Shower stall subdrainer

Oct 20, 1942

2,299,705

B. SVIRSKY

SHOWER STALL SUB-DRAINER

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BY

2,299,705

B. SVIRSKY

SHOWER STALL SUB-DRAINER

Filed Sept. 23, 1941

Sheets-Sheet 2

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INVENTOR.

BY

Patented Oct. 20, 1942

2,299,705

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,299,705

SHOWER STALL SUBDRAINER

Bennett Svirsky, Glendale, Calif., assignor of onehalf to Charles W. Sievert

Application September 23,1941, Serial No. ¢11,997

Claims.

This invention relates to a sub-drainer structure for shower stalls.

Among the objects of the invention are: to provide a device of the kind stated which can be installed in a. more expeditious manner and at the same time in such a way as to safeguard against dirt or refuse of any kind falling into the drain outlet when the liquid impervious sheet material is put in place and the tar applied thereto to make a liquid-tight connection with the fitting and also while the cement floor is being put in place; to provide, as a new article of manufacture an improved segmental clamping plate structure whereby the liquid impervious material is held in place upon the sub-floor preparatory to laying the cement thereover; to provide, in a sub-drainer structure, of the choice of using either an expansible or non-expansible test plug to close the piping system preparatory to testing for leaks and to provide improved means for putting such plugs in place; to provide improved means for eliminating removal and replacement of conventional parts located at the inlet portion of the device, and to improve upon various structural details of the kind of devices to which the invention pertains as will hereinafter appear.

More specifically speaking the invention pertains, among other things, to the combination, with a tubular outlet structure having through it radial passages to conduct moisture from freshly laid cement; of improved means to clamp down, upon and seal against leakage the liquid impervious material, and yet leave drainage passages which permit the liquid from the moist cement to drain through the fitting. Also to provide improved means for attaching the clamping part to the sub-drainer structure.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device, approximately the lower half of the central portion of the view having its upper portion broken away in order to disclose sectioned underlying structure, the floor structure being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2—2 of

Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional detail taken on line 3—3 of Fig. 1, illustrating a drainage feature for allowing moisture to drain from the newly laid cement into the sewer.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of an alternative (Cl. 182—31) embodiment of the invention, approximately the lower half of the central portion of the view having its upper portion broken away to disclose underlying structure, portions of which are sec5 tioned.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on. line 5—5 of Fig. 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 2 is shown a section of the floor structure of a shower stall wherein a sub-floor 19 has through 10 it an opening 11 within which is located a subdrainage fitting 12 which is supported from an upstanding sewer pipe section 13 by means of a nipple 14, the lower end of which is screwed into said pipe section 13, and the upper end 15 portion of which is screwed into the lower part of the downwardly directed annular flange 15' with which said drainage fitting 12 is centrally provided. Immediately above the screwed-in nipple 14 said annular flange 15 is provided with 20 an internal, unthreaded, circumferential channel !6, and above said channel said flange 15 is again internally threaded for a purpose which will appear later.

Said drainage fitting 12 is also centrally pro25 vided with an upstanding, internally screwthreaded tubular flange 20 into which screws an upper nipple 21, the latter nipple having screwed onto its upper end a convention drain section 22. The upper annular flange or tubular 39 part 20 is of larger internal diameter than the lower annular flange or tubular part 15, hence the nipple 21 which screws into said upperflange may be of sufficiently large internal diameter to permit admission of the test plug 2S· for 5 screwing into the position shown. Furthermore, when the plumber desires to use an expansible elastic plug instead of a metallic plug, he may fit it within and expand it against the smooth internal face of the nipple 14. In Fig. 2 said drain section is shown provided with an imperforate cover disc 23 which is attached or held in place upon the drain section 22 by means of a screw 24 that screws into the shank 25 of the test plug 26, said plug having an externally screw 4> threaded skirt 26a, said skirt being screwed into the upper part of the aforesaid downwardly directed tubular portion 15 of the drainage fitting 12 when it is desired to test the piping therebelow for leaks.

A. plurality of layers of liquid impervious paper is shown overlying the floor 10 and underlying the cement body 29. Said layers may consist of tar paper which extends over the upper face of the horizontal portion 31 of the drainage fitting 12. Said layers are furnished with an

2,299,705 opening 30α the edge of which is located circumjacent to, but slightly spaced from, the annular upstanding flange 20. The horizontal part 31 of said drainage fitting is shown furnished with an upwardly inclined peripheral portion 33, thus 5 giving said member a .dish-like appearance to collect the moisture and at the same time, avoiding the necessity of abruptly bending the paper 30 where it crosses the periphery of said drainage fitting. io

In order to clamp the laminated paper firmly down upon the upper surface of the horizontal portion 31 of the drainage fitting 12, said fitting has cast into or otherwise secured thereto a series of upstanding threaded studs 35 which project 15 upwardly through the portion of the paper adjacent to its aforesaid opening, said studs also projecting through the annular retaining member which consists of a plurality of segmental plates 35, clamping nuts 37 screwing onto said studs 20 and serving to hold said plates in a clamped contact with said paper. Downwardly projecting bosses 34 are provided to afford a better anchorage for said studs, which are cast integral with the flange 31 when the fitting is molded. 25

Said plates 36, more specifically speaking, may be said to comprise a pair of twin flat plates each forming a semi-circular segment of an annulus. Each of said plates has its end edges 36a beveled in respect to the thickness of the plate, the bevel 30 at one end of each plate being inclined oppositely to that at the opposite end thereof, whereby when said plates are assembled they form a complete annulus, a channel triangular in cross section being formed between abutting plate ends. Said 35 plates have apertures through them to receive the studs 35, the apertures of one plate corresponding in their positions to the positions of the apertures of the other plate thereby to provide for reversibility of the positions of the attached plates. 4°

Within the basal portion of its upstanding flange 20 the drainage fitting 12 is provided with an internal circumferential channel 38 and a plurality of inclined drainage passages 39 lead through the flange 20 into said channel. Hence 45 moisture in the cement may readily pass between the end portions of said plates 3S and flow through the aforesaid passages 39 down into the sewer, it being understood that the test plug 26 is only temporarily inserted. As shown, each of ⁵⁰said inclined passages 39 passes through the basal portion of a plurality of lugs 40, which serve as a tool-hold for a wrench when the fitting 12 is screwed down onto the nipple 14. Each of the segmental plates 36 is beveled at 36b along its 55 inner edge against which said lugs 40 abut· when said plates are in their operative positions.

In the upper portion of the drain section 22 are shown diametrically opposite internal lugs 45, screws 46 being shown in these lugs so as to be go conveniently accessible for attaching thereto the conventional strainer plate 47 (see Fig. 4).

Upon the upper surface of the cement body 29 is shown a tile floor 50.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention 65 shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the structure illustrated in these views is for the most part the same as that already described and like parts thereof are provided with like reference numerals. The subdrainer 12a is, however, different in some re- 70 spects. The upwardly directed tubular portion 20 thereof is of the same internal diameter as the downwardly directed tubular portion 15 of the fitting. Said tubular portion 20 likewise has screwed onto its upper end the drain section 22, ¹⁰ the latter being furnished with a conventional cover 47 attached by screws 46. The segmental plate sections 36 are constructed and attached in the manner that has already been described, their end portions being likewise beveled to provide drainage passages between them.

Between the threaded portions of the tubular parts 15 and 29 and opposite to the horizontal flange 31, the fitting !2a is provided with an internal circumferential channel 16a and a plurality of downwardly inclined drainage passages 39 leading through the tubular portion 20, the lower edges of the outer end of said passages being flush with the upper face of the horizontal flange

31. Said passages are formed in the basal portion of the lugs 40 and are shielded from being obstructed by the cement 29 while it is still in a plastic condition, by reason of the segmental plates 36 guarding the outer ends of said passages. Said plates 36 have the same clamping function in regard to the tar paper 30 as has already been described, being held down by the nuts 37 screwed onto the studs 35, downwardly projecting bosses 34 being provided to afford better anchorage for said, studs which are cast integral with the flange 31 when the fitting is molded.

This alternate embodiment differs further from the preferred embodiment already described in that it is adapted to have inserted into the pipe section 14 an expansible plug of the type shown and described in my co-pending application entitled Pipe plugs, Ser. No. 391,891; filed May 5, 1941. Since said expansible plug together with the solid cover plate 23, drain plate 47, and the operation of installing the expansible test plug and the removal of the solid cover plate 23 and subsequent application of the drain plate 47, having been fully set forth and claimed in the above co-pending application, no further description of these parts and of the operation pertaining to them will be necessary. Obviously the screw 24 of Fig. 2 will have to be made long enough to reach the expansible test plug in its installed position, as aforesaid.

The steps for constructing the floor portions of the drain are taken in the same order and in the same manner as already described in speaking of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Describing briefly the steps to be taken in constructing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, after the sub-floor is laid and the opening 11 is formed therein, the plumber installs the drainage fitting 12 in position as shown in the opening 11, and by means of a suitable tool engaging the lugs 40, said fitting is screwed onto the nipple 14 which has been previously screwed into the drainage fitting 13. The nipple 2 i is then screwed into the mouth portion of the tubular upstanding flange 29 of the drainage fitting, after which the drain section 22 is applied. The test plug 26 is then installed with its threaded skirt 26a screwed into place as shown. Thereupon the imperforate cover plate 23 is applied by means of the screw 24 screwed into the shank 25 of said test plug.

The mechanic who· lays the tar paper next installs the layers 36 of liquid-proof paper and tars them in place in a leak proof manner in connection with the studs 35 and the pan portion of the drainage fitting. Incident to the laying of the tar paper the machanic will first remove the nuts 37 and the plate sections 36, said nuts having been previously applied to the studs 35 for maintaining them conventionally accessible to the me2,2£ chanic. After laying the paper the mechanic will replace the segmental plates 36 and will re-apply the nuts 37 to the studs 35, thus securing the segmental annulus in place in a clamped down relation to the water proof covering 30. It will be observed that if said annular member were made in one piece, it could not.be put in place without first removing the conventional drain fitting 22 screwed onto the upper portion of the nipple 2 i, for the diameter of the space enclosed by said annulus is necessarily less than, the diameter of the top of said fitting. Such removal of the fitting 22 together with its cover plate 23 would not only consume extra time but would be objectionable because during the laying and taring of the paper the mouth of the drain would be laid open to the entrance of splashed tar particles, dirt and refuse. The cement floor and tile floor are then laid and the plumber who applies the finished plumbing on the job removes the screw 24 and the plate 23 together with the test plug 26 and applies the conventional cover plate 47, see Fig. 4, to the drain section 22 by means of the screws 46 made accessible in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

It is to be understood that, at sometime during the interval before or after laying the tar and cement, the job will be tested for leaks. It is optional with the plumber to use either type of test plug of the two which have been described.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the subject matter claimed.