US2288954A - Faucet - Google Patents

Description

July 7,1942;` o. s. RE'ID FAQET IFiled Aug. s, 1940 wiwi Y Y Mylan i Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FAUCET Otto S. Reid, Los Angeles, Calif. Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,963

Claims.

This invention relates to valves o! the type commonly referred to as faucetsA or spigots, and particularly for withdrawing liquids from containers at relatively low pressures, such as water coolers', wine barrels, and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and rugged spigot construction which is reliable and trouble-free.

Another object is to provide a spigot that is normally self-closing and may readily be adjusted to remain in open position.-

Another object is to provide a spigot that is substantially dripless.

Another object is to provide a simple spigot construction in which the closure element of the spigot is moved against the discharge oriiice thereof, and is maintained in alignment with the discharge oriiice during normal opening and closing movements.

This application is in part a continuation of my application Serial No. 263,868, led March 24, 1939, on Faucet.

Other more specific objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a particular embodiment of the invention, the description referring to the drawing in which Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a cross section in the plane IV-IV of Fig. 1.

Referring rst to Fig. 1, the spigot therein disclosed comprises a body member I having a fluid passage 2 extending thereinto from one end. This end of the body member may be externallythreaded as indicated at 3 for insertion into a barrel, or the like. However, the particular type of connection employed is not a part of the present invention. The fluid passage 2 extends to a point adjacent the forward end of the body member I, where it makes a right angle bend and merges from the underside of the body member. At this point there is attached to the body member I a discharge spout 4 which extends downwardly and has a passage 5 aligning with the passage 2 in the body member I, the spout 4 being attached to the body member I by brazing, soldering or welding.

The lower end of the spout 4 is normally closed by a plug 6 of rubber or similar material which seals against a seat 1 at the lower end oi the passage 5 within the spout. 'Ihe lower end of the spout wall is cut away on the inside to permit the plug 6 to enter upwardly into the spout below the extreme lower lip 8 thereof, whereby the plug 1s concealed from view when the faucet is closed.

The plug 8 is supported on a wire element 9 which extends therethrough. 'I'hus the wire element 9 has a lower horizontal section III which merges at one end into a vertical section II extending through plug 6 and merges at the other end into an elongated, upwardly extending section I2. The section I2 extends rst upwardly through a groove I3 (Fig. 3) in the outer surface of the discharge spout 4 and then through a passage I4 in the end of the body member I beyond the passage 2 therein. The section I2 of the rod extends upwardly above the body member I a substantial distance and has mounted on its upper end a thumbpiece I5. Thus the thumbpiece I5 may be screwed onto the threaded upper end of the section I2 of the rod. To normally maintain the rod 9 in uppermost position in which the plug 6 closes the end of the spout, a helical spring I1 is compressed between the upper side of the body member I and a nut I8 on the upper end of the section I2 of the rod, this spring i1 surrounding the rod.

In order to protect and conceal the spring I1, it is enclosed within a telescoping housing, this housing including a skirt member I9 depending downwardly from the thumbpiece I5 in overlapping relation with a tubular member 20 secured to the body member I and extending upwardly therefrom.

A thin metal disc 2I is preferably mounted underneath the plug 6 to give it better support from the horizontal section I0 oi.' the rod 9.

The groove I3 and the passage I4 guide the vertical section I2 of the rod 9 for vertical longitudinal motion, but it does not prevent rotation of the rod section I2. Such rotation would be objectionable in that it might carry the plug 6 out of registration with the spout member 4 while the valve is in open position. However such disaligning motion is prevented by extending the vertical section I I of rod 9 a substantial distance from the plug 6 into the passage 5 of the discharge spout, and bending this section II rst in one direction and then in the other direction, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that it bears against oppositely disposed points in the spout 4 and prevents any swinging movement of the plug 6 aboutthe rod section I2 as an axis.

The use of the bent rod section I I as shown in Fig. 2 is particularly advantageous because the small cross sectional area of the rod prevents any appreciable interference with the free flow of liquid through the spout.

It will be observed from inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, which are drawn to the same scale, that downward movement of the thumbpiece I5 and the other movable elements of the faucet are limited by contact of the lower edge of the skirt I9 with the body member I to a distance less than the length of the upwardly extending bent section II of the rod 9, so that under no possible condition. of operation can the rod section II become removed from the spout l. Therefore lt is always in guiding engagement with the spout to center the plug 6 accurately against its seat.

It is sometimes desirable to lock a faucet of the type described in open position, and I have provided for this in the construction shown. Thus referring to Figs. l and 4, there is provided on the body member I a screw 26 projecting upwardly therefrom, closely adjacent the skirt I9 and the skirt I9 has an outwardly projecting ear 28 thereon which can be engaged under the head of the screw 28 by first depressing the thumbpiece I5 and then rotating it through a small-angle. This rotation of the thumbpiece I5 and skirt I9 is permissible without simultaneous rotation of the rod section I4 by virtue of the screwthread connection between the thumbpiece and the rod.

Although for the purpose ofexplaining the invention a specific embodiment thereof has been described in substantial detail, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the particular construction shown without departing from the invention, which is to be limited only to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A spigot comprising: a body member having a discharge spout with an orifice at the lend thereof, a plug member and means for moving it between a first position against said orifice in sealing relation therewith and a second position spaced from said orice to permit fluid flow therethrough, and a guide member projecting from said plug member into said spout for guiding said lplug member into seating engagement with said orifice when said plug member is moved into said first position, said guide member comprising a rod element of substantially smaller diameter than the internal diameter of said spout and of such configuration as to closely approach the inside surface of said spout at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points thereon, whereby lateral displacement of said plug member during opening and closing movement thereof is limited, said guide member approaching closely to, but not contacting said spout when said plug member is aligned with the spout, whereby said guide member does not increase the frictional resistance to opening and closing movement of said member.

, 2. A spigot comprising: a body member having a discharge spout with an orifice at the end thereof, a plug member and means for moving it between a flrst position against said orifice in sealing relation therewith and a second posit-ion spaced from said orifice to permit fluid flow therethrough, and a guide member projecting from said plug member into said spout for guiding said plug member into seating engagement with said orifice when said plug member is moved into said first position, said guide member comprising a rod of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of said spout and of zigzag shape to closely approach the inside surface of said spout at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points on said surface, whereby lateral displacement of said plug member during opening and closing movement thereof is limited, said guide member approaching closely to, but not contacting said spout when said plug member is aligned with the spout, whereby said guide member does not increase the frictional resistance to opening and closing movement of said member.

3. A faucet comprising: a body member having afluid passage extending therethrough and terminating in a spout having a discharge orifice, a plug adapted to seat against and close said discharge orifice, a plug-actuating rod extending alongside said spout and connected to said plug adjacent its lower end, said body member having guide means slidably supporting said rod for longitudinal and rotary movement, spring means for moving said rod to seat said plug against said orifice, handle means on said rod whereby it may be depressed against the force of said spring to unseat said plug, said rod having a return bend therein with the return end portion extending into said spout, and said plug being mounted on said return bent portion, said rod projecting beyond said plug into said spout and being shaped to closely approach the inside surface of said spout at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points thereon, whereby swinging movement of said return-bend portion and of said rod about the main portion of said rod as an axis is limited, said guide member approaching closely to, but not contacting said spout when said plug is aligned with the spout, whereby said guide member does not increase the frictional resistance to opening and closing movement of said member.

4. A faucet comprising a body member having a fluid passage extending therethrough, said body member terminating in a spout, the lower end of which spout constitutes a discharge orifice, a plug adapted to seat against and close said discharge orifice, a plug-actuating rod extending exterior of and alongside said spout and connected to said plug adjacent one end, said rod being offset with respect to said plug, guide means on said body member for slidably supporting said rod for longitudinal movement, spring means for moving said rod in one direction to seat said plug against said orifice, handle means on said rod for depressing it against the force of said spring to unseat said plug, said rod being exterior of the fluid passage in the body member, whereby the need for fluid-tight joints between the rod and body member is eliminated, and means for limiting rotation of said rod about its axis in all vertical positions thereof, whereby said plug is maintained in at least approximate alignment with said seat.

5. A faucet comprising an elongated, horizontal body member having a fluid passage extending thereinto from one end and terminating short of the other end, a spout depending downwardly from said body member and communicating with said uid passage, the lower end of said spout constituting a discharge orifice, a plug adapted to seat against and close said discharge orifice, a plug-actuating rod extending alongside said spout and connected to said plug adjacent its lower end, said body member having guide means slidably supporting said rod for longitudinal movement, spring means for moving said rod upwardly to seat said plug against said orifice, and handle means on said rod whereby it may be depressed against the force of said spring to unseat said plug, said rod being exterior of the fluid passage in the body member and spout, whereby need for fluid-tight joints between rod, body member and spout is eliminated, said rod having a return bend therein with the upturned end portion extending into said spout and said plug being mounted on said upturned end portion, and means limiting downward travel of said rod to a predetermined value less than the distance said upturned end portion projects into said spout, whereby said end portion maintains said plug in approximate align- 5 ment with said oriice at all times.

O'I'I'O S. REID.

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