US2819727A

US2819727A - Flush tank riser assembly

Info

Publication number: US2819727A
Application number: US542830A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bernard M Levine
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-10-26
Filing date: 1955-10-26
Publication date: 1958-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 1975-01-14

Description

Jan. 14 1958 LEWNE FLUSH TANK RISER ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 26, 1955 Fig l INVEN TOR. Berna/d MLeV/he I is 4 United States Patent '0 FLUSH TANK RISER ASSEMBLY Bernard M. Levine, Chicago, Ill. Application October 25, 1955, Serial'No.'542,830

1 Claim. 01. 137444 This-invention relates to the construction ofgflush'tank apparatus for 'toilets.

Jn the usual type of flush tank, awater-inlet riser pipe assembly extends upwardly through an opening in the bottom wall of the flush tank and terminates at its upper end in a float valve which automatically maintains a proper amount of water in the flush tank. Heretofore, the riser pipe assembly included a fitting located within the flush tank and to which the bottom of the aforementioned pipe'section is secured. The fitting served as a seating flange for the riser pipe assembly and was compressed against a gasket ring placed around the pipereceiving opening in the flush tank to provide a watertight seal. The fitting extended through the flush tank opening.

One objectionable feature in this construction was the difliculty in maintaining a water-tight connection between the riser pipe section and the fitting to make sure that no flush tank water could seep between the riser pipe section and the fitting or seep through the fitting and thence into the feed pipe where it would contaminate the main water supply.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a flush tank riser assembly which includes the aforementioned riser pipe section, a seating flange and threaded portions therebelow, all made as one continuous, permanent, irnperforate structure of metal that has been worked and is devoid of cracks and will not develop leaks.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flush tank riser pipe which is economical of construction and which in use requires no more, and perhaps less, work for its installation than is required with conventional riser assemblies.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent upon making reference to the specification to follow and the drawings showing an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, in partial section, of a toilet installation including the riser pipe assembly of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the riser pipe assembly of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged, partial section of the lower portion of the riser pipe assembly shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a still further enlarged view of the'flanged portion of the riser pipe.

Refer now to the drawings where like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout.

The invention is used in association with a porcelain flush tank 1 of the usual construction which is filled with water to be used in flushing a toilet bowl 2. A flush tank riser assembly 3 is shown extending through an opening 5 in the flush tank bottom. The flush tank riser assembly includes a riser pipe 7 which forms a water inlet conduit into the flush tank. The riser pipe terminates in a float valve assembly 9 which may be of con- "ice body. The-distal end of the lever carries the usual ,float 138.11 .13 (Fig. 1) which positions the lever to its valve opening position when the water in the flush tank'is below a predetermined level and closesthe valve when the waterreaches this'level.

In accordance with the invention, the riser pipe is ,formedfrorn a unitarypieceofgbrass tubing of aniriitia'l external diameter indicated at '15. The tubing :isthen subjected to swaging and drawing operations, and remains a one piece unit after the forming operations which form ,a periphertilseatingflange17, ataperedportion 18 above the seating flange, and a reduced cylindrical p0rtion19 merging with the tapered portion 18. The base 15 of the pipe is externally threaded as at 20.

In forming the seating flange 17, longitudinally directed forces are applied to a pipe blank of the diameter and thickness of the pipe base 15 in what is known as a bulging process to bulge the pipe against a suitably shaped die to form an accordion type fold or crease 22 in the wall of the pipe blank, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, which extends around the entire periphery of the pipe. The reduced and tapered portions above the seating flange 17 are formed by drawing the pipe through a suitable tapering die. This reduces the thickness of the pipe above the flange 17. In one example, the riser pipe base 15 was .915 inch in outside diameter and the wall was .065 inch thick while the reduced drawn portion 19 was .435 inch in outside diameter and .052 inch thick. The tapered portion 18 was of varying wall thickness between .065 inch and .052 inch.

For reasons to be explained, the bottom of the pipe is turned in to provide an internal annular flange 23 which presents a smooth gasket seat at the pipe bottom of substantially greater width than the contiguous threaded wall of the pipe.

A seal is formed around the flush tank opening 5 by means of a tapered gasket ring 24 surrounding the pipe beneath the seating flange 17. The flange is drawn against the gasket ring to compress the same against the flush tank bottom by a nut 25 threading tightly about the pipe thread 20 against a lock washer beneath the flush tank bottom.

Since the riser pipe unit including the base 15, flange 17 and the rest of the riser pipe are formed as one continuous piece by swaging and drawing operations performed on a pipe blank, leaks will not develop Within the riser pipe unit as in previously constructed riser pipe assemblies. Also, the one-piece construction of the riser pipe body, the seating flange and the threaded portion 15 reduces the cost of manufacture of the riser pipe assembly and facilitates storage, handling and installation of the riser pipe assembly.

A feeder pipe 29 of a size to fit loosely through the opening 30 defined by the annular internal flange 23 of the pipe bottom is secured to the latter by means of an internally shouldered nut 32 threading around the base 15 of the riser pipe 3 and compressing a gasket 34 between the internal shoulder 35 thereof and the gasket seat provided by the internal pipe flange 23. The gasket 34, when uncompressed, has a tapered thickness so that its upper end fits between the feeder pipe 29 and the internal flange 23 of the riser pipe. When the nut 32 is tightened about the riser pipe bottom, the narrower upper portion of the gasket ring 34 is forced tightly into sealing relation between the feeder pipe and the riser pipe. The

contaminate or endanger the purity of the water supply system.

It can be appreciated that the flush tank riser pipe assembly above described provides a leak-proof, inexpensive and easy to install assembly.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a one piece vertically extending toilet flush tank water-inlet riser pipe comprising a drawn metal body having an external mounting flange adjacent to the bottom end of the pipe and constituted by an outwardly creased imperforate accordion fold formed in the pipe wall around the entire periphery thereof, which fold is an integral part of the pipe above and below the flange, said pipe being externally threaded below the flange for mounting of the same and said pipe having a frusto conical portion above and adjacent to said flange which portion tapers upwardly to a reduced diameter and a reduced wall thickness and terminates in and merges with an upwardly extending cylindrical portion of a diameter and wall thickness less than that of said pipe below said flange, all of said aforementioned parts of the pipe being formed as one continuous, imperforate, homogeneous swaged and drawn metal structure, and a float controlled water valve supported by and mounted on top of said cylindrical portion with the cylindrical portion terminating at and opening into the inlet side of the float controlled valve so that the valve controls the flow of water through the pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 909,328 Perkins Jan. 12, 1909 947,234 Herschler Jan. 25, 1910 948,748 Van Deusen Feb. 8, 1910 969,874 Jennings Sept. 13, 1910 1,271,459 Greeson July 2; 1918 2,020,463 Fillman Nov. 12, 1935 1 2,630,831 Arnold Mat. 10, 1953