US3143744A

US3143744A - Plumbing aid

Info

Publication number: US3143744A
Application number: US257194A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry R Greer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-02-08
Filing date: 1963-02-08
Publication date: 1964-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 1981-08-11

Description

H. R. GREER PLUMBING AID Aug.. 11, 1964 Filed Feb. 8, 1963 INVENTOR Henry R. Greer ATTHNEHS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. R. GREER PLUMBING AID INVENTOR. Y Henry R. Greer BY JM, @pkw 79m@ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,143,744 PLUMBING All) Henry R. Greer, 690 Juniper St. NE., Atlanta, Ga. Filed Feb. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 257,194 6 Claims. (Cl. 4-192) This invention relates to building construction and modification, and more particularly to a panel for a building which permits the easy and convenient installation of plumbing in a new or modified building by even an unskilled worker.

For both the skilled and unskilled worker, the layout and installation of plumbing in the most eliicient and economical manner is dili'icult. For the homeowner unskilled in the plumbing art, the proper positioning of pipes and iittings and the installation of plumbing without structurally damaging the building is practically impossible.

This invention provides for the convenient installation of plumbing in new construction and during the course of modification of existing construction by even the unskilled worker. It insures that pipes are properly arranged and placed in position in the building. This is accomplished eii'iciently without the necessity of signincantly altering the frame of the building.

These and other improvements in the layout and installation of plumbing are achieved by a plumbing installation aid suitable for use as a wall panel in a building and having tabs, holes and grooves which determine the placement of the pipes and fittings for a typical plumbing installation. Using the panel of the invention, the plumbing is installed not only in the proper position but also with only the scoring of the building frame being necessary. Elaborate or extensive changes in the frame of the building are unnecessary.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all figures and in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the layout of a typical plumbing for a bath tub, toilet and wash basin.

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the plumbing installation panel arranged for the installation of the typical plumbing installation shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the plumbing installation panel installed in a building with the positions of the bath tub, toilet and wash basin in front of the panel indicated in dashed outline.

FIG. 4 is a section View of the plumbing installation panel taken in line 4 4 in FIG. 2 but with the upper portion omitted and with the panel mounted against the studs of the building.

These figures and the following detailed description disclose a preferred speciiic embodiment of the invention, but the invention is not limited to the details disclosed since the invention may be embodied in other equivalent forms.

This invention is best understood as being a plumbing installation panel 1li having grooves 11, holes 12 and tabs 13 which determine the layout of a typical plumbing installation 14 providing for a bath tub, toilet and wash basin. The plumbing installation panel replaces a portion of the wall board which is customarily nailed to the studs 15 of a building and like the wall board customarily used, the plumbing installation panel may be nailed to the studs 15 of the building. Moreover, the front surface 16 of the panel 10 may be painted, papered or tiled in the same manner as wall board.

In the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, the panel 10 is suiliciently large to cover all that portion of the interior wall 17 of the building in front 3,143,744l Patented Aug. 11, 1964 of which the bath tub, toilet and wash basin are to be placed. ln the back surface 18 of the panel is a pattern of grooves 11 which establish the layout behind the wall 17 of the hot water pipe 19 to the bath tub and wash basin and of the cold Water pipe 20 to the bath tub, toilet and wash basin. Holes 12 are placed at various points along the grooves 11 to establish the locations at which the hot water pipe 19 and cold water pipe 20 pass through the wall 17 for connection to the bath tub, toilet and wash basin.

The panel 10 has tabs 13 extending behind it and in front of it. The tabs 13 have holes 21 passing through their ends and the location of the tabs 13, the holes 21 and a hole 22 through the panel 10 establish the layout behind and through the wall 17 and beneath the floor 23 of the drain pipe 24 necessary for the particular bath tub, toilet and wash basin installation. The spacing blocks 25 cooperate with the holes 21 in the tabs 13 in iixing the proper position of the drain pipe 24 behind the back surface 18 of the panel 10.

The layout and forming of the hot water pipe 19, cold Water pipe 20, and drain pipe 24 installation necessary for a bath tub, toilet and wash basin can be accomplished by simply forming to lit and placing the hot water pipe 19 and cold water pipe 20 in accordance with the grooves 11 and holes 12 in the panel 10 and the drain pipe 24 in accordance with the location of the tabs 13, the holes 21 in the tabs 13, the spacing blocks 25, and the hole 22 in the panel 10. The hot Water pipe 19, cold water pipe 20, and drain pipe 24 installation behind and through the wall 17 can be completely formed in this simple fashion before the panel 10 is placed in position against the studs 15 of the wall 17.

The plumbing installation 14 can be fastened to the panel 10 with clips and brackets of known type and the panel 19 and plumbing installation 14 placed in position as part of the wall 17 as a unit or the plumbing installation 14 can be irst placed in the position in the wall 17 and the panel 10, with the tabs 13 removed, subsequently added. In either event, the plumbing installation 14 will have been formed using the grooves 11,

holes

12, 21, and 22, the tabs 13 and the spacing blocks 25. In this connection it is apparent that the grooves 11 may be replaced by lines laid out on the panel 10.

\Vhen the plumbing installation 14 and panel 10 are placed in position as part of the wall 17, the drain pipe 24 will be between studs 15 and extending beneath the floor and through the panel 10 to the proper positions for draining the bath tub, toilet and Wash basin. The hot water pipe 19 and cold water pipe 20 will be between and across the studs 15 and extending through the panel 10. Since the panel 10 serves as a portion of the structure of the wall 17, the thickness of the panel 10 is limited to that of the wall board customarily used in building. Thus, the grooves 11 in which the hot water pipe 19 and cold water pipe 20 are placed can not be as deep as the diameter of these

pipes

19 and 20. In order to permit the panel 10 to be placed ush against the studs 15, it is necessary to score the studs 15 where the hot water pipe 19 and cold water pipe 20 pass across the studs 15 between the studs and the panel 10. The scores 26 and the grooves 11 form a channel 27 in which the hot water pipe 19 and cold water pipe 20 are placed.

The scoring of the studs 15 does not signicantly weaken the studs 15 and is easier to accomplish than the drilling of holes through studs 15 which is usually required for a plumbing installation 14. This is true even if the grooves 11 are replaced by lines and the channel 27 is formed entirely of the scores 26.

What is claimed as invention is:

1. A plumbing installation aid for installing in the wall of a building the plumbing installation for a bath tub, toilet and wash basin, said wall having studs to which wall board can be attached; said plumbing installation to have a hot Water pipe `and a cold Water pipe within and extending through the Wall and a drain pipe with a vertical segment within the Wall, a vertical segment beneath the position occupied by the bathtub, a vertical segment beneath the position occupied by the toilet, and a horizontal segment extending through the wall to the wash basin; and said plumbing installation aid comprising a panel having a backV surface which Will fit flush against the studs of the Wall, a front surface resembling the wall board customarily used in buildings, grooves in its back surface which correspond in position with reference to said surface to the positions of the hot Water pipe and cold Water pipe with reference to the back surface of the panel when they are installed in the wall and the panel is flush against the studs, tabs extending from and perpendicular to its back surface with holes Whose centers correspond in position with reference to the panel to the position of the centerline of the vertical segment of the drain pipe Within the Wall with reference to the panel when the said segment is installed in the wall and the panel is flush against the studs, tabs extending from and perpendicular to its front surface with holes whose cenlters correspond in position with reference to the panel to the positions of the centerlines of the vertical segment of the drain pipe beneath the bath tub and the vertical segment of the drain pipe beneath the toilet when they are installed and the panel is flush against the studs, and holes passing through it at those locations in which the hot water pipe, the cold water pipe and the drain pipe will pass through it when they are installed and the panel is ush against the studs.

2. A plumbing aid for installing a plumbing installation in the wall of a building, said Wall having studs to which wall board can be attached; said plumbing installation having a Water pipe within and extending through the wall and a drain pipe with a vertical segment within the Wall, a vertical segment beneath the position occupied by the bath tub, a vertical segment beneath the position occupied by the toilet, and a horizontal segment extending through the wall to the Wash basin; and said plumbing aid comprising a panel having a back surface which will t ush against the studs, a front surface resembling the wall board customarily used in buildings, grooves in its back surface which correspond in position With reference to said surface to the position of the water pipe with reference to the back surface of the panel when it is installed in the wall and the panel is flush against the studs, tabs extending from and perpendicular to its back surface with holes whose centers correspond in position with reference to the panel to the position of the center-line of the vertical segment of the drain pipe within the wall with reference to the panel when the said segment is installed in the Wall and the panel is flush against the studs, tabs extending from and perpendicular to its front surface with holes whose centers correspond in position with reference to the panel to the positions of the centerlines of the vertical segment of the drain pipe beneath the bath tub and the vertical segment of the drain pipe beneath the toilet when they are installed and the panel is flush against the studs, and Vholes passing through it at those locations in which Water pipe and drain pipe will pass through it when they are installed and the panel is ilush against the studs.

3. A plumbing aid for installing a plumbing installation in the Wall of a building, said Wall having studs to which Wall board can be attached; said plumbing installation `to have a water pipe Within and extending through the Wall and a drain pipe with a vertical segment within the wall; and said plumbing aid having a back surface which Will t flush against the studs, a front surface resembling the wall board customarily used in buildings, indicia on its back surface Whose positions on said surface correspond to the position of the water pipe relative to the back surface of the panel when it is installed in the wall and the panel is flush against the studs, tabs extending from and perpendicular to its back surface with holes Whose centers correspond in position with reference to the panel to the position of the centerline of the vertical segment of the drain pipe Within the Wall with reference to the panel when the said segment is installed in the Wall and the panel is ush against the studs, and holes passing through it at those locations in which the water pipe will pass through it when it is installed and the panel is flush against the studs.

4. A plumbing aid for installing a plumbing installation in the wall of a building, said Wall having studs; said plumbing installation to have a Water pipe Within the Wall and a drain pipe With a vertical segment Within the wall; and said plumbing aid comprising a panel having a back surface which will it ush against the studs, indicia on its back surface positioned to correspond in position to the position of the water pipe relative to the back surface of the panel when it is installed in the Wall and the panel is flush against the studs, and tabs extending from and perpendicular to its back surface with holes whose centers correspond in position with reference to the panel to the position of the centerline of the vertical segment of the drain pipe with reference to the panel when the drain pipe is installed in the wall and the panel is flush against the studs.

5. A plumbing aid for installing a plumbing installation in the Wall of a building, said Wall having studs; said plumbing installation to have a Water pipe Within and extending through the Wall, and said plumbing aid comprising a panel having a back surface which Will it flush against the studs, indicia on its back surface positioned to correspond in position to the position of the water pipe relative to the back surface of the panel when the water pipe is installed in the Wall and the panel is flush against the studs, and holes passing through the panel at those locations in which the water pipe will pass therethrough when it is installed and the panel is flush against the studs; -means independent of said holes for locating a drain pipe with respect to said Water pipe inwardly of said panel.

6. A plumbing aid for installing a plumbing installation in the Wall of a building, said Wall having studs; said plumbing installation to have a Water pipe Within the wall; and said plumbing aid comprising a panel having a back surface which will iit ilush against the studs, and indicia on the back surface of said panel positioned to correspond in position to the position of the water pipe relative `to the back surface of the panel when the water pipe is installed in the Wall and the panel is ush against the studs; and positioning means for said panel and a drain pipe including tabs extending from at least one surface outwardly from the panel and with holes for receiving said drain pipe,and cooperating blocks on said panel engageable with said drain pipe as it extends through said holes.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 406,198 Coyne July 2, 1889 2,585,192 Troiel Feb. l2, 1952 2,950,575 Hellwig Aug. 10, 1960

Claims

3. A PLUMBING AID FOR INSTALLING A PLUMBING INSTALLATION IN THE WALL OF A BUILDING, SAID WALL HAVING STUDS TO WHICH WALL BOARD CAN BE ATTACHED; SAID PLUMBING INSTALLATION TO HAVE A WATER PIPE WITHIN AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALL AND A DRAIN PIPE WITH A VERTICAL SEGMENT WITHIN THE WALL; AND SAID PLUMBING AID HAVING A BACK SURFACE WHICH WILL FIT FLUSH AGAINST THE STUDS, A FRONT SURFACE RESEMBLING THE WALL BOARD CUSTOMARILY USED IN BUILDINGS, INDICIA ON ITS BACK SURFACE WHOSE POSITIONS ON SAID SURFACE CORRESPOND TO THE POSITION OF THE WATER PIPE RELATIVE TO THE BACK SURFACE OF THE PANEL WHEN IT IS INSTALLED IN THE WALL AND THE PANEL IS FLUSH AGAINST THE STUDS, TABS EXTENDING FROM AND PERPENDICULAR TO ITS BACK SURFACE WITH HOLES WHOSE CENTERS CORRESPOND IN POSITION WITH REFERENCE TO THE PANEL TO THE POSITION OF THE CENTERLINE OF THE VERTICAL SEGMENT OF THE DRAIN PIPE WITHIN THE WALL WITH REFERENCE TO THE PANEL WHEN THE SAID SEGMENT IS INSTALLED IN THE WALL AND THE PANEL IS FLUSH AGAINST THE STUDS, AND HOLES PASSING THROUGH IT AT THOSE LOCATIONS IN WHICH THE WATER PIPE WILL PASS THROUGH IT WHEN IT IS INSTALLED AND THE PANEL IS FLUSH AGAINST THE STUDS.