Adjustable toilet tank flush valve

Claim 1

In a toilet flush tank a water saver arrangement consisting of means for partially filling the tank to a fixed refill level of water, a discharge outlet in the tank bottom having an annular valve seat within the tank adjacent the tank bottom, a hollow float valve of a diameter greater than the seat adapted to engage the seat to close the outlet and having an aperture in the bottom thereof of a diameter less than the diameter of the seat to admit air into the float valve for buoyancy when lifted from the seat, manually operable means for lifting the float valve from the seat including a vertically extending rigid tube secured at its lower end to the top of the float valve, means for guiding the tube for vertical movement in substantial axial alignment with the seat, and vent valve means for allowing air to escape to atmosphere in the upper region of the tank from the interior of the float valve to destroy the buoyancy of the float valve after a predetermined period subsequent to lifting the float valve: the improvement consisting of the vent valve being a manually adjustable needle valve secured to, and carried on, the upper end of the tube and having a vent passage normally above the water level, and the tube passage connecting the interior of the float valve to the needle-valve-controlled vent passage, the means for lifting the float valve being adapted to hold the float valve elevated from its seat until manually released, whereby a minimal amount of water regulated by the needle valve setting is normally used for flushing when the float valve lifting means is operated and immediately released and a greater amount of water is used when desired by operating the float valve lifting means and manually holding the lifting means in operative position.