US2668961A - Toilet flush tank trip lever construction - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 16, 1954 J c, OWENS 2,668,961

TOILET FLUSH TANK TRIP LEVER CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 24, 1951 j V 1 16. 5e

175356 C". OWE/VS INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 16,1954

U N I T ED. STAT-ES Ts; OFF I CE TOILET FLUSH TANKITRIP LEVERI'I. CONSTRUCTION."

Jesse C. Owens, Los Angeles, Calif? AnplicationJanuary 24, 1951, SerialNdrZOLGZfl:

3 Claims.

This. invention relates. tow water closet flush tank outlet. valve operating devices.

Aniobjectof mypresent invention is: to provide-a valve operating device of the .type indicated-.Which is adapted'forquantity production and whichis of exceptionally economical construction, and which, thereiore, is adapted for sale at a highly competitive cost, without, however, any sacrifice instrength, durability, eifciencytof ,operationease of installation, orappearanceof the parts of the apparatus which areexposed to view after installation.

A i more detailed object of the invention is to.

providea valve operatingmechanism of the generalcharacter described in which the lever portion whereby the normally operating handle or1the outside-of the tank .is operably connected tot-thevalveilifting bracketwithin the tank is a suitable lengthyof strip brass of standard, stock:

size; bentat the proper places to definea lever of.-. the. desired proportion, thus; dispensing -,With

the-necessity ofxfabricating.this portion of the. trip mechanism iromicastmetalandperiorming variousmachining. operations thereon; as is ire-1 quired by more conventional forms of toilet tanks valve.- tripdevices now in common use;

A further ;object in this connection: is to .pro-. videmeans for journaling. the flat strip .Withinthe tubular.v bore of the bushing which extends.

through the Wall of the flushing, tanks, andtherebynmaking ,for as efficientmockingzsupport.of. the lever as; though the pivot portiomwere of. cylindrical.;formin accordance with: common practice;

Asfurther detailed object, is to. provide im.-., proved means-for attaching the valveyoperating brackettoythe lever insuch-a manner that bind-.3 inglqofrthe parts and consequent; interference with 'proper functioning, of: .the. valve are =;effec-= tively prevented.

The-invention possesses other objects aandieatures of advantage, some of which,.with the foregoing will be set forthin theiollowing descrip tion of the preferred form of my invention which, is illustrated-in the i drawings accompany-, ingiand forming partof the specificationzlt is to be understood that. I do not limit. myself to the showing made bythe said drawingsiand-description; as I may adopt variations of the prev-1, rerrediorm within the. scope. of .myinvention-as.

t sf rth; in thezcla ms,

Referring.v to the: drawings; Figure. .1 is a new taken; inzhorizontal. sectiomthroueh a portionof.

the. frontmwall of; a water. :closet. rfiushntankiand. showinguimxtom plan, a .svahtea operatingprdeviceroperably installed s thereupon, portions of the showing of the. operating device being broken away andshowninv section the better to reveal constructional. details thereof.

Figure. 2 is an enlargedview in transverse, vertical section taken upon the line 22 of Figurel, with the direction of vie-w asindicated.

Figure. 3 is an elevational ,view of the inner.

end of themounting bushing which may be con.- sidered a vertical, sfietionalwview taken upon the line. 3- 3-of Figure:2, with theidirection of view. as indicated, a portion-otthe figure being broken away: and shown. in. section;

Figure l a is avertical, sectional view taken upon the lined-Jot Figure- 2, with the direction of 8 and an enlarged-headS on the outer end thereof isdisposed. withits body portion 8 extending through asuitable opening H in the front wall 6 of thefiushrtankso as to dispose the under surface of. the head-9 in contact with the outer.

surface 01' the wall: 6 against which it is tightened by means-of; a nut 12 threaded upon the inner end. of thesbodymortion 8, exterior threads I3 being ,providedupon the body portion 8 for that purpose. Preferably, both the bushing Z and thenut .l2 are composed of suitable non-corrodible-material such as the relatively inexpensive cast metal-commonly employed for such purposes. It-is evident-, therefore, that the bushing 1 is firmlyattached to the wall E5, rigid there with. so that it provides an adequate, stationary support for the operating lever Id of the trip. lever whichcohstitutesan important portion of my present. invention.v

In order toiacilitate. holding the bushing 7 against .rotation whilathe nut .12 is being tightened thereonpl prefer to. provide a non-circular portion ll; on-,the tubular body portion 8 of the bushingaimmediately-adjacent the head 9, which fits:theiholei l I 1.111 the lwa llfi of the tank loosely enougnto permit: its being inserted readily there- "intoxandzyetzxsuificientlwtightlypto prevent the bushing 1 from rotating about its own axis with respect to the wall 6.

In more conventionally constructed flush tank valve trip lever mechanisms, it has been customary to fashion that portion of the trip lever which extends through the mounting bushing to cylindrical form, fitting the bore of the associated bushing fairly accurately so as to provide a journal mounting for the lever. In the present invention, however, I depart from this relatively expensive procedure by forming the entire trip lever iii of a single piece of fiat strip stock 2|, preferably of brass. In so forming the lever l6,

either before or after the strip 2| has been cut to suitable length, it is bent at right angles, as indicated at 22, and again in the opposite direction, as indicated at 23, so as to define a lever composed of three principal portions, to wit, a portion 24 disposed outside the tank and adapted to extend parallel to and spaced slightly from the outer face of the wall 6 of the tank, a portion 26 disposed inside the tank 6 and adapted to extend parallel to and spaced from the inner face of the wall 6, and an intermediate portion 21 interconnecting the two portions 24 and 26. The intermediate portion 2! extends through the bore 28 of the body portion 8 of the bushing and is disposed with its transverse dimensions extending substantially diametrically of the bore of the bushing and in a vertical plane. Being so disposed, the outer portion 24 of the lever extend horizontally to one side of the intermediate portion 2? while the inner portion 26 of the lever also extends horizontally, but to the other side of the intermediate portion, as clearly shown in Figure 1. Either or both of the bends 22, 23 should be formed in the strip 2| after the strip has been disposed with that portion thereof which is to constitute the intermediate portion 27 extending through the bushing, inasmuch as the desirable arrangement is that in which the intermediate portion 21 of the strip is only slightly longer "than the bushing 1, with the result that the laterally extending portions 24 and 26 cooperate with the associated ends of the bushing to secure the strip against accident removal from the bushing and without any binding that might operate to restrict free rocking movement of the lever about the axis of the bushing.

Preferably at least one disc 3| is disposed within the bore 26 of the bushing, this disc 3| having a slot 32 which extends substantially diametrically with respect to the disc and within which the intermediate portion 2'! of the lever l6 fits fairly tightly. The circular periphery 33 of the disc 3|, however, is fitted to the bore 28 of the bushing I for freedom of rotation therein, with the result that the disc can move with the lever 6 and with respect to the bushing when the lever is moved in rocking movement as in performing the operation of lifting the outlet valve of the flush tank. The disc 3|, therefore, serves as a bearing support for the intermediate portion 2'! of the lever i6, holding the intermediate portion in axial alignment with the body portion 8 of the bushing and therefore assuring freedom of the desired rocking movement of the lever I6.

I prefer to provide means for limiting the degree of rocking movement of which the lever can partake to a few degrees of rocking movement, approximately or of such rocking movement being all that is necessary to attain complete operation of lifting the valve from its seat.

A preferred form of such means for limiting extent of rocking movement is in the nature of a pin 36 threaded through the wall of the body portion 8 of the bushing and extending at least radially of the bore thereof far enough to pass through a hole 31 in the intermediate portion 21 of the lever I6, this hole 31 being slightly larger than the pin 36 so' that the strip can move through the desired degree of rocking movement before the edges of the hole 31 engage the stationary pin 36.

A preferably ornamental handle 4| is rigidly and preferably permanently attached to the outer portion 24 of the lever I6. This handle comprises a hub portion 42 and an arm portion 43 extending radially therefrom. Both the hub and arm portions 42 and 43 are of hollow construction, open at the back, permitting the handle to be inserted into position upon the outer portion 24 of the lever IS with the hub portion 42 extending over the head 9 of the bushing 1 until the inner peripheral edge 44 of the hub 42 is closely adjacent the outer face of the wall 6 of the tank. Preferably the distance that the handle can be inserted over the head 9 and toward the front wall 6 is limited by a plurality of bosses or fins 46 on the inner surface of the head 42. Within the hollow interior of the arm 43 of the handle 4| preferably a pair of columns or bosses 41 are provided, each having a fiat surface or land 43 adjacent its outer end and the lands 43 of the two bosses 41 being in planar alignment with each other. Upstanding from each of the lands 48 is a pin portion 49 adapted to fit fairly tightly within and to extend through a suitably positioned hole 5| in the outer portion 24 of the lever I6 and to be riveted over any contact with the inner surface of the associated portion of the flat strip 24, as indicated at 52, so as to attach the handle 4| rigidly and permanently to the outer portion 24 of the lever 6.

Thus it may be seen that the arm 43 of the handle 4| encloses and conceals most of the outer portion 24 of the lever l6 and the hub 42 encloses and conceals the remaining portion of the outer portion 24 and the head 9 of the mounting bushing I.

The inner portion 26 of the lever I6 is preferably oifset to a position more distant from the inner surface of the wall 6 of the tank than the inner end of the bushing a pair of suitably spaced and oppositely directed bends 56 and 51 being provided for this purpose, thus providing for ample clearance between the portion 26 of the lever and the tanks wall 6, and still leaving the short portion of the lever between the bends 23 and 56 extending radially and sufiiciently close to the inner end of the bushing 1 to serve as an abutment adapted to bear thereagainst and thus limit outward axial movement of the intermediate portion 2'! of the lever with respect to the bushing 1.

This inner portion 26 of the lever It comprises a body portion GI and an end portion 62 parallel to and spaced slightly from the body portion 6| and connected thereto by a reverse bend 63 at the outer end of the body portion. A series of holes 64, 65 are formed in the end portion 62 and with each hole 64, 65 a similar hole 66, 61 is aligned in the body portion 6|, thus presenting a series of aligned pairs of holes through any one portion of which the upper end 68 of a bracket 69 can be engaged, this bracket 69 constituting the means whereby the lever I6 is operatively connected to the outlet valve (not shown) for controlling escape of water from the tank to the toilet fixture (not shown). It is common practice to attach sucn a bracket 09 to the lever by which the valve is elevated by simply passing the piece of wire of which the bracket is conventionally constructed through a suitable hole in the lever and then bending the wire downwards at both sides of the lever. However, if the lever is relatively thin, the two bends in the wire and at opposite ends of the hole will be so close together that there will be substantially no straight portion of the wire between the two bends and binding of the wire within the hole will be apt to develop to such an extent that efficient operation of the valve is interfered with. However, by providing the two spaced portions of the flat strip, through both of which the two aligned holes 64 and 6G or and 51, as the case might be. extends, when the wire is bent downwards at the outer end of say the hole 64 and at the outer end of its associated hole 65, the two bends thus made in the wire will be so far apart that a very substantial length of straight wire will remain at the top 68 of the bracket, thus assuring freedom of rotation of the portion 93 within the holes 64 and 66.

I claim:

1. In a toilet flush tank trip lever mechanism, a mounting bushing comprising a tubular shank and means for securing said bushing in position extending through a wall of a tank comprising a head rigid with the outer end of said bushing and a clamping nut threaded on th inner end of said bushing, a flat metal strip comprising an outer portion extending laterally from the outer end of said bushing, an inner portion extending laterally from the inner end of said bushing, anintermediate portion interconnecting said inner and outer portions and extending through said bushing and rockable therein about the axis thereof, and a portion extending radially from the inner end of said intermediate portion closely adjacent the inner end of said bushing to provide an abutment adapted to engage the inner end of said bushing and thereby limit outward axial movement of said intermediat portion with respect to said bushing means for connecting a flushing valve to said inner portion of said strip, a handle comprising a hub and an arm extending radially therefrom said hub and said arm both being of hollow, open back construction and enclosing and concealing, respectively, said bushings head and said outer portion of said strip,

and means for aflixing said handle to said strip comprising a plurality of bosses projecting from the inner Surface of said handles arm and having lands in planar alignment with each other. and a pin projecting from each of said lands through and fitting within a hole in said outer portion of said strip, and an enlarged head on the outer end of each of said pins.

2. In a toilet flush tank trip lever mechanism, a mounting bushing, means for securing said bushing in position extending through a wall of a tank, a flat metal strip comprising an outer portion extending laterally from the outer end of said bushing, an inner portion extending laterally from the inner end of said bushing, and an intermediate portion interconnecting said inner and outer portions and extending through said bushing and rotatable therein about the axis thereof, a pin rigid with said bushing and extending radially of the bore thereof through a hole in said strip of slightly greater diameter than said pin to limit rotary motion of said intermediate portion of said strip with respect to said bushing, and means for connecting a flushing valve to said inner portion of said strip.

3. In a toilet flush tank trip lever mechanism, a mounting bushing, means for securing said bushing in position extending through a wall of a tank, a flat metal strip comprising an outer portion extending laterally from the outer end of said bushing, an inner portion extending laterally from the inner end of said bushing, and an intermediate portion interconnecting said inner and outer portions and extending through said bushing and rotatable therein about the axis thereof, said inner portion of said strip comprising a body portion and an end portion parallel to and spaced therefrom and connected thereto by a return bend at the outer end of said body portion, said end portion having a series of holes therethrough, each of said holes being aligned with a similar hole in said body portion to provide a bearing substantially greater in length than the thickness of said strip.

JESSE C. OWENS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,653,799 Delany Dec. 2'7, 1927 2,320,912 Crampton June 1, 1943 2,468,203 Keller Apr. 26, 1949 2,469,000 Pleasant May 3, 1949 2,497,396 Crampton Feb. 14, 1950 2,584,931 Smith Feb. 5, 1952

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