Flush valve

April 16, 1935.

1,998,155

W. H. CADWELL ET AL

FLUSH VALVE.

Filed July 20, 1932

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Patented Apr. 16, 1935

1,998,155

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,998,155

FLUSH VALVE

William H. Cadwell and John Ott, New Britain, Conn., assignors to The Beaton _ &amp; Cadwell Manufacturing Company, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut

Application July 20, 1932, Serial No. 623,518

Claim. (Cl. 137—93)

This invention relates to valves, and more particularly to a flush valve which will produce the same period of flush irrespective of the length of time the actuating, handle is pressed down.

S One object of the invention is to provide a flush valve of the above nature which will deliver only a single flush even though the actuating handle is held down continuously or is operated several times in quick succession.

' A further object is to provide a flush valve of the above nature having a tiltable mushroomshaped release valve provided with a depending detachable sleeve bushing within which is slidably fitted a valve stem movable relative to said 18 release valve.

A further object is to provide a flush valve of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, fool-proof, compact, or20 namental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be con25 veniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a flush valve embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the flush valve shown on a somewhat reduced scale.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the adjusting valve mechanism, the view being taken along the line 3—3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a separated detail perspective view of the mushroom valve construction.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on a reduced scale, showing the relation of the parts after the actuating handle has been tripped.

This invention is an improvement over the patent application filed August 12, 1930, by H. F. Kelso, Serial No. 474,777.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts 45 throughout the several views, the numeral .10 indicates the body member of the flush valve having a horizontal side inlet port f l and a bottom vertical outlet port 12. The side inlet port 11 is adapted to be connected to a water supply 50 pipe, not shown, by means of a threaded nipple 13 and a cooperating coupling nut 14.

The top of the outlet port 12 terminates in a thin interior rim 15 forming a seat for a hollow main valve consisting of an upper flanged 55 hushing 16 and a lower sliding sleeve 17 screwed upon the lower end of said bushing. The sleeve 17 is preferably provided with a plurality of vertical guiding vanes f 8 adapted to slidably fit within the reduced section 12a of the oulet port 12. The bushing 16 has an integral horizontal 5 flange 19 which is threaded on its outer edge.

The space within the upper part of the flush valve is divided into two chambers which will hereinafter be termed the “main chamber” 20 and the “control chamber” 21. The chambers 20 10 and 21 are separated by means of a flexible diaphragm 22 preferably constructed of rubber. The inner portion of the diaphragm 22 is provided with an enlarged annular depending section 22α which is adapted to be held tightly be- 15 tween the upper flanged bushing ί 6 and the lower sliding sleeve 17 of the main valve, and a portion of said annular section 22α rests upon the top of the rim 15 for normally closing the outlet port 12. ²⁰

The diaphragm 22 is provided with an outer horizontal annular flange 22b disposed between the top face of an enlarged annular threaded rim 23, forming an integral part of the body 10, and another annular flange 24 forming the integral 25 base of a dome-shaped cover 25. The annular diaphragm rim 22b and the cover flange 24 are properly indexed in relation to the body member 10 by means of a pair of dowel pins 26 secured to said cover flanges 24 and adapted to project 30 through corresponding holes in said diaphragm flange 22b into corresponding sockets 27 formed in the body rim 23.

The “dome” cover 25 forms the top closure 01 the control chamber 21, while the rubber dia- 35 phragm 22 forms the bottom closure, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The “dome” cover 25 and the diaphragm 22 are both clamped against the top seat of the body rim 23 by means of an upper casing member 28 having a depending tapped skirt 29 40 engaging the threaded rim 23, said casing membei 28 having a hexagonal nut 30 integral with its top portion for convenience in manipulation.

In order to permit the release of a small quantity of water from the control chamber 21 to 45 cause the pressure in the main chamber 29 to lift the main valve and start the flushing stream, provision is made of a mushroom head valve unit 31. This unit 31 comprises a slightly cupped horizontal valve head 32 located in the control chain- ₅₀ber 21, a detachable intermediate tubular sleeve bushing 33, and a vertical slidable stem 34 depending from said sleeve bushing member 33. The underside of the valve head 32 is provided with an annular beveled rib 35 adapted to seat 55

1,998,155 upon a sealing gasket 36, preferably constructed of rubber. The gasket 36 is supported upon the upper face of the horizontal flange 19 of the bushing 16 and held in place by a heavy flanged tapped ring 37 screwed upon the threaded outer edge of said flange 19. An adjustable headless set-screw 38 is screwed, into the upper part of the valve head 32 and is adapted to strike against the underside of the dome cover when the main valve rises. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the underside of the valve head is formed with a tapped socket 39 for detachably receiving the upper threaded end of the tubular sleeve bushing 33. The sleeve bushing 33 is provided with a pair of opposed flat sections 40 to which a wrench may be applied in assembling the valve. The upper part of the vertical stem 34 is provided with an integral enlarged head 41 slidably fitted within an interior chamber 42 formed within the sleeve bushing, 33, and said stem 34 is supported by an inturned flange 43 formed at the bottom of said bushing. Just above the flange 43, the bushing is provided with a pair of opposed radial apertures 44, and the enlarged head 41 of the stem 34 has a pair of opposed vertical grooves. 45 which serve to. permit the stem 34 to move freely up and down within said bushing 33.

For the purpose of tilting the stem 34 to one side for unseating the mushroom valve 31 and starting the valve in operation, provision is made of a. horizontal plunger rod 46 located in alinement with the lower end of the valve stem 34. The rod 46 is slidably fitted within a threaded nipple 47 screwed into a. tapped boss 48, extending laterally from the side of the body member 10. The plunger rod 46 terminates at its outer end in an enlarged piston head 49 which is adapted to slide in a cylinder 59. The piston head 49 is normally pressed against a tiltable head 51 by the influence of a helical compression spring 52 axially disposed about the plunger rod 46 and confined within the cylinder 50. The tiltable head 51 forms part of an operating handle 53 normally lying in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1, and said head 5.1 is universally pivoted within a shouldered recess 54 located in back of an inturned end 55 forming the integral front end of a union 56.

By means of this construction, it will be seen that when, the handle 53 is swung in any direction, the head 51 will tilt in the recess 54, as shown in Fig, 5, and cause the plunger rod 46 to slide inwardly and strike against the depending stem 34 causing it to move to one side. This action will unseat the valve head 32 and start the. flushing stream.

In order to restore the pressure in the control chamber 2 f after the flush valve has been operated, provision is made of an adjustable bypass valve plug 57 retained within a lateral hollow boss 58 by means of a threaded ring 59, the adjustment and operation of said plug 57 being fully described in the previous patent to the above inventors, No. 1,657,817. The plug 57 has a central horizontal passage 69 communicating with the main chamber 2.0 and a vertical passage 61 adapted to be selectively joined to- a short vertical bleed hole 62 in the body member 19. The bleed hole 62 leads into an upper enlarged chamber 63 having a small check, valve plug 64 located at its upper end, within which plug 64 a ball check valve 65 is seated. The ball check valve 65 serves to prevent back siphonage in case the pressure in the inlet port ί I should fall below normal, but does not interfere with the action of the bypass. The annular flange 24 of the domed cover 25 is provided with a short horizontal hole 66 leading into the interior of the check valve plug 64 and completes the bypass between the upper control chamber 21 and the lower main chamber 23.

Operation

Whenever it is desired, to operate the flush valve, the handle 53 will be rocked in any desired direction, causing the plunger rod 46 to move inwardly, and strike against the vertical stem 34, 10 rocking the mushroom valve head 32 off of its seat, A. small quantity of water will thus be allowed to escape from the control chamber 21 reducing the pressure therein below that existing in the main chamber 20. 15

The greater pressure below the flexible diaphragm 22 will then quickly force the main valve upwardly off of its seat and will open communication between the inlet port 11 and the outlet 12. The main valve will be guided within the ²⁰outlet port 12 while rising to open position by the vanes 18, and will force the mushroom valve 39 upwardly until the adjustable screw 38 on the top thereof strikes the dome 25 covering the control chamber 3i. The annular rib 35 on the bottom ²® of the valve head 32 will thus be caused to press tightly down upon the gasket 36 on top of the main valve, thereby closing the direct passage between the control chamber 21 and the main chamber 29 through the main valve. 30The main valve will remain raised to permit the unrestricted flow of the flushing stream until the pressure in the control chamber 2! has been restored to normal by the slow leakage of water thereinto from the main chamber 20 through the ^3Srestricted bypass. Since the pressure in the two chambers will then be equalized, the main valve will then close, due to its weight and the resiliency of the rubber diaphragm 22. The flushing stream will be thereby shut off. If the operating 40 handle is held down continuously, the stem 34 will be held up in the position shown in Fig. 5, thus insuring against more than a single flush being made.

While there has been disclosed in this specifi- 45 cation one form in which the invention mav be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to.the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied ⁵⁰in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming, within the scope of the following claim.