US3775780A

US3775780A - Water closet coupling

Info

Publication number: US3775780A
Application number: US00272653A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ewen J Mc
Original assignee: Multi Fittings Inc
Current assignee: Multi Fittings Inc
Priority date: 1972-07-17
Filing date: 1972-07-17
Publication date: 1973-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-04
Also published as: CA968905A

Abstract

A water closet coupling comprises a plastic annular connector providing flow communication between the drainage outlet of a water closet and an installed drain waste conduit, and a radial securing flange. The securing flange is connected to the annular connector by means of a helically threaded connection which permits vertical and rotational adjustment of the flange.

Description

McEwen 1 4, 1973 WATER CLOSET COUPLHNG 3,319,268 5 1967 Blumenkranz 4 252 R 3,360,805 1 1968 Aumann 4/252 R [75] Inventor -i Em McEwen 3,409,918 11 1968 Gaddy 4 252 R Omar"), Canada 3,579,670 5/1971 Frank 4 252 R a [73] Assignee: Multi Fittings Limited, London,

Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: July 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.:,272,653

52 us. c1. 4/252 R, 4/68, 277/101, 285/32, 285/56, 285/58 [51] lnt. Cl. E0311 11/13, F16] 15/00, F16] 5/00 [58] Field of Search 4/68, 252 R, 170, 4/191; 277/101; 285/32, 33, 56, 61, 59, 58

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,700,774 2/1955 Smith 4/68 Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney.l. A. Legris [5 7 ABSTRACT A water closet coupling comprises a plastic annular connector providing flow communication between the drainage outlet of a water closet and an installed drain waste conduit, and a radial securing flange. The securing flange is connected to the annular connector by means of a helically threaded connection which permits vertical and rotational adjustment of the flange.

9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures WATER CLOSET COUPLING This invention relates to plumbingfittings and is concerned particularly with an improved construction of water closet coupling for physically and operatively connecting a water closet having a drainage outlet to a floor and to an installed drain waste outlet.

A water closet coupling of this type normally comprises an annular connector having an outlet end adapted to receive one end of the drain waste conduit and an inlet end adapted for flow communication with the drainage outlet and in flow communication with the drain waste conduit, the inlet end providing aradially outwardly extending securing flange adapted to be bolted to the water closet in its installed position and to the floor.

In recent years the trend has been towards making such couplings, or at least the annular connectors of such couplings, of a plastics material which can be joined to a plastic drain waste conduit by solvent welding. In one known construction the securing flange is molded integrally with the annular connector. This construction has the disadvantages that it is expensive to manufacture, that the flange lacks the strength of a metal or other rigid flange, and that the flange is difficult to orient with respect to the floor fastenings owing to the rapid set time of the solvent weld. In another known construction the securing flange is a separate member adapted to be snapped into position on the annular connector, during assembly. This construction has the disadvantage that the flange can become detached from the annular connector when upward pressure is applied to the latter, as for example when the drainage pipe expands thermally. In yet another known construction the securing flange is of metal and is adjustably secured to the annular connector by means of an interrupted thread connection. This construction has the disadvantage that the interrupted thread connection, while being superior to the snap-on connection of the previous construction, relies upon the strength of a single, interrupted annular lip.

.It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved construction of water closet coupling which overcomes the disadvantages of the known constructions and has the additional advantage of providing for adjustment of the height of the securing flange from the floor to accommodate varying thicknesses of floor coverings and/or varying thicknesses of gaskets.

According to the present invention the securing flange is separable from the annular connector and is connected thereto by a helically threaded connection contiguous with the inlet end of the connector whereby to permit vertical and rotational adjustment of the flange relative to the floor. The helically threaded connection, which is uninterrupted for at least one turn of the helix, is much stronger than the type of connection provided by an interrupted annular lip and groove.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an exploded general perspective view of the water closet coupling; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken through the axis of the coupling.

The coupling illustrated in the drawings comprises essentially an annular connector and a securing flange 1 l. The annular connector is of a plastics material which can be joined to a plastic pipe by solvent welding,,a.nd is preferably of polyvinyl chloride or a copolymer of .acrylonitrilebutadiene/styrene. The annular connector 10 comprises a first cylindrical portion 12, defining an outlet end 13, a second cylindrical portion 14, defining an inlet end 15, and a frust'o conical intermediate portion 16. The first cylindrical portionis adapted to receive and be solvent welded to, oneend of an installed drain waste conduit 17, the latter being located against a downwardly facing annular step 18 projecting from the inner surface of the first cylindrical portion. The second cylindrical portion 14 is adapted to receive the drainage outlet of water closet 19, the connector providing flow communication between the drainage outlet and the waste conduit 17. The second cylindrical portion 14 also has a helically threaded external surface 20 contiguous with the inlet end 15.

The flange 1 1, which may be of metalor of rigid plastics material such as a polycarbonate, comprises a radially outwardly extending main flange portion 21 and an inwardly directed lip 22 which extends continuously for at least one turn of a helix corresponding to the pitch of the threadedsurface 20, the lip 22 constituting an inwardly directed threaded portion which is engageable with the threaded surface 20 for mounting the flange 11 on the connector 10. The main flange portion 21 is formed with an outer rim constituted by a downwardly turned peripheral flange 23, the upper edge of the rim being knurled as shown at 24. A pair of diametrically opposed arcuate slots 25 are formed in the main flange portion 21, these slots being adapted to receive fastening bolts 26 for mounting the water closet 19 to the flange 11. Also formed in the main flange portion 21 are a plurality of apertures 27 adapted to receive fastening screws 31 for securing the flange to the floor 28.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 a gasket 29 is clampted between the drainage outlet of the water closet l9 and the annular connector 19. It will be observed that the helically threaded connection between the annular connector 10 and the flange 11, besides providing considerable strength for resisting axial forces tending to separate them, provides a useful degree of adjustment. Thus, by rotating the flange the slots 25 can be brought into the required angular relationship to the bolts 26 for mounting the water closet 1'9, and at the same time the height of the flange is adjusted to suit different thicknesses of floor coverings 30, or gaskets 29 of different thicknesses.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A water closet coupling for physically and operatively connecting a water closet having a drainage outlet to a floor and to an installed drain waste conduit, the coupling comprising an annular connector and an annular securing flange, the annular connector having an outlet end adapted to receive one end of the drain waste conduit and an inlet end adapted for flow communication with the drain outlet and in flow communi cation with said outlet end, the annular connector having a helically threaded external surface contiguous with said inlet end, the annular securing flange being formed with an inwardly directed helically threaded portion engageable with said threaded surface for rotatably and adjustably mounting said flange on the annular connector, and a radially outwardly directed main flange portion having a plurality of angularly spaced arcuate slots therethrough adapted to receive fastening members for mounting the water closet to the flange.

2. A water closet coupling according to claim 1, wherein the annular connector is of plastics material.

3. A water closet coupling according to claim 2, wherein the plastics material of the annular connector is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride and polymers and copolymers of styrene, acrylonitrile, and butadiene.

4. A water closet coupling according to claim 2, wherein the securing flange is of metal.

5. A water closet coupling according to claim 2, wherein the securing flange is of a rigid plastics material.

6. A water closet coupling according to claim 2, wherein said inwardly directed helically threaded portion is constituted by an inwardly directed lip extending continuously for at least one turn of the threaded connection between the connector and the flange.

7. A water closet coupling according to claim 2, wherein said main flange portion has a plurality of angularly spaced apertures adapted to receive fastening members for fastening the flange to the floor.

8. A water closet coupling according to claim 2, wherein the annular connector comprises a first cylindrical portion defining said outlet end, a second cylindrical portion of larger diameter defining said inlet end, and a frusto conical intermediate portion, said second cylindrical portion providing said helically threaded external surface, and said first cylindrical portion providing an internal annular step adapted to abut against the end of the installed drain waste conduit.

9. A water closet coupling according to claim 3, characterized in that:

a. the securing flange is of rigid plastics material,

b. the main flange portion has a plurality of angularly spaced apertures adapted to receive fastening members for fastening the flange to the floor, and

c. the annular connector is formed with an internal, downwardly facing, annular step adapted to locate the connector against the end of the installed drain waste conduit.

Claims

1. A water closet coupling for physically and operatively connecting a water closet having a drainage outlet to a floor and to an installed drain waste conduit, the coupling comprising an annular connector and an annular securing flange, the annular connector having an outlet end adapted to receive one end of the drain waste conduit and an inlet end adapted for flow communication with the drain outlet and in flow communication with said outlet end, the annular connector having a helically threaded external surface contiguous with said inlet end, the annular securing flange being formed with an inwardly directed helically threaded portion engageable with said threaded surface for rotatably and adjustably mounting said flange on the annular connector, and a radially outwardly directed main flange portion having a plurality of angularly spaced arcuate slots therethrough adapted to receive fastening members for mounting the water closet to the flange.

9. A water closet coupling according to claim 3, characterized in that: a. the securing flange is of rigid plastics material, b. the main flange portion has a plurality of angularly spaced apertures adapted to receive fastening members for fastening the flange to the floor, and c. the annular connector is formed with an internal, downwardly facing, annular step adapted to locate the connector against the end of the installed drain waste conduit.