Stopper for food waste disposer

Claim 1

IN A FOOD WASTE DISPOSER HAVING A TUBULAR INLET FITTING ADAPTED TO BE SECURED WITHIN THE DRAINAGE OPENING OF A KITCHEN SINK TO RECEIVE WATER THEREFROM, SAID FITTING HAVING MEANS PROVIDING A VALVE SEAT, AND A COMMINUTION CHAMBER SUPPORTED BELOW SAID INLET FITTING TO RECEIVE WATER PASSING THERETHROUGH, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A STOPPER ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID INLET FITTING, SAID STOPPER HAVING AN IMPERFORATE TOP WALL AND A CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL DEFINING A PASSAGE OPENING INTO SAID COMMINUTION CHAMBER, SAID SIDE WALL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN SAID INLET FITTING AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF PASSAGES THROUGH WHICH WATER MAY FLOW FROM THE INLET FITTING, MEANS PROVIDING AN ANNULAR VALVE DISC DISPOSED ABOUT SAID SIDE WALL FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID SIDE WALL OPENINGS ARE BELOW SAID DISC AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID OPENINGS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY WHOLLY ABOVE SAID DISC, SAID DISC IN SAID FIRST POSITION BEING ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A SEAL EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID IMPERFORATE TOP WALL AND SAID VALVE SEAT, MEANS FOR OPTIONALLY POSITIONING SAID STOPPER IN SAID INLET FITTING TO ESTABLISH SAID DISC IN EITHER ITS FIRST OR ITS SECOND-NAMED POSITIONS, AND MEANS EFFECTIVE WHEN SAID DISC IS IN ITS SECONDNAMED POSITION TO RESTRICT FLOW OF WATER THROUGH SAID SIDE WALL OPENING TO EFFECT THE ACCUMULATION OF AN ANNULAR RING OF WATER EXTERIORLY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL STOPPER WALL, COMPRISING VALVE MEANS IN COVERING RELATION TO EACH OF SAID SIDE WALL OPENINGS, SAID VALVE MEANS ALL BEING YIELDABLE UNDER PRESSURE EXERTED BY THE SURROUNDING WATER TO PASS WATER THROUGH SAID OPENINGS.