US3456264A - Washbasins - Google Patents

Description

July 22, 1969 M. FLAGG 3,456,264

WASHBASINS Filed Aug 4. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 M FLAGG WASHBASINS July 22, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 4, 1966 F IG. 3.

United States Patent 3,456,264 WASHBASINS Michael Flagg, 4345 California St., San Francisco, Calif. 94118 Filed Aug. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 570,316 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Aug. 4, 1965, 33,443/ 65 Int. Cl. A47k 1/04; E03c 1/32 U.S. Cl. 4-170 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to washbasins and has as an object to provide a washbasin in a convenient form.

A washbasin in accordance with the invention comprises a support, a basin vertically movable relative to the support, means for locking the basin to the support at a selected height and piping permitting such movement of the basin and arranged to be capable of carrying water to and from the basin.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a sectional view (combined with an hydraulic circuit diagram) of one example of a washbasin in accordance with the invention, FIGURE 2 is a similar view of a slightly modified form of the invention, FIGURE 3 is a front view (partially in section) of another modified form of the invention, and FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a locking device forming a part the example shown in FIGURE 3.

As shown in FIGURE 1 there is provided a ceramic washbasin 10 carried by a pedestal structure 11 mounting the washbasin for vertical movement. The basin 10 is the same in all of the modified constructions described herein although many different types of basin may alternatively be employed. The basin has taps or faucets 12 to which water is supplied by means of flexible pipes 13 coupled to outlets 14 on a wall adjacent which the pedestal 11 stands.

The basin 10 also has a conventional outlet 15 which can be blocked, in use, by a plug (not shown). The outlet 15 is connected to a drain connector 16 via a telescopic soil pipe 17. The inner tube 18- of the soil pipe 17 depends from beneath the basin 10 and extends sealingly through a gland 19 at the upper end of the outer tube 20. The lower end of the tube 20 is coupled to a U-bend waste trap 21 connected to the drain connector 16.

If desired the telescopic soil pipe 17 may be replaced by a flexible pipe and, similarly, telescopic pipes could be employed instead of the flexible pipes 13. Where a flexible soil pipe is employed an S-bend waste trap is used on the underside of the basin.

The top of the pedestal 11 incorporates a bracket 22. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 this bracket consists of a shallow U-shaped strap 23 extending beneath and embracing the underside of the basin. Connected to the respective ends of the strap 23 are a pair of straight strips 24 which underlie the marginal portions of the basin. Pegs 25, 26 on these strips 24 enter holes (not shown) in the basin to locate it accurately in position on the bracket.

The U-shaped strap 23 of the bracket 22 is secured at its centre to a cuboidal block 27 which is itself secured, as by welding, in one end of a length of square-section tube 28. Tube 28 is a telescopic sliding fit within another length of square-section tube 29 upstanding on a plinth 30. The tube 28 is a close fit within the tube 29 and the basin is therefore provided with a steady support even when the tube 28 is well extended from the tube 29 to raise the basin to a high level.

The arrangements thus far described are common to the three modified forms of the invention shown in the drawings.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings the telescopic pedestal 11 can be elongated and raised by a hydraulic system. As shown there is a tube 31 attached to the block 27 and extending coaxially with the tube 28. The tube 31 is preferably of circular section and coacts with a piston 32 carried on the end of a tubular stem 33 secured at its lower end to the plinth 3G. The piston 32 is slidingly engaged with the internal wall of the tube 31 so that the piston 32, the tube 31, and the block 27 together form a sealed chamber into which liquid under pressure can be introduced to raise the basin. The length of the stem 33 is such in relation to the lengths of the tubes 28, 29 and 31 that when the basin is raised so high that piston 32 becomes disengaged from the tube 31 there is still sufiicient interengagement of the tubes 28 and 29 to keep the basin steady.

The space 34 between the tube 31 and the telescopic tubes 28, 29 is used as a water reservoir for the hydraulic system. To this end a pair of connectors 35, 36 are secured to the tube 28 adjacent the block 27 and communicate with the interior of the telescopic tubes 28, 29. The connector 35 is used when it is required to refill or top up the reservoir 34. The other connector is used to draw water from the reservoir when it is required to raise the basin. A coiled flexible tube 37 is coupled to the connector 36 and extends around the tube 31 down to the bottom of the reservoir.

The hydraulic system makes use of a pump 38 with its inlet connected via a nonreturn valve 39 to the connector 36. The outlet of the pump, which may be adapted for manual or pedal operation is connected via a second nonreturn valve 40 to a connector 41 at the upper end of the tube 28. This connector communicates via bores 42 in the block 27 with the interior of the tube 31 above the piston 32. Thus, when the pump 38 is operated water will be drawn from the reservoir 34 and forced, under pressure into the upper end of the tube 31 and the basin will thus be raised. For lowering the basin a manual or pedal valve 43 connects the connector 41 to the connector 36 thereby providing a suitably restricted route for water to return to the reservoir 34 as the basin sinks under the influence of gravity.

Turning now to the modification shown in FIGURE 2, the hydraulic system is considerably simplified by utilizmg mains water pressure to raise the basin. In this care the space within the telescopic tubes 28, 29 is not re quired as a reservoir but requires drainage to prevent water which escapes past the piston 32 from collecting. To this end a connector 44 is attached to the lower end of the tube 29 and is permanently connected to drain via a line 45. The raising and lowering of the basin is controlled by two valves 46 and 47. Valve 46 connects the connector 41 to the water mains whilst valve 47 connects the connector 41 to the line 45. The valves 46, 47 may, if desired, be ganged or interlocked so that both cannot be opened simultaneously. Water trapped in the upper part of the tube 31 maintains the basin at a given height when both valves 46, 47 are closed. Opening of the valve 46 allows pressure water to enter the tube 31 and raise the basin. Opening of the valve 47 allows water to be drained from the tube 31 so that the basin sinks.

Turning now to FIGURES 3 and 4 the washbasin shown has a pedestal 11 as before. This may contain a hydraulic raising arrangement such as that shown in FIGURE 2 or, alternatively, it may consist simply of the tubes 28, 29. For the time being it will be assumed that the hydraulic system is included but that the mains water pressure is insumcient to raise the basin. To enable the basin to be raised more easily a counterbalancing system is employed.

The counterbalancing system makes use of a pair of gravity operated pulley jacks 48. Each jack has a base 49 on which it stands. Upstanding on the base 49 is a tube 50 to which there is secured at its upper end, a cross head 51. The cross head 51 projects horizontally from opposite sides of the tube 51 and carries a pair of pulleys 52.

'Slidably engaged in a plunged hole 53 in the centre of the cross head is an elongated tube or rod element 54. Secured to the lower end of the element 54 is a cup 55 which slides in the tube 50. The element 54 is thus constrained to longitudinal motion relative to the tube 50.

A cord 56 is engaged at its midpoint with the cup 55 and its ends extend respectively over the two pulleys 52. The ends of the cord are doubled back through spaced holes in an annular trap 57 slidable on the tube 50. The ends of the cord are tied back by means of metal clinches 58.

The tray 57 carries an appropriate number of C-shaped weights 59 to tension thecord sutficiently to tend to lift the tube 54.

The upper ends of the tubes 54 of the two jacks are provided with rubber or like caps 60. These caps 60 are respectively engaged under the strips 24 of the bracket 22 and, thus, the jacks apply an upward force to the basin.

Where no hydraulic system is employed for raising the basin some mechanical device for locking it in position is required. In the example shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 the locking device includes a plunger 61 mounted for sliding movement in a cylindrical housing 62 secured to the upper end of the outer tube 29 of the telescopic pedestal. The plunger is urged by a spring 63 in the housing through a hole in the wall of the tube 29. The wall of tube 28 is formed with a series of longitudinal spaced holes 64 into which the plunger 61 is urged by the spring 63.

The plunger 61 can be withdrawn by means of a rotary knob 65 on the free end of an elongated stem 66 extending at its other end into the housing and secured to a rotary cam member 67. Cam member 67 coacts with a fixed cam member 68, the members 67, 68 having interengaging inclined faces 67a, 68a so that when the knob 65 is turned the plunger 61 is withdrawn.

When no hydraulic system is employed the counterbalancing mechanisms can be adjusted (by addition or removal of weights 59) until the basin is so finely counterbalanced that it will sink slowly when full of water and rise slowly when empty. Some manual assistance may be necessary to overcome friction but the efiort involved will be slight compared with the Weight of the basin and its fittings.

With such an arrangement adjustment of the height of the basin would then be effected by filling or emptying the basin as required and then releasing the locking device to allow the basin to fall or rise. When the required height is obtained the lockingdevice is reengaged with the plunger 61 engaged in the most convenient one of the holes 64.

The invention is, of course, susceptible to many further modifications and variations. For example, the basin 10 itself may be of lightweight form, e.g., a light gauge stainless steel pressing or a moulding of suitable synthetic resin material. In addition other methods of raising and lowering, locking and counterbalancing the basin can be employed.

In any event the invention provides a basin which can be lowered to a low level for use by children, raised to the normal level for use by healthy adults and raised to a high level for use by the aged or persons suffering from back complaints which make bending difficult or painful.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A washbasin comprising, in combination, a support constituted by an extensible pedestal having a plinth and a bracket vertically movable relative to said plinth, a basin mounted on said bracket, hydraulic means for raising said basin, comprising a tube depending from said bracket, a piston slidable in said tube and a stem upstanding on said plinth and carrying said piston at its upper end, locking means comprising valve means for preventing escape of liquid from said hydraulic means for locking the basin at any selected height, and piping permitting vertical movement of the basin and arranged to be capable of carrying water to and from the basin.

2. A washbasin as claimed in claim 1 in which the pedestal consists of an outer tube carried by said plinth and upstanding therefrom and an inner tube extending downwardly from the bracket and being slidably engaged in the outer tube, the arrangement being such that extension of the pedestal by the hydraulic means is limited to ensure that there is sufficient interengagement of the inner and outer tubes to maintain the basin steady.

3. A washbasin as claimed in claim 2 in which the length of said stem is such that the piston becomes disengaged from the depending tube to limit extension of the pedestal.

4. A washbasin as claimed in claim 2 in which the outer tube of the pedestal acts as a reservoir for liquid for operating the hydraulic means.

5. A washbasin as claimed in claim 4 in which there is provided a hydraulic pump adapted to draw liquid from the reservoir and deliver it under pressure to said depending tube to raise the basin and a valve adapted on opening to permit liquid to be displaced from the depending tube into the reservoir as the basin sinks under the influence of gravity.

6. A washbasin as claimed in claim 2 in which there is provided a first valve for supplying pressure water from a water main to the depending tube and a second valve for controlling the flow of Water from the depending tube to drain.

7. A washbasin comprising, in combination, a support, a basin vertically movable relative to the support, means for locking the basin to the support at any selected height, piping permitting such movement of the basin and arranged to be capable of carrying water to and from the basin, and counterbalancing means permanently applying an upward force to the basin so as to lessen the elfort required to raise it, said counterbalancing means comprising a pair of gravity operated jacks acting on opposite edges of the basin, each jack comprising a base, an upstanding tube on the base, means rotatably supporting a pair of pulleys on opposite sides of the upstanding tube at the upper end thereof, an elongated element slidably guided by said upstanding tube for vertical longitudinal movement and engageable at its upper end with the basin, a cord passing over both of the pulleys, an annular tray to which the cord has its ends attached, said tray encircling the tube, a weight supported by the tray, said cord being coupled to said elongated element to urge the latter upwardly.

8. A Washbasin comprising, in combination a pedestal comprising a pair of telescopically related tubes, a basin vertically movable relative to the pedestal, piping permitting such movement of the basin, and arranged to be capable of carrying water to and from the basin and a locking device for locking the basin at a selected height, said locking device comprising a spring loaded plunger slidably mounted in a housing on the outer tube of said pedestal and urged into a selected one of a series of longitudinally spaced holes in the inner tube, and an elongated stem actuable to withdraw said plunger.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner

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