US3548422A

US3548422A - Sink rim clip device

Info

Publication number: US3548422A
Application number: US778049A
Authority: US
Inventors: John E Byers; Wells H Claussen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-11-22
Filing date: 1968-11-22
Publication date: 1970-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-22

Description

Dec. 22, 1970 J, BYERS ET AL 3,548,422

SINK RIM CLIP DEVICE 'Filed NOV. 22, 1968 JOHN E. BYERS WELLS H. CLAUSSEN IN\-'I5NTORS.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O Int. Cl. E03c 1/18 U.S. Cl. 4-187 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A clip body having a lower leg and an upper leg disclosed generally at right angles to each other, said upper leg having a downwardly-turned hook portion overlying said lower leg and adapted to be engaged in the upturned bottom edge or lip of a T-shaped sink strip. The upper leg also has an eye portion for receiving opposed depending pivot arms of a toggle body. The toggle body includes an upper support having a curved, generally perpendicularly depending head with a flattened strip along its top surface for engaging against the peripheral flange of a sink. The toggle body also has a lower handle portion for actuating the head into engagement with the sink. In one form the head and handle are on opposite sides of the pivot whereas in a modification adapted for cast iron sinks having thicker peripheral flanges, the head and handle are on the same side of the pivot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates generally to devices for securing a sink or basin within an opening in a counter top and, more particularly, relates to clip devices for securing the peripheral flange of the sink to a T-shaped sink rim that rests over the corner of the counter top surrounding the opening for the sink.

Description of the prior art One prior art technique for installing a sink is shown in the patent to Biddle 524,477. In this patent a bifurcated clamping piece is pivoted against a peripheral lip of a sink which in turn is pressed upwardly against the underside of the counter top. The clamping piece rests on a fulcrum of a rod secured within the counter top and is pivoted by a handle F. This technique came into disuse many years ago possibly because the surface of the counter top surrounding the bowl of the sink was exposed to water and rapidly deteriorated, thus leaving an unsightly appearance. In addition, the procedure for installing the fulcrum rods was time consuming and expensive. It also, invariably involved fabrication at a shop where the necessary materials for installing the rods were available rather than in situ in the home.

An improved technique was then developed which involved placing a T-shaped sink strip or rim around the corner of the hole in the counter top with one arm of the T resting on the counter top and the other arm overlying the peripheral flange of the sink. The body of the T abuts against the vertical edge of the hole in the counter top. Several clips are then secured to the underside of the counter top and the sink strip. The clips are pressed upwardly against the peripheral flange of the sink to suspend the sink in the counter top opening. Two prior art clips used with this technique are shown in the patents to Switzer 2,858,548 and 2,947,005. The clips shown in both of these patents require the use of a swaging tool of a 3,548,422 Patented Dec. 22, 1970 specialized construction to deform the metal of the sink strip into openings on the clips. It is, of course, inconvenient to require a specialized tool and the tool is difficult to manipulate in the crowded environment beneath a sink when installed in situ.

A still further improved technique, and one commonly used today, is to use a T-shape sink rim, the lower edge of which is upturned inwardly to form a lip. The usual practice in the use of this type of sink rim is to hook the center of a long, flat clamping piece into the upturned rim and then thread a cap screw upwardly through a threaded hole in the clamping piece until the end of the cap screw abuts. against the underside of the peripheral flange of the sink. The hook of the clamping piece will thus pull downwardly against the sink rim while the cap screw presses the sink flange tightly against the free arm of the sink rim. The difliculty in using a clamp device re quiring a cap screw is that under the crowded environment beneath a sink installed in situ in a house it is virtually impossible to tighten all of the cap screws without the use of a special screwdriver. Even with the use of the special screwdriver the procedure is time consuming and where particularly crowded conditions occur the proper number of slips may never get used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a clamping or clip device for installing a sink in a counter top either in situ in the home or in a shop. It is especially adapted for use with a T-shaped sink rim having an upturned bottom edge. An advantageous feature is that no tool is required to install the clips, that is, the clip is easily actuated by pressure of the workmans thumb. In addition, the clip may be positioned and actuated with one hand and the Workman need not have the clip in sight during the installation.

Basically the invention comprises a two-piece assembly formed by inter-locked latch and toggle means. The latch means includes a hook portion that fits into the upturned lip of the sink rim and also includes a pivot support or eye for supporting the toggle means. The toggle means includes a head at one end that engages against the underside of the peripheral flange of the sink and a pivot portion having pivot means engaged in the eye of the latch means. A handle portion for pivoting the head into supporting engagement with the sink flange is also included in the toggle means. The head extends in one direction to accommodate a sink having a thin peripheral flange, such as a stainless steel sink, and extends in the opposite direction in a modified form to accommodate a sink having a thick peripheral flange such as on a cast iron sink. The clip is inexpensive to manufacture and may be installed by workmen having no specialized skills.

BRIEF DECRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric of a counter top with a basin or sink installed.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing a clip device, made according to the principles of the invention, actuated in a supporting position for an installed sink.

FIG. 3 is an isometric illustration of the clip device shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing the inter-engagement between the two parts of the clip device.

FIG. 5 is a section taken generally along the same lines as in FIG. 2 but showing a modified form of the clip device advantageously adapted for sinks having thick peripheral flanges.

As best shown in FIG. 1, a basin or sink is suspended within an opening in a counter top 12 with the space between the sink and the counter top covered by a T-shaped sink rim 14. The sink, as is customary, includes a pcripheral flange 16 which is aligned flush with the top surface of the counter top. Although not necessary, the counter top is covered with a water and stain resistant material, such as a laminated plastic sheet 17. The T- shaped sink rim or strip 14 includes an outer arm 18 which abuts against the top surface of the plastic sheet and an inner arm 19 that overlies the peripheral flange 16 of the sink. The body 20 of the rim abuts against the edge of the counter top that defines the opening for the sink. The bottom end of the rim is bent inwardly and upwardly to form a lip 22. Generally the rim is made of aluminum or stainless steel so that when installed it presents a highly polished top surface that attractively covers the opening between the counter top and the sink. In addition, the rim when installed tightly abuts against both the peripheral flange of the sink and the plastic sheet on the counter top and precludes water or food from passing between the sink and the counter top.

The clip for suspending the sink 10 upon the sink rim 14 is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The clip is a unitary assembly ready for installation and includes latch means 24 interlocked with toggle means 26. Latch means 24 include a lower leg 28 and an upper leg 30. The lower leg has an upturned end 32 which abuts against the underside of the counter top 12 when the clip is installed. The upper leg has an outwardly depending hook 34 that overlies the lower leg and is adapted to be engaged within the lip 22 of the sink rim when the clip is installed. The upper leg also includes a pair of spaced pivot supports or eyes 36.

The toggle means 26 includes a pivot portion defined by a pair of opposed pivot arms 38. A support portion extends upwardly from the pivot portion and terminates at its upper end in a perpendicularly depending curved head or flange 42 which is adapted to engage the under side of the peripheral flange 16 of the sink. The top surface of the head is provided with a flattened strip 44 to assist in locking the head against the sink flange. Depending from the opposite end of the pivot portion and at a right angle to the support portion is a handle or actuating portion 46.

The technique for installing the clip is best shown in FIG. 2. With the sink raised into position the hook 34 of the latch means 24 is placed into the upturned lip 22 of the sink rim 14. The upturned end 32 of the latch means will swing into engagement with the undersurface of the counter top 12. The toggle means 26 will be out of engagement with the sink rim and will be in the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2. To lock the clip into engagement with the peripheral flange 16 of the sink to thus support the sink in the opening in the counter top, the toggle means is pivoted counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2, by pressing upwardly on the handle 46. The head 42 will then be moved into engagement with the underside of the peripheral flange and will come to rest with the head abutting both the underside of the peripheral flange and the body 20 of the sink rim 14. The flattened strip 44 helps to secure the head against accidental disengagement with the peripheral flange. As is readily apparent, the head 42, when installed in a suspending position, engages the peripheral flange to the left of the pivot axis of the pivot arms 38. In this manner the downward pressure imposed by the weight of the sink tends to rate the head further in the counterclockwise direction thus forcing the head into engagement with the body of the rim in a locking position. Rotation of the head may also be stopped by the support portion engaging the back of the hook 34. It is thus virtually impossible for the clip to be accidentally disengaged from the sink flange. If it does become necessary to intentionally remove the sink, it is a simple matter to grasp 4 the handle 46 of the toggle means 26 and pivot the toggle means into an inoperative position.

In the modification shown in FIG. 5, the T-shaped rim 14 and the latch means 24 are identical with that of the preferred embodiment. The sink to be supported, however, has a peripheral flange 50 which is much thicker than the peripheral flange 16 in the preferred embodiment. Cast iron sinks, for example, customarily have thicker flanges. To accommodate for this additional thickness, the toggle means 52, which is identical to the toggle means 26 in all other respects, is provided with a head 54 that depends in a direction opposite to that of the head 42 in the preferred embodiment. That is, the head 54 overlies or extends in the same direction as the handle portion of the toggle means 52. When installed, as in FIG. 5, the head extends to the right, as viewed in FIG. 5, of the pivot such that the weight of the peripheral flange presses the toggle means against the inner surface of the hook 34 and thus tends to lock the clip into place. In all other respects the modified form of clip operates and is installed in the same manner as that of the preferred embodiment.

It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that other forms and modifications may be made while employing the principles of the invention. Thus the forms illustrated are by way of example only with the scope of the invention to be determined solely by the scope and proper interpretation of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sink rim clip device for use on a sink that is supported by its peripheral flange on a T-shaped sink rim or the like having an upturned bottom edge and resting on a counter top around the edge of the opening for the sink, the clip device comprising:

latch means having a hook portion engageable within said sink rim upturned edge and a pivot portion; and

toggle means having a pivot member pivotally locked within said pivot portion of said latch means and a support portion integrally joined with said pivot member and being movable from an inoperative position into an operative position wherein said support portion contacts and supports said sink peripheral flange on said sink rim.

2. The clip device defined by claim 1, wherein said support portion includes a head engageable with said sink flange, said toggle means also including an actuating portion extending at generally right angles to said support portion.

3. The clip device defined by claim 2, wherein said head is curved and is provided with a flattened surface for locking engagement with said sink flange.

4. The clip device defined by claim 2, wherein said head depends in a direction generally opposite to said actuating portion.

5. The clip device defined by claim 2, wherein said head depends in the same direction as said actuating portion.

6. The clip device defined by claim 1, wherein said pivot portion includes a pair of spaced circular rings and said pivot means includes a pair of oppositely depending arms nested in said rings.

7. The clip device defined by claim 1, wherein said latch means further includes a lower leg having an upturned end.

8. A sink clamping device for use on sinks having their peripheral edges covered by T-shaped sink strips or the like having upturned lips adjacent their bottom edges, comprising:

a clip body having a lower leg and an upper leg disposed generally at right angles to each other, said upper leg having a downwardly turned hook portion overlying said lower leg and an eye portion extending outwardly from said upper leg; and

a toggle body including central, laterally extending pivot arms nested in said eye portion, an upper support portion integrally forming one end of said toggle body, and a lower handle portion integrally forming an opposite end of said toggle body. 9. The clamping device defined by claim 8, wherein said support portion includes a curved head. 524,477 10. The clamping device defined "by claim 9, wherein 2,858,548 said curved head has a flattened strip along its top sur- 5 2,947,005 face. 3,143,743

11. The clamping device defined by claim 9, wherein said curved head extends in a direction opposite to said handle portion.

12. The clamping device defined by claim 9, wherein 10 said curved head and said handle portion are on the same side of said toggle body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Biddle 4-187 Switzer 4-187 Switzer 4-187 Just 4-187 Cox 4-187 Janson et al. 4-187 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner J. H. DODGE, Assistant Examiner