US3005205A - Unitary washroom - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 24, 1961 M. J. BREEN UNITARY WASHROOM Filed neo. 22, 1959 2 Sheets--Sheei'I l FIG. l

/NVE N 7' OP MA UIP/C E BPEEN QZ www PATENT AGENT Oct. 24, 1961 Filed Dec. 22, 1959 M. J. BREEN UNITARY WASI-[ROOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l2 r-a 2 /o\ 40 /Vff 66 V/O so K I FIG. 3

NVENTOP MAUR/CE BPEEN PATENT AGENT United States Patent 3,005,205 UNITARY WASHROOM Maurice J. Breen, 115 30th St., Toronto 14, Ontario, `Canada Filed Dec. 22, 1959., Ser. No. 861,331 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-1) p This invention relates to washroom assemblies suitable for prefabrication.

In summer cottages and in settlements remote from cities, one of the main problems of construction is the provision of toilet and/or washroom facilities.

It is an object of this invention to provide a washroom `and/or toilet design wherein the fixtures may be united in a unitary construction with a septic tank, the design being adapted to prefabrication methods. The prefabricated unit may thus be shipped in completed form to cottage or remote areas ready for installation without the necessity for providing at the installation, a septic tank excavation or construction. The latter feature is a very material advantage since the terrain at the washroom site may be quite unsuitable for construction or excavation. The unitary construction of this invention may be merely taken to the site, set on the ground without substructure and connected for use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a washroom and/or toilet unit including a` septic tank wherein the unit may be prefabricated and used either as a `building in itself or as part of a larger building.

It is an object of thisiinvention to provide a septic tank of a large plan area and small height whereby the tank may be placed below the washroom, without unduly increasing the height of the latter.

In drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention:

FIGURE 1 isa perspective of a unit in accord with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-section of the unit; and

FIGURE -3 is a horizontal cross-section through the septic tank of the unit.

In the drawings: a septic tank is defined by end walls 10, side walls 12, bottom wall 14 and top wall 16. The septic tank so defined is shallow so that the height is considerably less than the width and length.

Walls dene a habitable washroom enclosure over the septic tank including end walls 18 and side walls 20 which walls preferably extend along the projected planes of tank walls and 12 respectively. A top wall 22 for the washroom joins the upper edges of washroom walls 18 and 20 to form an enclosed washroom.

Since the washroom and septic tank are a unit the walls of one will be rigidly connected to the walls of the other. It is therefore immaterial whether corresponding end walls 10 and 18 (or side walls 12 and 20) are separate sheets rigidly joined (as shown) or whether the corresponding walls are integral so that a single wall member extends from the ybottom of the septic tank to the top of the washroom. The latter construction will in some in stances be easier of manufacture.

Since top wall 16 of the septic tank separates the habitable washroom enclosure from the septic tank which together form a unit, it will in the disclosure and claims be also referred to as an intermediate wall.

In the construction shown, the top wall 16 of the septic tank forms the structural floor of the washroom although the upper surface thereof may be ornamented, tiled or painted as desired.

In the washroom are the normal fixtures, toilet bowl 24, tank 26 for bowl, sink 28, shower 30 and also there may be a hot water tank 32 for heating the water for sink and shower.

'I'he toilet bowl 24 is rigidly mounted on the wall or me 3,005,205 1C@ Patented oct. 24, 1961 oor 16 and contains `the normaltrap 34.. The trap outlet opens directly through an aperture in wall 16 into the septic tank.

The sink 28 is mounted on one of the walls and the drain is connected through a trap 36 to the septic tank.

The shower 30 has its drain opening 38 in the wall 16, hence the lower surface of wall 16 surrounding opening 38 is provided with a pipe 40 provided with a trap connection before opening into the septic tank.

Thus it will be seen that the outlet connection for each washroom element of the unit, namely: toilet, sink and shower, is provided with a trap which prevents any escape of oensive odours from the septic tank to the habitable washroom enclosure. In the case of sink and toilet these traps are above wall 16 and in the case of the shower the trap is below wall 16.

A pump 42 is connected to an inlet line 44 which extends out through wall 16, the septic tank and wall 14 to the outside ofthe unit to a water supply. Running the inlet line 44 through the septic tank allows heat exchange to take place between the material in the septic tank and the incoming water and therefore to heat, to some extend, the incoming water. The pump 42 supplies through conventional connections (not shown) cold water for the heating tank 32, sink 2S and shower 30 and toilet bowl tank 26. The hot water tank is connected by conventional connections (not shown) to the sink 28 and shower 30 for the supply of hot water thereto.

Electrical leads 46 are provided for the heating supply for the hot water tank and for a switch and lighting fixture for the washroom, and are connected thereto by connections (not shown.)

The septic tank is supplied with an outlet 48 in one end wall 10 adjacent the bottom wall 14 and a first, preferably semicircular, baile wall 50 joins the end wall 10 on each side of the opening and extends about the opening, and vertically from the bottom wall to a top edge 52 a very short distance generally (about 11/z) from the top of the tank. Thus the only communication between the tank proper and the outlet is over the top edge 52 of the wall 50. A second preferably semicircular baffle wall 56 joins the end wall 10 on each side of the first baffle wall 50 and extends about the rst wall and vertically from a bottom edge 58 predetermined distance above the bottomwall to .a top edge 60 a short distance from the top of the tank. The top edge 60 of the second baffle wall is slightly higher than the top edge 52 of the first.

The spacing of the two baille walls 50 and 56 from top wall 16 of the tank, allows air circulation over the bailes.

The height of the top edge 52 of rst baffle wall 50 sets the level of the liquid and solid in the tank and ensures that the maximum proportion of the tank may be used to contain liquid and solid material. This design allows the liquid level to approach much closer to the top of the tank than when an upper outlet from the tank is used. Such outlets are 3-4" in diameter and the level of liquid in the tank is therefore lup to the lowest part of the outlet opening or 3-4" from the top. The height differential between the Aupper edges 52 and 60 of the inner and outer baille walls 50 and 56 prevents the normal flow of liquid over the outer baie wall 56 but forces it to ow thereunder.

The lower edge 58 of the second baflle wall 56 is at a height -to allow liquid as opposed to solid to flow there under. Solid excrement and other Waste will not mix with the liquid but will iloat to the top or sink to the bottom, leaving the central vertical portion of the tank material liquid. The lower portion of the rst baille wall 50 traps the sunken solids while the second bae wall 56 extends upwardly to trap the lioating solids. The lower edge of the second bale wall 56 is at a height to allow the central liquid of the tank to dow thereunder, up, over 3 the top edge 52 of the first bae wall 50 and out the outlet 48.

The solids aerobically react after a time to become inoffensive material of a common specific :gravity with the liquid and can then ltravel away with it over the escape route just indicated.

Although the advantages of the lower septic tank opening lin .combination with the bae walls have ybeen deiined, the terrain on which `the unit isplaced will sometimes make it more convenient to use aconventional upper outlet .62 also shown. Normally however the lower outlet will be used allowing the upper outlet to be closed and-the heretofore described-advantages to accrue.

A pair of bafes 64 and 66 take the form of walls extending parallel tok end walls to divide the septic tank into three roughly equal sections. The bafiies 64 and 66 extend from bottom wall 14 to top Wall 16 and respectively from opposed walls 12 but respectively stop short of opposite walls 12 to provide ka tortuous path for the solids from the toilet as shown. The toilet 24 is placed at the opposite end of the tank trom the outlet 48 so that the material must travel about both baes before reaching the outlet 48 and is thus given a maximum time to react before reaching the outlet.

Cleaning ports 70 and 72 are provided in opposed side walls 12 opposite each space between a baffle 64 and 66 respectively and a wall 12 to allow cleaning in each case on each side of the adjacent bathe.

An air vent conduit 68 extends upwardly from the air space in the septic tank through wall 16, the washroom enclosure and wall 2210 be open to the atmosphere. F or convenience the lower portion of the air vent out-let 68 forms .the outlet for sink 28.

Although the septic tank shown is of rectilinear shape with end walls 10, side walls 12 and top and bottom walls 14 and 16 mutually perpendicular andv joined at the edges, it will be obvious that one or more of such edges could be eliminated by a rounded design wherein one or more of the walls contiguously extends into another.

Heretofore it had been-thought that septic tanks had to be deep and narrow, that is the height must be the longest dimension but v.it has now been found that with the construction describedit is possible to provide a shallow tank wherein height is the shortest dimension. This allows the construction of the unit whereby the septic tank adds very slightly to the height of the bathroom unit and vallows a compact unit to be produced which may if desired be simply set on top of the ground.

There has thus been produced, a compact unit combining washroom and septic tank which may be used internally as part of a larger structure or may form its own separate structure. The unit is thus suitable for prefabrication and shipping to cottage or remote installations. The electric leads, the'water inlet, extend out through the exterior walls for easy connection to the available electric and water supplies. The water outlet may be connected to any drainage line.

I claim:

l. A washroomconstruction comprising: a septic tank delined by top, bottom and side walls, the upper dening wall of said tank being the structural floor of the habitable portion Vof said washroom, means allowing continual discharge from said tank while maintaining liquid in said tan'k at a predetermined level, a toilet bowl rigidly attached to and located above said upper defining wall ,and having an outlet connected to said tank through said upper defining wall, means whereby water may be supplied to said toilet bowl, means for flushing said toilet bowl and at least one port allowing the removal of materials from said septic tank.

2. A washroom construction as claimed in claim 1 where said means for supplying water to said water bowl extends through said septic tank.

3. A washroom comprising side, end, top and `bottom walls, an intermediate -wall parallel to said bottom wall attached to said side and end wal-ls delining with them and with said bottom wall a septic tank, means allowing continual discharge from said tank while maintaining liquid in said tank at a predetermined level and defining with said side and end walls andsaid top wall a habitable washroom, a toilet lbowl including a trap attached tothe upper side of said intermediate Wall, means connecting the outlet of said trap to said septic tank, meansfor supplying vflush water t-o said bowl and for ushing said bowl, and means for the removal of material vfrom said tank.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,281,528 Davis Oct. 15, 1918 1,958,055 Linnmann May 8, 1934 2,131,124 Smith Sept. 27, 1938 2,514,230I Feazel July 4, V1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 367,721 lFrance Sept. 13, 1906

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