US3348242A - Water closet device - Google Patents

Description

F. R. WILHELM WATER CLOSET DEVICE Oct. 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1'], 1965 Oct. 24, 1967 F. R. WILHELM WATER CLOSET DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fl/// ///J Filed March 17, 1965 j fizz/672.2 57: Tran/kl? Zz/zZeZm United States Patent C 3,348,242 WATER CLOSET DEVICE Frank Ralph Wilhelm, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Borg- Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 440,396 5 Claims. (Cl. 441) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A water closet and flushing mechanism are disclosed herein. The Water closet is the type having a low water tank with respect to the bowl which inherently provides a low static water pressure for flushing purposes which is the environment to which the invention is most appropriately applied. A flushing mechanism is provided in the tank which coordinates the utilization of the water stored in the tank with fresh water from the supply to provide both rim and bottom flushing of the water closet bowl.

The typical tank flushing devices presently in existence generally include a discharge valve in the bottom of the tank which is controlled by a ball valve engaged in a seat in a discharge valve in the bottom of the tank. The ball valve is actuated fro-m outside the tank when a linkage is manipulated. The water is then discharged into the bowl from the static water head in the tank and in appropriate velocity and volume to provide the normally utilized kinetic and siphonic action necessary for flushing the bowl.

Normally to flush a water closet, the ball valve is lifted vertically from its seat in the valve body and the water in the tank is discharged through the valve body into the bowl. When the water level in the tank arrives at a predetermined low level, the buoyant force of the ball is thereby lessened and is further overcome by the kinetic energy exerted by the water discharging through the ball valve, and the ball is pulled into its seated position in the discharge valve to seal the valve. When the ball valve is closed under these circumstances, there is a considerable amount of water remaining in the tank. The remaining water is a small percentage of the total amount of water present in the large upright water closet tanks most commonly used and thereby, has no significant adverse eifect on the flushing operation of flushing devices utilizing the large upright water closet tank.

However, the current trend in water closet designs is to provide low one-piece and more streamlined types of water closets. The low streamline one-piece trend in water closet designs drastically reduces the maximum available static head of water available, and which is necessary to provide the requisite volume and velocity to produce the required siphonic and dynamic action employed to properly fiush the known types of water closets. Also, the known systems and devices do not provide the adjustments and reliability required without unduly complicating and raising the cost of the apparatus use.

It is therefore highly desirable to provide an improved tank flushing device for the tank and bowl of a water closet that could be utilized in combination with the one-piece low or other low streamlined water closets of the present trend that would provide a reasonably simple, inexpensive and highly reliable flushing device which could be easily adjusted and which would provide sufiicient Water volume and velocity for facilitating adequate flushing of the water closets regardless of the lower configuration thereof.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved water closet flushing device for water closets ice having a low static water head capacity and which would be relatively simple, uncomplicated and economical.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved water closet flushing device for water closets having a low water head capacity and which is readily adjustable and highly reliable in its operation.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved water closet flushing device for providing sufficient water during the flushing operation thereof to provide a flushing action in a water closet having a low static water head, which is comparable to that normally provided by a water closet having an elevated or high static water head available for flushing.

With this and other objects in view, the present invention provides a tank flushing device for the tank and bowl of a water closet wherein a water closet tank is provided with an inlet and outlet valve, a diverter and diversion conduit, a diverter actuating means and a float connected to the inlet valve and the diverter actuator, and a ball valve in the exhaust valve which is also con nected to the diverter actuator whereby the float controls the inlet valve and the diverter actuator, so that said diverter is actuated during the discharge of water through an exhaust valve to divert water into the diversion conduit leading to rim flush of the bowl, and whereby said diverter actuator controlled by the float, releases the ball valve seating in said discharge valve at the lowest possible W.L. in the tank and acts to deactuate the diverter to allow the water to be diverted into the tank to refill the tank.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial top plan view of a water tank and bowl which includes the structures of the improved tank flushing device of this invention and which shows the relative horizontal position of the various elements thereof.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the discharge valve in the open position, and the diverter in the actuated position.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the limits of the pivotal movement of the diverter actuator mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view taken along line 4 -4 of FIG. 1 showing the inlet valve and float assemblies.

The figures illustrate an embodiment of this invention with respect to a one-piece water closet of the low silhouette type that provides the environment of problems that accompany a water closet having a low static water head which is engaged by this invention. The embodiment of the invention herein illustrated includes several assemblies and structures; namely, a tank portion 10, a bowl portion 11, an inlet valve assembly 12, a diverter valve assembly 13, a diverter actuator assembly 14, a diverter actuator retainer assembly 15, a discharge valve assembly 16, a fioat assembly 17, a flexible float link 18, and a flexible ball valve link 19.

The tank portion 10 is provided with an exhaust aperture 25 (FIG. 2) and an inlet aperture 26 (FIG. 4) in the base thereof. The exhaust aperture 25 opens into a conduit 27 (FIGS. 1 and 2) leading to the bowl 11 in the manner normally exercised in the art for interconnecting the tank of a one-piece water closet with the bowl thereof to allow water to flow from the tank into the bowl for flushing the bowl. The tank 10 is also provided with a diversion reservoir 28 (FIGS. 1 and 3), having a rim flush diversion reservoir conduit 29 leading from an elevated position in the tank to the upper inner rim portion of the bowl 11 to provide a swirling washing action within the bowl 11 when water is passed through the reservoir conduit 29 into the bowl 11 during the bowl flushing cycle, while the tank empties.

The inlet valve 12 is provided with a discharge conduit 31 connected to a typical Water supply 32 (FIG. 4) and is provided with an actuating plunger 33 which is adapted to move vertically in the inlet valve 12 and is biased by the water pressure in a normally up position (FIG. 4). When the plunger 33 is in its uppermost position (FIGS. 1 and 4), the inlet valve 12 is open and the plunger 33 closes the inlet valve 12 gradually as the plunger travels into its lowest position controlled by the raising float 46.

The inlet valve plunger 33 is provided with an aperture 34 (FIG. 4) in which a rounded end 35 of a valve actuating link 36 is positioned. The link 36 is pivotally connected to a yoke 37 by a pin 38, and the yoke 37 is rigidly secured to the inlet valve 12. The left or remaining end 39 of the link 36 is pivotally connected to a pair of short links 40 by a pin 41, and the short links 40 are in turn pivotally connected to a float sub-arm 42 of the float assembly 17 by a pin 43. The float sub-arm 42 is provided with an axial threaded aperture 44 in the outer or left end thereof (FIG. 4), and is threadably adapted to receive a float rod arm 45 which is rigidly secured to a float 46. The float sub-arm 42 is pivotally connected to a yoke 47 by a pin 48 extending through the yoke 47.

The inlet valve 12 is supported within the tank 10 on a threaded lower portion 49 to which a positioning nut 50 is threaded. The inlet valve 12 is positioned vertically in the tank inlet aperture 26 with the nut 50 on a sealing gasket 51, and is held in this position by a securing nut 52 threaded on 49 of the valve 12 and drawn tight against the tank 10 on the outside thereof.

The raising of the Water level in the tank 10 to a high level 53 (FIG. 2) will cause the float 46 to float on the water and move upwardly until the level 53 is reached to pivot the float sub-arm 42 clockwise (FIG. 4) about the pin 48 causing the links 40 to move upwardly. The upward movement of the links 40 in turn will pivot the inlet valve link 36 clockwise about the pin 38 and thereby move the plunger 33 downwardly from its open position. Thus, the raising of the float 46 with the raising of the water level will cause the plunger 33 to move to a lower position tending to close the inlet valve 12. Conversely, the lowering of the float 46 with the lowering of the water level will cause the plunger 33 to move to a higher or up position tending to open the inlet valve 12.

The diverter valve assembly 13 includes generally a diverter valve body (FIGS. 13) having an inlet conduit 61, a reservoir outlet 62, and a diverter valve shaft 63 (FIG. 1) rotatably mounted in the body 6%). Also, the diverter valve assembly 13 includes a husher discharge tube 64 extending downwardly into the tank 10 and a .diverter reservoir outlet 29. The diverter inlet 61 is connected to the inlet valve discharge 31 and is thereby adapted to receive water from the inlet valve 12, and to divert the water either into the diverter reservoir outlet 62 when the diverter 13 is actuated, or into the husher tube 64 to discharge water into the tank 10 when the diverter 13 is not actuated. The diverter valve shaft 63 .actuates the diverter 13 to divert water into the reservoir outlet 62 thereof when the shaft 63 is rotated clockwise (FIG. 3) and conversely, deactuates the diverter valve 13 to divert water into the husher tube 64 when the shaft 63 is rotated counterclockwise.

The diverter valve shaft 63 is connected to a diverter lever 68 of the diverter actuator assembly 14 by a screw 69 and is thereby adapted to pivot with the shaft 63. The diverter lever 68 is provided with a pin 70 (FIGS. 1 and 3) extending therefrom substantially parallel with the shaft 63. A flush lever 71 is part of the diverter actuator assembly 14 and is pivotally positioned in the front of the tank 10 and extends therethrough into and is secured to a flush rod link 72 (FIGS. 1 and 3) within the tank 10, The link 72 is rigidly secured to the flush lever 71 and is adapted to be pivoted upwardly (FIG. 3) when the flush lever 71 is pivoted about the axis thereof.

The link 72 is provided with a groove 73 which is adapted to engage the pin 70 to pivot the diverter lever clockwise (FIG. 3) from the dashed line position to the position shown when the connecting link 72 is pivoted upwardly. The motion of the diverter lever 68 is lim ited in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions (FIG. 3) by the upper and lower stops 74 and 75 respectively which form a rigid part of the diverter body and are positioned thereon in the path of a projection 76 on the lever 68.

The diverter actuator retainer assembly 15 includes generally a bracket 80 and a detent 81 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The bracket 80 is rigidly secured to the diverter body 60 and is provided with a yoke portion 82 having arms extending to the left and down. The detent 81 is pivotally connected to the bracket 86 within the yoke 82 by a pin 83 extending through the yoke 82 and the detent 81. The detent 81 is provided with a weighted portion 84, a cam surface 85, a detent surface 86, and a downwardly projecting portion 87. It should be noted that the right end (FIG. 3) of the diverter lever 68 is a cam actuator 88 that is positioned and adapted to engage the cam surface 85 of the detent 81 when the diverter lever 68 is pivoted clockwise.

Further, it is important to note that when the diverter cam actuator 88 is pivoted beyond the cam surface 85, the detent 81 will rotate counterclockwise (FIG. 2) from the dash line position to the position shown in response to the weighted portion 84 thereof. The cam actuator 88 of the diverter lever 68 is thereby prevented from returning upwardly by the detent 81 once it has been moved beyond the cam surface 85. The diverter lever 68 thereby can not return to its counterclockwise position which it tends to assume by its weighted end at pin 70 (FIG. 3), and the diverter 13 will remain actuated until the detent 81 is pivoted clockwise (FIG. 2) to the dash position out of the upward path of the cam actuator 88 of the diverter lever 68.

The discharge valve assembly 16 includes generally a ball valve 91 and a discharge valve seat 92. The ball valve 91 is a buoyant member and is pivotally connected to pins 93 extending radially from a vertical overflow tube 94. The overflow tube 94 is rigidly secured to the discharge valve seat 92 and is open at the top to receive any overflow within the tank, and discharges same through the discharge valve 16. The valve seat 92 is provided with a conduit 95 opening into the bowl and tank conduit 27. The discharge valve seat 92 is provided with a tapered gasket 96 which is adapted to be positioned in the discharge aperture 25 of the tank 10 and is held in this position by any securing structure 97 of the types generally used in the art.

The discharge valve 16 is thereby adapted to discharge water from the tank 10 into the bowl through tank conduit 27, when the buoyant ball valve 91 is pivoted counterclockwise about the pins 93 (FIG. 2) to an upper position. When the discharge valve 16 is thus opened, the buoyant effect of ball valve 91 will retain the ball valve 91 in the open or up position and water will be discharged by gravity from the tank 10 through the discharge valve seat conduit 95 into the bowl 11 through the tank and bowl conduit 27, so that the bowl 11 will thereby receive water from the tank 10 for providing a flushing action within the bowl 11.

The flexible ball link 19 which interconnects the ball valve 91 and diverter lever 68 is secured at the lower end thereof to a bracket 100 on the ball valve 91 (FIG.

2) and at the upper end thereof to the left end of the diverter lever 68 (FIG. 3). The ball link 19 is thereby adapted to raise the ball valve 91 from the seated position in the discharge valve seat 92 when the diverter lever 68 is pivoted clockwise (FIG. 3), in response to the raising of the rod arm 72 when the flush lever 71 is pivoted downwardly (FIG. 1).

The flexible float link 18 which interconnects the float 46 and detent 81 is secured at one end thereof to the detent projection 87, threaded through a suspension eyelet 101 that is rigidly secured to the overflow tube 94, and is secured at the other end thereof to an adjustment bushing 102. The bushing 102 is adjustably retained on the float rod by a set screw 103. The flexible float link 18 is thereby adapted to be pulled taut when the float 46 is lowered in response to the lowering of the Water level in the tank 10. The detent 81 will thereby be caused to pivot clockwise about the pin 83 and remove the detent surface 86 from the upward path of the cam actuator 88 of the diverter lever 68. The diverter lever 68 will then be allowed to pivot counterclockwise (FIG. 3) under the influence of gravity in the absence of the rod member 72 when the flush lever 71 is returned. This will in turn allow the diverter valve shaft 63 to return to the deactuated position, whereby the diverter 13 will direct Water received from the inlet valve 12 into the tank through the husher tube 64. Simultaneously, the flexible link 19 which interconnects the ball 91 and the diverter lever 68 will permit ball 91 to move, by the effect of gravity, onto the discharge valve seat 92.

Operation The operation of the flush tank device of this invention as exemplified above is generally initiated with the device in a normal non-flushing condition wherein the structures thereof are in the respective positions as immediately hereinafter set forth. In particular, the flush lever 71 is in the horizontal position (FIG. 1) and the flush rod 72 is in the dashed position (FIG. 3). The diverter lever 68 is also in the dashed position (FIG. 3) and the detent 81 is in the counterclockwise position (FIG. 2). The ball 91 of the discharge valve is in the discharge valve seat 92 to retain the water within the tank 10 and the ball cable 19 is slack. The water level 53 under these conditions is at its highest point as indicated (FIG. 2), and as a consequence, the float 46 is in its upper position on the surface of the water. With the float 46 in this position, the float link 18 is slack and the inlet valve 12 closed.

The initial manual flush actuating action of the device is provided by a downward pivotal movement of the flush lever 71 (FIG. '1) which raises the flush rod 72 upwardly with the groove 73 against the pin 70 of the diverter lever 68. The diverter lever 68 is thereby manually moved to the clockwise or up position (FIG. 3). The diverter valve shaft 63 is thereby actuated to the clockwise position thereof (FIG. 3) whereby the diverter 13 will act to divert water from the inlet valve 12 into the diverter reservoir exhaust conduit 62, into the reservoir conduit 29 and thereby transmitted to the tim flush of the bowl 11 to aid the flushing action thereof.

When the diverter lever 68 is rotated clockwise by the flush rod 72 to the position shown (FIG. 3), the right cam actuator end 88 thereof passes along the cam surface 85 of the detent 81, thereby moving the detent 81 clockwise to allow the cam actuator 88 of the lever 68 to pass into the area of the detent surface groove 86 whereby the weight 84 of the detent 81 will rotate the detent 81 counterclockwise into the path of the cam actuator 88 to prevent counterclockwise movement of the lever 68. The diverter lever 68 will thereby maintain the diverter 13 in the actuated condition to divert water through the reservoir 28 into the bowl 11 until the detent 81 is eventually pivoted clockwise (FIG. 2) out of the upward path of the cam actuator 88.

When the diverter lever 68 is thus moved to and retained in the diverter actuating position (FIGS. 2 and 3), the ball link 19 will be pulled upwardly by the left end of the lever 68 to raise the ball 91 from the discharge valve seat 92 to open the discharge valve 16.

An initial automatic flow action will result from the above-described initial manual flush actuating action of the device. In particular, the initial manual flush actuating action opens the discharge valve 16 to allow the water in tthe tank to flow therethrough into the bowl 11 through the conduit 27 to perform the flushing action of the bowl 11. With the discharge of the water in the tank 10, the float 46 will be lowered in accordance with the water level in the tank 10, and as a consequence, the inlet valve 12 will be automatically open by the downward movement of the float 46 as previously described.

The water admitted by the inlet valve 12 will pass to the diverter 13 through the inlet discharge 31, and the diverter inlet 61, and the diverter 13 which is retained in its actuated position will divert the water into the rim flush of the bowl 11 through the diversion reservoir 28 and the diversion conduit structures 29 and 62. Water passing through the diversion conduit 29 will thereby be admitted to the bowl 11 simultaneously with the water passing to the bowl 11 through the discharge valve 16 to simultaneously provide the flushing action of the bowl 11.

Thus, it can be seen that although the initial water available in the tank It) represents the major quantity, the flushing action is augmented by the water simultaneously passing through the reservoir conduit 29 to rim flush of the bowl 11.

During the flushing action, the buoyant ball 91 will tend to float and will thus be retained in an up position (FIG. 2) removed from the valve seat 92 to retain the discharge valve 16 open. After the water level in the tank drops to such an extent that the buoyant ball 91 would be pulled by the dynamic force of the water and the effect of gravity onto the discharge valve seat 92 and close the discharge valve, it is prevented from doing this by the flexible link 19, which is attached to the left end of the diverter lever 68. Thus, it allows all the water from the tank to be discharged through the discharge valve 16, through the conduit 27 into the bowl 11, utilizing the full amount of water contained in the tank before flushing was initiated.

When the water in the tank 18 reaches a predetermined low level, the flexible float link 18 will be drawn taut by the lowering of the float 46 with the water level, and the float link 18 will urge the detent 81 clockwise (FIG. 2) about the pin 83. This movement of the detent 81 will remove the detent surface 86 from the path of the cam actuator 88 of the diverter lever 68. The diverter lever 68 and the shaft 63 attached thereto are thereby free to be pivoted counterclockwise to deactuate the diverter 13. This counterclockwise pivotal movement will be actuated by the weight around pin 70 of the diverter lever 68, which exerts a momentum about the diverter shaft 63- in a counterclockwise direction, thus overcoming the friction within the diverter valve.

Since the detent 81 is connected by the flexible float link 18 to the adjustment bushing 102 on the float rod arm 45, this bushing is adjusted so that the detent 81 releases the diverter lever 68 at the instant when all the water in the tank 10 was discharged. As the diverter lever 68 moves counterclockwise to the dashline position (FIG. 3), a final action takes place within the invention; the ball 91 moves onto the discharge valve seat 92, closing the valve, simultaneously the diverter 13 assumes its initial deactuated position. The diverter 13 in this position is in the deactuated position, and the water received thereby from the inlet valve 12 will be diverted into the tank 18 through the husher tube 64 to refill the tank 10 to its high level 53.

When the water level in the tank reaches the high level 53, the float of the float assembly 17 will be floated upward to its highest point (FIG. 4) whereby the inlet valve 12 will be closed by the action of the linkages 42, 40, 39, and the plunger 33 as previously described. Thus the invention will be automatically returned to its normal condition ready for flushing with the inlet valve 12 closed, the water level in the tank at its highest 53, the discharge valve 16 closed, and the diverter 13 deactuated with the diverter lever 63 in its counterclockwise deac- Summary This invention is actuated by an initial manual operation wherein the diverter 13 is actuated and is automatically retained in the actuated condition to divert water into the rim flush of the bowl 11 through a reservoir conduit 29 to provide a flushing action in the bowl 11, and to open the tank discharge valve 16 to allow water to flow from the tank 18 into the bowl to perform the flushing action. During the flushing action thus created, the water level in the tank 11 decreases and eventually lowers the float 46 to a point whereupon the diverter 13 is released from its actuated condition or position by the float link 18, and the ball 91 of the discharge valve 16 is seated to close the discharge valve 16. The ball 91 is linked with the diverter 13 by the ball link 19 so that when the diverter is deactuated by the float 46 to divert water into the tank 16 instead of into the bowl 11 to refill the tank 10, the discharge valve 16 is thus closed. When the water in the tank reaches the predetermined high or full level 53, the float assembly 17 will close the inlet valve 12 in preparation for a new flushing action.

This invention thereby provides supplemental water for augmenting the flushing action, which otherwise would remain within a flush tank. The two sources of water provided for the combination flushing action are co-ordinated time wise to the greatest possible extent by the structures of this invention to be automatically operated and terminated in adjustable, predetermined portions in response to the ordinary simple manual movement of a flush lever positioned externally to the tank.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, except only insofar as the claims may be so limited, as it will be understood to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved flush tank device for the tank and bowl of a water closet comprising a tank, a bowl, a diversion conduit connecting said tank With said bowl, a discharge conduit connecting said tank with said bowl, a water supply, a diverter valve adapted to normally discharge water into said tank and actuatable to discharge water through said diversion conduit into said bowl, a normally open water inlet valve interconnecting said supply with said diverter and actuatable to close to prevent water from passing therethrough into said diverter, means for actuating said diverter valve, means for automatically and releasably retaining said diverter actuator means in the actuating condition, a norm-ally closed discharge valve positioned in said discharge conduit for closing said conduit and actuatable to the open condition and adapted to open into said tank, means for interconnecting said diverter actuating means with said discharge valve to open said valve when said diverter actuating means is actuated to allow water contained in said tank to flow through the exhaust conduit into the bowl, a float element connected to said inlet valve and adapted to actuate said inlet valve when the level of the water in said tank reaches a predetermined high level, and means for interconnecting said float element and said diverter actuator retaining means for releasing said retaining means when said float element reaches a predetermined low level.

2. An improved flush tank device for the tank and bowl of a water closet comprising a tank, a bowl, a diversion conduit connecting said tank with said bowl, a discharge conduit connecting said tank with said bowl, a water supply, a diverter valve adapted to normally discharge water into said tank and actuatable to discharge water through said diversion conduit into said bowl, a normally open water inlet valve interconnecting said supply with said diverter and actuatable to close to prevent water from passing therethrough into said diverter, a diverter actuator lever means pivotally mounted on said diverter, said lever having a pawl member extending substantially radially therefrom, a ratchet biased to automatically and releasably retain said diverter actuator pawl to retain said actuator in the actuating condition, a discharge valve positioned in said discharge conduit and opening into said tank, said discharge valve being normally closed under the effects of gravity in the absence of a predetermined minimum water level with respect thereto and held closed when the water is above said predetermined level unless actuated whereupon said valve is buoyantly adapted to remain open until the level of the water in which it is submerged is lowered to said predetermined minimum, means interconnecting said diverter actuating means with said discharge valve to open said valve and retain said valve open when said diverter actuating means is actuated to allow water contained in said tank to flow through the exhaust conduit into the bowl, a float element connected to said inlet valve and adapted to actuate said inlet valve when the level of the water in said tank reaches a predetermined high level, and means for interconnecting said float element and said diverter actuator retaining means for releasing said retaining means when said float element reaches a predetermined low level.

3. An improved flush tank device for the tank and bowl of a water closet comprising a tank, a bowl, a diversion conduit connecting said tank with said bowl, a discharge conduit connecting said tank with said bowl, a water supply, a diverter valve adapted to normally discharge water into said tank and actuatable to discharge water through said diversion conduit into said bowl, a normally open water inlet valve interconnecting said supply with said diverter and actuatable to close to prevent water from passing therethrough into said diverter, means for actuating said diverter valve, means for automatically and releasably retaining said diverter actuator means in the actuating condition, a discharge valve positioned in said discharge conduit and opening into said tank, said discharge valve being normally closed under the eifects of gravity in the absence of a predetermined minimum water level with respect thereto and held closed when the water is above said predetermined level unless actuated whereupon said valve is buoyantly adapted to remain open until the level of the water in which it is submerged is lowered to said predetermined minimum, means interconnecting said diverter actuating means with said discharge valve to open said valve and retain said valve open when said diverter actuating means is actuated to allow water contained in said tank to flow through the exhaust conduit into the bowl, a float element connected to said inlet valve and adapted to actuate said inlet valve when the level of the water in said tank reaches a predetermined high level, and means for interconnecting said float element and said diverter actuator retaining means for releasing said retaining means when said float element reaches a predetermined low level.

4. An improved flush tank device for the tank and bowl of a water closet comprising a tank, a bowl, a diversion conduit connecting said tank with said bowl, a discharge conduit connecting said tank with said bowl, a water supply, a diverter valve adapted to normally discharge water into said tank and actuatable to discharge water through said diversion conduit into said bowl, a normally open water inlet valve interconnecting said supply with said diverter and actuatable to close to prevent water from passing therethrough into said diverter, means for actuating said diverter valve, means for automatic-ally and releasably retaining said diverter actuator means in the actuating condition, a discharge valve positioned in said discharge conduit and opening into said tank, said discharge valve being normally closed under the eflects of gravity in the absence of a predetermined minimum water level with respect thereto and held closed when the water is above said predetermined level unless actuated whereupon said valve is buoyantly adapted to remain open until the level of the water in which it is submerged is lowered to said predetermined minimum, a flexible discharge valve cable means interconnecting said diverter actuating means and said discharge valve, said flexible means being adapted to actuate said discharge valve and retain said valve open when said diverter actuating means is actuated to allow water contained in said tank to flow through the exhaust conduit into the bowl, a float element connected to said inlet valve and adapted to actuate said inlet valve when the level of the water in said tank reaches a predetermined high level, and means for interconnecting said float element and said diverter actuator retaining means for releasing said retaining means when said float element reaches a predetermined low level.

5. An improved flush tank device for the tank and bowl of a water closet comprising a tank, a bowl, a diversion conduit connecting said tank with said bowl, a discharge conduit connecting said tank with said bowl, a water supply, a diverter valve adapted to normally discharge water into said tank and iactuat'able to discharge water through said diversion conduit into said bowl, a normally open water inlet valve interconnecting said supply with said diverter and actuatable to close to prevent water from passing therethrough into said diverter, means for actuating said diverter valve, means for automatically and releasably retaining said diverter actuator means in the actuating condition, a discharge valve positioned in said discharge conduit and opening into said tank, said discharge valve being normally closed under the effects of gravity in the absence of a predetermined minimum water level with respect thereto and held closed when the water is above said predetermined level unless actuated whereupon said valve is buoyantly adapted to remain open until the level of the water in which it is submerged is lowered to said predetermined minimum, means interconnecting said diverter actuating means with said discharge valve to open said valve and retain said valve open when said diverter actuating means is actuated to allow water contained in said tank to flow through the exhaust conduit into the bowl, a float element connected to said inlet valve and adapted to actuate said inlet valve when the level of the water in said tank reaches a predetermined high level, and a flexible float cable means interconnecting said float element and said diverter actuator retaining means, said float cable being adapted for releasing said retaining means when said float element reaches a predetermined low depth to allow said diverter actuator to return to the unactuated condition to deactuate the diverter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,324 5/1928 Teahen et al. 469 1,670,326 5/1928 Teahen 4-69 1,794,640 3/1931 Owens 441 1,971,880 8/1934 Taylor 4-13 2,773,267 12/1956 Kohlmeyer 414 3,172,128 3/1965 Ducey 4-41 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN IMPROVED FLUSH TANK DEVICE FOR THE TANK AND BOWL OF A WATER CLOSET COMPRISING A TANK, A BOWL, A DIVERSION CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID TANK WITH SAID BOWL, A DISCHARGE CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID TANK WITH SAID BOWL, A WATER SUPPLY, A DIVERTER VALVE ADAPTED TO NORMALLY DISCHARGE WATER INTO SAID TANK AND ACTUATABLE TO DISCHARGE WATER THROUGH SAID DIVERSION CONDUIT INTO SAID BOWL, A NORMALLY OPEN WATER INLEWT VALVE INTERCONNECTING SAID SUPPLY WITH SAID DIVERTER ND ACTUATABLE TO CLOSE TO PREVENT WATER FROM PASSING THERETHROUGH INTO SAID DIVERTER, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID DIVERTER VALVE, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY AND RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID DIVERTER ACTUATOR MEANS IN THE ACTUATING CONDITION, A NORMALLY CLOSED DISCHARGE VALVE POSITIONED IN SAID DISCHARGE CONDUIT FOR CLOSING AND CONDUIT AND ACTUATABLE TO THE OPEN CONDITION AND ADAPTED TO OPEN INTO SAID TANK, MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING SAID DIVERTER ACTUATING MEANS WITH SAID DISCHARGE MEANS TO OPEN SAID VALVE WHEN SAID DIVERTER ACTUATING MENS IS ACTUATED TO ALLOW WATER CONTAINED IN SAID TANK TO FLOW THROUGH THE EXHAUST CONDUIT INTO THE BOWL, A FLOAT ELEMENT CONNECTED TO SAID INLET VALVE AND ADAPTED TO ACTUATE SAID INLET VALVE WHEN THE LEVEL OF THE WATER IN SAID TANK REACHES A PREDETERMINED HIGH LEVEL, AND MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING SAID FLOAT ELEMENT AND SAID DIVERTR ACTUATOR RETAINING MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID RETAINING MEANS WHEN SAID FLOAT ELEMENT REACHES A PREDETERMINED LOW LEVEL.

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