US2214200A - Toilet ventilator - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10, 1940.

J. P. LOWTHER 2,214,200

TOILET VENTILATOR Filed Sept. 28, 1938 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l (I; 3.1 L IZ I n 1 l i I E 1 i LL" L 7 IN V EN TOR.

556 Fwy WW Y TORNEY Sept. 10, 1940. J. P. LOWTHER TOILET VENTILAIOR 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28,

Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- 4 Claims.

in the bathroom.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that a nozzle through which air is withdrawn from the bowl may also serve as a housing for a trigger by means of which a switch is actuated to close a circuit through a motor and set the motor and a fan carried thereby into operation when the seat is depressed by an occupant thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the switch is of the mercury tube type and mounted in a tube or conduit through which the air passes from the nozzle into the fan housing from which it is ejected into a tube leading to the wall of the bathroom.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the apparatus that all movable parts thereof will be enclosed and thereby protected from exposure and also prevent them from being tampered with.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which is of a simplified and compact construction and not liable to get out of order when in use.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the apparatus installed for use, the seat of the bowl and its cover, the flush tank, and bathroom wall being indicated by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the fan and motor housing along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary foreshortened sectional view taken through the bowl and seat.

Figure 5 is a wiring diagram.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the device with the discharge tube removed.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line l! of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken horizontally through one end portion of the device and illustrating the mercury tube switch and actuating trigger therefor.

Figure 9 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 99 of Figure 6.

The foul air exhauster constituting the subject'matter of this invention is for use in connection with a toilet bowl I having the usual seat 2, cover 3 and flush tank 4, the bowl being disposed in front of the tank in the usual position, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings;

The housing 5 which encloses the motor 6 and the fan 1 carried thereby is disposed at one side of the bowl at the rear thereof and is formed with an outlet neck 8 into which is engaged the front end of a discharge tube 9 extending rear- Wardly therefrom and having its rear end passing through an opening formed in the wall ill of the bathroom under the tank 4. A collar II which fits about the pipe or tube 9, fits close against the wall and serves to conceal the opening through which the pipe passes and also hide the plaster or the like employed to form a tight closure about the pipe.

A tube l2, which, at one end, is secured in the inlet neck I3 of the housing 5 by a screw l4, extends from the housing and is of sufiicient length to extend across the rear portion of the bowl where the seat 2 and cover 3 are hingedly mounted by the usual hinge posts or bolts i5. Each post or bolt carries the usual collar l6 and the tube i2 is provided with slotted lugs or webs l'l for engaging about the bolts under the collars and mounting the tube back of the seat and cover. A fiat inlet nozzle l8 extends forwardly from the tube 12 between the lugs I l and, in order to close the outer end of the tube there has been provided a hollow plug I 9 whichfits into the tube and is held therein by a screw 20. An opening 2|, which registers with a companion opening in the tube, is formed in the plug to accommodate the wires 22 which extend along the rear portion of the tube I2 and are shielded by the depending skirt or lip 23. These wires enter the terminal box 24 where one is secured to the terminal 25 to which the motor lead wire 26 is attached and the other is secured to one of the power wires 21. This power wire is secured to the terminal 28 and the other power wire is secured to the terminal 29 to which the other motor lead wire 30 is secured. Referring to Figure 5, it will be readily seen that when the mercury tube switch 3| into which the wires 22 are secured, is tilted in a direction to cause the mercury to flow to the outer end of the tube, a circuit will be closed through the motor and the fan operated to create a suction through th tube 12 and the inlet nozzle i9 and cause air to be withdrawn from the bowl and into the housing 5, from which it is expelled through the pipe 9 and into the wall ID for passage upwardly through the wall into an attic or through a vent pipe to the outer atmosphere.

The mercury tube extends longitudinally in the tube l2 and the plug l9 and is mounted in a coiled spring 32 having arms 33terminating in laterally extending pins 34 which engage in openings 35 formed in the plug and mount the tube 3| for swinging movement from the circuit breaking position shown in Figure 3 by full lines to the circuit closing position indicated by dotted lines in this figure. In view of the fact that the mercury tube is mounted in a coiled spring, it will not be crackedwhen expansion and contraction take place. The plug must be at all times retained in the position shown in Figures 3 and 8, so that the tube and its resilient mounting may be swung vertically, and in order to do so, there has been provided a lug or rib 36 extending longitudinally in the outer end portion of the tube I2 and engaged in a slot 31 formed in the annular wall of theplug. The plug can only be fully inserted when in position to permit the rib to enter its slot and will then be prevented from turning in the tube I2 out of its proper position. This also assures registration of the opening 2| in the plug with the companion opening of the tube so that the wires 22 maybe threaded.

through these openings.

In order to actuate the mercury tube switch and close the circuit through the motor, there has been provided a trigger 38 which extends longitudinally in a chamber 39 formed in the nozzle I8 by a partition strip 40. The trigger is mounted for vertical tilting movement by a fulcrum pin 4| and its inner or rear end'extends into the tube 12 and is formed with a head 42 disposed under the mercury tube, as shown in Figure '7, while its outer end terminates in an upstanding knob or button 43 projecting through an opening 44 in the top of the chamber 39 and 7 carrying a screw 45 disposed under a thumb tack 46- carried by the seat. 2. It will be readily understood that when the seat is forced downwardly by the weight of a person occupying the same, pressure will be applied to the knob to rock the trigger and swing its inner or rear end upwardly to tilt the mercury tube upwardly, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 7, to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3, and close the circuit through the motor. The seat is normally held upwardly out of position to apply pressure upon the knob by a rubber cup disposed under a side edge portion of the seat and having an upwardly projecting shank 48 which sits into a socket 49 secured against the under face of the seat. This cup is yieldable so that when the seat is subjected to weight it will be .forced downwardly and the thumb tack 46 moved into position to engage the screw 45. By adjusting the screw, proper engagement between the screw and the thumb tack may be obtained.

While only one cup or yieldable support 41 has been shown, it is obvious that a second may be provided at the other side of the seat and pro-- vided an even support for the seat. The outer or front end of the chamber 39 is closed by a cap 50 to prevent dirt from entering the chamber and obstructing the lever.

When this ventilator apparatus is in use,-it is installed as shown with the slotted fins engaged about the hinge posts and secured firmly in place.

The pipe 9 is applied to the outlet neck of the housing 6 and passed through an opening formed in the wall, after-which the space between the pipe andmargins of the opening is ehinked to form a tight joint and the collar shifted along the pipe into position to cover and conceal the opening and provide a good appearance. The cups or yieldable supports are applied to the under surface of the cover 3 and also the thumb tack so that when the seat is occupied and depressed, pressure will be applied to the screw 45 to rock the trigger and tilt the mercury tube switch to close the circuit through the motor and operate the fan to cause suction through the tube l2 and its nozzle l8. Air and obnoxious gases will thus be withdrawn from the bowl I through the nozzle and the tube into the fan housing and discharged therefrom through the pipe 9 into the wall. If the bowl should become clogged and become filled with water to such an extent that it enters the nozzle and fiows into the tube l2, the barrier or baflle will prevent it from reaching the end of the tube communicating with the fan housing and damaging the motor, and in order to allow the water to escape from the tube, there have been provided drain openings 52. While two drain openings are shown, it is obvious that as many as desired may be provided. When the occupant of the seat arises, the seat will be shifted upwardly by the cup or cups 41 and, as pressure will be removed from the front end of the lever, the lever and the mercury tube will return to normal position and break the circuit to shut oi the motor.

Having thus described the invention, what is in side pintles engaged in the sockets of saidv plug to pivotally mount the mercury tube for vertical-swinging movement into and out of a. tilted position to close a circuit, a trigger extending longitudinally in said nozzle and pivoted intermediate its length with its inner end extending into said body and under the inner end portion of said mercury tube, a head at the outer end of said trigger projecting upwardly through the upper wall of the nozzle, and a screw carried by the head and adjustable vertically into position for projecting upwardly from the head adjusted distances.

2. In a device of the character described, a tubular body, a nozzle extending laterally from said body, a hollow plug for closing one end of said body formed with sockets at opposite sides, a mercury tube extending longitudinally in said body, a spring fitting about said mercury tube and having arms extending longitudinally thereof and terminating in side pintles engaged in the sockets to pivotally mount the mercury tube for vertical swinging movement into and out of position to close a circuit, and a trigger mounted in said nozzle with its inner end portion extending into the tubular body and engaging under the inner end portion of the mercury tube and its outer end provided with a head projecting upwardly through an opening formed in the nozzle.

3. In a device of the character described, a

tubular body, a nozzle extending from said body, a mercury tube in said body extending longitudinally therein, a mounting for said mercury tube pivoted for vertical swinging movement from a lowered position to an upwardly inclined position to close a circuit, and a trigger in said nozzle having one end portion extending into the tubular body and engaging said mercury tube, the other end of said trigger having an actuating member projecting from the nozzle through an opening in the top wall thereof in position to be depressed and actuate the trigger.

JESSE P. LOWTHER.

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