US2922168A - Auxiliary flow control attachment for tank flushing systems - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 26, 1960 F. M. CRANDALL 2,922,158

AUXILIARY FLOW CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR TANK FLUSHING SYSTEMS Filed nec. s. 1957 2- Sheets-Sheet l I if" ATTORNEY Jan. 26, 1960 F. M. cRANDALL. 2,922,168

AUXILIARY FLOW CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR TANK FLUSHING SYSTEMS Filed-Dec. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1NVENT0R f AUXILIARY FLOW CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR TANK FLUSHING SYSTEMS Fred M. Crandall, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 9, 1957, Serial No. 701,559

8 Claims. (Cl. 4-53) This invention relates to ow control mechanism for toilet tank flush valves and has as its primary object the provision of a mechanism which may be applied to the conventional toilet tank ush valve system to convert it from a single control in which substantially the entire water content of the tank is discharged on each operation, to a dual or auxiliary control, whereby the usual single control is supplemented by a selective control whereby a predetermined portion of the water content of the tank may be delivered at an operation.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a construction in a toilet tank for the purpose of water conservation whereby only a portion of the water content of a tank is utilized to ush liquids from a toilet bowl yet permitting use of the water content of a filled tank where needed to ush solids from the bowl.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary ushing valve control which may be applied in the ordinary flushing valve systems without the necessity of material alterations thereof other than the provision of a dual control handle and the provision of a special valve stem and which alterations are applicable generally to existing toilet tank constructions.

Another object is to provide an auxiliary flushing valve control mechanism which is adapted to be readily adjusted to vary and regulate the volume of water discharged from a tank on operation thereof.

Another object is to provide an attachment of the above character which is simple and economical in construction which is durable and not liable to get out of order but in which operating parts may be readily replaced if need be.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation partly in section of the attachment showing it applied to the conventional flushing valve of a toilet tank with the parts shown in normal out of operation position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section and plan View as seen on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale and with portions broken away;

Figb` is an enlarged view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 partly in section and with portions broken away showing the parts in their operative positions;

Fig. 4 is a View in'vertical section and elevation as seen on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

lFig. 5 is a detail in horizontal sectionand plan as seen on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale with portions broken away; and

Fig. 6 is a detail in horizontal section taken on the, line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings more specifically A indicates generally av conventional, toilet tank havinga bottom wall States l? arent 7, side walls 8 and a removable cover 9. The bottom wall 7 is tted with the usual discharge pipe 10 leading therethrough having an open upper end the margin of which is contoured to provide a valve seat 11 for the reception of the usual flushing valve B. The upper portion of the pipe 10 has a lateral elbow 12 on which is mounted an upstanding overflow pipe 13 in the usual manner. The tank A is equipped with the conventional intake water supply pipe 14 and feed valve (not shown) controlled by a oat 15 in the usual manner.

The ushing `valve B normally rests on the seat 1I and is designed to open upwardly to permit discharge of water from the tank A through the discharge pipe 10, the valve 12 having an upstanding stem 16 connected by a link 17 to the outer end of an arm 18 fixed on" a rock shaft 19 extending through the front wall of the tank A land fitted at its outer end with a lever hand 20.

The stem 16, link 17, arm 18, rock shaft 19 and handle 20 constitute the usual mechanism commonly employed for manually lifting the valve B from its seat on depressing the lever handle 20, the mechanism and operation being such as to lift the valve B a sufficient distance above the seat 11 that the flow of water beneath the valve to discharge will sustain the valve in an elevated position independent of the handle lever 20 until the weight of the valve and its stem overcomes the water pressure beneath the valve and thereby cause the latter to move to its closed position.

The present invention resides in the provision of a mechanism adapted to be associated with the above described conventional tank flushing system butl operable independent thereof whereby the valve B may be lifted and sustained in a partly open or nearly closed position and maintained in such position in opposition to the pressure of water on either side of the valve for a predetermined time, or until a predetermined portion ofthe water content of the tank is discharged, together with means controlled by the fall of water levell in the tank for automatically freeing the valve from `its sustained partly open position to allow it to move to its closed position on the seat 11.

ln carrying out the invention as illustrtaed in the drawings, a supplemental hand operated control lever 21 is provided which lever is carried On a tubular sleeve 22 turnably mounted on and encompassing a portion ofthe rock shaft 19 and journalled in a bearing 23 extending through the front wall of the tank Ain a fashion comimon in devices of this character.

The handles 2) and 21 are preferably arranged to-ex.- tend laterally from opposite sides of the rock shaft 19 and sleeve 22 respectively as shown in Fig. 2, so that the levers may be readily operated independent ofy each other.

The inner end of the sleeve 22 has a downwardly extending inger 24 here shown as projecting alongside a horizontal pin 25 carried by a horizontally extending slide bar 26 slidably supported in a housing 27 adjustably mounted on and carried by the overflow pipe 13. The slide bar 26 extends longitudinally through the housing 27 and is pivotally connected at its outer end by av pivot pin 2S to the uper end of a vertically extending lever 29 fulcrumed intermediate its ends ony a pivot pin 30 carried on brackets 31 projecting from and carried by the housing 27. The lower end of the lever 29 hask a yoke 32 thereon arranged to be moved in and out' of engagement with the under side of a flange 33 mounted on the upper end of the valve stem 16. A flange 34 is mounted on the stem 16y in downwardly spaced relationv to the ange 33 which flange 34Y is arranged to project beneath the yoke 32 when the latter is in an advanced position whereby the lower end of the lever 29 carrying the yoke 3 3 will then' serve as a` stop to prevent exces:

sive upward movement of the valve stem and valve B under the upward thrust of discharging water on the under side of the latter. The flanges 33 and 34 are forrned yonrthe ends ofv a sleeve "a with which the upper end of -the valve stem 16 is xedly engaged. 1

The lower margin of the slide bar 26 is formed with a forwardly presented shoulder 35 adapted to be engaged, when the slide bar is in a retracted position, by a keeper 36 mounted for vertical movement in a guide-way 37 formed in the housing 27 and carried on a stern 38 projecting downwardly from the lower margin of the housing 27. The stem 38 is adjustably connected to a oat 39 arranged to be submerged in the body of water contained in the tank A and adapted to drop with the fall of water in the tank and then act as a weight to effect disengagement of the keeper 36 from the shoulder 35.

As a means for normally maintaining the slide bar 26 in its advanced position and for restoring it to such position from a retracted positionY a tensioned expansion spring 40 is provided and arranged to exert its thrust Abetween the housing 27 and the slide bar 26. -As here shown the spring 40 is mounted in a sleeve 41 having an end wall against which one end of the spring 40 bears, the sleeve 41 being formed integral with the yhousing 27. The other end of the spring 40 bears against a lug 42 formed on the upper margin of the slide bar 26 and extending into the sleeve 41.

As a means for adapting the above recited structure for application to'tank flushing systems of the character described, wherein the overilow pipe 13 and axes of the valve B and rock shaft 19 are variously spaced relative to'each other, several means of adjustment are provided Ito compensate for such variations. One of such adjustments resides in the mounting of the housing 27 on the overow pipe 13 which mounting embodies a split sleeve 43 adapted to be clamped on the pipe 13 in various positions longitudinally and circumferentially thereof, the sleeve embodying spaced parallel ears b-b connected by a clamping screw c in the manner common to devices of this character.

The sleeve 43 carries a horizontally extending ange 44 on which is supported for longitudinal adjustment a bracket 45 xed on and projecting rearwardly from the housing 27, the bracket 44 having a longitudinal slot 46 through which a clamping screw d extends into threaded engagement with the ange 44. This adjustment permits disposing the housing 27 in various positions inwardly and outwardly relative to the overflow pipe 13 as well as longitudinally and circumferentially of the latter in an obvious fashion.

Another adjustment resides in the mounting of the actuating pin 25 whereby it may be disposed in various fixed positions longitudinally of the slide bar 26 and also be swung laterally to extend in various angular relations to the slide bar. To this end the pin 25 is mounted on a slide block 47 seated against the under side of a rearwardly extending ange 48 projecting from the upper margin of the slide bar 26 which flange 48 has a longitudinal slot 49 through which extends a clamping screw 50 having threaded engagement with the block 47 and adapted to clamp the latter against movement relative to the slide block 26. However the slide bar 26 may be connected to the linger 24 in any suitable conventional fashion. T he forward end 48' of the flange 48 serves as an abutment in co-operation with the adjacent end of the housing 27 to limit forward movement of the slide bar 26 under the urge of the spring 40.

As a means for varying the extent of submergence of the oat 39 in the body of water contained in the tank A and whereby the moment of dropping of the float 39 at a certain lowered level of the water is determined, the float is connected to the stem 38 of the keeper 36 by a threaded stem 51 which is screwed into an internally threaded bore in the stem 38 and also into an internally threaded socket 52 carried by the float 39, as particularly shown in Fig. 3. rBy varying the extent of engagement of the stem 51 with the stem` 38 and sleeve 52 the extent of submergence of the oat 39 may be readily elected.

From the foregoing it will be seen that normal operation of the tank flushing mechanism in effecting Ifull discharge of water content of the tank A may be accomplished in the usual manner'by depressing the hand lever 20 tothereby turn the rock shaft 19 and thus elevate the arm 18 so as to initially lift the valve B from its seat v11 through the link 17 and valve stem 16. When this occurs theoutflowing water boosts the Vvalve B to its uppermost elevated position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. lV independent of the links 17 and arm 18, with the flange 34 on the stem 16 passing the outer end of the yoke 32 which is then retracted clear of the path of travel of the ange 34. On dropping of the water level to a point below the center of gravity of the valve B the latter will move downwardly to its closed position on' the seat 11 in the usual manner whereupon refilling of the tank under the control of the float will occur, all 'in the usual fashion. In the operation of the invention when it is desired to effect discharge of a predetermined portion of the normal Water content of the tank A, the lever 21 is depressed to rock the sleeve 22 and swing the finger 24 rearwardly to thereby eiect retraction of the slide bar in opposition to the spring 40.

YRetraction of the slide bar 26 acts to swing the upper end of the lever 29 rearwardly and thereby advance the yoke 32 on the lower end thereof upwardly on an arcuate path of travel into abutting engagement with the underside of the ange 33 on the valve stern 26 so that continued'movement of the slide bar and lever will move the valve stem 16 upwardlyand thereby lift the valve B a short distance lfrom the seat 11 to a partly open position where the valve comes to rest and is maintained in such position by combined upward thrust of water then owing over the underside of the valve and the weight of water imposed'on the upper face of the valve which forces are counter-balanced when the valve is slightly opened. However the ilanges 33 and 34 then co-operate with the yoke 32 on the lower end of the lever 29 in acting as abutments 4to prevent closing of the valve or ex cessive opening thereof.

On the slide bar 26 being retracted to a position where the shoulder 35 rides past the keeper 36 the latter will move upwardly under the thrust of the float 39 so as to project in front of the shoulder 35 inV engagement therewith thereby holdingthe slide bar 26 against advance movement under the urge of the spring 4i) for a period of time determined by the lowering level of the water in the tank A then being discharged past thepartly open valve B. Such period is predetermined by adjustment of the float 39 relative to the kstern 38 as before` described. When the water level has `fallen to the desired extent by discharge of the-regulated portion of the water the oat 39 will have moved downward suicient'to withdraw the keeper 36 out of engagement with the shoulder 35. The spring 40 will then act to advance the slide bar 26 to its forwardmost position where movement of the slide bar is arrested by the shoulder 48 abutting the housing 27. This action of the spring 40 will be augmented by a downward pull exerted on the yoke 32 on the lower end of the lever by the valve B through the flange 33 which pull occurs when the yoke 32 on its downward movement under the urge of the spring 40 engages the flange 43 and depresses the stem 16 and valve B to a point where the weight of the water imposed upon the valve B overpowers the upward thrust of the water passing beneath the valve so as to act toadvance the valve to'its closed position. On the valve being seated the spring 40 will act to continue advance of the slide bar 26 so as to restore the lever 29 to its j normal position with the yoke 32 retracted from between the flanges 33-34. 'Y l Y Y Advance movementY of the slide bar 26 causes the pin 25 to restore the finger 24, sleeve 22 and operating lever 21 to their normal position.

An advantageous feature derived from the use of the invention in addition to effecting conservation of water is a marked decrease in the objectionable noise ordinarily incident to the usual toilet ilushing operations particularly where such noise is disturbing to hearers and where quiet is desirable.

While I have shown and described a specic embodiment of the invention, I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, and the invention ernbraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a flushing system for toilets and the like, embodying a tank, a vertical discharge pipe leading from said tank having a valve seat on its upper end, and a normally closed upwardly opening valve on said seat; a handle on said tank, mechanism normally out of operative relation to said valve adapted to be actuated by said handle into detachable engagement with said valve to open the latter, a oat in said tank, and means connected to and controlled by said oat releasably engageable with said mechanism to hold said valve in a partly open position operable to release said valve on downward movement of said oat.

2. The structure called for in claim 1 together with screw means for raising or lowering said float relative to said mechanism to Vary the timing of operation of said last named means.

3. In a iiush valve system for toilet tanks including -a discharge pipe, a Valve seat thereon, a normally closed upwardly opening valve on said seat, and an upstanding stem on said valve; a lever pivotally supported within the tank, co-operating means on said lever and stem for placing said lever and stem in and out of operative engagement, a handle carried by the tank, mechanism connecting said handle to said lever for actuating the latter into engagement with said stem to elevate the latter and thereby open said valve, a float in said tank, means controlled by said float for detachably holding said lever in its stem elevating position adapted to release said lever and thereby free said stem on downward movement of said oat.

4. The structure called for in claim 3 together with an adjustment connecting said iloat and said last named means for varying the timing of actuation of the latter.

5. In a ush valve system for toilet tanks including a discharge pipe, a valve seat thereon, a normally closed upwardly opening valve on said seat, an upstanding stem on said valve and an upstanding overow pipe; the combination of a housing carried by said overflow pipe, a lever carried by said housing, a slide bar connected to said lever, spring means interposed between said housing and said slide bar normally maintaining the latter in a position wherein said lever is out of operative engagement with said valve stem, means for interengaging said lever and said valve stem for lifting the latter and opening the valve thereon on swinging said lever in one direction, manually operable means for retracting said slide bar to thereby actuate said lever and open said valve, and means engageable with said slide bar to hold it in its retracted position operable by the lowering of the water in a tank to a predetermined level to restore said slide bar.

6. The structure called for in claim 5 in which said last named means comprises a float, a keeper on said float abutting said slide bar under the urge of said iloat, and a shoulder on said slide bar arranged to be releasably er1- gaged by said keeper when said slide bar is retracted.

7. In a flushing system for toilets and the like ernbodying a tank and a normally closed upwardly opening valve controlling discharge of liquid from said tank; an upstanding lever in said tank, a mounting therefor, an upstanding stem on said valve, a flange on said stem, means on said lever engageable with said ange to lift said stem upwardly and thereby partly open said valve, yieldable means acting on said lever to normally hold said last named means out of engagement with said flange, manually operable means for actuating said lever and flange engaging means in opposition to said yieldable means, and float controlled means releasably engageable with said last named means for holding said valve in its partly open position for a predetermined period.

8. The structure called for in claim 7 together with a second flange on said stem spaced beneath said first named ange engageable with the lower end of said lever to limit limit upward movement of said stern and valve when the lower end of said lever is in an advanced position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 511,540 Morford et al Dec. 26, 1893 934,353 Prichett Sept. 14, 1909 1,586,655 Cook June 1, 1926 2,532,977 White Dec 5, 1950

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