US2931613A - Clamp support for shower devices - Google Patents

Description

A ril 5, 1960 H. GROHE 2,931,613

CLAMP SUPPORT FOR SHOWER DEVICES Filed Feb. 13, 1958 INVENTOR HANS GROHE BY Q4/Z.A7%Z

ATTORNEY United States A Patent 0. a p

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 14, 1957 p 5 Claims. (Cl. 248 430) The invention relates to shower devices which comprise a shower rose having a handle and means for supporting the rose on a supporting pin on a sliding socket or sleeve adapted to slide on a wall tube or rod and to be clamped thereon in various positions. Hitherto it has been proposed to clamp the sliding socket at the desired height on the tube or rod by means of an eccentric operated by a hand lever which carries the supporting pin for the shower rose.

Owing to the metal to metal contact between the eccentric and the tube or rod, free sliding movement is diflicult. Moreover, the load put on the eccentric clamp by the lever and shower rose during the displacement of theclamp which is then titlted is a hindrance. Further, the eccentric clamp with the head lever cannot normally be opened sufiiciemly to permit of adjustment or displacement with gentle friction.

The tightening of the clamp necessitates considerable pressure by the hand lever which is apt to dent the tube or rod. 7

According to the invention, a holder for a hand shower device comprises a sliding socket or sleeve which carries a supporting pin for the shower rose, and is ad- 2,931,613 Patented Apr. 5, 196i) or projection 110 to which an upright supporting pin 12 is secured.

justable on a wall tube or rod, the sliding socket or sleeve 5 having a lateral boss for the reception of a clamping bolt which is adapted to act as a resilient pressure pad composed of a material which is capable of sliding easily on metal, the bolt being actuated by a knob which is screwed on the socket and is capable of limited movement between stops. The bolt or a pad on its end is preferably made of rubber or nylon, polythene plastic or other suitable synthetic material or metal.

The holder according to the invention has the advantages that the clamp can be opened and closed quickly and easily, the clamping pressure can be felt by the operator, and further as a result of the cooperation between the pressure pad of rubber, synthetic material or the like, and the wall tube or rod, frictional conditions are ob tained which enable the upward and downward displacement of the holder to be very easy even with the shower rose in position.

An example of adjustable support for a shower rose according to the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view showing the sliding socket on a tube or rod, but with the knob removed;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the knob detached;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment showing the actuating mechanism for the clamping bolt, the socket being omitted herein for purposes of clarity, and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 44 of Fig. 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the tubular slide or socket, generally indicated by the numeral 11, is mounted on a wall tube 10 which may be fixed to a wall by brackets (not shown). The socket 11 com sists of a sleeve 1111 with a lateral boss 11b and a bracket A clamping bolt or pin 13 is mounted in the bore 11d of the boss 11b. .The end of the bolt adjacent to the interior of the sleeve 110 has a pressure pad 14 which may be shaped to correspond with the shape of the wall tube or rod. In this example the pressure pad 14 is composed of a synthetic materialwhich will slide easily on metal and is sufiiciently resilient to prevent denting of or damage to the wall tube under the efiect of the clamping pressureexertedby the operator. The boss 11b has a screw-,thread lle at the inner end of which is a groove 11 and'a shoulder 11g." The amount to which a knob 15 can 7 be moved 'on the screw-thread 11e depends on the width of the groove 11!, the ends of which form stops to limit the movement of a grub screw 16 provided on the knob and entering the groove. The inner end of screw 16 projects into the groove 11 between the shoulder 11g and the beginning of the threads He and will accordingly be confined between these two parts to define the limits of axial movement of the knob 15 as it is screwed upon the threads He. The screw-thread He is of adequate pitch to enable a short rotation of the knob to release or to effect a clamping of the holder, so that the holder together with the hand shower rose can be easily displaced or adjusted up and down the wall tube or rod without self-locking, even when the clamping bolt is in frictional contact.

Instead of the bolt 13 being provided with a pad at its end, the bolt 13 may be made of plastic or other suitable material capable of sliding easily on the rod or tube 10.

Figures 3 and 4 show a modification in accordance with the present invention in which the clamping bolt is made integral with the control knob which enables a ready disengagement of the clamping bolt in the case where the latter has a tendency to jam or to become blocked in the support channel thereof, for example, as a-result of seizing or by reason of an accumulation of limestone, rust. or other deposit or for any other reason.

According to the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, the clamping bolt 13', which at one end thereof again is provided with an elastic pad 14, is hollow, and at the other end thereof is closed by an end wall 13" provided with a central aperture. A circular member 22' is accommodated within the space of the hollow bolt 13' and connected, by a sleeve member or rod 21 passing through the aperture provided in the end wall 13", with a collar portion 22 which is rigidly connected with the control knob 15 by any suitable means. The socket of the em bodiment of Figures 3 and 4, which is not shown therein, may be identical with that showing in Figures 1 and 2 and designated therein by reference numeral 11.

As a result of the construction shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bolt 13, though retaining a certain amount of freedom of movement, may be readily disengaged if this becomes necessary by unscrewing the knob 15 until the circular member 22' abuts against the end wall 13"." At that point, by continuing the unscrewing movement of the knob 15, the bolt 13' is moved together with the latter and is thereby unblocked.

I claim:

1. A holder for a hand shower device adapted to adjustably hold the same on a metal rod comprising a sliding 7 socket having an internal passage conforming to the exsaid rod and forming a resilient pressure pad composed of a material which .is capable of sliding easily on nietal,

,bossand being capable of limited movemcntbetween said stops on 'said boss.

2. A ,holder for a hand shower device according to claim 1 wherein said clamping bolt is providedjwith a pad made of resilient material selectedfrom the group consisting of nylon, polythene or like'synthetic material, 'andrnetal. V

3. A holder fora hand shower device according to claim 1, wherein said bolt is madeof a material-selected vfrom the group consisting of nylon, polythene or like synthetic material, and metal; 7 I

4. A holder for ya hand shower device, according to .claim 1, further comprisingmeans connectingsajid knob withsaid bolt in sucha manner that upon predetermined uns rewing m v ment of said kn said bolt is. forcib entrained by said knob to positively disengage said bolt.

5. A holder for a hand shower device, according to claim 4, wherein such bolt is hollow and provided at one end thereof with an elastic pad, said bolt being provided at the end thereof, opposite said elastic pad, with an end wall having an aperture, a circular member disposed within said hollow bolt, and means, including a member extending through said aperturqlfor connecting saidlcircular member with 'said knob'."

References Cited in the file of this patent Q UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,545,784 Kenner -..f., Mar. 20, 1951 2,711,300 Nelson June 21, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 754,123 Great Britain Aug. 1, 1956

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