US2817098A - Laundry water distribution system - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 24, 1957 B. E. MUSTEE LAUNDRY WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed April 28, 1955 IN V EN TOR. BERNARD E. MUSTEE a g 2,817,098 C Patented Dec. 24, 1957 LAUNDRY WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Bernard E. Mustee, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to E. L. Mustee & Sons, Inc.

Application April 28, 1955, Serial No. 504,451

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-195) This invention relates to laundry devices in general, and relates more specifically to an improved laundry tub device for association with a washing machine, and means with the tub for storage and disposal of water from the washing machine.

The common laundry tub has been a double cast cement structure of large size and unattractive lines for many years. More recently there has been a tendency to improve the usefulness of such laundry appliances, as well as their appearance. One such improvement has been the provision of a single tub unit with a tubular drain control pipe used as a combined stopper and overflow for water depth control.

Used with a modern automatic washing machine of the type having a water-saving feature, one hose from the washer is extended into the tub proper and the other hose is placed into the top of the tube. The first hot, soapy water is thus saved for reuse and all rinse water is disposed of directly into the drain.

By extending the water hoses from the washer to the tub, the provision of a separate drain, or special lines from the washer, is avoided. If the suds-saver feature is of interest, the tub must be placed near the washer and a drain must be provided for the tub. Since one hose is extended to the tub for suds-saving, a separate drain system is avoided by using the system provided for the tub. However, hoses draped over the edge of a laundry tub are neither attractive nor handy.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a laundry tub device having a single water storage unit adapted to receive both waste water and water to be saved, and to direct the waste water to the waste outlet of the tub device.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved water inlet system and water directing system in a laundry tub device to replace the use of hoses draped over and into an open top tub.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View through a device embodying the principles of this invention, together with a sectional view of a portion of a laundry tub device;

Figure 2 is a front view from within the tub of the fixture only without the hoses as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a rear view from the back of the tub of the fixture only without the hoses as shown in Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 is a top view of the fixture only.

The drawing illustrates a fragment of a modern type laundry tub device which may be made of sheet metal or reinforced plastic. The device it) has a water container portion 11 defined by side and bottom Walls including a back wall 12. Such device is provided with a conventional faucet device, which is not shown, for the purpose of admitting fresh hot and cold water either singularly or mixed. An outlet 15 at the bottom of the water container 11 allows water to escape to a suitable drain.

Modern washing machine devices are provided with pumps to remove the water from the machine. Usually the machines are provided with flexible hoses to extend to a drain. Quite often the drain is a distance from the washing machine or is a closed type of drain connected to the laundry tub. Thus separate drain facilities are required for the washing machine, or, as is more usually done, the hose is provided with a hooked end to hang over the side of the laundry tub. The waste water then runs into the water container 11 and out through the outlet 15 into the drain facilities provided for the laundry tub. Placing the hose on the floor to allow water to run to a drain produces an undesirable dampness condition, and hanging of the hose over the side of the laundry tub is quite often a nuisance or, at least, is quite unsightly. The invention set forth in companion application Serial No. 459,951 (since matured into Patent No. 2,780,241, dated February 5, 1957), provides for a fixture extending through the back wall of the tub and having a flexible spout thereon for selectively positioning the spout into a drain extension or not, as desired. The drawing in that case furthermore illustrates a second similar type of fitting with the hose extending to the bottom of the tub. The second fitting is employed in laundry tubs associated with the type of washing machine having the feature of separating the original hot, soapy water from the later rinse waters. Thus the original water may be directed into the tub through this separate fitting and the later rinse waters may be directed to the drain extension through the first fitting. This device provides hidden hose locations to avoid the necessity of hanging hoses over the side of the tub. However, two fittings are required in two separate locations, and engagement of the waste water nozzle into the drain extension is required in each instance.

According to the present invention which is believed to be a species improvement of the invention set forth in Patent No. 2,780,241, a single fixture 20 is provided in a central location substantially over the drain outlet 15. In the drawing of this case the fixture 20 is illustrated as a single piece casting having a first water passageway 21 therethrough having a spout 22 inside of the tub 10 and a hose attachment end 23 exterior of the tub behind the back wall 12. A second water passageway 24 is provided with a spout 25 and a hose attachment 26. When constructed in the preferred embodiment as illustrated, the water passageways 21 and 24 are generally U-shaped because of the downward extension of the spout and hose connecting portions, and the second water passageway U-shape is nested within the first water passageway U-shape. Thus the spout 22 extends further into the water container 11 and substantially directly over the drain outlet 15, whereas the spout 25 is located closer to the back wall 12.

For convenience in installing the fixture 20 through an opening provided in the back wall 12, the fixture 20 has a flange 27 which may be attached to the back wall 12 by means of suitable bolts and nuts 28.

In order to illustrate the device completely, sections of two hoses 29 and 30 are shown frictionally engaged to the hose attachment portions 23 and 26 respectively of the fixture 20. A hose section 32 extends from the spout 25 of water passageway 24 to a position near the bottom of the water container 11.

The tub device 10 is not provided with an overflow in this invention, but rather a tubular drain extension device 31 is adapted to engage into the drain outlet 15 and be supported in an upright position by the interengagement of the tube 31 into the outlet 15. Such interfitting re quires an axial movement of the tube 31. It is desired to have the tube 31 relatively deep in order to provide maximum storage of water coming through the hose 32 from the washing machine hose 30. Therefor some means is provided to allow the tube 31 to be positioned away from the spout 22 during installation and removal of the tube 31 and when it is desired to direct water from the spout 22 into the tub while the tube 31 is interfitted as a stopper. Although resilient hose structures may be employed, it is believed preferable to use a kinked metal tube as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. Thus rotation of the tube 31 Will position the top of the tube 31 away from fixture 20 and permit water to flow from the spout 22 into the tub and also permit the tube 31 to be readily installed or removed from the drain outlet 15. After engagement into the outlet 15, tube 31 may be retated to a position adapted to receive a flow of fluid coming from the spout 22.

The present invention is an auxiliary device employed with previous inventions showing separation of water issuing from a washing machine. Such washing machine devices are now well known. However, once the machine has separated the original water from the rinse water, there has been no provision made for adequate handling of such waters. The inventor of this fixture 20 also originated the use of tube extension devices such as the tube 31 in conjunction with modern laundry tub devices, and such tube extension devices are now also well known in the laundry field. Even this tube device only served the purpose of reducing the need for two tubs and permitting the hoses to both extend into one laundry tub. In such event the hose 30 from the washing machine is merely hooked over the side of the tub and the hose 29 is extended directly into the tube 31. Such an arrangement eliminates the need for two separate laundry tubs such as the double cement type of tub which has heretofore been standard in all laundries, but does not prevent the unsightly appearance of exposed tubes from the washing machine hanging over the side of the tub, nor does it provide for a tub device which can be completely closed by a lid. Such complete enclosure is desirable to provide work space in the laundry adjacent the washing machine. With the present invention a complete cover may be provided for the tub 10. If a washing machine which does not provide for separation of the waters is employed with the fixture 20, then soaking and other operations can be carried on within the water container 11 while other washing operations take place, or in the event that the machine is provided with the separation features, then the tub device is employed as a water storage and separating chamber while the top serves as a Work space counter. The invention therefore resides within the laundry device having the improved fixture therein without regard to the provision of any particular type of associated laundry equipment.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A water selecting and storage device, comprising, a water storage tub defined by front and back walls, side walls, and a bottom wall with a drain outlet, 21 fixture defining a first and second Water passageway therethrough, said fixture having a first spout portion from said first passageway and a first hose attachment portion inlet into said first passageway, a second spout portion from said second passageway and a second hose attachment portion inlet into said second passageway, said fixture being carried through one of said Walls with the first and second spout portions positioned generally over said drain outlet and with the hose attachment portions on the exterior of said one wall, a rigid elongated overflow tube having an offset axis and being interfittable into said drain outlet to serve as a stopper therefor, said tube being of predetermined etfective length less than the height of the position of said first spout portion when the tube is fitted into said drain outlet, said tube having first and second spaced end openings, the first of said openings being in communication with said drain outlet when the tube is interfitted as a stopper, and said tube being rotatable about the axis of the outlet, said second end opening transcribing at least a segment of an annulus upon such rotation, one position of said second end opening being in a relative position to receive fluid discharged from said first spout portion, the other positions of said second end being spaced to prevent the receipt of fluid, whereby to provide a device in which the tube may be selectively positioned to permit water to be selectively directed from said first spout portion into said tube or into said water tub.

2. A water selecting and storage device, comprising, a water storage tub having a bottom drain outlet, a fixture defining a water passageway through a wall of said tub, said fixture having a fixed spout portion with an outlet over said drain outlet, said fixture having a hose attachment portion on the exterior of the tub to receive a discharge hose from a washer, a rigid overflow tube having an offset axis and being removably seatable into said drain outlet to serve as a stopper therefor, said tube standing erect and being of predetermined elfective length less than the height of the position of said spout portion when the tube is fitted into said drain outlet, said tube being rotatable in said drain outlet between a first position wherein the upper end is below said fixed spout and a second position removed from the fixed spout, said tube and spout portion thereby being adapted to direct fluid from said spout portion into said tube in said first tube position for delivery to said drain outlet without collecting in said tub, said tube and spout portion thereby being adapted to direct fluid from said spout portion into said water storage tub in said second tube position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 816,559 Connolly Apr. 3, 1906 963,101 Winant July 5, 1910 1,205,508 Bodell Nov. 21, 1916 1,289,173 Hoffman Dec. 31, 1918 1,762,619 Fleming June 10, 1930 2,560,954 Jackson July 17, 1951 2,642,085 Geldhof et al June 16, 1953 2,780,241 Mustee Feb. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 224,959 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1924 OTHER REFERENCES Sears Roebuck CatalogSpring & Summer 1954, design (page 1028).

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