US733787A

US733787A - Mechanism for temporarily locking water-closet bowls or washbasins.

Info

Publication number: US733787A
Application number: US12565002A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward Woodruff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1902-10-02
Filing date: 1902-10-02
Publication date: 1903-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1920-07-14

Description

No. 733,787. Y PATENTED' JULY 14,1903;

7 E. woonlw-Fr. MECHANISM FOR TBMPORARILY LOCKING WATER CLOSET BOWLS 0R WASHBA SIN-S.

APPLICATION FILED 001?.2, 1902.

no MODEL.

llllll UNITED STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WOODRUFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,787, dated Ju1y14, 1903.

Application filed October 2, 1902. Serial No.l25,650; (No model.) I

To all whom. it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDWARD WOODRUFF, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Ohi-.

cago, in the county of Cook, in the State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mechanism for Temporarily Lockin g Water-Closet Bowls or Washbasins, of which the .following is a specification in its best form now known to me, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

My invention relates to mechanism of the general class described above, and is particularly an improvement upon the mechanism shown in Patent No. 706,869, granted to me August 12, 1902.

The invention consists in a novel form of attachment mechanism for securinga d etach-' able adjustable contact with the underside of the flanges of receptacles of various sizes to be closed whereby the temporary cover may be secured in position; and it also consists in certain details of construction, which will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the draWings,,Figure l is a side view, partially in section, showing the mechanism of my invention applied to the bowl of a closet. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view showing the method of locking the mechanism in position. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of T- shaped pieces used in forming the adjustable attachment mechanism for securing engagement of the device with the flanges of the bowl. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view taken on line 5 of Figs. 1 and 6; and Fig. 6 is a detail view taken on line 6 of Fig. 5, showing the relative arrangement of the bolt and the T- shaped pieces forming the attaching mechanism. c

As will more fully appear from an inspection of the previous patent above referred to, the general object of my original invention was to provide mechanism for temporarily locking the-bowls of water-closets when not in use, the same consisting, broadly, of a plate adapted to fit over the receptacle to be closed and mechanism, one form of which was described in the patent, for securing adjustable engagement under the sides of the flanges of different-sized bowls and mechanism for locking the whole in position, so that it could not be removed.

In the drawings in this case illustrating my improvement in said mechanism, 10 represents the bowl of an ordinary bath-room closet, having around its upper edge the flange 11, having hinged to it the usual seat 12. On the top of fiange ll I placea plate 13, preferably of iron or steel, of sufficient size so as to completely cover the top of any of the bowls in ordinary use. Interposed between the plate 13 and the flange 11 is a'washer, preferably of rubber, 14, adapted to secure an airtight fit between the plate and the flange. This washer 14 may be, if desired, attached to the plate 13 by cement or other suitable means, and the washer should be of sufficient width, so that it is adapted to be used on bowls of different sizes. It may be in one piece covering the entire plate.

To secure the mechanism just described to the bowl, I provide an attachment mechanism which forms the principal feature of the invention here in question. It consists of two T-

shaped pieces

15 and 16. (Illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4.) The T-shaped piece 16 is made by taking a piece of fiat iron or steel and first bending one end in the straight or slightly-curved portion 17, then making a sharp bend 18 into the long straight portion 19 of a length somewhat more than half the width of the broadest bowl the mechanism is to be used upon, then bending the iron in a half-circle 20 and carrying it back in the straight portion 21 parallel to portion 19, so as to leavean opening or slot 22 between the

portions

19 and 21, then bending the iron in a curve 23, and finishing the construction with the straight or slightly-curved portion 2 1 symmetrical to portion 17. The iron or steel of which the T-shaped piece is made should preferably be about one-half of an inch wide and one-quarter of an inch thick, so that it will be of sufiicient rigidity to keep the sides of the slots 22 substantially parallel during the operation of my invention, which shall hereinafter be described. The shape of the

portions

17 and 24 should be approximately the arc of a circle struck from a center somewhere near the opposite end 20 of the T-shaped piece 16, so that they will be of approximately the curvature of the on the other T-shaped piece.

upper wall of the bowl which the device is adapted to fit. The T- shaped piece 15 is of exactly the same size and construction as the T- shaped piece 16 just described, except that it has on the ends of

portions

17 and 24

lugs

25 and 26 of the thickness of the T-shaped piece 16, so that when piece 16 is laid on the top of piece 15 the tops of the

lugs

25 and 26 will, as shown in Fig. 1, be substantially, if not exactly, on a level with each other and bear against the under side of the flange 11, as shown.

To form the attachment mechanism, I place the T-shaped piece 16 on T-shaped piece 15, as just described and shown in Fig. 1, and pass through the slot 22 in T-shaped piece 16 and slot 28 in T-shaped piece 15 the bolt 30, having a head 31 of greater width than the slots just referred to, and form the bolt with a square cross-section 32 adjacent to said head 31, adapted to fit in and slide along slots 22 and 28. Above this square portion 32 I place over the bolt a washer 33 and check-nut 34, so that by loosening the nut 34 the square portion 32 of the bolt may be moved along the slots 22 and 28, or the T-

shaped pieces

15 and 16 may be moved relative to each other and the nut 34 then tightened to fasten them in position. In order to steady the T-shaped pieces 15 and 1b and provide a guide, so that they can only bemoved in the one straight line with reference to each other, (that line being the center line of the slots 22 and 28,) I provide a short bolt 36, adapted to pass through slots 22 and 28, having a head 37 hearing on one T-shaped piece and a thumb-nut 38 bearing When now it is desired to slide T-

shaped pieces

15 and 16 with reference to each other, I simply loosen the nut 34 and the thumb-nut 38 until the parts are loose enough for such adjustment. I now move them with reference to each other in the desired position and tighten

nuts

34 and 38. As in the construction shown in my previous patent above referred to, the shank of the bolt 30 passes through a hole 40 in the plate 13 and has upon its upper end a thumbnut 42. Attached to a staple 44 on the plate 13 is a hasp 45, having a slot 46, adapted to fit over the straight sides 47 of the thumbnut and prevent its being turned. The end of the hasp 45 passes over another staple 48, through which is detachabl y passed a padlock 49.

In the operation of the improved mechanism of my invention I first take the attaching mechanism, consisting of T-

shaped pieces

15 and 16, the bolts 30 and 36, and the attached portions, and by making the adjustment heretofore described move the T-

shaped pieces

15 and 16 until the

T parts

17 and 24 of each bear against the under side wall and the under side of the flange of the bowl to which the mechanism is to be applied, as shown in Fig. 1, and tighten the

nuts

34 and 38, thereby securing the parts in position. I then take the plate 13, placeit and the (preferably'rubber) washer or pad 14 over the shank of the bolt 30, as shown, thread thumb-nut 42 onto the bolt 30, and turn it up tight. I then close down the hasp 45, as shown in Fig. 2, over the thumb-nut 42 and place the lock 49 through the staple 45 and lock it in position. To remove the mechanism, I reverse the operations described above.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact details of construction, which may be varied within reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described myinvention, What I claim as new, and on which I desire Letters Patent, is

1. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a plate adapted to fit over the receptacle to be closed, attaching mechanism below said plate consisting of two oppositelydisposed T shaped pieces each being provided with a longitudinal slot, the T-shaped ends of said pieces being adapted to engage the under side of a flange around the interior of the receptacle to be closed, a bolt passing through said slots and also through said plate, and means for tightening said bolt whereby said plate and attaching mechanism may be drawn toward each other, substantially as described.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a plate adapted to fit over the receptacle to be closed, attaching mechanism below said plate consisting of two oppositelydisposed T-shaped pieces each being provided with an open-end longitudinal slot, the T- shaped ends of said pieces being adapted to engage the under side of a flange around the interior of the receptacle to be closed, a bolt passing through the slots in said T-shaped pieces and also through said plate, and means for tightening said bolt and drawing said attachin g mechanism toward said plate, substantially as described. v

3. In mechanism ofthe character described, the combination of a plate adapted to cover a receptacle to be closed, an attaching mechanism below said plate consisting of two oppositely-disposed T-shaped pieces each being provided with an open-end longitudinal slot, the T-shaped ends of said pieces being adapted to engage the underside of a flange around the interior of said receptacle, a bolt passing through the slots in said T-shaped pieces and also through said plate, means for tightening said bolt whereby said plate and attaching mechanism may be drawn toward each other, and means for lockin g said tightening means, substantially as described.

4. In mechanism of the characterdescribed, the combination of a plate adapted to cover a receptacle to be closed, attaching mechanism below said plate consisting of two oppositelydisposed T-shaped pieces each being provided with an open-end longitudinal slot, the T- shaped ends of said pieces being adapted to engage the under side of a flange around the interior of said receptacle, a bolt passing through the slots in said T-shaped pieces and also through said plate, means for tightening said bolt whereby the plate and attaching mechanism may be drawn toward each other,

and a second bolt passing through said slots and provided with tightening means for clamping said T-shaped pieces together, substantially as described.

5. As an article of manufacture for use in mechanism of the class described, a T-shaped EDWARD WOODRUFF.

Witnesses:

DWIGHT B. OHEEVER, WM. E. BURNS.