US3063063A

US3063063A - Quick-action toilet hinge-post coupling

Info

Publication number: US3063063A
Application number: US841154A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ray G Brooks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-09-21
Filing date: 1959-09-21
Publication date: 1962-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1979-11-13

Description

Nov. 13, 1962 R. G. BROOKS QUICK-ACTION TOILET HINGE-POST COUPLING Filed Sept. 21, 1959 INVEN TOR.

R. G. BROOKS W TTORNE Y 3,063,063 QUlCK-ACTEUN TOILET HINGE-POST COUPLING Ray G. Brooks, Tucson, Ariz. (Denison, Tex.) Filed Slept. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 841,154 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-236) This invention relates to a quickly detachable toilet hinge-post fastening device. More particularly the in vention relates to a locking device for the anchoring bolt of a toilet seat hinge that facilitates the quick and easy removal of the toilet seat from a wall closet or bowl when it is desired to clean the bowl.

An object of the invention is to provide a quick-action coupling which is adapter to fasten a toilet hinge post securely to a wall closet and yet permit quick and easy removal of the seat without the use of special tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for the anchoring bolt of a toilet seat hinge that is relatively small and compact in structure and which is conveniently manipulated to effect releasing of the toilet seat from the bowl.

A further object of the invention is to provide a quick-action coupling for a toilet seat hinge that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise Well adapted for the purposes for which it is intended.

Other objectives and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a water closet showing one embodiment of the quick-action coupling of the present invention applied thereto in use;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational View, partly in section, of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 showing the coupling in locked position;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 showing the relationship of the various parts thereof to each other and to the hin e-post of a toilet seat;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG- URE 1 taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

Heretofore the threaded anchoring bolts of toilet seat hinge-posts have usually been secured to a toilet bowl by a nut, a metallic washer and a rubber gasket. Such a construction requires the use of a wrench or a pair of pliers to remove the nut from the bolt. This discourages the person cleaning the water closet from removing the seat before cleaning the bowl. If the seat is not first removed, the area of the bowl which lies under and be hind the seat hinge structure is very difiicult to clean satisfactorily.

Althou h prior art devices which depart from the aforementioned construction facilitate removal of the toilet seat without the use of special tools are known, they have the drawbacks that they do not maintain the seat tightly on the bowl and they are somewhat ditficult to remove.

My invention, on the other hand, provides a quick action coupling which firmly secures the seat to the bowl and which is easy to remove without the use of special tools or the exertion of excess energy.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 to 4 of the drawings wherein one embodiment of the invention is disclosed, the numeral represents the present quick-action coupling generally including a male coupling member 11, a female coupling member 12, a sleeve 13 slidably carried ice by the female member 12, a locking ball 14 maintained in an opening 16 in the female member 12 by means of the sleeve 13 and adapted to seat in a depression or groove 17 in the male member 11, a resilient ring 13 which is carried in an annular groove 20 on the inside wall of the sleeve 13 and adapted to engage first and second

annular depressions

21 and 22, respectively, on the outside wall of the female member 12, and a threaded bushing 24 which threadedly engages the upper end of the female member 12. A snap ring 25 prevents the sleeve 13 from sliding off the lower end of the female member 12.

The bushing 24 is provided with a faceted flange 26 and a nut 28 whereby wrenches may be applied to secure the bushing in the usual aperture in the rim 30 of a toilet bowl 32. The female member 12 is also provided with a faceted flange 34 to which a wrench may be applied to connect and disconnect the female member 12 to the threaded end portion 36 of the bushing 24.

The male member 11 carries internal threads 37 (PEG. 3) which threadedly engage the regular anchoring bolt 38 of a toilet seat hinge 39 and is adapted to pass through the bushing 24 with small clearance, and into the female member 12. The male member 11 is held in place in the female member 12 by the locking ball 14 engaging the groove 17 on the lower portion of male member 11. The inner wall of the sleeve 13 maintains the locking ball 14 in engagement with the groove 17 when the sleeve 13 is in the position shown in FIGURE 2. The resilient ring 18 maintains the sleeve 13 in this position by frictional engagement with the depression 21 in the outer wall of the female member 12. The locking ball 14 is released by sliding the sleeve 13 upwardly until the cut-out portion 42 of the sleeve 13 receives the locking ball 14'. The sleeve 13 is held in its upper position by frictional engagement with the upper depression 22. When the sleeve 13 is in its upper position, the male member 11 is not locked because the locking ball 14 is out of engagement with groove 17. This frees both hands of the person removing the toilet seat 44.

It will be seen that the invention provides a locking device for the anchoring bolt of a toilet seat hinge that facilitates the quick and easy removal of the seat from a wall closet or bowl when it is desired to clean the bow].

Many modifications and variations of the invention, as set forth herein, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawing and specification herein are to be considered for purposes of illustration rather than of limitation.

I claim:

In a water closet including a bowl having an aperture, a seat, and an exteriorly threaded post for securing said seat relative to said bowl and received in said aperture, means for securing said post relative to said bowl comprising an anchoring element having a ball-receiving groove near one end thereof, said anchoring element having interior threads extending from its other end down to said ball-receiving groove for threadedly engaging said post, a female member mounted in said aperture and encompassing said anchoring element, said female member having a ball-receiving opening therein, a ball mounted in said opening for movement into and out of said groove to lock and release said anchoring element, and means urging said ball into engagement with said groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 651,354 Hogan June 12, 1900 2,434,167 Knoblauch Ian. 6, 1948 2,593,534 Campanelli Apr. 22, 1952