US2234567A - Flush tank and mechanism - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1941. 1 55537 1 2,234,567

FLUSH TANK AND MECHANISM Filed June 20, 1938 INVENTOR flay/r 1/5559):

TORNEY Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES FLUSH TANK AND MECHANISM Great Neck, N. Y.

Application June 20, 1938, Serial No. 214,639

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a flush tank and the mechanism to cause proper filling of the. tank, and then the immediate discharge of the water from the tank to flush a toilet bowl.

In the usual form of flush tank, known in the trade as a low-down tank, meaning that the tank is only a short distance above the bowl, it is now common practice to use a mechanism which consists essentially of an inlet valve controlled by a float. The main water supply is piped to the tank, and the volume mechanism is attached to thissupply within the tank. When the tank is empty, the float falls downward, which movement, through a set of levers, opens the inlet valve for admission of water to the tank. As the tank fills, the float moves upward, gradually closing the valve to an entirely shut position at a pre-determined level of the water in the tank. When the tank is full, a trip mechanism. lifts. a rubber ball from a seat in the bottom of the tank. This permits the water to rush out of' the tank. into the bowl. This type of mechanism. is expensive to build and is not reliable at any time. The parts are generally crudely made and are not set in perfect alignment, which often causes a continuous wastage of water. One of the principal difliculties with this type of construction is that the rubber ball forming the closure of the flush valve is never perfectly round, and is subject to many irregularities, both in manufacture and use.

This type of mechanism and tank has the serious fault of being filled at all times when it is not in use, and therefore if a leak develops in the discharge valve, the water is constantly running into the bowl. Should the feeding valve Supplying the water to the tank leak, this water is being filled into the tank in excess of the required amount, and will continue to such an extent as to overflow into the bowl. This type of tank is constructed with an overflow pipe connected with the bowl for the special purpose of preventing the filling of the tank to the top and consequent overflow onto the floor. The present device works on exactly the opposite principle, in that the tank is empty at all times, and is only filled at the time it is used. Any leakage of the supply valve in the present device becomes stored in the tank, and will not be discharged into the bowl until such time as the accumulated water in the tank has reached a full level ready to operate the siphoning discharge. For all practical purposes, the present device therefore wastes no water, even though leakages occur. Obviously, the present device is of such a construction as to be used with. any type bowl, as its operation is entirely independent of the bowl.

This invention eliminates all of this delicate mechanism as well as the accurate alignment required to produce satisfactory results. It is the purpose of this invention to provide a very simple flush mechanism which is positive in action and with practically no moving parts to get out of order. Furthermore, such; moving parts as are necessary are all of such a nature as to be substantially constructed and to require no attention whatsoever after the. device has been put in operation.

The device likewise may be used in any form of tank arrangement, whether it be. of the lowdown type, or the high type of tank. Another feature of the invention is that it covers the usual field, of household tank equipment, especially where the pressure and volume of water is not sufiioient to use the automatic flush valve which is practicable Where large piping and high pressures are available.

In order to more clearly disclose the invention, reference is made to the following drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective View showing the mechanism installed in a tank and attached to a toilet bowl.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation showing the siphoning and mechanism for discharging the water from the tank once it has been filled.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, I is a toilet bowl which it is desired to flush. 2 is a tank set above the bowl. 3 is a connection from the bottom of the tank to the bowl. 4 is a supply pipe running from the main water supply and connecting into the bottom of the tank. 5 is a shutoff valve interposed in the line 4 and preferably mounted just below the tank. 6 is an automatic volume control valve which is connected to the shut-off valve 5 by pipe I. 8 is a discharge pipe connection connected to the automatic volume control valve 6. The parts 6, I, and 8 are preferably placed within the tank. The valve 6 is controlled by a trip handle 9 which is mounted exteriorly of the tank. I is a U-shaped pipe of relatively 1arge diameter which has one short leg I! and a longer leg 12. The part i0 is mounted in an inverted, manner within the tank. The leg i2 is connected to a fitting l3 mounted in the bottom of the tank, and extending therethrough, and into which the part 3 is fitted. The leg H terminates in a fitting M which fastens thereon.

The fitting I4 is shaped so as to have a central opening l5 about which is a wall l6 which has a seat [1 formed at its upper inner edge. Mounted to co-act with this seat I! is a tapered plug l8 which is preferably hinged to the wall I6 by a hinge pin I9.

The preferred embodiment and arrangement of these parts is shown in Figure 2. It will be noted that the U-shaped pipe l0 forms a siphon tube with the end of the leg ll near the bottom of the tank; the other leg 12 being permanently attached to the flush pipe 3 connecting to the toilet bowl.

The valve 6 may be any form of commercial automatic valve which is designed to pass a given amount of water for one operation of the handle 9. This valve is set to deliver a predetermined amount of water which will fill the tank to the proper level to produce the required flushing. This application does not apply to any improvement in the automatic volume control valve, this being a standard article which may be purchased complete.

In operation, it being desired to flush the toilet bowl, the handle 9 is operated, whereupon a predetermined amount of water enters the tank, filling it to a given level, whereupon the valve shuts off the supply of water. As soon as the water has reached the proper level for flushing, the hydrostatic pressure due to the actual water head, operates to lift the tapered plug l8, whereupon a quick siphoning action begins, due to the filling of the leg H and leg I2 of the U-shaped pipe ID. This siphoning continues rapidly on account of the large bore of the tube Ill, until the tank is empty, whereupon the plug [8 drops back against the seat [1, closing the siphon tube. The tank then stands empty, and is not refilled again until the handle is operated.

The purpose of the plug l8 is to prevent the beginning of the siphoning action until the water in the tank has reached its pre-determined level. If this valve were not used, the siphoning action would begin immediately, and the device would not deliver a flushing action.

The cycle just described may be repeated over and over again and in no instance is there any mechanism to become jammed or misaligned.

The plug I8 does not have to form a perfect seat with the wall IE, but merely acts to delay the siphoning action to the time when the hydrostatic pressure has reached the pre-determined requirement. For this reason it is desirable to have the plug l8 of a definite weight, the best adapted to the size of the tank.

The device aside from its simple mechanism also has the desirable feature of leaving the tank empty at all times. This is important in preventing leakage, and also avoids to a large extent corrosion of the metal parts when standing in water.

It is understood that the details described represent merely the preferred embodiment of the invention, and that a number of variations may be made in the details without departing from the principles and scope of the invention. For instance, the plug I8 which is shown tapered, may be a flat plate which would operate just as satisfactorily.

Having described'the invention, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic flushing toilet, a toilet bowl, a tank connected to the bowl by means of a U- shaped siphon tube set within the tank, and adapted to draw off the water in the tank with a flushing action, the open end of the said siphon tube having a gravity operated release valve; and manually controlled automatic means for supplying a pre-determined amount of water to the tank, the amount of water supplied to the tank being controlled independently of the water in the tank.

2. In an automatic flushing system, a tank which is normally empty, means for supplying a pre-determined amount of water to the tank, a siphoning device set within the tank and adapted to draw off the water in the tank with a flushing action; the means for supplying the water and the siphoning device being independent of each other.

FRANK LIEBERT.

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