US2444340A - Waste and overflow fitting - Google Patents

Description

P. F. DON AHUE WASTE AND OVERFLOW FITTING June29, 1948. 2,444,340

Cittornegs Patented June 29, 1948 WASTE AND OVERFLOW FITTING Patrick F. Donahue, Waterbury,

Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application August 31, 1944, Serial No. 552,049

14 Claims. (01. 4-191) The present invention relates to improvements in waste and overflow fittings for bath tubs and the like, and has for an o-bject'to eliminate the unsightly drain hole plates that have been customarily used over overflow fittings and substitute in place thereof an imperforate plate or cover shell combined with a concealed plate holder to the end that no openings appear externally in the plate to mar the appearance of the overflow fitting; the imperforate plate and its holder, which may be a casting or cast body, being so constructed and arranged relatively to one another as to provide overflow discharge openings rearwardly of the plate or rearwardly of a flange of the plate. 4

Another object of the invention is to provide an overflow fitting without the use of visible screws or other fastening means which is intended to confuse and confound the ordinary layman as to the construction and method of assembly and disassembly of the fitting unit to act as a deterrent to discourage the removal and stealing of drain plugs and chains and other partsof the fittings as is often done in hotels.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fitting for drains, overflows or the like in which the lack of external visibility of screws or fastenings and the imperforate character of the finish plate will impart an ornamentation and a finish that could not be obtained with slotted or perforated plates held in place by obvious screws or other fastenings.

The invention has for its further object to secure the above advantages by the use of a simple, economically manufactured construction capable of cooperating with usual drain and overflow flttings and involving a unitary construction which lends itself to ready installation and removal by the authorized and instructed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an overflow unit so constructed and arranged as to lend itself to ready adaptation to the various angular positions that the wall of a bath tub may assume relative to the vertical axis of the overflow pipe.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be'more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through a portion of a bath tub and drain and overflow fittings and illustrated in edge elevation andconstructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the improved 2 fitting taken on an enlarged scale and with parts broken away and parts shown in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 3--3' of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view or plate holder, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through a portion of the bath tub wall, overflow pipe and the parts of the invention shown in disassembled relation.

Referring more particularly to the drawings l0 designates generally a bath tub having a drain I I and an overflow I2. A conventional form of drain plug is shown as closing the drain II and as coupled to a customary captive chain I 4.

As shown to best advantage in Figure 6 the bath tub I0 is formed with an overflow opening IS with which the upper end of the overflow pipe 12 communicates. The upper curved or elbowed end of the overflow pipe l2 passes through registering openings I 6 and I! in a flanged retainer rin I8 and gasket l9 respectively, The gasket I9 is preferably of some compressible material and may be formed with a bevel seat 20 on its forward edge communicating with its central opening ll, such bevel edge conforming to, and adapted to receive thereagainst the outwardlyflanged end 2! of the overflow pipe I 2. There need be no bevel 20 in view of the fact that the rubber gasket will readily conform to any surface against which it is impressed.

The outer edge of the gasket I9 is formed in two sections, a rear cylindrical section 22 designed and adapted to be confined by the flange 23 struck forwardly from the edge of the disc retainer ring l8; and a forward frusto-conical section 24 of a size and diameter to fit against the rear edge of the overflowopening l5 of the bath tub H). The flange 23 tends to avoid radial spreading of the gasket l9 except at its forward unconfined frusto-conica1 section where it may expand against the surrounding contacting portions of the wall of the bath tub opening l5 with the object of making a tight leak-nroof joint.

The association of the retainer ring is and gasket I9 is to some extent found in the Pasman Patent 1,618,777 except that that prior patent lacks the bevel seat 20, the rear cylindrical section 22 and the cooperative features with the overflow pipe part 2| and the flanged retainer ring I8 that these parts imply. Cooperating with the retainer ring l8 and gasket l9 and located at the front side of the bath tub wall In is a face or of the cast body finish unit comprising the face plate 25 and ti, face plate holder 26. I

he face plate holder may be a casting or a cast body. For convenience it may assume generally the form of a disc having a central opening 2? about a rear ilange 28 which subserves two functions incident to the fact that both its internal and external walls are "inclined; In fact the flange 28 may taper rearwardly, that is toward the overflow pipe, its outer tapering wall fitting within the the overflow pipe end firmly within its seat 20 in the gasket 89, as

shown in Figure 3; and the inner tapering wall; of the flange 28 acting to direct the over-flow;

water from the tub into the overflow pipe '12, not through the gasket l9 or retainer ring directly from the flange 28 into the pipe 82. The

mating relationship between the external wall of the frusto-conical flange 28 and the parts 2| and 25! also promotes theleak-proof character of the fitting.

The internal face of the holder or disc 26 is circularly shouldered as at 29 near its outer edge and is dimensioned so as to have a relatively loose fit within the opening l and serves to make it easier for the plumber to line up the casting 25 with the opening E5 on the tub during the assembly operation.

A cross bar 30 extends diametrically or otherwise across "the central opening of the holder. casting at to carry a threaded socket 3 l. A screw or threaded bolt carried by the face plate 2'5'is received" into the threaded socket 31. The head 33 of the screw'32 is affixed non-rotatably in the face plate 25 and the external visible portion of such head which is :revealed on the outside of the faceplate 25 is preferably .unslottedand may be given anornamental character that would lead one away from any conclusion that the same is the fastening by 'whichthe faceplate is secured in place.

Or'the head 33 may be swivelly or 'rotatably mounted through the 'fa'ce plate 25 in which event the external Visible portion of the head 33- may be provided "with across out or slot to receive a screw driver or other tool by whichthe same may be threaded into and out of the socket 3! without rotation of the plate 25. Where the plate 25 and screw??? are ailiXed against relativerotation, the screw iizwi-ll be threaded into and out of the socket e: only *bytlie rotation of the face plate 25.

As shown in Figurefiithedisc it-1s broken away or has a removed portion-in order to expose the slots 3% at their'en'ds to slideover-the shanks orthe attaching screws 35 and beneath the heads 53% thereof, the screw-heads 35 being wider than the slots 36. As shown in Figure 5, the walls o'ithe slots 3 are rounded on to facilitate guiding the holder 26 over the screws 35 upon assembly.-

As shown in Figure 4 the screws 35 are threadedinto threaded collars-3101c the flanged retainer ring l8 and such screws pass through the gasket it? and retainer ring l8.

Lugs sis project 'forwardlyiromthe disc holder at near the peripheral edge thereof and in widely spaced angular or circumferential relation.- At the broken away or removed portion of the disc 25 a radial'arm 39 carries a bifurcated lug the legs of which are separated bythe slot a l.

The bifurcated lug tt'a'lso projects forwardly and may be concentricwith the lugs 38.

The lugs 38 and lli receive thereagainst the rear surface of the-face plat-e25 in' the assembled posioutwardly-flanged end H or 12 and acting to .holdsuchpipe" 13 but from the front face of the dis-c efiect' pronidebetween these parts an annular free flow of the Such channel compartment or channel for the overflow water from the tub it.

or-compartment communicates with the interior of the'tublfl by the wide openings between the lugs circumferential slits or 38, All and at the cut away or removed portion of the holder disc fi de'si-red, the exterior surface of the rear holder flange 28 is preferably formed as a part of a spherical surface, over which-surface the flanged end zl of the overflow pipe 12 is capable of universal-ladjustmenhwithin limits, so that the plate holder 26 will readily adapt itself to the various angular fposition's' that the upright walls it of bath: tubs :may be disposed without efiecting the vertical, stand of pipe 12.

Theiparts t l-may be drifted-apertures interiorly thncadedufor :receiving the assembly screws 3E, thel ieads of which are engaged against the front f ace ofgthekcast :body 25. The end ball: of the drain: plug; chain M's-is engaged inside the per fonated; lug' e0 'rbellere the -=f.ace plate I 25 is put in place andthsl-ink ofthe chain to the .next ball is accommodated in the slot 4!. The i ace plate zdithuslin an unrevealingmanner locksthe chain l-tiagainst removal. EB-he flange i-2 of the face plate also fits hetween adiacent balls of the chain and;-rtends- :to bind the chain between the lace plate :25 and its holder 25.

In: use, the overflow 'is caused to flow around theiflanged edged-2 of the face plate 25 and then through :the open center 21 For the cast body 2%, and thence directly into the overflow pipe 12.

-To -assemble the :-=deyice;- the plumber initially assembles the screws 35 through-the gasket and 11 1 1111 ,dri fted' threaded openings '31 of the retainer; ring" it but without tightening these screws-35 mlany extent. The-holder 2G is then assembled-twine screws by bringing the mouths o;-the =-s1ots-34under the screw heads at and sliding the plate e'dgewise until arriving at substantially' theposition shown in Figure '2 where such holder 26ers centrally oriented with respect tmthebat-htub opening -l5,-the-upper end of the OVGIfiOW'rPiPB 1 2 and-the other associated parts. ThB SCIBWS 35=can then-be tightened so that the heads at clamp firmly zagainst theoutside surface of the disc holder 22.6. .The screws'35 maybe turnedsufficiently to'cause the flange 28 to bind tightly on thecend 2! of the pipe and to draw the retainer-ring l8 tightly .up against the gasket l9 squeezing the gasket against both .the ,pipe end 21 and the rearv edge wall of. the bath tub opening I5. 'Such screw pressure will also draw the disc holder tightly against the forward edge of the bathtub upright wall.

"Wheninitially sliding the disc holder 26 edgewi'secnto the screws "35,jthe screws will retain the holder disc 26 'in place freeing one hand of thep'l'uniber to pickup a tool such as a screw driver wherewith to tighten the assembly screws 35. After the holder 'disc 26 is fastened in position theiaceplate-ifi is assembledto the disc z li'by' fitting the screw-32 to the socket ti and rotating the face plate suitably to cause threaded engagement between these parts; such engagement resulting in the feeding of the screw axially into the socket 3| and the concomitant progressive movement of the face plate'bodily in an axial direction toward the holder 26 until in the home position face plate flange 42 overlaps disc lugs 38, 40 and slot 4|.

When installed the unit exposes no visible screws but all that one sees is the entirely plain round ornamental flat plate :25 with a central spherical nub 33 which happens to be the head of the integral screw, but substantially concealing the fact that there is a screw associatedwith the plate. l

The invention in one phase resides in the unit provided by the association of the face plate 25 and the holder member 26, and in'this aspect it is immaterial what type of gasket or retainer ring or other member that may be'used in rear. of the tub to connect with the overflow pipe [2.

In a more specific aspect, the invention relates to the cooperation of the flange 28 of the holder member 26 with the end 2| of the pipe l2 and with the seat 20 of the gasket l9.

In still another aspect, the invention consists of that modification of the retainer ring I8 by which it is provided with the drifted threaded openings 31 in cooperation with the assembly screws 35 whereby these screws act in a treble capacity to first put the gasket 29 under compression against the edge of the bath tub wall opening l5, secondly to bind in a tight fit the disc holder rear wall that surrounds shoulder 29 against the bath tub wall, and thirdly to effect a squeezing together of the gasket l9 and holder plate 26 such as will bind the outwardly flanged end 21 of the overflow pipe I 2 between these parts.

The presence of the flange 42 enhances the mystery of the construction and assembly of the fitting in that prying eyes or probing instruments are excluded thereby from gaining any access edgewise between the members 25 and 26, it being preferable that the depth of the flange 42 be a sufficient comparably to that of the lugs 38, 4!), toenable the flange 42 to extend over at least to the front surface of the holder member 26. The presence of the flange 42 also requires the water to flow forwardly or away from the wall ill in order to get into the discharge opening 21.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically de-' scribed embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an overflow fitting, an imperforate face plate having a disc portion, and a perforated holder therefor having a disc portion with means to retain the disc portion of the face plate in spaced relation to the disc portion of the holder.

2. In an overflow and drain fitting for a perforated wall, a plate holder member, and an imperforate face plate member, means to hold the two members together, a drain plug captive element, and means between said plate and holder for fastening an end portion of said element.

3. In an overflow and drain fitting according to claim 2, said means comprising a bifurcated lug on the plate holder member to engage the free end of the element, and a flange on the plate to overlap the lug.

4. In an overflow pipe fittingy'a backing member havingan internal seat to receive an end portion of a pipe, and a front couple comprising an imperforate face pla't'eyand -a holder member therefor having a-rearwardly directed flange to internally-engage the pipe end and surrounding a discharge opening,- and-means on theholder to hold "the'face'plateand holder" together'in such and. closing against the rear edge of the aperture,

a plate holder 'ada'pted 'to fit against the front edgeof the apertureand having a discharge opening and a flange about the openingadapted to engagethe internal wall of the end ofthe pipe end reposing onsaidseat, and means to draw the holder and backing member'toward one an-' other.

7. For use with an apertures] bath tub wall and an overflow pipe, a gasket adapted to fit about the pipe end and against the rear edge of the aperture and having a substantially cylindrical outer edge section and an inclined wall section to engage the rear edge of the aperture, a flanged retainer ring adapted to be placed against said gasket with the flange enveloping the cylindrical section, and a front fitting connected to said retainer ring and lying in front of the aperture.

8. For use with an apertured bath tub wall and an overflow pipe with an outwardly-flanged end, a gasket adapted to fit about the pipe and having a bevel seat to receive said flanged end and also having a frusto-conical outer edge portion to engage the rear edge of the aperture, a retainer ring adapted to lie in rear of the gasket, and a front fitting connected to the ring and adapted to lie in front of the aperture.

9. The device of claim 8 characterized by drifted threaded collars in the ring engaged by assembly screws extending through the front fitting.

10. In an overflow fitting for a perforated wall, an imperforate face place having a flange, and a perforated holder for the face plate having means to space the face plate from said holder and the flange from the wall.

11. For use with a perforated bathtub wall and an overflow pipe back of said wall, a face plate and holder both in front of said wall, said face plate being imperforate and having an imperforate flange extending toward said wall, said holder having an opening communicating with the overflow pipe through the wall perforation and also having circumferentially spaced lugs projecting toward the face plate within said flange for spacing the face plate and holder, said lugs of a size to also space the flange from the 7 place; :the iae.e plateeconoealinszthesheads of the screws;

13. ,.FQ1'J-2'S115Q with laneapplztuned bathtub wv all; and aa ofiangedsoverflewapim zseetiun. immamemehersassoeiatedsmetherl itwoiinztmntmt and-two in-o'rear of-Jshebathtub mall endeiormineeflgrfront andaereenneqplewsaidmear coupleweommfisingea asket "fitted-ato :theaoutsidez oi; the .13336 1880111011? and-wits lfiange amha banking iplatmin manor-the gasket,said zfironticoupletcomprisingsaiace plate' and a face plate holder, said holder having a rean-v ward :jproieetioneeonstmctedaandiarranefid Ito :fit through the =lapmature. -themathimbw:mal1'.ax1c1- enter the flanged portion ,ofxthemip aeation'r-rand having fan-pater mall-portion on which thesfiange may *be moved and adjusted, saidholdermamng any-opening therethrueglmommunicatinglwlth the pipe -:seotion,z;adjustable :fastening. means :carried' by said :backingmlatw and {engaged bygsaidviholder f or mutually zdrawing the molder and gasket: against opposite sidesjof rzthebathtub aperturedl wall; said'zfaee plate "beingaimperforatewandzizemovably carried bythelhnlderziorfobsouring:saicl fasteningsiand prewenting watendraining through said face plate, and circumferentially-spacedl means-0n the,holderior-eontactingtherfaee plate to: maintain both-1 theholders-and one plate in ,REFERENCES 'CITED "The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED sums PATENTS.

Number Name Date 812,543 Buchanan Feb. 13, 519116 962;537'7 Mueller 41111192851910 l;068;039.: v Clarkv Ju1y'22,'11913 :1,60'7,521 Frankenberger. Nov. 16, 1926 1870;089 Bloch Aug. 2,'"1932 11 901118 Pope Mar. 14, 1933 1,941,714 Basman Jan. 2,1934 23144253 Morris June 16, 1936 2,084,487 Frankenberger -June 22, 1937 12,122,620 Nystrom July.5, 1938 2,226,350 Sloan 'et a1 Dem- 24, 1940 12226502 I "Pla'tt Dec.i24, I940

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