US1938818A - Bathtub supporting bracket - Google Patents

Description

1366- 1933- c. J. ERICKSON ET AL BATHTUB SUPPORTING BRACKET Filed April 21, 1952 g wives m aQ/zrfl f fag/W A TYS Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATHTUB SUPPORTING BRACKET CarlJ. Erickson and Carl H. Johnson, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 21, 1932. Serial No. 606,560

11 Claims.

in a building beforethe plastering or cement and tile are applied to' the walls. The tubs are supported on the floor and secured in position with the upwardly extending flange adjacent the wall studding. The underside of the flange or rim at the back and at one or both ends of the tub are of rough unfinished iron and after the tub is installed suitable plaster or tile finish is applied to the wall in a manner to make a tight joint with the enameled surface of the bath tub rim.

If the finished Wallis to be of plaster or cement, the practice is to butt the rim of the tub up against the studdingand then apply the finish, and if the wall is of brick, the tub flange is butted against the so-called furring-strips which are substituted for the studding of a frame building. 7 8

When the finished wall is constructed of tile requiring a thick undercoat, the practice is to set the tub so that the unfinished rim edge is approximately seven-eighths'of an'inch away from the stud or furring-strip.

The result of installing a tub supported entirely on the floor is that as the floor joists and other timbers dry out and settle, the flange is drawnaway from the wall finish and in nearly all cases a crack of considerable size results between the tub and the plaster or tile.

In order to eliminate the possibility of this crack occurring, a wooden two-by-four has been secured horizontally to the studs or furring-' strips to support the rim of the tub so that it would not settle'with the fioor. This practice practically eliminates the crack in the joint between the tub and the wall. However, in M order to do this, it is necessary to first set the tub in place, adjust it so that the front, back and ends are level, or, if the tub is warped, to set it so that it will appear level and then mark the height at which the two-by-four is to a be secured to the studding. Then it is necessary to remove the tub or bring it "back away from the wall in order to have work room in which to nail the two-by-four against the studs or furring-strips; then the tub is replaced with the rim on the two-by-four. If this is accurate- -ly and carefully done the tub may be found to be approximately level. However, the under surface of the tub rim is rough and contains many imperfections and it has usually been found necessary to repeat the above process until by a cut-and-try method the two-by-four has been finally placed so that the tub would rest in the desired position. Even when this has been accomplished, it is often found that the tub flange rests on the two-by-four only at some one or two points where it is supported by the imperfectionsof the rough flange surface and in time these imperfections settle into the surface of the two-by-four and a crack occurs even when the tub has been otherwise well installed.

The above method is expensive and inconvenient as it is often necessary to disconnect the plumbing and make several re-adjustments.

This invention overcomes the above and other difliculties and provides a suitable supporting means whereby the tub may be permanently installed and the supporting means applied and permanently secured, without loss of time or readjustment of tub or supports, and in a manner to prevent any crack between the plaster and flange at any future time.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved bath tub support by which the tub may be accurately engaged at all points to which the support is applied and by which the tub will be retained in the original level position.

A further object is to provide a bath tub support in which all adjustment may be made easily and conveniently by means of the, supports only instead of adjusting and re-adjusting the tub as has formerly been the practice.

This invention also provides a convenient device which is small in size and whereby a large number may be packed in a small space and easily transported to desired locations A further object is the provision of a suitable bath tub support which combines an accurate gauge for setting the bath tub relative to the supporting studs or furring-strips whereby wall finishes of desired thickness may belater applied.

A novel feature of the invention is the provision of a one-piece support which may be attached to the side of a stud and which is formable by the workman for attachment to the front side of the studwhile retaining the same supporting characteristics.

A further object is the provision of a onepiece sheet metal bracket which is cheap to manufacture, requires no assembly, and which is means.

convenient to install after the bath tub has been permanently installed. 7

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention applied to a wall stud, the cement and the tile wall finish and the tub rim being shown in section; V

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the tub supporting brackets applied to a wall stud;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of an installed bath tub, the adjacent studding being shown in section with the supporting brackets applied thereto and illustrates the method of inserting the brackets from between the studding and moving them into supporting relation afterthe tub. has

side of a studding instead of to the front but which may be formed by the user for attachment to the front if desired; and

Fig. 6 illustrates a method of using the bracket as a gauge for permanent installation of the tub at a desired distance from the wall as required for a particular type of wall finish.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the embodiment illustrated is preferably made of sheet metal formed to provide suitable rim-engaging However, the device may be made of other material if desired and comprises a comparatively narrow elongated plate 1' having outwardly extending tub engaging ears or flanges 2 formed thereon.

The elongated plate 1 is upwardly extending from the flanges 2 and is provided with a series of holes 3 whereby the device may be secured to studding 4 or furring strips as illustrated. Any suitable fastening means such as nails 5 can .be used.

The base plate 1 is also provided with a series of holes 6 through which a suitable metal lath or other plaster support '7 may be secured by nails or other suitable securing means.

The outwardly extending flanges 2 are provided with inclined steps 8 and 9 which, in the present instance, are formed to accommodate a standard type of bath tub rim when engaged therewith as illustrated in Fig. 1. It should be understood that these steps may be of any desired contour to conform to. the contour of the tubs used therewith. However, the inclined steps illustrated in the present embodiment may be successfully used with most of the tubs in common use.

As previously stated, the tubs are commonly permanently installed adjacent the side and end wall studdings or furring-strips as illustrated in Fig. 3.

In installing the tub, the supporting bracket may be usedas a gauge as illustrated in Fig. 6. When used in this connection, the brackets are inverted as shown and when it is desired to space the tub for tile finishes, such as shown in Fig. 1, the flange 11 of the tub is placed against the vertical riser 9a of the step 9 as illustrated, and the tub is then permanently fastened in place and the plumbing may be installed. The bracket may then be removed and inserted between thelstudding as shown in Fig.

3 and moved laterally between the studding and the tub and then raised until the steps 9 are snugly in contact with the lower surface of the tub rim; the bracket may then be firmly secured in place by the nails 5 as illustrated in Fig. 1.

It will be obvious that all of the supporting brackets may be firmly secured in place to support the tub adjacent each wall stud or furring-strip, and may be secured without disturbing the alignment of the tub and thereafter the tub rim will be supported in alignment with the brackets regardless of any settling of the floor. After the brackets have all been installed, the metal lath 7 may be applied and fastened through the series of openings 6 in the brackets and the cement coating 12 and tile 13 may then be applied thereto.

.If a plaster coating alone is to be applied to the wall, the tub flange may be spaced from the studs or furring-strips by only substantially the thickness of the plate 1.

Thebrackets are then inserted in the supporting position as previously described but with the flange 11 resting on the step 8.

It should be noted that a considerable number of minor imperfections usually exist on the underside of'the rim 11 and steps 8 and 9 present sharp, clear-cut edges which may be moved back and forth to scrape off these minor imperfections and thereby accurately seat the particular step used snugly against the under surface of the rim before the bracket is secured in place by the nails 5.

Theuse of this invention for supporting the tub provides a permanent support at all points of engagement with the tub rim regardless of variations in the alignment of the rim. This is of considerable importance when it is remembered that many of these rims are warped as well as having the above mentioned imperfections. n

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 is similar to that just described except that it is somewhat cheaper in construction and requires less metal, as one of the flanges 2 is eliminated. Otherwise, the stru'ctureis the same as the embodiment illustrated in Fig.1.

Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment wherein the bracket is a. singlefiat sheet metal plate and is adapted for conditions where it is desirable to secure the device to the side of the studding instead of to the front. In this form the supporting portion may be bent by the user to the angular relation shown in Fig. 4, whereby the bracket may be attached to the face of the wall stud.

It is obvious that large numbers of these devices may be packed in a very small space and be easily transported and conveniently and efficiently used for the purpose described.

The deviceis adaptable for use with any ordinary. type of building construction and whereever studs or studding are referred to in the claims it is intended to cover either metal or wood studding or furring-strips or analogous structure. i

Various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and we desire, therefore, to be limited only by the prior art and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. .A bath tub emergency support of the character described comprising a narrow elongated plate having openings therein for attachment 150 to a wall stud after the tub is in place, and an outwardly extending integral flange adjacent its lower end and arranged to engage the under surface of the rim of a permanently installed floor supported bath tub.

2. A bath tub support of the character described comprising an elongated strip for attachment to a wall stud, a thin outwardly extending tub rim engaging portion integral therewith, and a plurality of tub engaging surfaces on said supporting portion whereby to engage the rim in emergency supporting relation in any one of a plurality of permanently installed horizontally spaced positions relative to said studding.

3. A bath tub support of the character described comprising a sheet metal bracket for attachment to a wall stud after a tub has been permanently installed and supported adjacent thereto and arranged to be secured to said studding in aligmnent with the front surface thereof, and an outwardly extending integral portion on said bracket and having a plurality of vertically spaced rim engaging edge surfaces for engaging with and forming an emergency support for the rim of said tub in a plurality of horizontally spaced positions relative to said studding.

4. A supporting device of the character described for bath tubs permanently installed adjacent wall studding, comprising a comparatively thin member for attachment to individual studding and having a portion extending under the rim of said bath tub to prevent the tub settling relative to said studding, said engagement being substantially the thickness of said member, said member being arranged to be inserted between the studding and moved laterally into engagement therewith and having a part forming a gauge for laterally positioning said tub.

5. A bath tub bracket of the character described comprising a thin sheet metal base having oppositely disposed out-turned flanges adjacent one end, the contour of said flanges forming a plurality of edge surfaces conforming substantially to the contour of the under surface of a bath tub rim, and a vertical edge surface for spacing a tub from a stud, and an extension on said base above said flanges and provided with openings whereby the bracket may be secured to a studding.

6. A flat sheet metal tub supporting bracket of the character described having a stud engag ing portion with-nail openings therein for securing to the side of a wall stud, and an outwardly extending tub rim engaging portionhaving a plurality of steps thereon for variously engaging the rims of permanently installed and variously positioned tubs and a vertical edge surface for spacing a tub from a stud, said supporting portion being arranged to be bent to substantially ninety degrees with the stud engaging portion when desired whereby the bracket may be attached to the front of a stud instead of the side.

7. A bath tub support bracket of the character described comprising a comparatively narrow U-shaped sheet metal member having an upwardly extending portion adapted to be secured to the face of a wall stud, the arms of the U-shaped member being provided with steps arranged to alternatively engage and support the flange of a permanently installed bath tub and a vertical edge surface for spacing a tub from a stud.

8. A U-shaped bath tub bracket support of the character described, the arms of said U-shaped member being adapted in one position of said bracket to provide a gauge for the installation of a bath tub to position the tub laterally from a stud and in another position of said bracket to provide an emergencysupport therefor.

9. A bath tub bracket of the character described comprising a U-shaped member arranged to be secured to the face of a studding, the arms of said U-shaped member being arranged to engage and form an emergency sup, port for a permanently installed bath tub by engagement with the rim thereon, said bracket having a vertical gauge surface and being adaptable when inverted to provide a gauge for the permanent alignment of said tub. 10. A bath tub bracket of the character described comprising a U-shaped member arranged to besecured to the face of a wall stud,- the outwardly extending arms of said U-shaped member having stepped surfaces thereon arranged to engage and provide an emergency support for a permanently installed bath tub by engagement with the rim thereof, said bracket having a vertical edge gauge surface and being adaptable in one position to provide a gauge for the adjustment and permanent alignment of said tub relative to wall studding and in another position to support said tub when secured to said studding and the original support is lowered.

11. A bath tub support of the character described comprising a flat sheet metal plate having an elongated attaching portion for alignment with the edge of a stud and attachment to the side thereof, and an outwardly extending stepped portion for engagement with the rim of a tub, said plate being formable for attachment to the front of the stud instead of the side while retaining the same tub supporting characteristics.

CARL J. ERICKSON.

CARL H. JOHNSON.

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