US3921226A

US3921226A - Flush valve regulator

Info

Publication number: US3921226A
Application number: US440738A
Authority: US
Inventors: Warren E Macdonald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-02-08
Filing date: 1974-02-08
Publication date: 1975-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-25

Abstract

A flush valve regulator to be applied to the discharge control valve of a toilet storage tank. The regulator is in the form of a float cup made in one integral piece, with a recess in the lower end thereof adapted to seat upon the discharge valve. The regulator is provided with a surrounding wall about the periphery of said bottom recess which encloses a top recess to be filled with water and has a sleeve extending through the float cup slidably receiving the stem of the discharge valve. When the stem is held in a raised position for a predetermined period of time, the entire contents of the storage tank is discharged. However, if the valve stem is lifted to start the discharge and then immediately released, the valve will be seated by the action of the float cup thereon and thus trap a part of the water in the tank to prevent its discharge.

Description

United States Patent Macdonald Nov. 25, 1975 [541 FLUSH VALVE REGULATOR [76] Inventor: Warren E. Macdonald, 40 Sunset 'r Exam,i',1er wllham Martm Drive, Seekonk, Mass 02771 Asszstant Examiner- Stuart S. Levy Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Burns, Doane, Swecker & [22] Filed: Feb. 8, 1974 Mathis [21] Appl. No.: 440,738

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 4/56; 4/67 A A flush valve regulator to be applied to the discharge E031) E031) control valve of a toilet storage tank. The regulator is Field of sealdl in the form otl-e float cup made in one integral piece, 57 57 67 67 249 with a recess in the lower end thereof adapted to seat upon the discharge valve. The regulator is provided [56] References Cited with a surrounding wall about the periphery of said UNITED STATES PATENTS bottom recess which encloses a top recess to be filled 300 540 6/1884 Weeden 4/63 x with Water and has a Sleeve extending through the 2,168,742 8/1939 ONeill et al..... 4/57 R float cup slidably receiving the stem of the discharge 2,214,439 9/1940 Robertson 4/56 valve. When the stem is held in a raised position for a 2,260,078 10/1941 Kurkijan 4/56 predetermined period of time, the entire contents of 2,668,960 2/1954 Barrett et al 4/57 the storage tank is discharged. However, if the Valve 3,153,247 10/1964 Walsh 4/67 A X stem is lifted to start the discharge and then immedilg; s zf l 4/ i ately re1eased,.the valve will be seated by the action of a cry 3,380,077 4/1968 Armstrong 4/67 R l f f l: g i a part of the water 3,561,016 2/1971 Reynolds 4/67 A m e o S arge' 3,831,204 8/1974 Cook 4157 R raw'ng gums Sheet 1 of 2 FIG! FIG 3 US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 U.S. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet 2 of 2 FIG. 6

FIG8- 1 FLUSH VALVE REGULATOR SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in flush valve regulators of the character adapted for use on a toilet flush tank valve to regulate the quantity of water discharged from the tank under control of the valve.

Attempts have been made heretofore to provide regulators which would allow discharge of less than the entire quantity of the water contained in the tank. One such proposal has utilized a sectional regulator secured to the stern of the valve to be filled with water in the tank and to apply a counterbalance force to the valve,

tending to seat it, except when held in a raised position.

Such a regulator has many objections and has proven to be unsatisfactory because of the corrodible material of which it is formed in part; it requires careful adjustment; it is secured to the stem of the valve and therefore requires assembly prior to installation.

One object of the invention is to simplify and im prove regulators for toilet tank flush valves which are free of the objections encountered with proposals made heretofore.

Another object of the invention is to provide a regulator that may be easily applied to the stem of a flush valve and is free thereof, but is constructed of inexpensive corrosion-resistant material which, nevertheless, will be filled with water in the tank to regulate the closing of the discharge valve and thereby limit the quantity of water discharged from the tank.

These objects may be accomplished, according to one embodiment of the invention, by providing a float cup in one piece of molded construction with a surrounding wall and a transverse head at one end of the wall which may be of dished shape to conform substantially to the peripheral surface of the upper end of the discharge valve. A sleeve extends from the head to the upper end of the float cup of sufficient size to receive the valve stem loosely therethrough. The upper end of the float cup is substantially open, to be filled with water in the tank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS This embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the float cup detached;

FIG. 2 is a cross section therethrough;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof; and

FIGS. 5 to 11 are diagrammatic cross sections of the float cup installed in a flush tank, showing the parts in different positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSURE The float cup, according to this invention, is illustrated generally by the numeral 1 and comprises a surrounding wall 2, with a bottom head 3 extending transversely of the lower end of the surrounding wall. In the form of the invention illustrated, this bottom head 3 is dish shaped, but it may be made of any suitable shape to conform substantially to the shape of the ball valve to which it is applied and to accommodate valves of dif' ferent shapes.

Extending upwardly from the bottom head or cup 3 is a sleeve 4 which is open through the head and extends substantially to the upper end of the surrounding wall 2. The sleeve 4 is held in place by webs 5 that extend radially from the sleeve 4 to the surrounding wall 2, forming braces to hold the sleeve properly centered. The lower edges of the webs 5 conform to the peripheral surface of the head 3. The float cup thus forms a receptacle 6 within the surrounding wall 2 above the head 3 and between the wall and the sleeve 4, which is filled with water within the flush tank.

The float cup is preferably molded of a suitable plastic material which is corrosion resistant. While any suitable plastic may be used as found desirable, it is preferred to use a plastic material which is very close to the specific gravity of water so that it will have virtually no effect on the buoyancy of the ball valve to which it is applied during that part of the operation when it is submerged. It may be molded in one piece and thus be inexpensive to construct and easy to apply to a conventional valve stem in a toilet flush tank.

The use of the float cup is illustrated diagrammatically in the sectional views shown in FIGS. 5 to 11. The construction of a conventional flush tank is not illustrated in detail except insofar as needed to illustrate the manner in which the float cup is applied to the stern of the valve.

' In these views, a tank is illustrated generally at 7, having a bottom wall 8, with a valve seat 9 formed or mounted in the bottom wall. A valve is shown at 10 which is usually a hollow ball valve of a suitable plastic or rubber material, adapted to fit upon the seat 9. The ball valve 10 has a valve stem 11 fixed at one end thereto and extending upwardly to a flush lever 12 which is usually manually controlled. The valve stem 11 extends in guided relation through a suitable guide bracket 13 mounted in the tank, usually on one side of the overflow pipe. The means for operating the lever 12 and for controlling the admission of water to the tank are not illustrated because these are well known in the art and conventional forms thereof may be used.

The float cup 1 is located above the ball valve 10, with the stem 11 extending loosely through the sleeve 4 of the cup so that the float cup is slidable vertically along the stem, free thereof.

The different relative positions of the float cup 1 with respect to the valve 10 and the valve stem 11 are illustrated in the several views designated FIGS. 5 to 11 under different conditions. In FIG. 5, the tank is empty, with the valve 10 seated, closing the discharge outlet 9. As water is admitted to the tank, the float cup 1 is sufficiently light in weight so that it will float upon the surface of the water during the initial filling action, as shown in FIG. 6.

The float cup 1 is limited in its floating movement by the guide bracket 13 so that, as the tank is filled with water, as shown in FIG. 7, the receptacle 6 in the float cup will also be filled and will gradually settle down to a seated position upon the top of the valve 10, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Then, upon actuating the lever 12 to raise the valve 10 off the seat 9, as shown in FIG. 8, the water is allowed to flow out of the tank. Because there is now water below, as well as above, the hollow ball valve 10, it has a buoyancy lifting it towards the surface of the water in the tank. The upward movement of the valve is limited by the stem 11 and the bracket 13. The addition of the float cup I to the stem 11 further limits the upward travel of the valve 10.

Without the cup 1, as the surface of the water in the tank would fall to a level at which the buoyancy of the ball valve equals its weight, the ball valve floats in equilibrium at the surface and begins to lower with the falling water level untilit contacts the seat 9. At this point, the water under the ball valve continues to fall away, leaving the weight of the ball valve combined with the water pressure only on the upper portion of the ball valve, holding the valve securely in place while the tank refills.

In FIG. 9, as the surface of the water in the tank falls in the same manner as just described, the ball valve 10, with the float cup 1 in place, floats in equilibrium relative to the surface, but because the buoyancy is not sufficient to keep both the top of the ball valve and the water-filled float cup above the surface, its position of floating equilibrium is below the surface, with only a small portion of the float cup remaining above the surface.

Because the float cup thus causes the ball valve to float lower in the water relative to the surface, as the water level lowers due to the discharging water, the ball valve contacts the seat 9 sooner than it would without the float cup in place.

In this way, the float cup causes the water discharge through the seat 9 to be shut off sooner than it would without the float cup. Thus, less water is used in the flushing action even though essentially the same amount of water is available in the tank as is available without the float cup.

It can be understood then, that by actuating lever 12 and releasing it promptly, with the float cup 1 in place, a substantial quantity of the water in the tank is trapped and, therefore, a lesser amount of water is released for flushing only liquids. If both liquids and solids are to be flushed, it is desirable to use the entire available tankfull of water. All the water can be allowed to discharge from the tank by actuating the lever 12 and holding it a few seconds longer in the position shown in FIG. 8, while the tank empties.

It should be noted that the vortex of the discharging water does provide a slight downward assist to the seating of the ball valve 10 into the seat 9. This effect is the same on the ball valve, with or without the addition of the float cup 1.

FIG. 11 shows the position of the parts during refilling.

It will be apparent from these illustrations that the cup fills with water during the first filling action and remains full thereafter. When the flushing operation starts, the ball valve and the cup are lifted away from the valve seat. The float cup reduces the net buoyancy of the ball valve so that the ball valve remains below the surface of the water in the tank during the flushing operation and thus will seat more readily in an advanced relation to the discharge of the water unless the valve is held off the seat normally during the completion of the flushing action.

This float cup can be used with any suitable or desired form of ball valve on a stem regardless of the design thereof or the operation of the lever handle. It is made of one piece molded construction which is inexpensive to manufacture, easily applied and effective in service. It does not require any assembly prior to installation or any adjustment, but may be used wherever it is found suitable for the purpose.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in one embodiment, it is recognized that variations and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a toilet flush tank having a buoyant flush valve with a convex upper surface and a lower sealing portion, a valve seat that cooperates with the valve lower portion, a valve stem connected to and extending upwardly from the upper surface of the flush valve and with an upper end, operating means connected to the upper end operable to lift the flush valve from the valve seat, and a guide bracket for the valve stem, said bracket having an aperture through which said stem extends and having a shoulder positioned between the upper end of the stern and the flush valve but below the tank water level, an improved flush valve regulator for spacing the flush valve below the guide bracket in proximity of the valve seat to effect early closure of the flush valve, the flush valve regulator comprising a generally cylindrical wall with an upper edge and a lower edge, a concave bottom head integrally attached to the lower edge of the wall, a centrally disposed sleeve slidably mounted on the valve stem between the flush valve and the guide bracket and positioned to engage the bracket shoulder upon lifting said stem, the sleeve being generally coaxial with the wall, integrally connected to the head, extending upwardly from the head to the upper edge of the wall, loosely fitting on the valve stem between the flush valve and the guide bracket, a plurality of radially extending webs between the sleeve and the wall for holding the sleeve centrally in position, each web being integrally connected to the wall, the sleeve and the head, the wall, sleeve, head and webs being fabricated from an integral piece of substantially neutrally buoyant plastic material, the wall, sleeve and head cooperating to define an annular water receiving reservoir, the wall and sleeve defining an annular opening for receiving water in the reservoir, the convex head adapted to seat on the convex surface of the flush valve during closure thereof and adapted to avoid changes in force required to actuate the operat

Claims

1. In a toilet flush tank having a buoyant flush valve with a convex upper surface and a lower sealing portion, a valve sEat that cooperates with the valve lower portion, a valve stem connected to and extending upwardly from the upper surface of the flush valve and with an upper end, operating means connected to the upper end operable to lift the flush valve from the valve seat, and a guide bracket for the valve stem, said bracket having an aperture through which said stem extends and having a shoulder positioned between the upper end of the stem and the flush valve but below the tank water level, an improved flush valve regulator for spacing the flush valve below the guide bracket in proximity of the valve seat to effect early closure of the flush valve, the flush valve regulator comprising a generally cylindrical wall with an upper edge and a lower edge, a concave bottom head integrally attached to the lower edge of the wall, a centrally disposed sleeve slidably mounted on the valve stem between the flush valve and the guide bracket and positioned to engage the bracket shoulder upon lifting said stem, the sleeve being generally coaxial with the wall, integrally connected to the head, extending upwardly from the head to the upper edge of the wall, loosely fitting on the valve stem between the flush valve and the guide bracket, a plurality of radially extending webs between the sleeve and the wall for holding the sleeve centrally in position, each web being integrally connected to the wall, the sleeve and the head, the wall, sleeve, head and webs being fabricated from an integral piece of substantially neutrally buoyant plastic material, the wall, sleeve and head cooperating to define an annular water receiving reservoir, the wall and sleeve defining an annular opening for receiving water in the reservoir, the convex head adapted to seat on the convex surface of the flush valve during closure thereof and adapted to avoid changes in force required to actuate the operating means.