US2719304A

US2719304A - Flush valve

Info

Publication number: US2719304A
Application number: US409736A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marion E Schuitz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-02-11
Filing date: 1954-02-11
Publication date: 1955-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 1972-10-04

Description

Oct. 4, 1955 M. E. SCHULTZ 2,719,304

FLUSH VALVE Filed Feb. 11, 1954 Mar/0n E Schultz JNVENTOR.

WWW M? United States PatentTOflice FLUSH VALVE Marion Schu'it'z, Gilroy, Calif.

Application February 11, 1954, Serial No. 409,736

7 Claims.- (CL 4-=-57)' This invention relates" to flush valves and more specifically provides improved structure and guides for such valves.

An object of this invention is to provide a detachable ball valve guide which can be placed over a flush valve seat and retained thereon. wherein the vertical movement of. the ball valve is regulated thereby assuring. the correct positioning of the ball valve on the valve seat when all the water in the flush tank has been discharged.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flush valve having a novel guide means for the ballvalve and novel means for lifting and guiding the ball valve in its vertical movement. I

A further object of this invention is to provide a flush valve which may be easily attached to existing valve seats and over-flow drain pipes thereby forming an easily attached guide for the ball valve.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a flushvalve including a guide for the ball valve which is simple in construction, easy to attach to existing flush tanks, long wearing and eflicient in operation, well adapted for its purpose and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the flush tank with a portion broken away thereby revealing the flush valve of the present invention mounted in position on the drain over-flow pipe;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along section line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the details of construction of the flush valve of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken substantially at right angles to the section of Figure 2 and showing the details of construction of the valve rod guide and the attaching means for securing the valve guide to the overflow pipe; and

Figure 4 is a top plan section taken substantially along section line 44 of Figure 3 showing further details of construction of the present invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral generally designates the flush valve of the present invention for mounting in a conventional flush tank 12 having a lift lever 14 disposed on the inside and a lift handle 16 for lifting a ball valve 18 from a valve seat 20 thereby discharging the water 22 into the toilet bowl 24 in a conventional manner. The valve seat 20 is provided with the usual upstanding over-flow drain pipe 26 which normally projects above the water level 22 and a suitable float 28 is provided for regulating the flow of water to the flush tank 12.

All of the above is conventional in the usual type flush tanks now employed in modern plumbing. Secured to the upper surface of the ball valve 18 is a vertically extending rod 30 having a nut 32 on the upper threaded Patented Oct. 4, 1955 end thereof with a rubber enlargement 34 positioned undert-he nut 32 and thereby held on the rod 30. A tubular guide member 36 substantially the same size as the ball valve 18 is positioned over the valve seat 20 in vertically spaced relation. thereto and. is provided with ,a rigid lug secured to the upper end andincluding a semi circula r clamp member 40 for complementary engagement with a second semi-circular clamp member 42 which is positioned around the drain pipe and held thereon by suitable clamp screws 44. This permits easy and rapid application of the tubular member 36 to the drainpipe 26 thereby positioning the lower end of tubular guide member 36 in vertical spaced relation to the valve seat 20. Centrally positioned in the upper end of the tubular member 36 is a valve rod guide 46 secured to the lug 38 on the upper end of the tubular member 36. The valve rod guide 46 is generally tubular and slidably receives the valve rod 30.

The upper end of the valve rod guide 46 is tapered inwardly for purpose described hereinafter, as indicated by the numeral 48. At diametrically opposed sides of the tubular member 36' is provided a pair of elongated tu bular sockets 50 which are substantially co-extensive withthe tubular member 36. Removably positioned across the upper end of the tubular member 36 is a cross piece or cross bar 52 having deepending guide rods 54 secured thereto in any suitable manner wherein the guide rods 54 are lower than the tubular sockets 50 and normally extend there below when the cross piece 52 is positioned adjacent the upper end of the tubular member 36.

The cross piece 52 is provided with a centrally disposed aperture 56 which receives and is positioned over the tapered portion of the valve rod' guide 46 thereby centering the cross piece 52 on the tubular member 36. Secured adjacent the center of the cross piece 52- is an eye memberfSS having a flexible chain 60 attached thereto for connectingthe' cross piece to the lift lever 14" wherein the cross piece 52 may be lifted vertically until the cross piece 52 engages the enlarged rubber end 34 on the rod 30 thereby lifting the valve ball 18 from the seat 20.

The operation of the device will be readily understood. The tubular member 36 is positioned over the valve seat 20 in alignment therewith and vertically spaced therefrom with the lower end of the tubular member 36 positioned against the upper end of the connection between the drain pipe 26 and the valve seat 20. The distance between the valve seat 20 and the tubular guide 36 should be sufiicient to permit the flow of water through the valve seat 20 without interference from the tubular member 36.

The

clamp members

42 and 40 are positioned on the drain pipe 26 by use of the clamp screws 44 in an obvious manner. Then the valve rod 30 is positioned in the valve rod guide 46 and the enlarged rubber member 34 is secured thereon by manipulation of the nut 32. The valve ball 18 may be lifted off the seat 20 by manipulating the lifting handle 16 thereby raising the lifting lever and flexible chain which is connected to the cross piece 52.

The cross piece 52 moves vertically upward by virtue of the depending guide rods 54 sliding in the tubular sockets 50. The aperture portion 56 of the cross piece 52 engages the enlarged resilient member 34 thereby lifting the valve rod 30 and the ball valve 18 vertically. As the water 22 is discharged through the valve seat 20, the ball valve 18 will return towards the valve seat 20 inasmuch as the ball valve 18 is lighter than the water and will float thereon. As the water level approaches the level of the upper end of the valve seat 20, the ball valve 18 will be drawn onto the valve seat in an obvious manner and the water which is discharged into the flush tank 12 will retain the ball valve 18 securely positioned on the valve seat 20. The tubular member 36 acts as an accurate guide for the ball valve 18 thereby assuring that the ball valve 18 will be correctly positioned on the valve seat 20 when it returns to its closed position. ments of this invention may be constructed of readily obtainable material which are corrosive resistant such as brass or the like.

The resilient member 34 may be replaceable and it will be seen that this provides a noiseless as well as a resilient abutment member for the cross piece 52 as it lifts the valve rod 30 upwardly. Further, any suitable clamp means could be utilized for retaining the tubular member 36 on the drain over-flow pipe 26 and any suitable flexible member may be substituted for the flexible chain 60 as may become desirable or available.

' From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

- 1. A flush valve comprising a ball valve seat having a lateral extension, an overflow drain pipe supported on the the lateral extension, a ball valve positioned on said valve seat, a valve rod secured to said ball valve, an enlarged head on the remote end of said rod, and a ball valve guide secured to said drain pipe, said guide comprising a tubular member spaced vertically from and aligned with said valve seat, a cross piece extending transversely across the upper end of said tubular member and surrounding said rod, means for guiding said cross piece, and a lift means attached to said cross piece for connecting to a lift arm, said cross piece engaging the enlarged head of said rod thereby lifting said valve from the valve seat when the cross piece is raised.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper end of said tubular member includes a centrally disposed valve rod guide slidably receiving said valve rod.

The various ele-' 3. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said tubularmember is provided with a pair of elongated'tubular sockets at diametrically opposite edges, said cross piece having depending guide rods slidably positioned in said sockets for guiding the vertical movement of said cross piece.

4. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein a valve rod guide is positioned centrally in the upper end of said tubular member, said cross piece having an aperture for positioning over said rod guide, said rod guide having an inwardly tapering upper end for receiving said apertured cross piece. 1

5. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper enlarged head of the valve rod is constructed of resilient material thereby cushioning the contact of the cross piece with the enlarged head of said rod.

6. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said tubular member is substantially the same diameter as the ball valve thereby forming an accurate guide for the ball valve, and means for spacing the tubular member from the valve seat to permit water to flow over the valve seat. 1

7. A flush valve ball guide comprising a tubular member, a movable member extending across the upper end of the tubular member, guide means interconnecting the movable member and the tubular member, means interconnecting the movable member and a valve ball, and means interconnecting the movable member and a lift means for lifting the movable member and the valve ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,439,268 Shoppe Dec. 19, 1922 2,130,719 Heath Sept. 20, 1938 2,450,609 Phelps Oct. 5, 1948 2,626,399 Blair Jan. 27, 1953 2,657,395 Walker Nov. 3, 1953 2,666,929 Schnepp Jan. 26, 1954 2,678,451 Allen May 18, 1954