribs 28 so as not to impair the collapsing flexibility of the cup. However, segmental ribs 30 substantially define a rib of closed circular formation so as to be effective throughout the entire circumference of the cup body. Radial ribs 28 embody increased thickness intermediate their ends so as to additionally reinforce the cup body in the area of greatest flexing. At the same time, the ends of the radial ribs fade into the cup body I2 so as to decrease their stiffness throughout the areas of the cup body embodying more thickness than the intermediate area of greatest flexing. The two systems of ribs operate to immediately spring the cup back to its normal contour so that the force cup may be repeatedly and rapidly collapsed for effectively removing obstructions from the plumbing fixture.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. A force cup comprising a collapsible cup body provided with an operating handle, said cup body having a seating face, radial rib means formed integrally with cup body on its inner face, and segmental ribs formed integrally with the cup body on its inner face, said segmental ribs having their ends spaced from the radial rib means and being located in parallelism with said seating face.

2. In a force cup, a collapsible cup body, said cup body having a seating face, radial ribs formed integrally with cup body on its inner face, and segmental ribs formed integrally with the cup body on its inner face, said segmental ribs having their ends spaced from the radial ribs and being located in parallelism with the seating face in the plane of greatest flexure of the cup body.

ANDREW WALUS.