US3583005A - Apparatus for dispensing chemicals into liquids - Google Patents

Abstract

AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISINFECTING AND DEODORIZING THE BOWL AND WATER CLOSET OR FLUSH TANK OF A FLUSH TOILET COMPRISING A HOLDING CONTAINER PIERCED THROUGH WITH A BALANCED TUBE BENT WITH SEVERAL ANGLES, AT ONE END OF WHICH IS A FLOAT AND THEOTHER END OPEN, SAID CONTAINER BEING POSITIONED INSIDE OF A WATER CLOSET OF A FLUSH TOILET AND CARRYING AN OIL BASE, LIGHTER THAN WATER, CHEMICAL DISINFECTANT AND DEODORANT, AN OPENING IN THE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER THROUGH WHICH THE DISINFECTANT AND DEODORANT DRIPS DROP BY MEASURED DROP INTO THE WATER OF A WATER CLOSET OF A TOILET. WHEN THE TOILET IS FLUSHED, SAID DISINFECTANT AND DEODORANT IS DISPLACED FROM THE CONTAINER AS A RESULT OF DROPS OF WATER ENTERING THE CONTAINER THROUGH AN OPENING IN SAID BALANCED TUBE, THUS DISPLACING THE CHEMICAL DISINFECTANT AND DEODORANT FROM THE CONTAINER INTO THE WATER OF THE WATER CLOSET.

Description

June 8, 1971 c. H. KILBY, JR 5 3 APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING CHEMICALS INTO LIQUIDS Filed May 9, 1968 an. H mm: JR.

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United States Patent thee 3,583,005 APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING CHEMICALS INTO LIQUIDS Carl H. Kilby, In, East Point, Ga. (4200 NW. 3rd Court, Apt. 242, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33313) Filed May 9, 1968, Ser. No. 733,734 Int. Cl. E03d 9/02 US. Cl. 4-228 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus and method for disinfecting and deodorizing the bowl and water closet or flush tank of a flush toilet comprising a holding container pierced through with a balanced tube bent with several angles, at one end of which is a float and the other end open, said container being positioned inside of a water closet of a flush toilet and carrying an oil base, lighter than water, chemical disinfectant and deodorant, an opening in the wall of said container through which the disinfectant and deodorant drips drop by measured drop into the water of a water closet of a toilet. When the toilet is flushed, said disinfectant and deodorant is displaced from the container as a result of drops of water entering the container through an opening in said balanced tube, thus displacing the chemical disinfectant and deodorant from the container into the water of the water closet.

This invention is concerned with an apparatus and method for disinfecting and deodorizing a container holding water. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a method and an apparatus for disinfecting and deodorizing the water closet or flush tank and bowl of toilets.

There are many known devices in use today which attempt to disinfect and/or deodorize toilets in both the private home and in public places. When the word prodnet is used hereinafter, it is defined as a chemical disinfectant and deodorizer. Some devices are an integral part of the toilet assembly and some are located away from the assembly. However, these prior art devices have many drawbacks. It is generally well known that water based types of disinfectants reach a saturation point, and when this point is reached they no longer serve as a disinfectant. In many instances, disinfectants used in the bathrooms today, both public and private, are of little or no value, since most users, especially in the public bathrooms, fail to flush the toilets or water closets after use. Thus, these disinfectants are saturated or used up, and, when this occurs, breeding grounds for all varieties of bacteria or diseases are provided. Of course this is seldom recognized by the users. This failure to flush the receptacles is largely due to fear of the user of catching or contacting a germ from the flush handles of the commodes or water closets. Thus, their very fear of contacting germs results in creating a breeding ground for germs.

In addition, there are numerous types of wall-mounted drip deodorizing and disinfecting appliances or devices, most of which create hazards, not to mention the unsightly tubes or pipes. Many of these wall-mounted devices contain glass bottles which are subject to being tampered with or maliciously destroyed. In addition, these units drip constantly and waste the product with little or no control Patented June 8, 1971 over the usage of said liquid product. The cake or block type deodorant which is normally used in most toilets, again may be tampered with or maliciously destroyed. They olfer no effective means of destroying or controlling germs and bacteria growth. As these cake disinfectants are generally located in the bowl of a toilet, they have no effect on the water in the water closet of the toilet, itself.

It is therefore the primary objective of this invention to provide a simple, practical and economical apparatus and method of effectively controlling the spread of harmful bacteria which are common in the bathrooms of today.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a device for controlled addition of a product to the bowl of a flush toilet.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method and device for controlling bacteria growth in both the bowl of a flush toilet and in the water closet of the toilet, itself.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a method and device for disinfecting the bowl and water closet of a flush toilet and prolonging the life of the parts within the water closet.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following detailed description and drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the dispensing appliance;

FIG. 2 is a top plane view of the dispensing apparatus with the water closet empty;

FIG. 3 is a top plane view of the dispensing apparatus with the water closet full;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a metal strip used to attach the dispensing device inside the water closet; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1 positioned inside a water closet of a toilet.

Like parts are designated by the same reference number throughout the drawings.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, in FIG. 1, plastic cylindrical container 10 will contain approximately eight ounces of product. Container 10 is externally threaded at 35, the upper, open end, and cap 36 is screwed over same to provide a watertight container filled with the product and dyestuff which may be shipped without losing any of the product. Cap 36 covers all the apertures 16, 18 and slot 22. When container 10 is empty, one need only remove tube 20 from the used container, remove Cap 36 of a new filled container and insert tube 20 into apertures 18 and place the container in the Water closet. Thus, one need not buy an entirely new piece of apparatus every time the product is exhausted in an old continer. Container 10 has a bottom wall 11 upon which is placed internally of the container a weight 14 which will maintain the container in a stable and upright fashion when it is immersed in the water of a water closet. There is a conventional water-soluble dye 15 also placed in the bottom of the container, which is an indicator as to when the oil base disinfectant and deodorant or product 30 has been exhausted. When product 30 is exhausted, the dye 15 will flow into the water closet through opening 16 in the walls of container 10. Thus, when the dye appears in the bowl of the toilet, this will indicate that the product has been exhausted. The dyestuff is insoluble in oil, but soluble in water.

In the top end of container 10 within the walls are two openings 18 through which a tube 20 passes. This tube may be composed of copper or any other material relatively inert as to water and the product, for example, a plastic. Tube 20 is bent with several angles in the general shape of a compound curved S so that when the water in the water closet is at its full level, opening or open end A at one end of tube 20 is submerged in the water, and cork I float 21 is balanced on the surface of the water in the water closet at the other end. Thus, with the necessary angles at points B and C of tube 20 at the full level of water in the water closet, water will enter tube 20 through opening A and pass into said tube, but the angle at C is such that the water in tube 20 will not enter container 10 through opening 17. Tube 20 is maintained in such a position by cork 21 that the water which is in tube 20' cannot reach opening 17 while the water closet is at its full level of water. When the water closet 40, as shown in FIG. 5, is flushed, the water level of course goes to the bottom of said closet, and when this occurs, cork 21 rotates downward and rotates open end A of tube 20 in an upward direction, which permits the water entrapped within tube 20 to run down the tube and exit the tube through opening 17 into the container 10 which contains the liquid product. Water entering container 10 drops through to the bottom, since it is heavier than the oil base product which is forced out of opening 16 in like quantities to be mixed with the water in the water closet. The angles through which tube 20 are bent may permit approximately cc. to approximately 2 cc., as may be required of the product to be displaced from container 10 into the water of the water closet, depending on type of deodorant or disinfectant in use. The tube is removably mounted in the openings.

Liquid deodorants and disinfectants are well known in the art. There are several manufactured by Rochester Germicidal Company which are oil base in substance. In addition, others are produced by West Chemical Company, The Plunkett Co., and Hill Manufacturing Co., and are used to retard and control growth of bacteria as well as to keep disagreeable odors down. These are generally of a parachlorodibenzene base, phenol base, etc. These products are all oil-based and lighter than water; their specific gravity is less than one; therefore, they will float upon the surface of the water in the water closet. Thus, as the water in the water closet is discharged at its base into the toilet bowl, the oil based chemical will cover the movable parts within the water chest as well as be discharged into the bowl of the toilet as the water level reaches its lowest point in said closet.

When the water closet is full of water, FIG. 3 shows the position of the opening through which the few drops of water will exit tube 20 and enter container 10. There are provided holes 23 to permit entrance and exit of air so there will be no vacuum formed within tube 20 during its operation. Opening 17 in tube 20 in FIG. 3 is positioned toward the top of the tube; therefore, no water will enter container 10. In FIG. 2, the water closet is empty and opening 17 is not visible, as it is on the bottom of tube 20 directly over the chemicals provided in container 10. Thus, the water which has been trapped in tube 20 will exit the tube and enter container 10 and displace a controlled amount of product into the water closet. This occurs to a small extent as the water is being discharged from the closet and also occurs during the filling operation of the water closet so there is an eflicient use of the small amount of product which enters the water closet though opening 16 in container 10. There is an oily film of product floating on top of the water in the closet when the closet is full of water.

In summary, container 10 containing product 30 in liquid form, is placed inside water closet 40 of a conventional toilet. Weight 14 is located in the bottom of container 10. Exit aperture 16 is always located just above the level of the water of water closet 40 when the closet is full of Water. Water closet 40 is flushed, which results in cork 21 pulling downwardly on its end of tube 20 and at the same time raising the other end of tube 20 through which water has already entered through opening A. The water thus trapped in tube 20 by angles C and B is thus permitted to leave tube 20 through opening 17 by gravity. This movement of water from tube 20 through opening 17 into container 10' displaces a measured amount of product 30, equal to the volume of water which enters container 10 as the water level in the water closet 40 is lowered by the flushing action. The level of product 30 is at 31 so any new liquid added results in a like amount of 30 being forced out of container 10. As the liquid product 30 has a specific gravity of less than one, it floats on top of the water in the water closet and is with the last of the liquid to leave the water closet during the flushing action. As the water closet is emptied and the conventional valve closes, said closet starts to fill up again, and there is still a measured amount of product being displaced from container 10 through opening 16 into the water of said closet as the water level rises. As the Water of the water closet contacts cork float 21, the rising water level will force cork 21 in an upward and counterclockwise motion, which gradually rotates tube 20 so that opening 17 is no longer directly over the product 30 and has reached a position where it is on the top of tube 20 above the level of said product.

During this entire flushing action, product 30 has coated the moving parts in water closet 40 as well as killing and removing any germs or bacteria which were present in the bowl of the toilet. And at the same time, a measured amount of product 30 has been added to the new water which has entered Water closet 40 to be used in the next flushing action. The oil film contained in the water from the water closet has been lowered to the bowl and now furnishes a protective film for the fresh water in the toilet bowl. Product container 10 may be attached in any conventional manner to the wall of water closet 40. FIG. 5 shows a metal strip 25 which may be used by engaging slot 22 in the top of container 10 and being engaged over the top edge of water closet 40. Thus positioning said container within the water closet and at a proper level within the water of said closet, itself. The strap is marked at the top A to show where to bend it for different brands of water closets in order to keep aperture 16 always above the water level in the water closet.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the true scope and spirit thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of this invention is defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the controlled dispensing of an oil base disinfectant and deodorant into the water of a water closet of a flush toilet comprising:

a cylindrical container having a closed bottom and apertures adjacent the upper end; and

a water pickup means consisting of an apertured, hollow tube formed in the general shape of a compound curved S rotatable about its own longitudinal axis only and pivotally and removably extending through a pair of aligned apertures in the walls of said container serving as pivot bearings for said tube in said container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said disinfectant in said container has a specific gravity of less than 1.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said container contains a metal weight positioned on the bottom of said container.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which water soluble dyestuif is positioned in said cylindrical container.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said container defines an aperture at the upper open end thereof to allow the controlled exit of chemical disinfectant and deodorant from said container into said water closet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said tube has a. float positioned on one end and the other end is open.

of the tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1893 Plumb 4228 221-97 11/ 1907 Forrester 4227UX 11/ 1908 Mitchell 4227 9/ 1911 Dunkley 4-227 1,091,374 3/1914 Miller 4228 1,161,029 11/1915 CoOney 4-227 1,170,387 2/1916 Andrews 4227 4225 2,071,655 2/ 1937 Purrmann 4227X FOREIGN PATENTS 9,959 4/ 1894 Great Britain 4228 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner

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