US3047881A - Guide fixture for flush tanks - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 7, 1962 L. s. COFFELT GUIDE FIXTURE FOR FLUSH TANKS Filed Nov. 28, 1960 [,ICoFFE Q 7' INVENTOR I I I a ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 7, 1962 3,047,881 GUIDE FIXTURE FOR FLUSH TANKS Lester S. Coficlt, 1814 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, Calif. Filed Nov. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 72,225 2 Claims. (Cl. 4-57) This invention relates to a guide fixture for flush tanks, the primary object of the invention being to provide an improved guide fixture which may be readily attached to and detached from a flush tank outlet fitting, for maintaining the ball valve of the fiush tank aligned with its seat to insure proper seating of the valve.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character embodying inwardly extended spring arms having offset portions, the confronting open sides of the offset portions providing a guide for the valve rod to which the valve proper is secured, so that the valve will be maintained in alignment with its seat to insure the proper seating of the valve at all times.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a valve rod guide which will permit the valve supporting rod to be readily and easily snapped into position between the spring arms of the guide, thereby eliminating the necessity of disconnecting the valve from its rod in order to replace or remove the valve.

Still other objects, advantages and improvements will become apparent from the following specification, taken in connec ion with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 11 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-6 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view through a modified form of guide, parts thereof being broken away to illustrate the manner of securing the guide arms to the securing clip.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the device comprises an outlet fitting indicated generally by the reference character 5 which is secured within the usual flush tank, by means of a nut 6 threaded on the outlet portion 7 of the valve assembly.

The reference character 8 indicates the usual ball valve of the flush tank, which seats in the cone shaped seat 9 as better shown by FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the valve 8 being provided with the conventional guide rod 10 which is provided with a laterally extended end portion 11 providing a stop to regulate the upward movement of the valve and prevent the valve from becoming disconnected from the fixture.

The device forming the subject matter of the present invention, embodies a length of wide spring metal member 12 formed with a slot 13 dividing the member 12 into later-a1 leg portions 14 and within which the inner ends of the spring arms 15 are disposed, the extremities of the spring arms 15 being extended inwardly locking the spring arms 15 to the spring member 12.

The free ends of the spring arms 15 are formed with offset portions 16 which offset portions of the spring arms 15 have their open sides confronting providing a circular opening 17 for the reception of the guide rod 10, as better shown by FIGURE 3 of the drawing, the extremities of the spring arms 15 being curved outwardly as at 18 providing a guide for the rod 10 so that the rod 10 may be readily and easily positioned between the spring arms and held in such position against accidental displacement.

A rivet indicated by the reference character 19 is provided for securing the arms 15 together to insure the springing action of the arms to accomplish the purpose of the invention.

The other ends of the arms 15 are curved laterally as at 19 and contact with the inner surface of the outlet pipe portion of the fixture, as shown by FIGURE 3 of the drawing.

It might be further stated that the lower endsof the spring arms 12 are bent upwardly against the rear surfaces of the laterally curved ends 19 of the arms 15, thereby securing them together.

The spring arm 12 has a laterally extended portion 20, the arm having a reverted end portion 21 inclined upwardly in such a way that when the inverted end 21 of the arm 12 is forced into thelateral overflow passage 22 it will set up a binding action between the laterally extended portion 25, its inverted end 21 and the wall of the lateral overflow passage of the fitting.

Thus it will be seen that due to this construction I have provided a guide fixture for flush tanks which may be readily and easily positioned within the conventional flush tank valve structure, and one wherein the conventional guide rod of the valve may be readily positioned without the necessity of using tools in order to position or remove the same.

As shown by FIGURE 5 of the drawing, a length of spring metal material indicated by the reference character 25 is bent upon itself providing a loop 26 through which the guide rod 27 is extended, the ends of said arms 25 being secured to the spring arms 28 of the fitting, which spring arms 28 are frictionally held within the lateral overfiow passage of the conventional flush tank valve fixture.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. The combination with the overflow passage of a flush tank fitting having a vertical wall portion, embodying a valve member operated by a lift rod, of a lift rod guide comprising a vertical leaf spring member having a lateral extension positioned within said overflow passage, terminating in an inverted spring and contacting with the wall of said overflow passage, a pair of wide horizontal spring arms secured to and extending laterally from said vertical spring member, said spring arms being secured together intermediate its free ends with the vertical wall portion of said flush tank fitting and having confronting recesses adjacent said free ends providing a circular valve guide rod opening, and the free ends of said connecting spring arms being curved laterally for guiding a valve lift rod through said guide lift rod opening.

2. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, and said vertical spring member having a slot extending inwardly from one end thereof, in which portions of said horizontal spring arms spaced from the free ends thereof are disposed, and portions of said vertical spring member adjacent to said slot extending upwardly overlying portions of said horizontal spring arms, securing said spring arms to said vertical member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,175,973 Reed Oct. 10, 1939 2,561,877 Limongelli July 24, 1951 2,735,112 Myers Feb. 21, 1956 2,778,028 Weiner Jan. 22, 1957 2,894,264 Walter July 14, 1959 2,956,286 Coifelt Oct. 18, 1960

Images