US3516095A - Double action sanitary commode seat lifting and lowering device - Google Patents

Description

June 23, 1970 ETAL J, M. cur-TON ,515,095

AND LOWIJRING DEVICE DOUBLE ACTION SANITARY COMMODE SEAT LIFTINC Filed Aug. 22, 1967 Fig.

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I34 52 I26 A26 INVENTORS John M. C/hfon Rebecca' (J/if/on ATTORNEY United States Patent Int. Cl. A47]; 13/10 U.S. Cl. 4--251 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is a double action lifting and lowering device for moving a commode or toilet seat between raised and lowered position in either direction. It includes a single foot pedal which, when depressed, moves the seat from either position. The foot pedal is on one end of a crank arm lever, pivoted at its angle to a base that is supported on the commode room floor, and made secure by being secured to a commode bowl securing bolt, and a link at the other end of the elever is pivotally attached to one side of the toilet seat. In addition, an action cushioning pneumatic cylinder, piston and piston connecting rod combination is pivoted on the crank arm pivot at one end and on the seat lifting link at the other end, permitting the seat to be lifted, in either direction, to the dead-center position, and then cushions the fall of the seat from such dead-center position to the desired raised or lowered position. Both the link and the pedal arm of the crank arm lever are readily adjustable in length, being telescopic, for ready adjustment to fit different sized commodes, and can be set up or detached from the seat in very few minutes.

OBJECTS OF INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a sanitary toilet seat operator having only a single pedal, which acts to either lift or lower the toilet seat, by foot action, without needing ones hands at all, without manually touching the toilet seat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a toilet seat lifting and lowering device, or operator, that is easily operated by an aged or infirm individual, and which includes an action cushioning device that operates to cushion the action as the seat approaches either the bowl rim in lowered position, or the toilet water box in the raised position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a double action sanitary commode seat lifting and lowering device which is readily adjustable in size to fit substantially any existing commode and which may be quickly adjusted to and fitted on or removed from the commode.

A further object of this invention is to provide a double action quiet acting toilet or commode seat operator actuated in either direction by foot pressure applied on a single foot pedal.

SUMMARY In brief, this invention is a double action, toilet seat operator. It consists of a crank arm lever pivoted at its angle by a pivot supported on the toilet room floor and secured to one of the toilet bowl securing bolts. A long arm of the lever is telescopic, for adjustment in length, and has a foot pedal, with a cushion pad on it, at its free end. The other end of the lever is pivotally secured to a connecting link which in turn is pivotally secured to an ear on a bracket easily secured at either side of a toilet or commode seat. The link is telescopically adjustable in length. Pivotally secured on the same floor supported pivot and pivotally secured adjustably along the connect- Patented June 23, 1970 ing link is a pneumatic cylinder, piston and piston connecting rod combination having a bleed valve for adjusting its operation. The piston is a cupped resilient piston, allowing the air to readily pass thereby when the foot is pressing the operator to lift the seat either from the bowl rim or from leaning position against the toilet water box to dead-center position, and then resisting the air passing in the opposite direction, thus cushioning the action as the seat moves under gravity from dead-center position to the bowl rim lowered position or to the water box leaned against raised position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the seat lifting and lowering device of this invention.

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are sectional views on lines 22, 33, and 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION There is shown at 10 a toilet or commode of conventional construction having the water box 12, a commode bowl 14 secured by bolts and nuts 16 through its base 18 which may be ofiset as at 20 in FIG. 3, to the commode room floor 22, all of conventional construction, the commode seat 24 being pivotally mounted on pivot bolts 26 in the customary manner for movement in either overdead-center direction between the raised position shown in FIG. 1 leaning against the commode water box 12 and a lowered, horizontal position resting on the rim of the commode bowl 14.

There is shown at 30 the commode seat positioning device of this invention, sanitary because the hand need not touch the commode seat 24, and convenient to use, particularly for an aged or infirm person, because it is operated from either raised or lowered position by using ones foot to depress a single foot pedal 32 on an end of a crank arm lever 34 having a single, decidedly angular bend upwardly in a vertical plane. The foot pedal 32 is provided with a ribbed resilent pad 36, of rubber or other suitable non-slip material. The pedal 32 is mounted on a rod 38 telescopically and adjustably secured within a sleeve 40 by a set screw 42, which sleeve 40 is permanently secured in any convenient manner to a leg 44 of the crank arm lever 34. This crank arm lever 34 is provided with a pivoting aperture 46 at the vertex of its angular bend for pivotally mounting it on a pivot bolt and nut 48 extending and secured through the opposite walls 50 of an upstanding channel member 52 mounted on a base 54 having a non-slip resilient pad 56 for resting on the commode room floor 22.

The pivot base 54 is secured against slipping on the floor 22 by having an angled slotted arm 58 extending therefrom to cooperate with the commode bowl securing bolt 16. If the bowl base 18 has but a single step as in FIG. 1, the elongated slot 60 adjustably extends about the end of the bowl securing bolt 16 to which it may be secured by a second nut similar to nut 28 on the bolt 16. If the bowl base 18 is offset as at 20, a flanged sleeve nut 62 is used through slot 60 to secure the pivot base arm 58 to the commode bowl bolt 16, as in FIG. 3.

The other relatively shorter leg 64 of crank arm lever 34 is pivotally secured to one end of a link 66 whose other end 68 is oifset at a right angle so as to pivotally extend into an ear 70 forming part of a bracket 72 which may be secured on either side of the commode in any convenient manner, as by an adhesive, countersunk screws, or the like, to the bottom, edge or top side of the commode bowl seat 24.

To provide for proper adjustment with commodes of different sizes, the link 66 is adjustable in length, having a pivoting clevis 74 and pivot 76 pivotally connected to lever leg 64 at one end. A threaded stem 78 of clevis 74 is threaded into one end of a telescopic sleeve 80-. Adjustably extending from and secured within the other end of this telescopic sleeve 80 by a set screw 82 is an L- shaped rod 84, the short L leg thereof being the offset pivot 68 already referred to as pivotally extending into the pivot ear 70 of bracket 68.

As thus far set forth, this device is completely pera tive for the purpose intended, except that it may be noisy. With the commode bowl seat 24 in raised position leaning against the water box 12 as shown, foot pressure on pedal 32 will pivot the seat 24 to over-dead-center position, allowing it to fall by gravity to the lowered position such fall being resisted, if desired, by foot pressure on the foot pedal 32. With the seat 24 in lowered position, foot pressure on pedal end 32 will raise the seat from the commode supported position to over-dead-center to fall by gravity to against the water box 12, where again, foot pressure may resist too speedy a fall.

However, an aged or infirm individual may find it too difiicult to provide the foot pressure to eliminate noise at the end of either movement, and a cushioning cylinder, piston and piston rod combination 86 is adjustably pivotally secured at one end to the link 66 and pivoted thereto by a knuckle joint at 90. An ear 92 in the piston connecting rod 94 at its other end extends about the pivot bolt 48 on which the crank arm lever 34 is pivoted. The piston rod 94 extends into cylinder 102 through a bushing 96 threadedly secured inside a nut 98 over a clamp ring 100 about the end of the wall of the cylinder 102. The inside end of piston connecting rod 94 is threaded at 104 on which is threaded a nut 106 against which is supported a washer 108 forming a base for a resilient cupped piston 110, a second nut 112 threaded on the end of connecting rod 94 being secured thereagainst by a lock washer 114.

The knuckle joint 90 consists of a rod 116 internally threaded at one end over a threaded stem 118 extending through and secured to the end wall 120 by internal and external nuts 122. Secured on the link rod 84 by a set screw 124 is a ring 126 from which extends a stern 128 having a ball end 130 which is pivotally held in a socket 132 in the end of rod 116 by a resilient clamp ring 134. A bleed valve for the cylinder 102 is provided by a threaded aperture through the cylinder 102 in which is With the seat 24 in raised position as shown, foot pressure on foot pedal 32 through link 84 moves the seat 24 away from water box 12, simultaneously pulling the cylinder 102 by means of its knuckle joint 90 and cupped piston 110 moves downwardly in cylinder 102 as viewed in FIG. 2, the cupped piston 110 permitting air to escape past it from below, while some slight additional air may enter slot 138 of bleeder valve 136. After the seat 24 passes dead-center position through momentum provided by the initiating push, it then falls by gravity toward the lowered position on the rim of the toilet bowl 14. Once past dead-center position, the cupped piston reverses its direction of movement to then move up toward cylinder wall 120 at the top end of cylinder 102, compressing air between it and top cylinder wall 120. The slowness with which such compressing air may escape through the bleeder valve 136 cushions the lowering of the toilet seat to the commode bowl 14, and when it does reach fully lowered position, it does so in comparative quiet. When the seat is to be lifted from the lower position on the rim of the toilet bowl 14, the foot pedal 32 is again depressed, lifting the seat 24 by means of the link 66 and pulling the top end of the cylinder easily upward while air escapes from below the cupped piston to above it, with some air entering past bleeder valve 136. When dead-center position is reached and passed through momentum, the movement of the cupped piston 112 is reversed to again move upwardly toward cylinder top wall 102, compressing air thereabove, creating a partial vacuum therebelow, and the controlled escape of air through bleeder valve 136 cushions the movement of the toilet seat 24 from dead-center position to the position shown leaning against the water box 12. Rod 84 bends slightly under pressure, when foot pedal 32 is pressed. This action brings seat 24 to dead-center. When foot pedal 32 is released this releases the pressure on rod 84 and it straightens, tipping seat 24 back against water tank 12, being cushioned by the action of cylinder 102.

In the drawings, like numbers refer to like parts, and for the purposes of explication, marshalled below are the numbered parts of the improved double action sanitary commode seat lifting and lowering device:

16 12 14 16 1s 20 22 24 26 2s 30 32 34 36 as 40 42 44 46 4s 50 s2 s4 56 5s 60 62 64 66- 68 70 72 74 76 78 so s2 s4 commode or toilet water box commode bowl bowl securing bolts on 14 base of 14 offset on base 18 commode room floor toilet seat pivot bolts for 24 nut on bowl bolts 16 seat positioning device foot pedal crank arm lever resilient pad on 32 telescoping rod of 34 telescopic sleeve set screw securing rod 38 in sleeve 40 rod leg of 34 pivoting aperture of 34 pivot bolt and nut for 46 opposite walls of 52 upstanding channel base for '52 pad on base 52 slotted angled arm of 54 elongated slot in 58 flanged sleeve nut other leg of 34 link from 34 to 24 pivoting offset end of 84 ear on bracket 72 bracket on seat 24 pivoting clevis on link 66 pivot for 66 on 64 threaded stem on 74 telescopic sleeve of 66 set screw L-shaped rod of link 66 cushioning piston, piston ring and cylinder combination knuckle joint ear in end of 94 piston connecting rod bushing nut on 102 clamp ring under 98 cylinder threaded end of 94 inside 102 nut of 104 washer against 106 resilient cupped piston Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A sanitary commode seat lifting and lowering device comprising a double action single foot pedal usable in alternately lifting and lowering a commode seat, said device comprising a crank arm lever having a single, decidedly angular bend upwardly in a vertical plane, means for pivotally supporting said crank arm lever at the vertex of said annular bend so that said crank lever arm may pivot in a vertical plane on the floor of the commode room, said crank arm lever comprising a long foot pedal lever leg and a relatively shorter commode seat pivoting leg, a link pivoted to said shorter leg at one end and pivotally securable at its other end to the commode seat whereby foot pressure on said foot pedal lifts the commode seat to over dead center in either direction to then permit the commode seat to continue to either raised or lowered position.

2. The device of claim 1, and means for cushioning the movement of the commode seat in falling beyond dead center position in either direction.

3. The device of claim 2, said cushioning means comprising a pneumatic cylinder, a piston therein, and a piston rod on which said piston is mounted for movement within said cylinder, one end of said piston rod and cylinder being pivoted on said crank arm lever pivotal supporting means, the other end of said rod and cylinder being adjustably secured to said link intermediate the ends of said link.

4. The device of claim 3, and an air valve extending through a wall of said cylinder for controlling the speed of falling movement of said commode seat.

5. The device of claim 4, said air valve being an adjustable air bleeder valve comprising a threaded aperture in a wall of said cylinder and a valve screw adjustably threaded therein, said valve screw having a tapered slot extending longitudinally of its threaded surface.

6. The device of claim 1, said crank arm lever pivotally supporting means comprising an upstanding channel member, a pivot secured through opposite sides of said channel member, said pivot extending through a pivot aperture in said crank arm lever at the vertex of said angular bend.

7. The device of claim 6, and non-slip means resiliently supporting said channel member on the commode room floor.

8-. The device of claim 6, and an apertured arm extending from said upstanding channel member for reinforcing cooperation with a commode securing member.

9. The device of claim 1, said long foot pedal lever leg of said crank arm lever and said link each comprising a telescopable sleeve and rod adjustably secured therein, resilient, non-slip means on said foot pedal end of said crank arm lever and on the bottom of said upstanding channel means, and means for detachably pivoting said link other end the commode seat comprising a bracket securable to a convenient surface of the commode seat, and a pivot ear on said bracket, the end of said link being offset to pivot in said pivot ear.

10. The device of claim 5, said crank arm lever pivotally supporting means comprising an upstanding channel member, a pivot secured through opposite sides of said channel member, said pivot extending through a pivot aperture in said crank arm lever at the vertex of said angular bend, and an apertured arm extending from said upstanding channel member for reinforcing cooperation with a commode securing member, said long foot actuatable leg of said crank arm lever and said link each comprising a telescopable sleeve and rod adjustably secured therein, resilient, non-slip means on said food pedal and on the bottom of said upstanding channel means, and means for detachably pivoting said link end to the commode seat comprising a bracket securable to a convenient surface of the commode seat, and a pivot ear on said bracket, the end of said link being offset to pivot in said pivot ear.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 621,790 3/1899 Burger et al 4251 765,643 7/1904 Tregoning 425 1 1,590,298 6/ 1926 Landis 425 1 1,276,472 8/1918 Zeen 74--512 1,863,682 6/1932 Alberts 4-251 1,999,070 4/ 1935 Svedelius 4-25 1 2,705,330 4/1955 Knudson 4-251 2,723,400 11/1955 Wilson 4251 2,849,728 9/1958 Gyllenberg 4-251 3,055,016 9/ 1962 Kemp 4-251 3,345,650 10/1967 Waters 4251 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,174,684 l0/1959 France.

669,243 12/ 1938 Germany 324,667 2/1935 Italy.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner

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