US3273173A

US3273173A - Wall closet carrier

Info

Publication number: US3273173A
Application number: US274469A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl L Morris; Curtice George Lee
Original assignee: Acorn Engineering Co
Current assignee: Acorn Engineering Co
Priority date: 1963-04-22
Filing date: 1963-04-22
Publication date: 1966-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-20

Description

P 0, 1966 E. L. MORRIS ETAL 3,273,173

WALL CLOSET CARRIER Filed April 22. 1963 5224 L. Mame/s 0501965 LEE 6097/65 INVENTORS.

W n! W United States Patent 3,273,173 WALL CLOSET CARRIER Earl L. Morris, Whittier, and George Lee Curtice, Downey, Califl, assignors to Acorn Engineering Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 274,469 5 Claims. (Cl. 4-252) The present invention relates to an improved carrier device for hanging and supporting wall-hung fixtures such as a Wall-hung water closet, and more particularly to a carrier device that can be installed and concealed behind the finished surface of a wall and which utilizes to the fullest extent the vertical stud members of the wall construction to support the wall-hung fixture.

Heretofore, many wall-hung closet supports were precast and preformed so that conditions at a job site had to be altered to meet the specifications of the closet support. The device of the present invention, though it may be preformed, can easily be adapted to meet local conditions by on-site alterations.

Prior devices ofttimes utilized an indirect system for connecting the wall-hung fixture to the wall. As an example, the fixture support would be installed in a wall at a predetermined fixed position and the fixture would in turn be attached to the fixture support independently of where the fixture support was attached to the vertical studs. This independent attachment created many unnecessary bending and torsional stresses in the fixture support which could cause the fixture support to fail leaving the remaining part of the hanger intact with the vertical studs. There was no direct connection from the wall fixture to vertical studs in the wall.

The device of the present invention avoids this possibility of intermediate failure in that there is provided a vertically adjustable fixture support member that receives the load from the fixture and transmits it directly to the vertical studs or wall members. The result of using such a support member is that the fixture is in effect attached directly to the vertical studs. The possibility of having a haphazard connection may be completely eliminated. No unnecessary stresses may be created in the device.

Moreover, the present carrier device can be used with wall fixtures of different vertical dimensions as made by different manufacturers. The present device may be adjusted vertically to support any fixture and still provide for a direct connection to the vertical wall studs. Furthermore, the present carrier device allows for installation'in walls of thicknesses that may vary according to the construction used. The installation of the present carrier device does not depend on the finished wall thickness.

To install the device of the present invention all that need be done is to securely fasten the device to the vertical studs and horizontal sill (when used) of a wall. The floor construction need not be disturbed. This unique feature permits the use of this device in remodeling an existing structure in that the finished surface of an existing wall is removed, the device installed, and the wall finishing replaced. There is no need for drilling into, pounding on or removing any part of the existing fioor which in turn would disturb the plaster or finishing on the ceiling of the floor below. This feature readily per- "ice mits the remodeling of existing structures at a greatly reduced cost.

Many times in current practice a contractor will be faced with the problem of installing a water closet in a building of the type constructed with continuous concrete beams, lintels and slab. The flat plate or mushroom construction is also widely used in buildings both of the commercial and residential type. This poses the problem of installing the water closet in a partition which may not be securely anchored to the concrete floor. The device of the present invention is particularly adaptable to this type of construction in that vertical fabricated members can easily be embedded in the floor concrete to serve as studs. Such members may be of the wide flange type or of the double channel box construction. The use of these members does not constitute part of this invention but is only illustrated to emphasize the overall adaptability of this unit to existing job site conditions. Throughout the following description any reference to vertical studs would apply not only to wooden studs as part of the wall construction but also to vertical members, either wooden or steel, fabricated and installed in the aforementioned way, and with or without the use of horizontal sill members.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a wall fixture hanger and support that avoids all of the foregoing disadvantages of similar type fixture hangers used heretofore.

An object of the present invention is to disclose and provide an efficient fixture hanger and support which may be installed in a wall concealed behind the finished surface of the wall irrespective of the thickness of the finished wall.

Another object of the present invention is to disclose and provide a fixture hanger and support which fully utilizes the supporting vertical studs of a wall in supporting the wall-hung fixture.

An object is to provide a carrier device for supporting a wall fixture and transmitting the load and weight of such fixture directly to vertical wall studs.

A further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a fixture hanger and support that can be economically manufactured and installed.

A still further object of the present invention is to disclose and provide a fixture hanger and support that can be readily installed in an existing structure without unnecessarily disturbing parts of the structure not directly affected by the wall-hung fixture such as an existing floor.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a front view, in elevation, of an exemplary embodiment of the device of the present invention installed in a wall of the type constructed with vertical studs and horizontal sills.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of the present invention in transverse section taken along plane IIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view in elevation of the present invention in section taken along plane IIIIII of FIG. 1 showing a wall-hung fixture in position in phantom lines.

FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of the vertical adjustable closet support member which forms a part of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a wall of the type constructed of vertical studs 11a and 11b and a horizontal sill 12. The vertical studs may be of the fabricated steel type embedded in a concrete slab, or wooden, depending upon the floor construction. The spaced vertical studs 11a and 11b define a vacant space 13 within the wall 10 in which a fixture carrier and support device 20 of the present invention may be installed and concealed behind the finished surface 14 of the wall 10.

A stack type soil drain 15 may pass into the vacant space 13 for attachment to the wall-hung fixture 16 which may be a wall-hung water closet as best seen in FIG. 3. Soil drain 15 may be of the stack type to be used in multi-story buildings or may be of simple L-configuration as used in single story buildings, or it may even be of a type having two laterally extending offset inlets to be used where two units are to be installed back to back in the same wall. Soil drain 15 may preferably be of the cast iron variety or it may be made of clay or tile.

"Whichever type is used, soil drain 15 is provided with a fitting having a lateral opening 17 that may sealingly receive an outlet port provided on the wall-hung fixture 16. Fixture carrier and support 20 may have a pair of elongated closet hanger plates 21a and 21b, each of which extends vertically, is upstanding, and lies in a plane parallel to the finished surface 14 of the wall 10. Each of the closet hanger plates 21a and 21b may be provided with upper and lower vertically extending elongated aligned slots 22a and 22b, and 23a and 23b, respectively. Although two slots are preferred in each hanger plate for added rigidity, one slot in each plate may suifice.

Means may be provided on the hanger plates 21a and 21b for securing the hanger plates to two consecutive vertical studs 11a and 11b. Such means may be rearwardly directed

side portions

24a and 24b which may be secured to face-to-face directed surfaces of the vertical studs 11a and 11b by bolts or screws 25. However,

side portions

24a and 24b may be omitted and plates 21a and 21b made continuous along at least a portion of the wall surface of the vertical studs 11a and 11b and bolted or screwed thereto. Either method should securely retain the hanger plates 21a and 21b in a plane parallel to the finished surface 14 of the wall 10.

Additional means may be provided for securing the lower end of the hanger plates 21a and 21b to the horizontal sill. Such means may be horizontally extending toe portions 21a and 2112' which .lie in offset planes parallel to but horizontally spaced forwardly from the hanger plates 21a and 21b as best seen in FIG. 3. These offset toe portions 21a and 21b may be attached to the wall suface of the horizontal sill 12 and may overlap the vertical studs 11a and 11b a short distance to give added rigidity to the structure. It should be noted that this offset will space the hanger plates 21a and 21b rearwardly from the wall and provide a small gap between the hanger plates 21a and 21b and the wall finishing 14 to facilitate the accessibility to lock nuts 30. This feature further adds to the adjustability and overall adaptability to on-site conditions.

Vertically adjustable closet support means may be provided on the hanger plates and are adapted to be securely attached to the vertical studs 11a and 11b to support the wall-hung fixture 16 directly from the vertical studs. Such support means may include a horizontally extend.- ing support member 26 as best seen in FIG. 4. Support member 26 may have a generally broad bottomed U-shaped configuration with end portions 27 extending outwardly from the open end of the U-shaped support member 26. Openings 28 may be provided in the broad bottom or central section of the U-shaped member 26 and are spaced apart at a predetermined distance to conform to similar openings in a fixture to be hung from a wall.

The openings 28, spaced apart at a predetermined distance, not only aid in attaching the wall-hung fixture 16, but may also serve to laterally position the closet hanger plates 21a and 21b. Since the vertical studs 11a and 11b are not always accurately positioned, and since the center-to-center distance of corresponding openings in a fixture are standard, normally nine inches, provision may be made to insure a uniform spacing of the vertical slots 22a, 22b, and 23a, 23b in the hanger plates 21a and 21b. This may be accomplished by predrilling openings 28 in the support member 26 and using these openings as guides to laterally position hanger plates 21a and 21b. Should the studs 11a and 11b be closer together than desired, the hanger plates 21a and 21b may extend into the next intermittent vacant space in the wall 10. Should the studs 11a and 11b be farther apart, the excess space may be adjusted by on-site alteration of the means for attaching the plates 21a and 21b to the studs 11a and Securing means may be provided to cooperate with the support member 26 and hanger plates 21a and 21b to secure the wall-hung fixture 16 thereto. Such securing means may include horizontally extending stud-like members 29 which pass through openings 28 and through the hanger plate upper slots 22a and 22b. Hanger plate nuts and washers 30 may be applied on the stud-like member 29 on both sides of support member 26 and hanger plates 21a and 21b to fix the relative position of the support member 26 and the hanger plates 21a and 21b. After the wall-hung fixture 16 has been hung from the stud-like members 29, fixture cap nuts 31 may be threaded to the stud-like members 29 to securely retain the fixture 16 against the wall 10.

From FIG. 3 it can be seen that the fixture 16 provides a downward and outward load on the fixture cap nuts 31, which in turn pull on the stud-like members 29 securely fixed to support member 26. Since support member 26 is always adjustably positioned directly behind stud-like members 29, the force on stud-like members 29 is transmitted directly to the vertical studs 11a and 11b as though the forces were acting directly on the studs.

As can best be seen in FIG. 2, support member 26 may be securely attached to vertical studs 11a and 11b by means of bolts 32 and screws 33. The laterally extending end portions 27 may rigidly grasp the vertical studs 11a and 11b to completely utilize the studs in supporting the wall-hung fixture 16.

Securing means may be provided to position and secure the soil drain 15 to the closet hanger support plates 21a and 21b. Such means may be laterally extending support arms 34a and 34b which may be integral with the soil drain 15 or may be part of pipe clamp member (not shown) adapted to encircle the soil drain 15. Apertures may be provided in the outermost end of the arms 34a and 34b and are adapted to receive the lower stud-

like members

36 and 36.

To install the device of the present invention, closet hanger plates 21a and 21b are stood against the vertical studs 11a and 11b in their tentative position. The adjustable closet support member 26 is then held in place while stud like members 29 are inserted through the predrilled pre-spaced openings 28 and the upper elongated slots 22a and 22b. The hanger plate nuts and washers 30 are then applied to hold the closet support member 26 in a sloppy relationship to the closet hanger plates 21a and 21b. At this point the closet hanger plates 21a and 21b are positioned horizontally to insure the proper spacing of the elongated aligned slots 22a, 22b, 23a and 23b.

The closet hanger plates 21a and 21b being properly spaced horizontally may then be secured to the opposing surfaces of the vertical studs 11a and 11b and the horizontally extending toe portions 21a and 21b to the horiq zontal sill 12 by fasteners 25. The closet hanger plates 21a and 21b are now secured in place with the support member 26 hanging loosely therefrom.

The soil drain 15 is now set in place in its final position extending down into the floor below. The support arms 34:: and 34b are then rigidly connected to the closet hanger plates 21a and 21b by the lower stud-

like members

36 and 36. The lower stud-

like members

36 and 36 are passed through the apertures 35a and 35b of the support arms 34a and 34b and then through the lower elongated slots 23a and 23b in the hanger plates 21a and 21b. Hanger plate nuts and washers (not shown) similar to hanger plate nuts and washers 30 are then threaded down on stud-like members 36. The soil drain 15 is now rigidly fixed in place. It should be noted that stud-like members 36 project out from the wall toward the wall-hung fixture 16 as does the flanged opening 17 of the soil drain 15.

The wall-hung fixture 16 is tentatively set in place on the outwardly projecting stud-like members 36. The closet support member 26 is then positioned vertically so that stud members 29 are in position, and the hanger plate nuts and washers 30 on both sides of support member 26 and hanger plates 21a and 21b are drawn tight. The fixture 16 is then removed from its tentative position, With the adjustable closet support member 26 properly adjusted vertically, it may now be secured to vertical studs 11a and 11b by the bolts 32 and the screws 33. It should be noted that the closet support member 26 is now rigidly secured to the vertical studs 11a and 11b and any downward and outward horizontal force applied to the closet support member 26 will be transmitted directly to the vertical studs 11a and 11b.

At this point the device is ready to be used and therefore the finished wall surface 14 can be applied. After the finished wall surface 14 is applied, the only evidence of a closet hanger will be the outwardly projecting preset stud-

like members

29 and 36 and the flanged opening 17 of the soil drain 15. The wall-hung fixture 16 can then be replaced in its final position mating the outlet in the fixture 16 with the flanged opening 17. The finished nuts 31 can then be threaded on and tightened.

It is manifest that this entire installation will take but a few minutes and does not require any skilled workmen or expensive equipment. Installation cost is thereby kept to a minimum.

Directing attention to FIG. 3, it can be seen that when the water closet 16 is being used, as by sitting on it near the end 16a, the entire fixture will have a tendency to move downwardly and outwardly. This movement of the fixture 16 is translated into a horizontal movement of the top by reason of the fixture 16 being rigidly supported by stud-like members 36 resisting the horizontal and compression forces exerted near the bottom of the fixture 16 and the pivoting of the entire fixture about that point. This pivoting of the fixture 16 creates a virtually horizontal motion of the top of the fixture 16 where it is secured to the closet support member 26 by stud-like members 29. This horizontal force on stud-like members 29 is transmitted directly to the vertical studs 11a and 11b thereby utilizing to the fullest extent the strengh of the vertical studs 11a and 11b (be they wood or steel) to support the wall-hung water closet.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim:

1. A carrier device for hanging and supporting a Wall hung water closet for installation behind the finished surfaces of a wall of the type constructed with spaced vertical studs and horizontal sill forming a space for a soil drain fitting, comprising:

a pair of upstanding laterally spaced, elongated closet hanger plates, each having a front portion parallel to the plane of the wall and a rearwardly extending side portion perpendicular to the front portion, said side portions being securable to opposing surfaces of spaced vertical studs defining the space for a soil drain fitting;

each of said hanger plates having :a lower end having a laterally extending toe portion 'lying in a plane parallel to but offset forwardly of the front portion, said lower ends and toe portions being securable to wall surfaces of a horizontal sill adjacent said space;

an elongated upper and lower vertical slot in the front portion of each hanger plate;

vertically adjustable securing means for cooperation with said lower slots to secure and position a soil drain;

and vertically adjustable closet support means including a horizontal member of U-shaped con-figuration, said member having a bottom provided with spaced ports and rearwardly extending end sections,

a stud-like member extending forwardly through each of said ports and an upper slot in the front portion of a hanger plate and connecting said horizontal member and plate to support a wall hung water closet;

said rearwardly extending end sections of said horizontal member including means for connecting the ends directly to vertical studs defining said space.

2. A carrier device for hanging and supporting a wall hung fixture for installation entirely behind the finished surface of a wall of the type constructed with vertical studs and a horizontal sill forming a space for a soil drain fitting, comprising:

a pair of upstanding laterally spaced, elongated closet hanger plates each having a front portion parallel to the plane of the wall and a rearwardly extending side portion perpendicular to the front portion, said side portions being securable to opposing surfaces of spaced vertical studs defining the space for a soil drain fitting;

each of said hanger plates having a lower end having a laterally extending toe portion below the level of said side portion, said lower ends and toe portions being securable to wall surfaces of a horizontal sill adjacent said space;

an elongated vertical slot in the upper front portion of each hanger plate;

vertically adjustable closet support means including an adjustable horizontal member having a central section provided with spaced ports and rearwardly extending end sections, said end sections including means for connecting the ends directly to vertical studs defining said space;

and a stud-like member extending forwardly through each of said ports and a slot in a hanger plate and connecting said member and hanger, said stud-like members being securable to a water fixture and transmitting the forces created by such fixture to the studs through said member and plates.

3. A carrier device as .stated in claim 2 including a pair of additional stud-like members carried by and extending horizontally and forwardly from said hanger plates below said first mentioned stud-like members, said additional stud-like members being for connection to a water fixture to transmit downward and inward forces through the hanger plates to vertical studs in a Wall.

4. A carrier device as stated in claim 2 wherein the rearwardly extending end sections of the horizontal member terminate in laterally extending portions arrange-d to wall hung fixture in a wall space defined by spaced vert-i-' cal studs and a sill the provision of:

a pair of upstanding, laterally spaced, elongated wall fixture hanger plates, each having a front portion parallel to the plane of the Wall and a rearwardly extending side portion perpendicular to the front portion, said side portions being securable to opposing surfaces of spaced vertical studs defining the space for a soil drain fitting;

each of said hanger plates having a lower end having a laterally extending toe portion below the level of said side portion, said lower ends and toe portions being securable to wall surfaces of a horizontal sill :adjacent said space;

an elongtaed vertical slot in the upper front portion of each hanger plate;

8 and a vertically adjustable horizontal member provided with spaced ports and studs extending through said ports and slots and connecting said member and hanger plates, said studs being securable to a wall hung fixture to transmit the load thereof directly to the studs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,156,885 10/1915 Caine 24857 X 2,942,277 6/ 1960' Manas 4-252 2,945,240 7/1960 Young 4Q52 3,014,222 112/1961 Pope 4--252 3,020,565 2/4962 Manas et a1. '4252 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Examiner.

H. I. GROSS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A CARRIER DEVICE FOR HANGING AND SUPPORTING A WALL HUNG WATER CLOSET FOR INSTALLATION BEHIND THE FINISHED SURFACES OF A WALL OF THE TYPE CONSTRUCTED WITH SPACED VERTICAL STUDS AND HORIZONTAL SILL FORMING A SPACE FOR A COIL DRAIN FITTING, COMPRISING: A PAIR OF UPSTANDING LATERALLY SPACED, ELONGATED CLOSET HANGER PLATES, EACH HAVING A FRONT PORTION PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE WALL AND A REARWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE PORTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE FRONT PORTION, SAID SIDE PORTIONS BEING SECURABLE TO OPPOSING SURFACES OF SPACED VERTICAL STUDS DEFINING THE SPACE FOR A SOIL DRAIN FITTING; EACH OF SAID HANGER PLATES HAVING A LOWER END HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING TOE PORTION LYING IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO BUT OFFSET FORWARDLY OF THE FRONT PORTION, SAID LOWER ENDS AND TOE PORTIONS BEING SECURABLE TO WALL SURFACES OF A HORIZONTAL SILL ADJACENT SAID SPACE; AN ELONGATED UPPER AND LOWER VERTICAL SLOT IN THE FRONT PORTION OF EACH HANGER PLATE; VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE SECURING MEANS FOR COOPERATION WITH SAID LOWER SLOTS TO SECURE AND POSITION A SOIL DRAIN; AND VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE CLOSET SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL MEMBER OF U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION, SAID MEMBER HAVING A BOTTOM PROVIDED WITH SPACED PORTS AND REARWARDLY EXTENDING END SECTIONS, A STUD-LIKE MEMBER EXTENDING FORWARDLY THROUGH EACH OF SAID PORTS AND AN UPPER SLOT IN THE FRONT PORTION OF A HANGER PLATE AND CONNECTING SAID HORIZONTAL MEMBER AND PLATE TO SUPPORT A WALL HUNG WATER CLOSET; SAID REARWARDLY EXTENDING END SECTIONS OF SAID HORIZONTAL MEMBER INCLUDING MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE ENDS DIRECTLY TO VERTICAL STUDS DEFINING SAID SPACE.