US3095580A - Sink mounting construction - Google Patents

Description

July 2, 1963 M. J JUST 3,095,580

SINK MOUNTING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 5, 1962 United States Patent Oflice Patented July 2, 1963 3,095,580 SINK MOUNTING CONSTRUCTION Matyas J. Just, 3000 Sheridan Road, Chicago, Ill. Filed June 5, 1962, Ser. No. 200,199 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-187) This invention relates to a sink and drainboard mounting construction. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved clamping and attaching structure for connecting a sink to a drainboard.

A prime object of this invention is to provide an improved attaching structure for connecting a sink to a drainboard, the said construction being an improvement over my sink mounting arrangement disclosed in my Patent No. 3,029,445, patented April 17, 1962.

Another object is to provide an improved mounting construction for attaching a sink to a drainboard wherein the construction includes clamping elements which are readily adjustable to provide an effective attaching means without the utilization of a separate attaching ring such as is used in many conventional sink mounting structures.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting construction for attaching a sink within the opening of a drainboard, the said attaching construction including clamping means which are both horizontally and vertically adjustable to a plurality of positions so as to facilitate the attachment of the sink rim to the drainboard.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved clamping means including a plurality of clamping elements which permit the quick attachment of the sink structure within the opening of a drainboard wherein the clamping elements can be manually adjusted to tightly clamp the sink rim and sealing engagement with the upper edge of the drainboard.

Another and important object of the invention is to provide a sink bowl having a plurality of channel brackets fastened underneath the rim of said bowl, the channel brackets including improved seating means for supporting the upper ends of an L-shaped clamp, the said clamps being vertically adjustable relative to the seating means to accommodate different thicknesses in drainboards and to effectively secure the said sink to the drainboard by the simple manipulation of a threaded fastener.

These and other objects will become more readily apparent from a reading of the description when examined in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a portion of a drainboard having a sink secured thereto;

FIGURE 2 is an underneath view of a sink connected to a drainboard, the said view disclosing attaching brackets and a plurality of clamping elements securing the said sink to the drainboard;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of an improved clamping element;

FIGURE 5 is a front view of the improved clamping element shown in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the improved clamping element shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

Referring now to the drawing, a sink and drainboard construction is generally shown by the reference character 10. The sink is generally designated at 11 and the drainboard is generally designated at 12. The drainboard is of a laminated construction having an upper surface 13 and a lower surface 14, these surfaces being of a generally conventional plastic construction. The drainboard 12 is provided with an opening 15 in which the sink 11 is positioned.

The sink comprises a rim portion 16 extending around a bowl generally designated at 17. The portion 16 at its peripheral edge is provided with an arcuate edge 16 which, as best shown in FIGURE 3, is seatedon the portions of the drainboard 12 adjacent the opening 15. The bowl 17 may be of a conventional stainless steel construction and includes a drain opening 15.

The sink 11 is provided with a plurality of channel brackets designated at 19, these being suitably secured to the underneath side of the rim portion 16, as best shown in FIGURE 3. The brackets 19 may be secured to said rim portion 16 by welding or other conventional securing means. As best shown in FIGURE 2, four of the brackets 19 are employed. Each bracket comprises an upper fiat portion 20 and includes a pair of inwardly turned flanges 21 which have their ends suitably spaced apart to provide an elongated slot in each of the brackets 19. A downwardly extending lip 22 is connected to one of the flanges 21 which flange is disposed closest to the sink bowl 17. The downwardly extending lip 22 is of substantial length as best shown in FIGURE 3, the said lip also extending coextensive with the length of each of the brackets 19. The downwardly extending lips 22 of the brackets 19 provide on opposite sides thereof vertical seating portions 23. These seating portions thus are in opposed relation on opposite sides of the lip 22.

Improved means for securely connecting the sink 11 to the drainboard 12 are provided by means of L-sh-aped clamps generally designated at 24. Each L-shaped clamp 24, as shown in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, is provided with a generally horizontal leg having at one end an offset horizontal portion 26 and at its other end a plurality of transversely spaced prongs 26' projecting upwardly. The offset horizontal portion 26 is provided with a vertically extending threaded opening 27. The clamp 24 includes an upwardly extending member providing a first vertical finger 28 disposed between and spaced from laterally spaced fingers 29 which provide a slot or recess 30 of slightly greater width than the lip 22. A threaded fastener 31 is screwed through the opening 27, the said threaded fastener having at its lower end a screwdriver slot 32 and being provided at its upper end with a head 33 which is supported in the brackets 19 by the flanges 21. Thus the head 33 and fastener 31 may slide longitudinally within the brackets 19 to permit horizontal adjustment as desired.

During the installation the sink bowl is disposed within the opening 15 with the edges 16' seated in the position shown in FIGURE 3. It is then a simple matter to insert the fasteners 31 and each of the clamps is then applied with the lips 22 disposed in the slots 30 in mating relation. Since the lips 22 are of substantial length and the fingers 28 and 29 are also of substantial length, the clamps 24 permit the securing of sinks to a vast variety of drainboards of different thicknesses. Thus the thickness of the drainboard will in no way cause difficulty during the installation of the sink. Further, during the turning action of the threaded fastener 31, the fingers 28 and 29 maintain the position of the clamps against turning movement as well as cocking movement since the fingers 28 and 29 are in engagement with the lip on opposite sides thereof to effectuate a positive positioning of the clamp during tightening of the threaded fastener 31. Thus turning of the clamp is prevented as well as cocking of the clamp and the prongs 26 efiectively penetrate the lower edge of the drainboard to securely draw the edge 16 into tight engagement with the upper edge of the drainboard.

Thus a simple and yet very effective clamp is provided which will remain in the position as shown in FIGURE 3 during the tightening of the fastener 31 so that, in effect, the operator merely inserts a screwdriver in the slot 32 without the utilization of any further tools or holding members.

Thus the objects of the invention have been fully achieved, and it must be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as disclosed, or from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is.

In a sink structure including a drainboard having a certain thickness dimension and an opening, a sink positioned within said opening, said sink including a bowl and a horizontal rim extending around said bowl, said rim having an edge portion engaging the upper surface of said drainboard; a clamping structure for securing said sink to said drainboard comprising a channel bracket connected to said rim and projecting downwardly within said opening, said bracket including a pair of horizontal inwardly extending flanges having edges spaced apart to provide on said bracket a slot, a downwardly extending lip on one of said flanges and being substantially horizontally coextensive therewith, said lip providing on opposite sides thereof opposed vertical seating portions substantially the thickness dimension of said drainboard, a plurality of securing clamps supported on said bracket, said clamps each having a horizontal leg extending underneath said drainboard, said horizontal leg including a first horizontal portion engaging the underneath side of said drainboard, said leg further including a downwardly extending second portion connected to said first portion and a third horizontal portion disposed vertically in alignment with said channel bracket, and a vertical member on each clamp connected to said third horizontal portion, said vertical member including at least one pair of vertical fingers horizontally spaced from each other and having opposed flat faces to provide a slot of greater width than said lip, said flat faces of said fingers overlapping and engaging said opposed seating portions whereby the greater portion of said lip is disposed in said slot of said clamp, said third horizontal portion of said leg having a threaded opening, a vertical threaded fastener extending through said opening, said fastener extending through the slot of said bracket and having at its upper end a head 0 which is slidable horizontally within said bracket whereupon tightening of said fastener said sink is secured to said drainboard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,727,248 Switzer Dec. 20, 1955 2,996,730 Hornik Aug. 22, 1961 3,029,445 Just Apr. 17, 1962 OTHER REFERENCES Domestic Engineering, page 72, January 1962.

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