US2538288A - Expansible stopper - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1951 J. L. WHITSEL 2,538,288

EXPANSIBLE STOPPER Filed May 29, 1948 INVENTO? JAMES LWHITSEL ATTORNEY .mum diameter.

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 N I T ED STATE 5 PATENT *O-F-F [C E SIBLE STOPPER James L. 'Whitsel, Denver, Colo.

Application May 29, 1948, 'Serial No. 29,994

8 Claims. 1 This invention relates to stoppers and plugs for bottles, jugs, drains, and the like, and more particularly to plugs employable for the obstruction and closing of conventional waste lines leading from sinks and lavatories, and has as an object to provide an improved such unit oi enhanced efficiency.

A'further object of theinvention is to provide a removable and replaceable, r'epetitiously-employable'plug or stopper selectively expansibie to effectively illl and close an end of a cylindrical passage.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved stopper or plug selectively adjustable to alternative conditions of minimum, normal diameter and maximum expanded diameter, wherebythe unit is adapted for free, nonan improved construction and operative interrelation of elements constituting a selectivelyexpansible stopper or plug.

'A'further objector the invention is to provide a 'selectively exp'ansible stopper or plug that is relatively simple and inexpensive of manufacture, positive and eilicient in use, convenient of operative manipulation, adapted for production in a variety of sizes and specific embodiments fitted to particular needs, and durable throughout a long lifeof repetitious use.

With the foregoing and other objects'in view,

my invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in .which Figure 1 is .a cross section taken axially through .a simple embodiment of the invention in a relationship of elements productive of plug or stopper expansion. Figure 2 is a sections'imilar :to Figure l illustrating t-he relatively-movable-elements of the unit in analternative position productive-of plug 'or stopper normal mini- Eigure ii is a top plan view sof the unit. Sh'OWIljiIlzthE preceding rfi'gures.v .Eigure 4 is a transverse section :takenaodt'he indicated line 4-4 .of Figure .2. .Figure '5 is-a longitudinal :sectiontaken substantially on the indicated line 55 of Figure '3.

In the construction of the improvement as :shown, the numeral ID designates a circular :plateor'disc of any suitable strong, rigid material, .suchtas metal, whichconstitutes the top of the stopper or plug unit :and is hence sized to a diameter exceeding that of the passage or channel "wherewith the unit is to cooperate so that peripheral 'areas' of the member I0 may engage against and lap 'over upon the end marginof rsuch passage or channel. A relatively thick, anlnular skirt H of reslliently-yieldable material having a high frictional "coefficient, such as rubiber, is :provided in -a normal exterior diameter that engaged by the skirt H and bridges dia- ;metricallyoi saidmember ID to provide a lifting and manipulating facility in clearing relation with the central portion of said member, for reasons which will hereinafter appear.

The end of the skirt I l remote from the mem- "ber I0 is symmetrically hollowed and recessed to frusto-conical form and to taper in inward convergensctowardthe member [0, forming a thin, "highly-flexible, circular edge or margin constituting the free end of said skirt, and to .intersectwith the cylindrical inner wall of said skirt on 'a plane spaced substantially from the member Ill, and a correspondingly frusto-conical block 13 of rigid material, such as metal, is formed itoran'axial dimension less than the axial depth of the skirt tapered recess and to diametric dimensions such as .will permit engagement of the block thickness within the outer end of the :skirt tapered recess without distortion of .the normal cylindrical conformation of said skirt, the conical'surfaces of said block and skirt .recess bein correspondingly inclined for close engagement. A stem [4 is fixed in and axially of the-block 13 to extend beyond and in perpenicular relation withthe lesserdiameter end of said block through a hole formed for its accommodation centrally of the .member l i], the length .of ;said stem 44. :being sufficient to traverse the axial length of the unit with projection of its :upper.endtaboveetheemember [.0 when the block 13 :is whollydisengaged from the tapered recess of the skirt II, as shown in Figure 2, and a retractile coil spring I5 surrounds the stem I4 between the member Ill and block I3 and is fixed at its appropriate ends to said block and member to normally draw the block I3 inwardly of the skirt II tapered recess with consequent diametric expansion of the skirt tapered walls, in the manner exemplified by Figure 1; such retraction of the block I3 inwardly of the skirt II projecting the free end of the stem I4 upwardly relative to the plate I within the oscillatory orbit of the bail I2.

It being expedient to provide means for retaining the block I3 against the tension of the spring I5 in separated, non-expanding relation with the skirt II, a centrally-apertured, cylindrical insert I6, of rigid material, such as metal, is fitted and secured within the cylindrical base portion of the skirt I I interior against the member It and in loosely-embracing relation with the spring I5, said insert It having an axial depth corresponding to the travel range desired for the block IS, and a succession of radial notches I'I, illustrated as six in number, intersect the insert IS in a uniform angular spacing to open through the face of said insert remote from the member I6 and hence toward the block IS. A series of pins I8 corresponding in number with the slots II is fixed to and rises perpendicularly from the lesser diameter face of and concentrically with the block IS in a uniformity of angular spacing about the stem Id such as positions each of the pins in said series for telescopic engagement of its upper end within one of the notches I! when the block I3 is rotated relative to the insert It to bring said pins into registration with said notches. The pins I 8 spacedly parallel the stem It; and

'are alike in length in a dimension adequate to space the block I3 in separated, non-expanding relation with the skirt I I when said pin free ends are engaged with lower face areas of the insert I6 between the notchs II, and to permit full expanding engagement of the block I3 within the skirt II when said pin free ends slidably enter 'said notches, whereby said block may be held against the tension of the spring I5 out of ex-- panding engagement with the skirt II in one position of relative rotation between said block and the insert I5, while in another position of? such relative rotation the spring I5 is free to act on and through the block it for expanding engagement of the latter within said skirt. To facilitate manipulation of the relatively adjustable unit elements, a radially-disposed finger I9 is fixed to the upper end of the stem I5 in position to spacedly overlie the member III, and one end of said finger I9 is formed as an indicator adapted to register with one or another of three marks 2s formed on the upper face and adjacent the periphery of said member. As will be obvious, the center one of the three marks indicates a position of finger I9, stem I4, and block I3 relative rotation wherein the pins I8 engage end faces of the insert it to hold said block in separated relation with the skirt II, while the outermost marks 28 denote alternative, operatively- 4 ment of the pins I3 from their notches Il may be effected against the tension of the spring I5 and subsequent rotation of the stem I4, block I3, and pins It may be had relative to the insert I6 for registration of the pin free ends with and to bear against end faces of said insert.

In the practical use of the improvement, the bail I2 is engaged by the fingers and pressure is applied through thumb or finger to the element I9 and thence through the stem I4 to depress said stem with its block I3 and pins I8 against the tension of the spring I5 and away from the memher It until the ends of the pins I8 clear their notches I'I, whereafter the element I9 is manually rotated to registration with the center one of the marks 29 and the pressure on said element is relieved to permit end abutment of the pins I8 against the insert I 6 faces wherewith they are in registration, thus leaving the unit in the relationship of elements shown by Figure 2 wherein the spring I5 is extended and the block I3 is spaced from the skirt II to leave the latter in a normal, cylindrical condition of non-expansion. With the unit in normal, unexpanded condition of its skirt I I, said skirt is inserted and telescoped within the end of the passage or channel to be plugged, projecting margins of the member III ci --ing over the annular end of such passage or channel, and thereafter slight pressure is manually applied to the finger It to slightly extend the spring I 5 and clear the pins I8 relative to the insert faces, so that a slight subsequent rotation of the finger IE to registration with one or the other of the outermost marks 2! followed by release of pressure acting on said finger permits contraction of the spring I5 to draw the block IS with expansive effect upwardly within the skirt I I while the free ends of the pins I8 slidably engage within the notches I'I; such block-induced expansion of the skirt II wedging the resilient walls of the latter into close, tight, frictional engagement with the passage or channel. vVhile certain minimum leakage may occur through the hole in the member IQ about the stem I l, it is to be noted that the block I3 itself seals against the tapered walls of the skirt recess and thereby closes off any channel through which leakage of consequence may occur when the unit is employed as a sink or lavatory drain plug.

Since many changes, variations, and modifications in the specific form, construction, and. arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of my invention, I wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

1. An expansible stopper of the character described, comprising a rigid end plate, an annular skirt of resilient material fixed at one end to and concentrically of a face of said plate, an inwardly-converging, frusto-conioal recess in the end of said skirt remote from said plate, a rigid, frusto-conical block coacting within and shif able axially of said recess, a retractile spring interconnecting opposed faces of said plate and block interiorly of said skirt to normally draw the latter into skirt-expanding relation within said recess, and means interiorly of said skirt responsive to axial and rotational shift of said block relative to said skirt for holding said block against the tension of said spring in separated relation with said skirt and recess.

2. An expansible stopper of the character de- 5 scribed, comprising an annular skirt of resilient material formed with an inwardly-converging, coaxial, frusto-conical recess opening through one of its ends, a rigid, frusto-conical block coacting Within and shiftable axially of said recess, spring means interiorly of said skirt engaging said block to normally draw the latter into skirt-em panding relation within said recess, and means interiorly of said skirt responsive to axial and rotational shift of said block relative to said skirt for holding said block against the-tension of said spring means in separated relation with said skirt and recess. 7 i

3. An expansible stopper of the character described, comprising an annular skirt of resilient material formed with an inwardly-converging, coaxial, frusto-conical recess opening through one of its ends, a rigid plate fixedly and concentrically closing the end of said skirt remote from said recess, a rigid, frusto-conical block coacting within and shiftable axially of said recess, spring means interiorly of said skirt engaging between said block and plate to normally draw the former into skirt-expanding relation within said recess, and complementary elements within said skirt reactive to axial shift and rotation of said block relative to said skirt for holding said block against the tension of said spring means in separated relation with said skirt and recess.

4. The organization according to claim 3, wherein said block fixedly carries an axiallyprojecting stem slidably and rotatably traversing said plate, and said spring means comprises a retractile coil spring fixed at appropriate ends to said block and plate in surrounding relation with said stem.

5. The organization according to claim 3, wherein said block fixedly carries an axiallyprojecting stem slidably and rotatably traversing and projecting outwardly beyond said plate furnished with a manipulating finger fixed to and radially of its end remote from said block, and said complementary elements comprise an annular spacer insert fixed to said plate within said skirt, angularly-spaced notches radially interrupting the face of said insert opposed to said block, and angularly-spaced, like pins fixedly outstanding from the inner face of said block in spaced parallelism with said stem for engagement of their free ends slidably within said notches and alternatively against face areas of said insert between said notches as determined by rotational adjustment of said block relative to said skirt.

6. In an expansible stopper of the character described having an annular skirt of resilient material formed with an inwardly-converging, coaxial, frusto-conical recess opening through one of its ends and a rigid, frusto-conical block coacting within and shiftable axially of said recess, a rigid plate fixedly and concentrically closing the end of said skirt remote from said recess, a retractile coil spring fixedly interconnecting opposed faces of said block and plate interiorly of said skirt to normally draw the former into skirt-expanding relation within said recess, and

cess, a rigid plate fixedly and concentrically closing the end of said skirt remote from said recess, a stem fixedly projecting axially from said block slidably and rotatably engaging through said plate, a retractile coil spring fixed at its appropriate ends to opposed faces of said block and plate interiorly of said skirt in surrounding relation with said stem, and complementary elements within said skirt reactive to rotation and axial shift of said block relative to said skirt for holding said block against the tension of said spring in separated relation with said skirt and recess.

8. In an expansible stopper of the character described having an annular skirt of resilient material formed with an inwardly-converging, coaxial, frusto-conical recess opening through one of its ends and a rigid, frusto-conical block coacting within and shiftable axially of said recess, a rigid plate fixedly and concentrically closing the end of said skirt remote from said recess, a stem fixedly projecting axially from said block slidably and rotatably engaging through said plate, a retractile coil spring fixed at its appropriate ends to opposed faces of said block and plate in surrounding relation with said stem to normally draw said block into skirt-expanding relation within said recess and to project the stem end outwardly beyond said plate, a manipulating finger fixed to and radially of the stem end remote from said block, an annular spacer insert fixed to said plate within said-skirt, angularly-spaced notches radially interrupting the face of said insert opposed to said block, and angularly-spaced, like pins fixedly outstanding from the inner face of said block in spaced parallelism with said stem for engagement of their free ends slidably Within said notches and alternatively against face areas of said insert between said notches as determined by rotational and axial adjustment of said block relative to the skirt through the agency of said stem and finger.

JAMES L. WHITSEL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 238,726 Sponsler Mar. 8, 1881 2,199,964 Rook May 7, 1940

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