US2908915A - Flushing device - Google Patents

Description

Original Filed Sept. 18, 1956 INVENTQR CARL B. HOLL ATTORNEY United States Patent "cc FLUSHING DEVICE Carl B. Holl, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Original application September 18, 1956, Serial No. 610,595, now Patent No. 2,862,212, dated December 2, 1958. Divided and this application September 16, 1958, Serial No. 761,321

3 Claims. (Cl. 4-249) This is a division of my prior application Serial No. 610,595 filed September 18, 1956, since matured as Patent No. 2,862,212, dated December 2, 1958 and relates to a new and improved attachment which may be secured to existing flushing arrangements for toilets in order to provide ease and convenience of the user in flushing the toilet while in position on the toilet seat without the necessity for awkwardly turning or reaching over the shoulder, etc.

Other objects of the invention include an attachment of the class described which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture and which is easily installed by anyone to an already existing handle for the flushing apparatus of the toilet; and the provision of a lever adapted to be mounted in pivotal relation upon a lead-in pipe or other part of the tank and including a flexible member connecting the lever to the flushing handle whereby the toilet may be quickly and easily flushed by the user without moving from his position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof, looking in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section'on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the attachment of the operating chain to the handle;

Fig. 7 is a plan view, partly in section, illustrating a modified attachment; and

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 in Fig. 7.

In illustrating the present invention, there is shown a conventional toilet bowl 10 provided with the usual seat 12 and having a flush tank 14 of conventional construc tion. The flushing apparatus is not illustrated as it is well known in the art, but there is shown a supply line indicated at 16 which may be utilized for securing the present invention. The flush tank also is provided with the usual pivoted operating handle 18 which is pivoted counter-clockwise as shown in Fig. 2 in order to flush the tank.

This invention provides a simple and effective device for flushing the tank easily from a point adjacent the seat and well forward of the tank, i.e., near the front of the bowl. This attachment comprises a lever 20 which may be in the form of a tube with a ball closing the outer end thereof as at 22. A clevis 24 may be provided for the reception of a rod 26 and is secured to the lever as at 28 and to the rod as by a set-screw or other fastener 30. The set-screw 30 prevents the clevis 24 from escaping at the free end of the rod indicated at 32.

The other end of the rod may be reduced as indicated 2,908,915 Patented Oct. 20, 1959 at 34 in Fig. 3 and this reduced portion may be threaded in order to accept a nut such as a wing nut 36 for securing a U-shaped bracket 38 to the supply pipe 16.

By this means, the lever 20 is pivotally mounted with respect to the pipe 16 which is fixed, it being noted that the rod 26 is horizontal and the lever 20 is pivotal in a vertical plane only.

A flexible chain or any other similar device 40 is secured between the lever 20 at a point intermediate the ball 22 and the rod 26, and this chain is also adapted to be secured to the flushing handle 18 as best shown in Fig. 5 as for instance by means of a strap 42 to which the end of the chain may be secured. In the illustration in this case, the chain 40 is shownas a bead chain and the end head thereof as at 44 is easily securable to the hollow lever 20 by use of a key-hole slot 46. This same construction may be used to secure the bead chain 40 to the handle 18 in cases where this handle is hollow.

It is to be noted that the supply pipe 16 may be of any size. For instance, it may be a pipe or it may be tubing, but in any case the construction is the same as far as the attachment is concerned.

As an alternate form of attachment, a hole may be drilled or cast in the bottom of the tank 40 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and the bolt or similar fastening 48 may be inserted therein with its threaded end down. Appropriate washers 50 may be utilized and the bolt secured in place as by a nut 52.

A threaded block 54 may then be applied to the bolt as best shown in Fig. 8, and a rod 56 which is similar to rod 26 may be applied to the block 54 by a reduced end portion 58. The same lever 20 may then be applied in the same way by clevis 24 to the rod 56.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for flushing a toilet flush tank having a pivoting handle, said attachment comprising a lever, means for pivotally mounting said lever at one end to a portion of the tank of the toilet, means for connecting the lever at an intermediate portion thereof and the flush tank handle, whereby the handle is actuated upon actuation of the lever, said connecting means being adapted to support the lever generally horizontally from the flush tank handle.

2. A device for flushing a toilet flush tank having a pivoting handle, said device comprisinga lever, means pivotally mounting said lever on the tank, and a connection between the lever and the flush tank handle whereby the handle is actuated upon actuation of the lever, said lever extending forwardly to a position at the side of the toilet bowl, said means comprising a rod secured to the tank.

3. The combination of a toilet bowl having a flush tank with a pivoting handle, with an attachment comprising a lever, means pivotally mounting said lever at one end thereof to an existing portion of the toilet flush tank, and a connection between the lever intermediate the ends thereof and the flush tank handle whereby the handle is actuated upon actuation of the lever, said lever extending horizontally forwardly to a position on a level with and at the side of the toilet bowl, said means comprising a rod secured to the tank, said lever being held in horizonal position by the flush tank handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,585,557 Miller May 18, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS 109,850 Switzerland Apr. 16, 1925

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