US2013720A - Adjustable support for bathing devices - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10, 1935. w. o. THOMPSON 2,013,720

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR BATHING DEVICES Filed Jan. 30, 1934 INVENTOR MMQM Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNHTED STATES guano PATENT GFFEQE ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR BATHING DEVICES Application January 30, 1934, Serial No. 708,979

Claims.

This invention pertains to the positioning of tubs, and more particularly, to apparatus for supporting a bathing device.

Various problems arise in connection with the 5 supporting of bathing devices such as bathtubs. The form or shape of the tubs as well as the type of materials employed in their manufacture, tend to make these problems more difiicult of solution.

It has been the custom to provide some form lb of extension of considerable length, in order to support the tub in a desired position.

In connection with tubs formed of cast or molded material, such as metal castings or ceramic materials, or porcelain, it has been the custom to form integral extensions for the purpose of supporting the devices. These integral extensions not only add to the weight of the finished article, and thus, to shipping costs, but also result in a more expensive process in that rejections are increased due to imperfect castings, etc. Then too, the support legs or feet must be protected during handling, shipping, and installation to prevent breakage.

In connection with tubs formed of sheet material, it has also been a common practice to provide extending aprons for supporting the device.

There are certain factors which are common to the supporting structures of the various types of bathing devices. One of these is that the supporting structures are securely and rigidly mounted on a tub, and thus, they do not permit as much flexibility in their installation as is desirable.

Under present conditions, in order to meet the tastes and requirements of a group of customers, it is desirable to provide tubs of various dimensions and/ or tubs having various sizes of supporting structures.

When a non-flexible form of drain and/ or faucet connection is provided, it often happens that the threads of the connections require a different height for the tub than the actual mounting or supporting structure provides. Also, in various locations, a tub may require more slope than in others.

Due to the lack of flexibility of the supports now in general use, the only alternative has been to in some manner wedge material between the supporting structure and the floor to provide an approximation of a desired height.

And, it has been an object of my invention to provide a new and improved form of structure for supporting a bathing device.

Another object has been the provision of a more practical form of supporting structure.

A further object of my invention has been to provide a supporting structure for a bathing device which will be more responsive to various mounting requirements.

A further object of my invention has been to provide a method of supporting a bathing device 5 whereby at least one portion of such device may be raised or lowered to meet various installation requirements.

A still further object of my invention has been the provision of a supporting structure which will enable structural improvements in a bathing device.

These and many other objects of my invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which The figure is a longitudinal side view of a bathing device partially in section and showing an embodiment of my invention.

In carrying out my invention, I contemplate the provision of some form of supporting structure which may at one end thereof cooperate with a relatively small portion of a bathing device, such as a bathtub, and, at the other end thereof, may cooperate with a suitable mounting structure, such as a floor, wall, and/ or shelf.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown a screw-jack type of supporting structure which at one end is adapted to fit on a nubble, boss, or knob extending from the rim of a bathing device, and which at another end, is adapted to be adjustably mounted on the floor or mounting members of a room.

Although in the illustrated embodiment, I have shown two devices, one at each end of a bathing enclosure or tub, it is apparent that any suitable number may be provided and mounted in the manner suggested.

By employing my invention, I am able to provide a materially simplified form of tub such as H3, having an outwardly projecting flange or rim H from the under side or face of which extend downwardly depending bosses l2. The bosses l2 sharply contrast in size with the standard forms of supporting extensions.

In the case of the cast or molded type of device, the bosses I2 may be integrally formed therewith, and in the case of the sheet metal type of device, the bosses may be integrally formedor separately formed and welded thereto, and/ or may be stamped or pressed out therefrom.

Each supporting structure includes a leg portion which may be designated as a pipe or tubing l3, that is at one end adapted to turnably or pivotally fit over the boss l2, in order to position the tub. As seen, the boss I2 tapers or inclines inwardly towards its end and outwardly towards its base, in order that the tubing I3 may be pivotally moved thereabout to accomplish a ready removal of the support structure. At the other end I l, the pipe I 3 is threaded to adjustably screw within a floor plate or flange IS. The flange may of course be secured in any suitable manner to a mount or floor structure I? by means of screws,

bolts, or embedment in cement (not shown)..

When the support structure is used only temporarily, the floor plate or flange I6 can be slid along the floor space I'I, causing the tubing I3 to pivot about the boss I2, and enabling a quick removal of the support structure. Of course, the tubing I3 may be screwed out of or into the base plate It or the tub Iilmay be lifted a distance sufficient for the boss I2 to clear the tubing I3. However, when it is desired to remove the support tubing I3 after the tub has been cemented or locked into position, the advantages of the firstmentioned method of removal are clearly apparent.

Although the leg portion I3 may be turned by a wrench, with or without a flat, I have shown holes I5 drilled therethrough to receive a removable rod or pin.

It thus appears that one or more portions of a tub or bathing device may be raised and/or lowered to provide the proper height for drainage purposes, or to aid in mounting the drain and faucet pipes, and/or to accommodate such tub to the individual tastes of a given household. This is accomplished by inserting a rod or pin through the holes I5 and turning the tubing I3 within the floor plate I6 and about the boss I2 until the proper level has been attained. A very close adjustment is made possible by the invention.

When, as frequently occurs, in residential work, a bathing device is to be set into an enclosure or recess, it is often supported at the bottom or by placing its rim on 2 x 4is which are nailed to the studding. Thus, my invention may be effectively employed in such installations to permanently support a bathing device.

When baths are installed in hotels, large apartment buildings, etc., the tubs are often set before the enclosures are built. The walls of the enclosure are constructed of tile, gypsum block, etc., upon which the tile or finishing material is placed. Thus, there is no way of supporting the bathing devices, except by such temporary supports as blocks, bricks, etc., until concrete is slushed under the bottom.

By employing my invention, these bathing devices can be either permanently supported, or

temporarily supported until such a time as contractors decide to slush concrete under their bottoms. My invention is particularly valuable when applied to bathing devices which are considered to be difiicult to temporarily or permanently support.

While I have described my invention in View of a certain illustrative embodiment, it will be apparent that many changes, substitutions, additions, omissions or combinations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof as indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a bathing device having a suitable tub portion whose depth corresponds somewhat to the desired height of the tub from a floor space upon 10 which it is to be mounted, a rim extending outwardly and substantially horizontally from and forming an edge for the tub, a boss rigidly secured to an underside of said rim and projecting downwardly therefrom, a longitudinal leg portion,

and pivot means removably mounting said leg portion on said boss for supporting the tub.

2. In a bathing device having a suitable tub portion and a rim portion extending outwardly therefrom, a boss depending downwardly from said rim portion, a longitudinal support member, a pivot means mounting one end of said support member upon said boss for supporting the tub, means cooperating with the other end of said support member for mounting it upon a suitable floor space, and means for adjusting said support member, whereby the tub may be adjusted to a suitable height with respect to the floor space.

3. In a bathing device having a suitable tub portion and a relatively-short rim portion extending outwardly adjacent the top thereof and constituting an edge therefor, a boss depending downwardly from and rigidly secured to said rim portion, a longitudinal member atone end pivotally mounted upon said boss, and a floor member slidable with respect to a floor space upon which the tub is to be mounted, said floor member having a portion adjustably supporting the other end of said longitudinal member.

4. In a bathing device having a suitable tub portion terminating in a substantially horizontally-extending relatively-short rim portion, a boss projecting downwardly from the under-side of said rim, an adjustable tubing member, said tubing member having at least one open end for mounting upon said boss, said boss tapering inwardly towards the end thereof and outwardly towards the base thereof, so that said tubing may pivot thereabout, and means adjustably mounting said tubing adjacent the other end thereof upon of said leg members at one end being adapted to be pivotally mounted on one of said bosses, and at the other end being adapted to be adjustably threaded on one of saidfloor plates, so that said tub may be supported thereby.

WILLIAM o. THOMPSON.

Images