US2475881A - Tank lever - Google Patents

Description

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' July 12, 1949. a. R. CRAMPTON TANK LEVER Filed May 29, 19 46 Patented July 12, 1949 2,475gss-1" TANK LEVER Manufacturing Company}- Grsne meme This-invention relates to fiushingtank levers and 'is directed to greatly. econornizing-lthe ro duction of such levers over the'w'ay they have been previously made, asdisclosed in my earlier Patent No. 2 233159, issued February 25, 1941.

Aflushing tank lever mounted on a flushing tank has exposed at'theouter side ofth'e tank the. operating handle and an escutcheon which covers the outer end of a spud or tank wall fixture extending. through the wall of the tank, and through which the complete lever member-- is. mountedfor a limited roc'k'ing naovenie'nt. Inmyprior patent above-identified, the handle part of the lever and such escutcheon are made integral with an enlargement of the handle Where it connects to the stem passingthrough the tank wall fixture, or spud, to obtain such coveringof the outer end of the spud. Such handle member of'the complete lever is produced as a casting which may be ofb'rass onvari ous other materials, but' inzpres'en'tday practice is usually of a-die castnietal; the major ingredient of 'whichis zinc. Such-handles must have-an attractive and decorati've finish as the castings made from thedie cast metal are subject to someoxidation which gives them a dull coating which progressively v increases with age; Therefore, it had been common practice before the second 'Wofld War, andwill be herealfterj toplate'said' handles with a non=oxidizable plating" which involves a, nickel plating *With' a subsequent protective chromium" plating thereover. The pohshin'g-andbuffin'g and the'plating-of the-handles is one ofthemajor items of'- expense in' sueh' fliishing tank lever" manufacture;

In the present invention theme of a decorative coating,iand particularlyiplating, required in pi' actice, is done away with. StainlesssteeIg an alloy' of steel and chromium does not lose its lus't'rfof appearance through oxidizing, requiresno plating. and maintainsiits"attractiveness of appear anceior the life of thefiushing tank leve'r. Stainless steel however is a'very difficult material to process, isexpensive and for :"the attainnien't of the necessary economyrand man-ufactur of flush tank levers must beused;-in a very' sinall quaritit'y for each-lever;

The "present inventionhas resultecl'i-in the' p'ro' duction' of afiush-tank leverin 'Whidh" cost of manufacture in 'comparison with levers having hantiIes'of a constrtict1diidisc1bsed my prior may he uses totp'iotiudefa separate escutcheon ands eparatehhndlicoverfiii it beluga practical impossibility t6 vibikafid-diaWthestairfless steel material in orfe 'p'feciNth shape and form" required" weaver the" handle-shown inn'iypri'or patent. I

Th'ere"'is; thererore inv61vw numereus novel changes cofis'tfuetmn m the making" of the artsafidimthe assmbiythereo for' the attainmurders-newness Like reference characters rfeftodikeparts' in 1113s ifferent fiuies tithe drawing:

The-"flushing? were eter than the transverse dimension of the opening through the tank, which lies against the outer side of the tank wall I. The spud is cast from die cast material and from the head 2 a section 3 square in cross section extends and from it an integral exteriorly threaded section 4. At the inner end of the threaded section 4 and at one side thereof a projecting finger 5 extends, the function of which will thereafter be described. The tank wall fixture is hollow having a cylindrical opening therethrough from its outer end nearly to its inner end through which inner end a slot 6 is made in a transverse end portion 1, the slot 6 being disposed substantially on a diameter of the spud and closely adjacent the inner side of the projecting finger 5 (Fi 5). Such tank wall fixture has the threaded section 4 and the square section 3 inserted into and through the opening in the tank wall until the head 2 comes against the outer side of the wall, and receives a binding nut 8 screwed onto the projecting end of the section l which is brought against the inner side of the tank wall, securing the spud in place and against longitudinal or rotative movement.

The movable lever part of the flushing tank lever includes an inside lift arm, a transverse spindle and an outer operating handle. The lift arm and spindle are made from a length of metal in bar stock, the lift arm 9 at one end having the spindle it turned at right angles therefrom. Near the free end of the spindle it and in one of its edges a notch l l is provided. The spindle passes through the slot 6, which is wide enough that the spindle may have a limited rocking movement therein, and the adjacent side of the lift arm 9 comes very closely adjacent to the free end of the finger 5 as shown in Fig. 3 in the completed lever. The handle has an inner body, die cast with a substantially solid head I 2 at one end from which an open frame extends to a side, having spaced apart sides 13 connected at their outer ends by a transverse integral end M as best shown in Fig. 5. At the inner side of the head l2 a projection is cast in several diameters. Immediately adjacent the inner side of the head l2 a short cylindrical section i5 is provided from which a second and longer cylindrical section I6 extends, the diameter of which is slightly less than the diameter of the section l5, and from the inner end of the section 16 a terminal section l1 extends, the exterior diameter of which is such that it is received within the outer end of the cylindrical opening in the hollow spud or tank wall fixture described. A slot l8 divides the projection H substantially in two equal parts and said slot extends the full length of the sections l6 and I1 and into the head l2, terminating at short distance from the outer side of the head as best shown in Fig. 2. The width of the bar stock from which the lift arm 9 and the transverse spindle it are made is approximately equal to, though perhaps slightly less than the width of the slot from one edge to the other in the section II, and the edges of thespindle where it enters said slot and is inserted through the cylindrical sections E5, E6, is less than the diameters of the sections i5 and I6 and less than the distance between the opposite sides of the head.

An escutcheon or cover plate l9 substantially in the form of a dome, open at its inner side is pressed from thin stainless steel material, having an opening 20 at what may be termed its top, the diameter of which is such that the short cylindrical section l5 may pass therethrough; that is, the dome is passed over the inwardly Lil extending projection at the end of the handle and over the short collar l5 after which the collar is upset and distorted or rolled to provide a continuous retaining rib 2] (Figs. 2 and 3) whereby the escutcheon or cover member 19 is permanently secured to the die cast handle member. The interior diameter of the escutcheon l9 at its open end is greater than the exterior diameter of the head 2 whereby it may reach substantially to the outer side of the tank wall I and cover the outer end of the tank wall fixture (Figs. 2 and 3).

In the production the spud is die cast, the handle member described is die cast, and the bar is fabricated to provide the inner lift arm having the spindle with the notch I l therein. The spindle is inserted at its free end through the opening 6 and projected through the spud and into the slot at l8 until the end of the spindle reaches the bottom of the slot and with the lift arm closely adjacent the free end of the finger. In such assembly of the parts the inner cylindrical projection i! will be received within the outer end of the spud, then by a punch press operation or equivalent pressure, the metal of the head opposite the notch H is forced inwardly into said notch, as shown at I la in Fig. 2, providing a normally permanent and inseparable connection of the handle member to the outer end of the spindle.

The lever is completed by providing the die cast handle member with a covering of thin stainless steel material. Such covering pressed from a plate of thin metal has an outer side 22 with a continuous flange extending from it at its edges, said flanges having two side sections 23 and two end sections 24 and 25 conforming to and closely embracing the die cast handle member. From the inner edges of the sides 23 integral tabs 26 extend. This covering is placed over the die cast member of the handle and the tabs bent toward each other to come against parts l3 thereby retaining the cover in place.

With a tank lever as described the depression which is made by pressing the metal inwardly into a notch at II is covered and the inner edges of the covering for the handle at the rounded end at 25 and adjacent thereto are brought into direct engagement with the outer end or top of the dome escutcheon [9. Therefore all visible exposed portions of the tank lever carry the stainless steel covering which is not subjected to oxidizing or other deterioration in appearance. All plating is dispensed with and the cost of manufacture is reduced, as previously indicated, approximately 30%. The finger 5 serves as a stop against any axial movements of the spud and spindle relative to each other.

The invention is very practical. The construction described is simple, sturdy and particularly economical. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

In a flushing tank lever, a tank wall fixture adapted to be fixedly secured to and extend through the wall of a flushing tank, a movable lever member having a spindle extending axially through the fixture and at its inner end having a lift arm permanently connected thereto and extending away therefrom and at its outer end having an operating handle permanently connected and extending away therefrom, said handle at its inner end having an inwardly extending cylindrical projection comprising three sections of progressively decreasing diameters, a dome of thin material having an opening at its outer side through which said projection extends, the opening being of a size to pass the largest diameter section of the projection whereby the projection may be laterally offset to secure the dome in permanent connection with the handle in a position to cover the outer end of said tank wall fixture, and a second covering of the same material secured to said handle whereby all exposed portions of the lever at the outer side of a flushing tank on which mounted are of said material.

BASIL R. CRAMPTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,795,554 Graff Mar. 10, 1931 2,007,390 Birdsall July 9,1935 2,233,159 Crampton Feb. 25, 1941

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