US2862210A - Flush tank control means - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 2, 1958 P. c. TRAVER 2,862,210

FLUSH TANK CONTROL MEANS Filed May 14, 1957 Philip C. 7/0 ver 42 FIG 2 IN VEN TOR.

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FLUSH TANK CONTROL MEANS Philip C. Traver, Far Rockaway, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to Harry Forman, Forest Hills, N. Y.

Application May 14, 1957, Serial No. 659,100

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-67) The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in simple and practical mechanical means which functions to unseat a tank ball in a flush tank so that the regulated charge of flush water in the tank may be delivered therefrom to the customary toilet bowl in a now somewhat generally well known manner.

As is also well known, it is almost invariably true that in the domestic type flush tank and bowl assembly a ball or an equivalent valve appears to be the best mode and means for valving the tank and delivering the water into the bowl. Almost invariably, insofar as has been ascertained, mechanical expedients of one type or another have been used to unseat the ball valve when the bowl is flushed. The object of the instant invention is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon the flush tank control means. To this end and briefly stated, the ball valve is confined for operation in a vertically elongated cage which is .attached to and rises from the valve seat at the bottom of the flush tank. The valve seat, as usual, has communicating connection with the bowl by way of a pipe or an equivalent conduit.

A push button valve is to be provided, in accordance with the present concept, for the tank at a suitable point of operation. It serves, under ordinary circumstances, to allow water under pressure from the city water supply to pass therethrough and into the conduit already mentioned. This is accomplished in such a way that the stream of water under pressure lifts the ball valve up causing it to rise in the cage and to float upwardly in the water in the tank. Therefore, as soon as the ball valve is lifted the water which is already trapped in a measured amount in the tank flushes down through the conduit into the bowl.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on a valved pipe line between the water supply pipe leading to the tank and the stated conduit. This includes a cylinder arranged in the conduit. In addition a loaded or weighted piston is reciprocable in the cylinder. The piston has a head in its upper end which engages beneath the ball valve and when the water is turned on, the piston comes into play, lifts the valve and therefore sets the flush tank into operation.

In addition to the structural improvements the concept has to do with an adaptation and an arrangement which, it is believed, better fulfills the manufacturing requirements and economies of manufacturers, the sale and other business demands of wholesalers, retailers, plumbers and others and, in addition, fulfills the needs of the various users of such equipment.

The use of experimental models has also shown that this invention not only better fulfills the requirements of adaptations in this category of accomplishment, it is advantageous in that leakage is reduced to a minimum and noisy operation is virtually eliminated.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

4 United States Patent P 2,862,210 Patented Dec. 2, 1958 In the drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a flush tank and bowl combination embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the tank and sufiicient of the other parts to illustrate the chief features and advantages of the invention, the ball or tank valve being shown closed;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the position of the piston and valve when the valve is open; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1 the toilet bowl is denoted generally by the numeral 6 and the flush tank by the numeral 8. On the other hand the pipe which supplies water to the tank in a somewhat usual manner to be controlled by the inlet valve and water level control float arm is denoted at 10. With reference now to Figs. 2 and 3 the overflow pipe which is also conventional is denoted at 12. This is communicatively connected with a fitting at the bottom 14 of the tank in the water space 16 in the manner shown. The fitting 18 has a valve seat 20 for the free floating tank ball or bowl valve 22. The valve in this improved arrangement is confined for operation in a relatively tall open-work wire or an equivalent cage 24 which is secured at its lower end to the valve seat fitting.

The delivery conduit between the tank and bowl is denoted generally by the numeral 26 and this comprises a suitably constructed pipe the elbow 28 of which is connected with the depending portion of the fitting 18. If needed similarly constructed and performing prior art devices may be, of course, cited as covering similar adaptations. The improvement here is in providing means for exerting a stream of fluid pressure on the ball valve and lifting it from its closed position (Fig. 2) to its open position (Fig. 3). It is believed that perhaps various sources of fluid under pressure could be tapped for this purpose. It is preferred to use the available source of water to do so. That is to say, while a separate supply of air under pressure could be delivered beneath the ball to lift it up and unseat it the preferred construction is that wherein a valved pipe line 30 is utilized. One end of the pipe line 32 is connected to the water pipe 10 and the other end is connected to an elbow 34. Between the ends a suitable valve (not detailed) 36 is provided and this in turn is provided with a push button which is located in a convenient position for use by the user of the bowl. By pressing the button water from the supply line may be caused to dash into a cylinder 40 ar ranged in the conduit 20 in the manner seen in Fig. 2. The cylinder has its lower end portion connected suitably at 42 with the elbow. The cylinder is in direct alignment with and extends up into the neck portion of the fitting 18. Not only this it is provided within the confines of the conduit with ports 44 which are valved by the-lead weight or weighted piston valve 46. The valve stem or rod 48 has a head 50 on its upper end which is directly engageable beneath for lifting the ball 22 ofi its seat in the manner shown.

With this construction it will be evident that this invention will serve a long felt need insofar as all concerned are involved. In fact it will save on water bills, will reduce rattling to an absolute minimum. It is easy for all to operate including children. There is nothing complicated or to get out of order. Not only this the push button control aspect is modern and up to date. The ball is free to rest on the valve seat in such a manner and is caged in such a way as to avoid fouling and there is no jamming or rusting of rods to interfere with the operation.

The construction shows the water pressure supply entering the cylinder 40"by way of a pipe line 30 and valve 36' 'from the source 10- in a manner to force the piston 46 and piston rod up. This dislodges the caged ball from its seat and allows the ball to float to the top ofthe water in' the toilet'tank. When the lead piston and push rod goes beyond the ports or holes 44 the water pressure escapes throughthese holes and'thus keeps-the lead piston -just above them in' a fixed position; This enables the-pistonand -rod assemblyto stay within-the cylinder. the result is that parts gradually dropbacktotheir original or starting positions and the tankis readied for the next cycle of operation;

As before mentioned although a valvedwaterjpipefill' is provided vfor supplying iwater tofthecylinder and-piston, it is withinthe purview 'of theconceptto-utilize air under pressure.

The foregoing is considered as, illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, 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 and operation'shown and 'described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted "to, falling 'within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a flush tank provided at its bottom with a fitting having a valve seat situated in the water space of the tank, a water drainage conduit communicatively connected at one end with said fitting, the other end of said conduit being adapted to be connected to a toilet bowl to deliver water to the bowl, a ball tank valve normally resting on saidseat, an openwork cage attached at a lower end thereof to the fitting and rising within the water space in said tank and serving to confine said ball valve in a manner to allow the latter to The moment the *pressureis offat'this'point' travel upwardly with the tank water and then descend to take the position on its seat in the usual way, a cylinder of a cross-section less than the cross-section of the passage through the fitting, said cylinder being removably mounted at a lower end in the conduit and extending across the passage of the conduit and having its upper end extending into a lower end portion of the fitting and concentrically arranged and spaced from the passage in the fitting, a pipe line connected with. the cylinder at the lower end of the cylinder and adapted to supply water under pressure into the cylinder, a piston fitting slidably and operably in the bore of said cylinder and having an operating member operatively cooperable with said ball valve, that portion of said cylinder within the confines of the passage insaid conduit having ports therein and said piston constituting a valve and cooperating in predetermined timed association with the ports.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said operating member between the ball valve and piston comprises. a rod extending upwardly fromthe upper end of the piston and being provided with a disk-like head which is adapted to contact the ball valve, the upper end of said cylinder terminating in a plane below the plane of the valve seat, the lower end of the cylinder extending and below said conduit and being externally and internally threaded to facilitate making a connection between the pipe and cylinder and also between the cylinder and conduit.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,501,620 Reed July.15, 1924 7 1,516,391 Ludwig Nov. 18, 1924' 1,553,616 Johnson Sept. 15, 1925 2,341,116 Owens Feb. 8, 1944

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