US2956579A - Dishwashing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1960 H. c. MOORE ETAL yDISHWASHING APPARATUS 5 sheets-sheet x Filed Aug. 2, 1956 lll-v.

Iliff!!! Oct. 18, 1960 H. c. MOORE ETAL l 2,956,579l

DISHWASHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2, 195e s sheets-sheet 2 Oct. 18, 1960` H. c. MOORE ErAL 2,956,579

DIShwASl-IING APPARATS H. C. MOORE ET AL oct. 18,' 1960 DISHWA-SHING APPARATUS Filed Aug.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 i Ill/ Oct. 18, 1960 H C, MOORE ErAL 21,956,579

DIsHwAsHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2. 195e DISHWASHING APPARATUS Herbert Carvel Moore, West Los Angeles, and Herbert L. Trautmann, San Marino, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Electro-Way Corporation, a corporation of California Filed Aug. 2, 1956, Ser. No. 601,812

4 Claims. (Cl. 137-218) 'I'his invention relates to an apparatus for washing dishes and other objects by means of a stream of water or `a mixture of water and detergent. Such an apparatus, for example, may be provided with a fountain-type hand brush for use as a kitchen fixture in a well known manner.

The installed apparatus which is connected to hot and cold water pipes to replace conventional sink plumbing has a diverter valve chamber. A spout, which is preferably a swing spout, is provided in communication with the diverter valve chamber and replaces the usual spout for normal discharge of clear water. The fountain-type hand brush is part of what may be termed a hand brush assembly having a flexible hose that not only communicates with the diverter valve chamber but also communicates with detergent container that is incorporated in the construction of the apparatus. Water from the diverter valve chamber may be diverted from the swing spout to the fountain-brush assembly by means of a diverter valve member in the diverter valve chamber and detergent may be supplied to the flexible hose assembly under manual control. rIhus the operator has the choice of clear water ow through the swing spout or clear water flow through the fountain brush or a waterdetergent mixture through the fountain brush.

In the usual apparatus of this type, the diverter valve member is operated by a knob on the upper side of the apparatus, which knob must be lifted vertically in an awkward manner to divert flowing water to the fountain brush. The present invention makes certain changes that reduce the required effort and entirely eliminate the usual awkwardness. The first change is to locate the diverter valve knob on the front of the apparatus, instead of the top, to bring the knob closer to the normal position of the users hands and to lower the knob to the level of the hands. ri`he second change is to reverse the operating procedure so that the knob is depressed rather than pulled out for diversion of water to the fountain brush. Only the simplest hand movement is required to push the knob back, the operation requiring minimum time and minimum effort.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of multiple highly effective safeguards against back flow into the water system from the fountain brush assembly. Such safeguards are vital to prevent contamination of the domestic water supply in the event a vacuum is created in the water pipes.

One of these safeguards is the provision of a conventional check valve inthe outow passage from the diverter valve chamber to the fountain brush assembly. A second safeguard is the incorporation of a check valve element in the construction of the diverter valve member itself. A third and highly important safeguard is the provision of a by-pass controlled by a check valve, this by-pass being upstream from the diverter valve and communicating with the swing spout. Whenever a reverse pressure differential occurs by reason of a vacuum in the water line, this by-pass opens automatically to break the vacuum by opening up a path directly from the diverter valve chamber to the atmosphere through the swing spout. The resultant path of backow of air from the atmosphere is along surfaces that contact only pure water.

The various features and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description considered with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

Figure 1 is a plan view with parts broken away showing the presently preferred embodiment o-f the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken as indicated by the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the diverter valve chamber ltaken as indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the line 5 5 of Figure 3 and showing a portion of the outflow passage to the spout with the series of bypass bores communicating therewith;

Figure 6 is `an enlarged fragment of Figure 3 showing the construction of the diverter valve chamber and the diverter valve member therein;

Figure 7 is `a fragmentary section taken as indicated by the line 7 7 of Figure 3 showing the construction of an inductor fitting for introducing detergent into the stream of water that flows to the fountain brush assembly;

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken as indicated by the line 8 8 of Figure 7 showing the construction of the inductor fitting;

Figure 9 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing the construction of the handle and the fountain brush carried thereby; and

Figure l0 is a sectional view of the handle taken as indicated by the line 1il 10 of Figure 9.

The essential parts of the apparatus shown in the drawings include: a diverter valve chamber, generally designated by numeral 2t), that is best shown in Figures 3 and 6; a hot water valve generally designated 22 (Figure 1); an intake passage 24 extending from the hot water valve t0 the diverter yvalve chamber; a cold water valve generally designated 25, an intake passage 26 from the cold Water valve to the diverter valve chamber; a swing spout 28 which serves as what may be termed the rst discharge outlet of the apparatus; a iirst outflow passage 30 (Figure 3) for flow of water from the diverter valve chamber to the swing spout; a fountain brush assembly generally designated by numeral 32 (Figures 2 and 9) which includes -a handle 34, a fountain brush 35, and a dualpassage flexible hose 36; a diverter valve member generally designated 38; a second outow passage 40 (Figures 3 and 6) communicating with the fountain brush assembly; a valve operating means in the form of a valve stem 42 carrying the diverter valve member 38 and also carrying an external knob 44 by means of which it may be actuated; a container 45 for liquid detergent (Figure 3); an inductor fitting generally designated 46 (Figures 2 and 7) to which the dual-passage hose is connected, which inductor fitting is in communication with the second outflow passage and the detergent container for the purpose of introducing detergent into the stream of water in the fountain brush assembly; and, finally, means to control the induction of the detergent which means includes a control port 48 on the handle conveniently positioned for closing by the finger of the operator.

The hot and cold water valves 22 and 25' which are of conventional construction as shown in Figure 2, have ornamental handles 49. The hot and cold water valves 22 and 25 are incorporated in a plumbing fixture casting 50 that forms the two intake passages 24 and 26 and has a forwardly extending cylindrical portion 52 into which the diverter valve body 21 is threaded as shown in Figure 3. The plumbing fixture casting 50 is adapted for connection to hot and cold water pipes 54 and 5S in a Well known manner as indicated in Figure 1.

The plumbing fixture casting 54) carries and is concealed by a shroud 56. The shroud 56 is open at the bottom and has a top wall 58 which is apertured for the hot and cold water valves 22 and 25 and is also apertured for the swing spout 28. In addition, the top wall 58 of the shroud 56 has a large rectangular opening 60 that is normally closed by a cover 62. The cover 62 is removed when necessary for -access to the container 45 for liquid detergent. In the construction shown, the detergent container 4S is rectangular and has a rim flange (Figure 2) at each of its ends by means of which it is supported, vthe two rim anges resting on corresponding offset portions 66 of the top housing wall 5S.

The swing spout 28, which may be equipped with a Well known aerator fitting 67, has a threaded cylindrical base portion 68 which is threaded into and is rotatable in a cylindrical portion 70 of theV plumbing fixture casting 50. The base portion 68 of the swing spout has a circumferential groove in which is seated a suitable O-ring 72 to serve as a seal. The swing spout 28 is provided with a skirt 74 that conceals the cylindrical portion 70 of the plumbing fixture casting. The previously mentioned first outflow passage 30 is continued through the swing spout 28 as shown.

The plumbing fixture casting 50 together with the diverter valve body 21 forms the diverter valve chamber 20 and the plumbing fixture casting also provides a port 75 to the first outflow passage 30, the port being formed with a tapered valve seat 76 for cooperation with the diverter valve member 38. In addition, the plumbing fixture casting t) provides a plurality of by-pass bores 78 from the diverter valve chamber 20 to the first outflow passage 30, these by-pass bores being arranged in a circle around the port 75.

The diverter valve body 21 is sealed in the plumbing fixture casting fitting 50 by ya pai-r of spaced circumferential O-rings 80 and is formed with a circumferential groove 82 between the two O-rings. This circumferential groove 82 is in communication with the two intake passages 24 and 26 to receive Water therefrom for ow into the diverter valve chamber 20. A plurality of inlet bores 84 arranged in a circle in the diverter valve body 21 around the diverter valve 20 extend from the circumferential groove 82 to the inner end of the diverter valve body and are on substantially the same circle as the previously mentioned by-pass bores 78. Thus infiowing water from the two intake passages 24 and 26 passing through the circumferential groove 82 and the inlet bores 84 is directed towards the by-pass bores 7S.

A suitable resilient valve ring 85 is positioned between the inlet bores 84 and theby-pass bores 78, which valve ring may be made yof suitable rubber-like material such as neoprene. Normally, the valve ring 85 is in a rearward position closing the by-pass bores 78, -the valve ring being positioned against the by-pass bores by the force of inflowing water from the inlet bores S4. In the event a vacuum occurs in the two water pipes 54 and S5, however, the resulting reverse differential in pressure causes the valve ring to shift forward against the inlet bores 84 and thus prevent backovv from the diverter valve chamber into the domestic water system. It is apparent that this forward shift of the valve ring 85 in response to a reverse pressure differential opens the by-pass bores 78 and thus places the diverter valve chamber 20` in communication directly with thev atmosphere through the first outflow passage to the swing spout.

As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the end of the diverter valve chamber 20 at the second outflow passage 40 forms a second tapered valve seat 86. It is apparent that the inner circumferential wall 88 of the diverter valve chamber may also be considered a portion of the second outflow passage 40, the diverter valve member 38 as well as the diverter valve stem 42 being mounted for reciprocation in the second outflow passage longitudinally thereof.

The diverter valve member 38 is preferably in the form of a molded body of a rubber-like material and in the preferred practicev of the invention, this molded body has three valve portions which may be considered as three separate valve elements carried by the valve stem 42. One yof these valve elements is the nose portion 90 of the diverter valve member which is adapted to seat in the valve seat 76 to cut off iiow to the first outflow passage 3f) and thus divert ow from the diverter valve chamber 20 into the second outow passage 40. Another of the valve elements is the opposite end portion 92 of the diverter valve member which is adapted to seat in the valve seat 86 to cut off 'flow to the second outow passage 40 and thereby divert flow to the first outflow passage 30. The third valve element is what may be termed a check valve element or portion 94 in the form of a flared skirt that is dimensioned for sealing contact with the inner cylindrical wall 88 of the diverter valve chamber 20. When the nose portion 90 of the diverter valve member 3S is in the valve seat 76 to cut off the first outow passage 30 and to cause water to be diverted to the second outfiow passage 40, the skirt 94 is deflected radially inward by the flowing water but in the event there is any tendency for reverse flow to occur from the second outflow passage 40 the skirt responds by expanding into sealing contact with the surrounding circumferential wall 88.

The valve stem 42 extends forward through an aperture 95 in the shroud 56 and the knob 44 on the outer end of the valve stem has a cylindrical skirt 96 that extends into the aperture 95. To provide clearance for the rearward or inner movement of the cylindrical skirt 96, the diverter valve body 21 has a forward circular recess 98. The valve stem 42 is sealed by a suitable O-ring 1M) that is confined in the circular recess 98 by a metal ring 102, this metal ring being slidably mounted on the valve stem 42. A suitable coil spring 104 surrounds the valve stem 42 between the knob 44 and the metal ring 102. It is -apparent that the spring 104 has a dual function since it not only tends to urge the valve stem 42 to its outward position to seat the valve element 92 in the valve seat 86, Ibut also provides the force for maintaining the O-ring under sealing pressure.

The inductor fitting 46, which may be made of a suitable transparent or semi-transparent plastic material, may be mounted on a downwardly extending bracket 105 that is integral with the detergent container 45. As shown in Figure 7, the inductor fitting 46 may be secured on the bracket 105 by a plastic nut 166, the fitting having circumferential shoulder 108 for contact with one side of the bracket with the nut 106 tightened against the other side.

The inductor fitting 46 has an inlet port in the form of a threaded nipple portion 110 to receive a stream of water from the diverter valve and has a second inlet port in the form of a lateral nipple 112 to receive detergent from the container 45. The water inlet port 110 communicates through a venturi throat 114 with a passage 115. The second inlet port formed by the lateral nipple 112 terminates in a restricted bore 116 that is directed radiaily into the passage 115 on the downstream side of the venturi throat 114. A vent passage 118 communicates with the lateral nipple 112 and extends parallel to the first mentioned passage 115.

The nipple portion 1l() of the inductor fitting 46 is connected to a plastic tube 120 that is in turn connected to a check valve 122 (Figure 3). The check valve 122 is threaded into the underside of the diverter valve body 21 in communication with a radial bore 124 which constitutes a continuation of the previously mentioned second outflow passage 40. The check valve 122 has a check valve member 12S which is under pressure from '5 a coil spring 126 to prevent backflow in the second outow passage 40.

The lateral nipple 112 of the inductor fitting 46 is connected by a plastic tube 128 with a nipple 130 on the underside of the plastic detergent container 45. As best shown in Figure 3, the nipple 130 is at the lower end of an upright passage 132 formed in the wall of the container, this upright passage being open to the atmosphere at the top of the container. A small feed bore 134 slants downward from the bottom ofthe interior of the container 45 into the upright passage 132 for gravity ow of the detergent into the plastic tube It is contemplated that the plastic tube 128 will be provided with a suitable restricted orifice and for this purpose an orifice fitting 135 may be placed inside the tube, the orifice fitting having external screw threads for engagement with the tube.

The dual hose 36 is provided with an end fitting 136 of rigid plastic material by means of which it is connected to the inductor fitting 46. In the construction shown in Figure 7, the end fitting 136 is secured in position by a connector bushing 138 which engages va circumferential rib 140 of the end fitting. The end fitting 136 has a passage 115a which serves as a continuation of the passage 115 and has a second passage 118a which serves a's fa continuation of the passage 118. A suitable gasket 142 seals the joint between the end fitting 136 and the inductor fitting 46.

The dual hose 36 has a passage 115b which is a continuation of passages 115 and 115a and has a second passage 118b that is a continuation of the passages 118 and 118a. The handle 34 which is mounted on the second end of the hose is connected by a bushing 144 with a tapered nozzle member 145 that carries the fountain` brush 35. The outer end of the nozzle member 145 has an enlarged inclined portion 146 spanned by a perforated disc 146 (Figure 9) and the fountain brush 35 is removably mounted thereon in a well `known manner. The uid discharged through the tapered nozzle member 145 is divided by the perforated disc 148 into a number of small streams that are released into the interior of the fountain brush 35.

The passage 115b of the dual hose 36 is directed into the nozzle member 145 but the second passage 118b of the dual hose terminates yat the previously mentioned control port 48 on the handle 34. Preferably the control port 48 is spanned by a fine mesh screen 150 to keep foreign material out of the vent passage 118b. Preferably a clip 152 (Figures 2 and 3) is provided to hold the fountain brush assembly 32 when it is out of use. The clip is attached by screws 154 to a metal body 155 inside the shroud 56 and is formed with a pair of spaced opposed lips 156 and 158 to grip the tapered nozzle member 145. The clip 152 may be made of a suitable resilient plastic material so that the two lips 156 and 158 lare flexible to a desirable degree.

The manner in which the described apparatus operates to serve its purpose may be readily understood from the foregoing description. When both o-f the hot and cold water valves 22 and 25 are closed, the diverter valve member 38 is held in its normal forward position by the concealed spring 104 and, of course, the knob 44 is also in its forward position. If either or both of the water inlet valves 22 and 25 is opened without rearward shift in position of the diverter valve member 38 by manual operation of the knob 44, the diverter valve member remains in its forward position closing the second outflow passage 40 and the water flows through the first outflow passage 30 to the spout 28. The path of the flowing water is through the circumferential groove 82 and the series of inlet bores 84 into the diverter valve chamber 20 and out of the diverter valve chamber through the port 75 to the first outflow passage '30. The impingement of the flowing water against the valve ring 85 seats the valve ring against the by-pass bores 78.

To divert the flowing water to the second outflow passage 40 to the tube 120 leading to the inductor fitting 46 for ow to the fountain brush assembly 32, the operator merely pushes the knob 44 forward to seat the nose portion of the diverter valve member 38 in the tapered valve seat 76 to close the port 75. This manual operation of the knob 44 unseats the end portion 92 of the diverter valve member 38 from the tapered seat 86 to open the second outflow passage 40. As a result the flowing water is diverted through the diverter valve chamber 20 to the second outflow passage 40. The owing water impinges against the valve ring 85 to close the by-pass bores 78 and the flowing water flexes the'ared skirt 94 of the diverter valve member inward as it travels to the fountain brush assembly. As long as one of the hot and cold valves 22 and 25 is open to maintain this flow, the water pressure in the diverter valve chamber '20 holds the diverter valve member 38 in the valve seat 76. The diverted water passes through the check valve 122 and the plastic tube 120 to reach the inductor fitting 46 and then flows through the venturi throat 114 into passage 115.

When water is flowing through the passages 115, a and 115b to the fountain brush 35, no detergent is mixed with the flowing water if the control p-ort 48 is open to the atmosphere. With the control port 48 open to the atmosphere, the suction effect at the restricted bore 116 adjacent the venturi throat 114 merely results in the suction of a small amount of `air into the flowing water from the atmosphere through the port 48 and the passages 118b, 11801, `and 118.

If the control port 48 in the handle 34 is closed by finger pressure, the suction effect created by the venturi -throat 114 creates a vacuum in the Vent passage 118,

118b and 118C and thus causes a pressure differential across the `orifice fitting in the tube 128 to cause detergent to flow into the passage 115 through the restricted bore 116. The detergent is thoroughly mixed with the water in the passage 115, 115a and 115b. The detergent liquid is highly viscous and therefore does not ow through the orifice fitting 135 unless a relatively high pressure differential is placed across the fitting by the creation of the vacuum in the Vent passage.

It is apparent that the apparatus incorporates a number of safeguards to prevent backflow from either the fountain brush assembly or the detergent container into the domestic water pipes to which the hot and cold valves 22 and 25 are connected. The rst safeguard is the eXible valve ring 85 which is automatically sucked against the inlet bores 84 in the event the pressure in the inlet bores falls below atmospheric pressure. This action by the valve ring 85 places the diverter valve chamber 20 in communication with the atmosphere through the bypass bore 78 a-nd the first outflow passage 30 to the spout 28 so that any Vacuum that tends to form in the diverter valve chamber results in reverse flow of air through the spout. The second safeguard is the flared skirt or check valve portion 94 of the diverter valve member 38, this skirt expanding into sealing contact with the surrounding inner circumferential wall 88 in response to reverse flow. The third safeguard is the check Valve 122 to which the plastic tube 120 is connected.

If the operator wishes to change the water flow from the fountain pressure assembly to the spout 28, it is merely necessary to pull the knob 44 forward to bring the end portion 92 of the diverter valve member 38 into the tapered seat 86. If water is flowing to the fountain brush assembly and the water flow is cut off by closing both of the hot and cold water valves 22 and 25, the water pressure that holds the diverter valve member in the valve seat 76 is terminated and the diverter valve member is returned to its normal forward position by the spring 104.

Our description in specific detail of the selected embodi- VVV2,195 6,579

ment vofvtheapparatus will suggest various changes, sub- `stitution and other:departures from ourdisclosure that properly lie Within1the lspirit and :scoperof kthe-appended ...claims lVif-e claim:

l1. `In .a device lhaving .an Ainlet for .connection to a pure Water supply, ,a first discharge outlet in continuous vcommunication with the atmosphere Afor discharging .a stream of -pure Water and an alternate second discharge :outlet subject to contamination, diverter valve means -to divert ow from said `iirst discharge outlet to said second discharge outlet and to prevent contaminated backiiow from said second discharge outlet to said inlet, said diverter valve means having in combination: a first outflow passage in communication with said inlet and leading to said irst discharge outlet; a second outow passage in communication with said inlet and leading to said second discharge outlet; a diverter valve member movable between a rst position closing said rst outflow passage to divert flow from said inlet .to said second outllovvA passage and asecond position closing said second outow passage to divert 110W from said inlet to said first outflow passage, said diverter valve member being positioned in said second outiiow .passage and having a check valve portion unitary therewith in contact with the surrounding Wall of the second outow passage to prevent back ow in said second `outflow passage when the diverter valve member closes said rst outow passage.

2. A combination as set forth in claim l in which said check valve Vportion is a ared skirt portion of resilient material yieldable radially inward in response to normal outward ow through said second outflow passage and expansible into sealing contact with the surrounding second outllow passage in response to back pressure.

3. In a device having an inlet for connection to a Apure water supply, a rst discharge outlet in continuous communication with the atmosphere for discharging a stream of pure water and an alternate second discharge vback'iiow from said second .discharge .outlet to said inlet,

.said diverter valve means having .in combination: a iirst outilow passage in communication with .said inlet .and leading to said iirst discharge outlet; a second outow passage in communication with said inlet and leading to said second discharge outlet; valve operating means yextending through a portion of said second outliow passage and movable longitudinally thereof between a rst position and a second position; a first valve means carried by said valve operating means to close said liirst outflow passage at said rst position thereby to divert ilow'to said second outow passage; a second valve means carried by said valve operating means to close said second outow passage at said second position thereby to divert flow to said first outow passage, and kcheck valve means carried by said valve operating means in contact with the surrounding second outiiow passage to prevent backow therethrough.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 3 in which said check valve means comprises a flared skirt of resilient material.

References Cited in the'iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,878,097 Bletcher Dec, 13, 1927 2,299,706 Svirsky Oct. 20, 1942 2,470,213 Clemmons May 17, 1949 2,584,436 Donaldson Feb. 5, 1952 2,587,961 Bletcher May 4, 1952 2,603,951 Ross July 22, 1952 2,652,850 Manville Sept. 22, 1953 2,710,020 Manville .Tune '7, 1955 2,741,258 Bletcher Apr. l0, 1956 2,795,460 Bletcher June 11, 1957 2,797,132 Aipert June 25, 1957

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