US3369560A - Flush tank refill valve - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1968v s. L. YOUNG LUSH TANK REFILL VALVE I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28, 1964 INVENTOR Sherwood L. Young BY}; Z 2 5 z ATTORNEY Feb. 20, 1968 I 5.1.. YOUNG 3,

FLUSH TANK REFILL VALVE Filed May 28, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5.

L 23 I 20 i |I[]ll ll 2 2 H1 lll I8 I l 9 Fig. 6.

2/ /9 INVENTOR Sherwood L. Young ATTOzNEY Feb. 20, 1968 s. L YOUNG FLUSH TANK REFILL VALVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 28, 1964 Fig.

Fig. 8.

. INVENTOR Sherwood L. Young BY ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,369,560 Patented Feb. 20, 1968 3,369,560 FLUSH TANK REFILL VALVE Sherwood L. Young, Monson, Mass., assignor to American Radiator & Standard Sanitary Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 28, 1964, Ser. No. 370,923 5 Claims. (Cl. 137446) This invention relates to a refill fitting or assembly for a closet flush tank and, more particularly, to a novel and improved float operated mechanism for a valve controlling refilling of the flush tank of a water closet.

The tank of a water closet serves to contain a supply of water for discharge into a toilet to empty the toilet bowl by a siphonic action. Automatic control means are provided whereby, responsive to the discharge of the water from the tank, the latter is automatically refilled. In the usual tank construction, a buoyant float valve is held by hydrostatic pressure in the discharge opening of the tank, which discharge opening leads to the toilet. This buoyant valve is connected by a lever and linkage mechanism to an operating handle on the exterior of the tank and, when the operating handle is actuated, the buoyant valve is lifted against the hydrostatic pressure to allow discharge of the contents of the tank into the toilet; The ball valve descends with the water and re-engages the discharge opening to seat therein to shut olT the flow of water from the tank to the toilet. It is then held in position by the hydrostatic head built-up thereabove.

Control of the automatic refilling of the tank is effected by a float which is usually secured on a relatively elongated rod connected to a valve mechanism. This float rises and descends in accordance with the level of water in the tank. When the water is discharged from the tank, the float descends and, through a linkage and lever arrangement, opens a valve admitting water under pressure to flow from an inlet pipe or the like into the tank. When the water level has risen to a preset level, the float, through its mechanism connecting it to the valve, shuts the valve. Generally, an overflow means is provided whereby if the water rises above a preset level, it overflows in a bypass into the trap of the toilet.

As hitherto constructed, such mechanisms for automatically controlling the refilling of a toilet flush tank have been made of metal parts, generally of copper or brass or similar material which are fairly resistant to corrosion. The various linkages and so forth have been interconnected by short pins or screws forming pivot axes for the interconnected parts. Due to the presence of some mineral in the water in the tank, the parts of the mechanism are subject to corrosion and electrolytic action. Consequently, they deteriorate and tend to malfunction. Such deterioration and malfunction is accentuated by the tendency for the build-up of mineral deposits, particularly where the water is relatively hard.

Malfunctioning of a toilet flush tank mechanism is a source of annoyance and expense to the average householder, as it is diflicult, with present mechanisms, for an average householder to readjust the mechanism once it has failed to function properly. Furthermore, it is diflicult for an average householder to replace worn parts by new parts and to obtain proper re-setting of the mechanism so that it will operate in the intended manner. It is therefore highly desirable that such mechanisms be designed to have as long a life as possible, to operate in a simple manner, and to be susceptible for ready replacement of worn or broken parts. This is particularly true of the assembly or fitting controlling refilling of the tank after discharge of its contents and responsive to changes in the level of a float.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tank refill assembly for a closet flush tank in which all or substantially all of the parts are made of an inert nonmetallic material.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a fitting or mechanism in which the number of parts is greatly reduced and the construction and interfitting of the parts is greatly simplified.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a fitting or mechanism in which there are substantially no independently removable pivot pins or screws.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide such a fitting or mechanism in which the parts may be quickly and easily disassembled for inspection, repair, and/ or replacement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a fitting or assembly which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and install.

In accordance with the invention, a tank refill fitting or assembly for a closet flush tank is provided in which substantially all of the operating parts are formed of an inert non-metallic material, such as a relatively rigid plastic composition material. The parts of the fitting include a valve body of non-metallic material formed for securement to the upper end of a supply pipe and having an inlet opening, a discharge opening, and a valve seat disposed between the inlet and discharge openings. A valve, likewise of non-metallic material, is arranged for movement relative to the valve seat, preferably of an axial reciprocatory nature, to control communication between the inlet and outlet openings. This valve is moved between its closing and opening position by a pivotally mounted valve lever having a free end formed as a first gear sector concentric with its pivot axis, and this lever is operatively connected to the valve for operation of the latter. Preferably, the operating connection provides for sliding and pivoting movement of the lever relative to the axially reciprocable valve.

A pivotally mounted rod lever has an end formed as a second gear sector concentric with its pivot axis, and this second gear sector meshes with the first gear sector so that operation of the rod lever eflects oscillation of the valve lever to axially reciprocate the valve between its closed and opened positions. The rod lever has a free end arranged to have clamped thereto one end of the float rod on the other end of which is disposed a float controlling refilling of the tank. Thus, in accordance with variations in the level of this float, the rod lever will be swung about its pivot point to correspondingly swing the valve lever about its pivot and thus correspondingly adjust the position of the valve.

Preferably, the free end of the rod lever is formed with a passage or bore for receiving the float rod, and the float rod is clamped against movement in this bore by a clamping screw which may be of brass or may be of plastic composition material, but which is threaded through a sleeve of brass, copper, or other corrosion resistive material resiliently gripping the free end of the second lever. Both levers are formed of plastic composition material.

As a feature of the invention, the valve body is formed with a lateral extension which receives a volume control member for adjusting the rate of flow or volume of flow between the inlet and the outlet of the valve body, and this control member is likewise made of a plastic composition material. Also, in such preferred form, the inlet of the valve body is coaxial with a recess in the valve body arranged for securement to the upper end of the inlet pipe, and the outlet of the valve body has an axis which is in parallel but laterally spaced relation to that of the inlet. The aforementioned lateral extension has a passage interconnecting the valve seat surrounding the inlet and a passage, parallel to the inlet pipe, which serves as the outlet for filling the tank. Somewhat below the level of the volume control, this latter passage or conduit portion is formed with a nipple extending therefrom and communicating therewith for attachment of a suit able bowl refill connection thereto.

For an understanding of the principles of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of a typicalembodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a fitting or assembly embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the valve body;

FIG. 3 is a view of the valve body, looking from the left of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the valve body, looking from the right of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the valve body;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the details of the valve seat;

FIG. 7 is an axial sectional view of the plunger valve, taken at right angles to the sectional view thereof shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the valve operating lever;

FIG. 9 is an elevation end view of the valve operating lever; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 1010 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the tank refill fitting or assembly of the invention comprises a valve body 10, formed of a suitable plastic composition material of a relatively rigid nature and in which is reciprocably mounted a substantially cylindrical plunger valve 40. Body 10 is formed with means pivotally mounting a plunger valve lever 50 and a float rod lever 60 which, as described more fully hereinafter, have their adjacent ends formed as meshing sector gears. Operation of rod lever 60 is responsive to variations in the level of a float 80 attached to the rod 78 to effect oscillation of plunger valve lever 50 and thus axial adjustment of plunger valve 40. In turn, this controls the refilling of the tank. Valve body 10 also has a laterally extending bore receiving a volume control member 85 controlling the rate of flow between an inlet pipe and a discharge pipe leading to the interior of the tank.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-6, valve body 10 includes a main body portionll which is substantially cylindrically tubular in cross section, having a cylindrical passage 12 extending axially thereof and slidably receiving plunger valve 40. The lower end of bore or passage 12 is coaxial with a reduced diameter water inlet opening 13 surrounded by a valve seat 15. The outer diameter of valve seat is less than the inner diameter of bore or passage 12, so that a gutter or groove 14 is formed between the outer periphery of valve seat 15 and the inner surface of bore 12. This gutter extends for substantially 180 around the valve seat, as best seen in FIG. 2, in a substantially diametric plane. Throughout the remaining 180 of its extent, gutter 14 lies in a plane extending at about a angle to a diametric plane through body portion 11 so that the central part of the sloping 180 portion of the gutter is substantially flush with the inner periphery of an outlet opening 17 formed laterally through body portion 11.

A cylindrical inlet nipple 20 extends coaxially downwardly from main body portion 11 and may be threaded,

as at 21, for connection to the threaded upper end of an inlet or supply pipe in the flush tank. The nipple 20' may also be plain and cemented to a plastic inlet or supply pipe. Nipple 21, intermediate its ends, is formed with a peripheral reinforcing rib 22 extending substantially all the-way therearound. The upper end of nipple 20 is conically convergent as indicated at 23, so as to merge smoothly with the inlet 13 of the valve body.

A second nipple 25 extends radially from main body portion 11 and is substantially coaxial with outlet 17. The overall inner diameter of nipple 25 is somewhat greater than that of outlet'17, and nipple 25 is formed with the conically converging inner end 24 to merge smoothly with outlet 17. For a purpose to be described, the outer end of nipple 25 is internally enlarged and threaded to receive the volume control member 85.

Intermediate its length, nipple 25 is formed with a lateral port which opens into an outlet nipple 27 extending parallel to inlet nipple 20'and main body portion 11. The outeror lower end of outlet nipple 27 is internally enlarged, as at 28, to receive the usual pipe or tube for conducting water to the lower portion of the flush tank. This internally enlarged portion 28 may be t-breaded if desired. A relatively small diameter nipple 18 extends laterally from outlet nipple 27, intermediate the ends of the latter, and the axis of nipple 18 is substantially parallel to the axis of lateral nipple 25. Nipple 18 may be termed a refill nipple, and it is arranged to have connected thereto the usual refill pipe for replenishing the bowl trap. A reinforcing web 19 interconnects inlet nipple 20, lateral nipple 25, and outlet nipple 27, and the lower edge of Web 19 is substantially flush with the lower edge of nipple 20.

A pair of spaced parallel ears 30 extend outwardly and upwardly from points on the cylindrical outer surface of main body portion 11 spaced angularly equal distances from a plane including the axes of inlet nipple 20 and. lateral nipple 25, and each ear 30 is formed with an.

aperture 31, with the two apertures 31 being substantially coaxial. Apertures 31 serve as a pivot axis for plunger valve operating lever 50.

Float rod mounting lever 60 is similarly pivotally mounted adjacent and above the outer end of lateral nipple 25. For this purpose, a pair of substantially parallel and substantially flat ears 32 extend upwardly and outwardly from the outer surface of nipple 25 at equal angular spacings to either side of the aforementioned plane including the axes of inlet nipple 20 and lateral nipple 25. Each of these ears 32 has an aperture 33 adjacent its outer end and at these apertures are coaxial to form the pivot for rod mounting lever 60. Bars 32 are substantially parallel to ears 30 and are very nearly coplanar with the latter. Somewhat thinner reinforcing webs 34, having inner surfaces flush with the inner surfaces of ears 32, connect ears 32 to the majorportion of the outer surface of lateral nipple 25 and to the cylindricalmain body portion 11 and also act as a guide to keep gears in line.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 7, the bore 12 of main body portion 11 receives plunger valve 40 which is axially reciprocable in this bore. Plunger valve 40 is formed of suitable non-metallic material, preferably a synthetic resin or a plastic composition material, and is externally cylindrical and is relatively elongated. To reduce its mass, plunger or valve 40 is formed with a substantially conical or tapering bore or hollow 41 extending inwardly from its lower end to adjacent its upper end, the lower end of plunger valve 40 being formed with an internal substantially cylindrical recess 42 arranged to interchangeably seat a washer 43 cooperable with valve seat 15. Somewhat above thislower end, plunger valve 40 is formed with an external peripheral groove or channel 44 arranged to seat a suitable gasket 45, such as an O-ring gasket, to form a seal between the inner surface of bore12 and plunger valve 40,

Above channel 44, plunger valve 40 is formed with an external flange 46 whose diameter is somewhat greater than that of the external surface of the main bodyportion of the plunger valve, and also, somewhat greater than the internal diameter of bore 12. Flange 46 is arranged to act as a limit stop cooperable with the upper end of body portion 11 to limit downward movement of plunger valve 40 and to deflect any water, in case of a leak past 0 ring 5, from the tank cover which would then drip on the floor.

The upper end of plunger valve 40 is formed with a head portion, generally indicated at 35, cooperable with the plunger valve operating lever 58. Head portion 35 is generally H-shape in elevation and includes laterally elongated and vertically spaced bearing portions 36 and 37 interconnected by a much narrower vertical web 38-. The facing surfaces of bearing portions 36 and 37 are arranged to have rocking engagement with plunger valve operating lever 50 and, for this purpose, are formed as convex surfaces as best seen in FIG. 1. To reduce the mass of plastic and the surface-to-surface contact between web 38 and cooperating portions of plunger valve operating lever 58, web 38 has its lateral surfaces recessed, intermediate its edges, as indicated at 39.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1, 8 and 9, plunger valve operating lever 58 is a forked member whose fork arms are arranged to embrace and extend on either side of web 38 of head 35 of plunger valve 40. The free ends of fork arms 51 are formed integrally with outwardly projecting and coaxial pins or trunnions 52 which are arranged to engage in apertures 31 of ears 30. Lever 50 is arranged to be operatively associated with plunger valve 40 by sliding fork arms 51 on either side of web 38 of head 35, with the upper and lower edges of the fork arms 51 engaging the convex surfaces of bearing portions 36 and 37. Bars 38 are laterally spread sufficiently for trunnions 52 to extend therebetween until these trunnions snap into apertures 31, thereby pivotally mounting lever 58 on body 18.

Intermediate the ends thereof, fork arms 51 are formed integrally with reinforcing wings 53 which extend upwardly therefrom, these wings 53 being offset outwardly sufliciently so that they extend in closely spaced adjacent relation to the opposite ends of upper bearing portion 37 of head 35 of plunger valve 40. For reduction in mass, the outer surfaces of fork arms 51 may be recessed as indicated at 54. The inner surfaces of wings 53 are parallel and planar.

The opposite end of lever 50 is formed as a sector gear 55 which is concentric with the axis of trunnions 52. Sector gear 55 is integrally connected with the remainder of lever 50 by a pair of laterally spaced webs 56, and the lower portions of webs 56 are interconnected by a cross web 57. Sector gear 55 is formed with gear teeth 58 of which, in the particular example illustrated, there are four teeth.

Lever 50 is operated by the rod mounting lever 60 which is best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 10. As therein shown, lever 60 is formed of a relatively rigid synthetic resin or plastic composition material, and is essentially T-shaped in cross section including a substantially vertically extending web 61 and a substantially horizontally extending head or flange 62. Adjacent its inner end, web 61 has a pair of coaxial trunnions 63 extending from opposite sides thereof and reinforced by radial ribs 64. The inner end of lever 60 is formed as a sector gear 65 con centric with the axis of trunnions 63 and whose base is the flange 62 which is curved concentrically about the axis of trunnions 63 as best seen in FIG. 1. Gear 65 has teeth 66 which mesh with the teeth 58 of sector gear portion 55 of plunger valve lever 50. Lever 60 is pivotally mounted by spreading ears 32 apart to allow entry of trunnions 63 therebetween until they snap into apertures 33 of ears 32.

The free end of lever 60 is formed with an enlargement 70 extending upwardly and outwardly from flange 62 and having its outer surface essentially cylindrical and terminating in fiat parallel portions adjoining flange 62, as best seen in FIG. 10. As best seen in FIG. 1, there are a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments 71 on the flat outer surface portions of enlargement 70, the ribs or abutments 71 defining a recess 72 therebetween. Enlargement is formed with a longitudinally extending bore or passage 73 which, intermediate its ends, is intersected by a lateral bore or passage 74.

A U-shaped stamping of corrosion resistant metal, such as brass or copper, is arranged to embrace enlargement 70 and to be positioned between ribs 71 and, stamping 75 is formed with a threaded aperture or hole 76 aligned withlateral bore 74. Threaded hole 76 receives a wing type screw 77 whose inner end extends through bore 74 to clampingly engage a float rod 78 inserted into bore 73, there being a float 80 on the outer end of rod 78. By loosening and then retightening screw 77, rod 78 may be adjusted longitudinally of bore 73 of enlargement 70.

From the parts of the fitting or assembly so far described, it will be apparent that movement of ball 80 Will rock lever 60 about its trunnions 63 and, due to the intermeshing of sector gear portions 55 and 65, lever 50 will be rocked about its trunnions 52. This will correspondingly displace plunger valve 40 in passage 12 and thus will either move Washer 43 into seating engagement with valve seat 15 or. will displace washer 43 from valve seat 15. Thus, control of communication between inlet nipple 20 and outlet nipple 27 will be effected by movement of float 80.

Specifically, when the contents of the flush tank are discharged into the toilet, fioat 80 will drop with the water level and will rock lever 60 clockwise. In turn, this will rock lever 50 counter-clockwise and thus lift plunger valve 40 to disengage washer 43 from valve seat 15. Water entering through the supply or inlet pipe and through inlet nipple 20 will thus flow past the valve seat 15 into lateral nipple 25 and through outlet nipple 27. As float 80 rises with the increasing height of the water level in the flush tank, lever 60 will be rocked counter-clockwise and this, in turn, Will rock lever 50 clockwise. After a predetermined water level has been reached, lever 50 will thus firmly engage Washer 43 with valve seat 15 to interrupt flow of water from inlet nipple 27. One of the radial ribs 64 may be arranged to engage the end 25a of lateral nipple 25 to limit the fall of float 80.

Volume control member .is secured adjustably in lateral nipple 25 to control the rate of flow of water from inlet nipple 20 to outlet nipple 27. As best seen in FIG. 1, volume control 85, which is made of a synthetic resin or plastic composition material, has an enlarged and threaded portion 81 threadedly engaged with threaded portion 26 of lateral nipple 25. Outwardly of portion 81, volume control 85 is formed with a knurled operating head 82 for easy manual adjustment of the volume control. A stem 83, of smaller diameter than enlarged portion 81, extends inwardly from the latter and terminates in a frusto-conical head 84 having a central headed pin 86 projecting inwardly therefrom. A frusto-conical washer 87 is arranged to seat over head 84 and to fit beneath the head of pin 86. This frusto-conical washer, when volume control 85 is screwed in to its limit, is arranged to seat against the inner surface of the conical transition portion of lateral nipple 25 to close off communication between inlet nipple 20 and outlet nipple 27. Depending upon the spacing between washer 87 and this frusto-conical portion of nipple 25, the rate of flow of water between the inlet nipple and the outlet nipple is controlled, and may be readily adjusted by grasping and turning knurled head 82 It will be understood that the inlet nipple 20 and outlet nipple 27 may be oriented in any direction to accommodate a water supply pipe that may come in through the tank at the side or back and an outlet that may come into the tank with a back flow preventer or a hush tube that could require a different angle of delivery;

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that a refill fitting or assembly for a flush tank has been provided in which all of the operating parts, except the brass clamp 75 and screw 77, are formed of a non-metallic and preferably a synthetic resin or plasticcomposition material. Thereby, the parts are substantially impervious to deterioration due to electrolytic action, corrosion or the like. The novel direct operating engagement between plunger valve lever 50 and rod valve lever 60, involving the sector gears 55 and 65, provides for efficient and trouble free operation of the fitting or assembly. The parts are simple and inexpensive to manufacture and simple to assemble: in operative relation with each other.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A tank refill assembly for a closet flush tank comprising, in combination:

a valve body of non-metallic material formed with axially spaced and substantially parallel inlet and outlet passages,

said valve body having a pair of laterally spaced .subr stantially parallel and somewhat flexible ears projecting outwardly therefrom, each of said gears being formed with an aperture therethrough adjacent its outer end and said apertures being coaxial with each other,

a substantially cylindrical valve chamber coaxially communicating with said inlet passage and opening through asurface of said body,

a valve seat at the intersection of said chamber and said inlet passage, and a cross passage;

a valve axially reciprocably mounted in said valve chamber and cooperable with said valve seat to control communication between said inlet passage and said chamber,

said valve having a reduced portion extending from,

said surface of said body and formed with a head at its outer end,

a first lever pivotally mounted on said body and extending adjacent said body surface transversely of said chamber, said first lever being operatively connected to said valve for operation of said valve by said first lever,

said first lever comprising a forked lever embracing said reduced portion of said valve and engageable with said head,

the fork arms of said first forked lever each having a pin adjacent its outer end, and said pins being coaxial with each other, said fork arms being dis-v placeable between said ears by bending outwardly of said ears for snap engagement of said pins in the ear apertures to form a pivot mounting for said first lever;

a second lever pivotally mounted on said body and having a free end arranged to have a float carrying rod secured thereto, with the float disposed in the tank so that said first lever is oscillated as a function of thewater level in the tank;

and gear means interconnecting said first and second levers for oscillation of said first lever by said second lever to displace said valve relative to said valve seat in accordance with the level of water Within the tank.

2. A tank refill mechanism for a closet flush tank, as

claimed in claim 1 said gear means comprising a sector gear formed on the free end of said first lever concentrically with the pivot of the latter and meshing with a sector gear formed on the second lever and concentric with the pivot of said second lever.

3. A tank refill mechanism for a closet flush tank, as claimed in claim 2, said body being formed with a second pair, of substantially parallel, laterally spaced and somewhat flexible ears projecting therefrom and each having an aperture adjacent its outer end, with said last named apertures being coaxial; said second lever having a pair of pins, one each side thereof, which are coaxial and which are at the axis of the sector gear on said second lever; said last named pins being engageable in the apertures of said last named ears for pivotal mounting of said second lever on the valve body.

4. A tank refill assembly for a closet flush tank comprising, in combination:

a valve body of non-metallic material formed with axially spaced and substantially parallel inlet and outlet passages,

said valve body having a pair of laterally spaced parallel and somewhat flexible ears projecting outwardly therefrom, each of said gears being formed with an aperture therethrough adjacent its outer end and said apertures being coaxial with each other,

a substantially cylindrical valve chamber coaxially communicating with said inlet passage and opening through a surface, of said body,

a valve seat at the intersection of said chamber and said inlet passage, and a cross passage interconnecting said chamber and said outlet passage;

a valve axially reciprocably mounted in said valve chamber and cooperable with said valve seat to control communication between said inlet passage and said chamber,

said valve having a reduced portion extending from said surface of said body and formed with a head at its outer end;

a first lever .pivotally mounted on said body and extending adjacent said body surface transversely of said chamber, said first lever being operatively connected to said valve for operation of said valve by said first lever,

said first lever comprising a forked lever embracing said reduced portion of said valve and engageable with said head,

each of said fork arms of said first lever having a substantially planar wing extending outwardly therefrom and said wings having a lateral spacing of the order of the lateral extent of said operating head on said valve whereby to provide additional guiding relation between said first lever and said valve,

a second lever pivotally mounted on said body and having a free end arranged to have a float carrying rod secured thereto, with the float disposed in the tank so that said first lever is oscillated as a func-. tion of the water level in the tank,

and gear means interconnecting said first and second levers for oscillation of said first lever by said second lever to displace said valve relative to said valve seat in accordance with the level of water within the tank.

5. A water closet refill mechanism comprising:

(a) a molded, integral valve body of polymeric material said body having: a substantially cylindrical inlet passage, a substantially cylindrical valve seat chamber, said chamber being coaxial with said inlet and communicating therewith, a substantially cylindrical outlet passage, the axis of said outlet passage being parallel to the axis of said inlet passage, passage means communicating at one end with said inlet passage and adjacent its other end with said outlet passage, said passage means extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of said inlet passage;

(b) valve means in said valve seat chamber, for controlling communication between said inlet passage and said outlet passage;

(c) a float member;

((1) means connecting saidfloat to said valve means, said means for connecting said float to said valve means controls the position of said valve in response 9 10 to variations in the Water level in said flush tank; References Cited (e) a first lever pivotally mounted at one end to said UNITED STATES PATENTS valve body adjacent said valve seat chamber, said first lever having a free end formed as a first gear 955457 4/1910 Geunqk 137-444 e tor concentric with its pivot axis, a second lever 5 1887235 11/1932 Comehus 137436 ivotally mounted at one end to said valve body 2229601 1/1941 Park. 137 444 adjacent said passage means, the pivot axis of said 3211172 10/1965 Parklson 137451 second lever being parallel to the pivot axis of said FOREIGN PATENTS first lever, said second lever having an end formed 20,422 8/1900 Switzerland as a second gear sector concentric with its pivot 10 axis, said second gear sector meshing with said WILLIAM Primary Examiner first gear sector, and said second lever having a f end connected to said fl t D. R. MATTHEWS, Asszstant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A TANK REFILL ASSEMBLY FOR A CLOSET FLUSH TANK COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A VALVE BODY OF NON-METALLIC MATERIAL FORMED WITH AXIALLY SPACED AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGES, SAID VALVE BODY HAVING A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED SUNSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND SOMEWHAT FLEXIBEL EARS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID GEARS BEING FORMED WITH AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH ADJACENT ITS OUTER END AND SAID APERTURES BEING COAXIAL WITH EACH OTHER, A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL VALVE CHAMBER COAXIALLY COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INLET PASSAGE AND OPENING THROUGH A SURFACE OF SAID BODY, A VALVE SEAT AT THE INTERSECTION OF SAID CHAMBER AND SAID INLET PASSAGE, AND A CROSS PASSGE; A VALVE AXIALLY RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED IN SAID VALVE CHAMBER AND COOPERABLE WITH SAID VALVE SEAT TO CONTROL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID INLET PASSAGE AND SAID CHAMBER, SAID VALVE HAVING A REDUCED PORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID SURFACE OF SAID BODY AND FORMED WITH A HEAD AT ITS OUTER END, A FIRST LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY AND EXTENDING ADJACENT SAID BODY SURFACE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID FIRST LEVER BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE FOR OPERATION OF SAID VALVE BY SAID FIRST LEVER, SAID FIRST LEVER COMPRISING A FORKED LEVER EMBRACING SAID REDUCED PORTION OF SAID VALVE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID HEAD, THE FORK ARMS OF SAID FIRST FORKED LEVER EACH HAVING A PIN ADJACENT ITS OUTER END, AND SAID PINS BEING COAXIAL WITH EACH OTHER, SAID FORK ARMS BEING DISPLACEABLE BETWEEN SAID EARS BY BENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID EARS FOR SNAP ENGAGEMENT OF SAID PINS IN THE EAR APERTURES TO FORM A PIVOT MOUNTING FOR SAID FIRST LEVER; A SECOND LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY AND HAVING A FREE END ARRANGED TO HAVE A FLOAT CARRYING ROD SECURED THERETO, WITH THE FLOAT DISPOSED IN THE TANK SO THAT SAID FIRST LEVER IS OSCILLATED AS A FUNCTION OF THE WATER LEVEL IN THE TANK; AND GEAR MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND LEVERS FOR OSCILLATION OF SAID FIRST LEVER BY SAID SECOND LEVER TO DISPLACE SAID VALVE RELATIVE TO SAID VALVE SEAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEVEL OF WATER WITHIN THE TANK.

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