US3903550A — Water closets

Claim 1

Independent Claim 244 words

A means to control the position of a valve which opens or closes a waterway through the weir of the trap of a specially configured water closet and to supply separate water quantity requirements to said water closet using the rotational motions of two flushing mechanisms on the face of the associated tank, said means comprising: a. a flat support structure comprising a removable access plate member forming a part of the water closet bowl wall and constituting a mounting means for such trap valve shaft and the operating means thereof, said access plate also serving as a liquid and vapor sealing means for a corresponding access aperture in such bowl wall, b. two sheath-enclosed flexible pull cables, each connected to and adapted to be actuated by a respective one of two tankmounted flushing mechanisms for imparting appropriate motion to respective control devices of the water closet trap valve connected thereto, c. two tank-mounted flushing mechanisms connected to respective ones of said pull cables to operate the same in conjunction with respective flush cycles initiated thereby, d. a linkage within the water closet tank and interconnecting the two flushing mechanisms whereby one of the flush handles by a reverse rotation can initiate the operation of the other flush cycle, and e. an interlocking linkage within the water closet tank and interconnecting the two said flushing mechanisms whereby a reverse rotation of one flush handle can temporarily preclude the subsequent functioning of the other handle.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 244 words

A means to control the position of a valve which opens or closes a waterway through the weir of the trap of a specially configured water closet and to supply separate water quantity requirements to said water closet using the rotational motions of two flushing mechanisms on the face of the associated tank, said means comprising: a. a flat support structure comprising a removable access plate member forming a part of the water closet bowl wall and constituting a mounting means for such trap valve shaft and the operating means thereof, said access plate also serving as a liquid and vapor sealing means for a corresponding access aperture in such bowl wall, b. two sheath-enclosed flexible pull cables, each connected to and adapted to be actuated by a respective one of two tankmounted flushing mechanisms for imparting appropriate motion to respective control devices of the water closet trap valve connected thereto, c. two tank-mounted flushing mechanisms connected to respective ones of said pull cables to operate the same in conjunction with respective flush cycles initiated thereby, d. a linkage within the water closet tank and interconnecting the two flushing mechanisms whereby one of the flush handles by a reverse rotation can initiate the operation of the other flush cycle, and e. an interlocking linkage within the water closet tank and interconnecting the two said flushing mechanisms whereby a reverse rotation of one flush handle can temporarily preclude the subsequent functioning of the other handle.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 150 words

A control apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the mechanism which rotates the water closet valve shaft to open and close the internal valve comprises a circular cam surface attached to the external end of said valve shaft with the plane of said cam perpendicular thereto, said cam surface having attached to it on its circumference one end of a pull cable by means of a loose restraint whereby a pulling motion of said cable rotates the cam with it against the force of a spring working between a crank attached to said cam and an anchor point on the supporting plate, said cam sUrface having in addition a notch to interact with a support-structure mounted, spring-actuated detent, said detent being held against the cam surface by said spring in order to maintain the internal valve in the closed position when the detent and notch are aligned and engaged.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 158 words

A mechanism in accordance with claim 2 wherein the valve-actuating spring is employed within a cylinder to assist in the valve retraction, said cylinder being closed at the one end where it is pivotally anchored to the support structure, said cylinder damping the release of the energy of the spring by employment of a check valve in an associated piston against which the spring is working such that during the energy release said check valve closes causing the trapped air to vent thru small orifices in the piston and during the energy storage cycle, said check valve when opened allowing free return of the air to the enclosed side of the piston, the cylinder cap against which the other end of the retraction spring reacts allowing free passage of the piston shaft and being internally threaded to match the external threads of the open end of said cylinder to facilitate varying the compressive load on the retraction spring.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 65 words

A device in accordance with claim 2 wherein a spring-actuated detent, mounted on the support structure, is positioned and tensioned to cause engagement with a notch in said cam surface when the rotation of the cam permits, said tensioning force being opposed when appropriate by a permanently attached pull cable actuated by the rotation of a flushing handle on the front of the flush tank.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 244 words

A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein a flush handle located at the top left front of the toilet tank wall, besides being attached to a shaft which enters the tank and which thru a specific internal linkage when rotated counterclockwise initiates a full flush cycle, has in addition a protrusion on its back surface which interacts with a concentric slot segment in a wheel which is supported in the toilet tank wall above the full liquid level coaxially with, and rotatably about the aforementioned shaft, said wheel having attached to its circumference by a loose restraint the upper end of the pull cable related to rotationally closing the valve of the water closet trap such that clockwise rotation of the wheel by the flush handle acting thru the protrusion thereon engages the end of the pull cable and causes it to move with it, while said wheel and cable combination remain immune from motion caused by any counterclockwise rotation of the flush handle due to the pattern and position of the slot segment in said wheel, said wheel having in addition within the tank wall as an integral part of it a radial link parallel to the inner surface of the tank front wall, such wheel and link combination always rotating about the flushing shaft during clockwise rotation only of the flush handle thru the same interaction of said protrusion on its back surface and the concentric slot segment in the wheel.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 161 words

A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein a flush handle mounted at the top right front of the toilet tank wall, besides being attached to a shaft which enters the tank and which thru a specific linkage when rotated clockwise initiates a separate and reduced quantity flush cycle, has in addition a protrusion on its back surface which interacts with a circular hole in a wheel which is supported in the toilet tank wall above the full liquid level co-axially with, and rotatably about, the aforementioned shaft, said wheel having attached to its circumference by a loose restraint the upper end of the pull cable related to raising the spring-positioned detent from the notch in the surface of the cam which positions the water closet valve, such that clockwise rotation of the wheel by the flush handle acting thru the protrusion thereon engages the end of the pull cable and causes it to move with it and raise the detent.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 102 words

An extension of the device of claim 5 wherein a clockwise rotation of the wheel-Associated radial link within the tank by the left hand flush handle causes the initiation of the alternate flushing system by the upward rotational motion of one arm of a crank suitably pivoted on structure within the tank acting on the flushing devices, said rotational motion being caused by a connecting link between the other leg of the crank and the wheel-associated radial link, said linkage combination comprising the second of two separate ways that the flushing of the alternate and reduced quantity flush system can be accomplished.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 152 words

A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the initiation of either flushing capability is carried out by an associated flush handle which acts thru its own shaft, said shaft penetrating the tank wall and having a rod loosely fitted over its inner end by means of a hole in one end of the rod, said rod being axially restrained to the shaft, pointing horizontally toward the middle of the tank where its other extremity is mechanically linked to its associated ball cock and having a protrusion on its side positioned to interact with a parallel extension of its associated flushing shaft such that a downward motion of the associated flush handle imparts, thru the interaction of the protrusion, an upward rotation to said horizontal rod initiating the flush but configured in such a manner that opposite rotation of the flush handles will have no rotational effect on the aforementioned flushing linkages.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 130 words

A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein means are provided to give mechanical support for all of the flushing elements on the front wall of the tank in their proper relationships comprising: a flat supporting collar which has a circular projection which extends into the tank where it is to be mechanically restrained, said projection having an outer diameter which matches the opening in the tank wall and whose inner opening diameter is sufficient to provide rotational support to penetrating elements, the outward facing surface of said supporting collar having provisions for anchoring the sheath of a flexible pull cable and the tank side face having formed upon it a protrusion which matches an indentation in the tank face for the purpose of preventing rotation of said support collar.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 140 words

A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein an interlock is employed between the two flushing elements mounted on the tank face such that clockwise rotation of the left flush handle, which prepares the water closet for a defecation and thereby subsequently requires a full tank flush, mechanically precludes any rotation of the right hand flush handle, such an interlocking action being releasible only by subsequent counterclockwise or flushing rotation of the left hand flush handle comprising: a horizontally supported slotted rod being aligned to be inserted into a corresponding hole in the right hand flush shaft and a linkage connecting a constrained pin which moves right and left in the aforementioned slot an amount to insert and withdraw said slotted rod with a pivot on an associated vertical linkage secured to the end of the left hand flusher shaft.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-09-08	1979-03-10	1979-09-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-09-08	1983-03-10	1983-09-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-09-08	1987-03-10	1987-09-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Water closets

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