US906077A - Temporary closure device for water-closet bowls, &c. - Google Patents

Description

H. A. W. SPENCER.

TBMPQRARY CLOSURE DEVICE FOR WATER CLOSET BOWLS, 6w. APPLICATION rnlm) DEG.20,1907.

906,077. I Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A. W. SPENCER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TEMPORARY CLOSURE DEVICE FOR WATER-CLOSET BOWLS, 800.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. W. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Temporary Closure Devices for Water-Closet Bowls, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My improved closure device is intended for use temporarily durin the installation of plumbing in buildings in course of construction, where houses or apartments are unoccupied, or in public or other places where plumbing is outof order. Plumbers are particularly subjected to annoyance and delay by reason of the premature or improper use of water closets before they are properly connected up; by reason of the bowls being stood upon before they are properly set in position and the bowls being in various other ways subjected to abuse which results in inconvenience and loss.

In order to be practically and commercially successful a closure of this character must be much less complicated and expen sive than those heretofore designed for the purpose in so far as I am aware, and the object of my invention is to afford a comparatively simple, inexpensive device for the purpose which may not only be quickly and conveniently applied to seal a water closet bowl temporarily, but which will also prevent the use of the latter as a step, stand or support, for extraneous objects.

The invention consists in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed specifically.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a top view of a water closet bowl to which one of my improved closure devices has been applied; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical sectional elevation on plane of line 22Fig. 1; Fig. 3, is a longitudinal sectional elevation upon plane of line 83'Fig. 1; Fig. 4, is a top view of the clamp bar; Fig. 5, a view of a key wrench suitable for use in connection with my improved closure device.

B represents a wash bowl of any ordinary and well known construction having the usual inturned flange Z).

G is a temporary emergency cover preferably stamped out of a single piece of sheet Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 20, 1907.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Serial No. 407,359.

metal. This cover is convex externally of an inclination or curvature sufficiently steep to prevent a person from standing thereon or using the cover as a rest or support for extraneous objects. It is preferably formed with flaring edges 0, c, to extend over the curved upper rim of the water closet bowl B, except at its back portion which fits over the flat back ortion Z), of the bowl,-said back portion 0 the cover 0, being of preferably Lmiform curvature or inclination, as indicated in Fig. 3. At the front and sides, where formed with the flaring edges 0, the latter merge into the body of the cover without angle or offset sufficient to afl'ord a foothold, and will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2. The cover C is formed at its apex or center with a recess or depression 0 to receive and accommodate the head s, of a screw S, the body of which extends through a perforation a, in the floor of the said recess 0 The recess is of greater depth than the height of the screw head so that access can only be had to the latter by means of a special key K made for the purpose and fitting within the recess 0 when applied to the screw head.

T is a transverse clamp bar of such length that the ends t, t, fit under the inturned flanges Z), of the water closet bowl B, when the said clamp bar is placed in position across the lesser diameter thereof. As, in general practice and trade, water closet bowls of the different standard sizes vary less than an inch in transverse diameter, the length of the transverse clamp bar T and the lesser diameter of the cover C, may readily be made to include and be applicable to any and all the water closet bowls in ordinary use, the minimum length of bar and diameter of cover being available for use on the maximum size of water closet bowls. The transverse clamp bar T is virtually a nut bar, being formed with a central perforation t, which is tapped to afford a female thread for engagement with the male thread of the screw S. This threaded central nut portion t of the transverse clamp bar T is preferably on a higher plane than that of the ends 26, 6, thereof when the bar is in a vertical position, as in use so that a relatively short screw S may be used,-the transverse clamping bar constituting virtually an inverted U-shaped clamping nut. I r

In practice the parts are assembled ready for use, the transverse clamp or nut bar T being coupled to the convex cover by means of the screw S. In applying the cover to a closet bowl the bar T is adjusted on the screw S to allow the ends 2?, t, of the bar T to swing under the inturned flanges b, of the bowl, when the screw is tightened by means of the special key K so as to clamp the cover rigidly upon the bowl. In the absence of the special key K or equivalent device, the bowl cannot then be tampered with, nor can the cover be stood upon or otherwise used as a support for articles of weight. Hence if the bowl has just been placed upon its foundation, the setting of the latter cannot be impaired, nor can the bowl be broken by reason of its use as a stand or step, or as a support for extraneous objects. Furthermore the bowl cannot be surreptitiously used for any improper purpose unless a suitable key is available, and as this is presumably in possession of the plumber or person in charge, it is obvious that under ordinary conditions ample protection is aiforded.

Ordinarily considerable damage and loss results during the installation of water closets in large new apartment buildings, especially in cold weather by reason of the freezing of liquids surreptitiously introduced into them, or from their becoming foul or clogged by the introduction of solid matter, so that the cost of replacement, or of time and labor involved in rectifying such abuses becomes a serious item of expense. All these objections I overcome by a simple, cheap contrivance which may be discarded after use without material loss as compared with that involved in the illegitimate use of the bowl as hereinbefore intimated.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. A temporary closure device for water closet bowls consisting of an externally convex cover fitting over the top of the bowl, the convexity of external surface of the cover being suflicient to prevent the use of the cover as a standing place, a clamping screw passing through a perforation in said cover with its head bearing on top thereof, and a transverse clamping bar formed with a female screw thread engaging said clamping screw and having its ends adapted to fit under the inturned flange of the rim of the water closet bowl, for the purpose described- 2. A temporary closure device for water closet bowls consisting of an externally convex cover fitting over the top of the bowl, the convexity of the external surface of the cover being suiiicient to prevent the use of the cover as a standing place and it being formed with a central depression or recess, a clamping screw passing through a perforation in the floor of said recess and bearing against said floor, and a transverse clamping bar formed with a female screw thread engaging said clamping screw and having its ends adapted to fit under the inturned flange of the rim of the water closet bowl, for the purpose described. 7

3. A temporary closure device for water closet bowls consisting of an externally convex cover fitting over the top of the bowl, the convexity of external surface of the cover being sufiicient to prevent the use of the cover as a standing place, a clamping screw passing through a perforation in said cover with its head bearing on top thereof, and an inverted U-shaped transverse clamping bar formed with a central female screw thread engaging said clamping screw and having its ends adapted to fit under the inturned flange of the rim of the water closet bowl, for the purpose described.

4. A temporary closure device for water;

closet bowls consisting of an externally COIl-l vex cover formed with flaring edges and litting over the top of the bowl, the convexity of external surface of the cover being sufficient to prevent the use of the cover as a standing place, a clamping screw passing through a perforation in said cover with its head bearing on top thereof, and a transverse clamping bar formed with a female screw thread engaging said clamping screw and having its ends adapted to fit under the inturned flange of the rim of the water closet bowl, for the purpose described.

5. A temporary closure device for water closet bowls consisting of an externally convex cover stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal, and fitting over the top of the bowl, the convexity of external surface of the cover being sufiicient to prevent the use of the cover as a standing place, a clamping screw passing through a perforation in said cover with its head bearing on top thereof, and a transverse clamping bar formed with a female screw thread engaging said clamping screw and having its ends adapted to fit under the inturned flange of the rim of the water closet bowl, for the purpose described.

6. A temporary closure device for water closet bowls, consisting of an externally convex cover fitting over the top of the bowl, the convexity of the external surface of the cover being sufficient to prevent the use of the cover as a standing place, and means for clamping said cover to the bowl for the purpose clescribed.

7 A temporary closure device for water closet bowls, consisting of an externally convex cover fitting over the top of the bowl, i through the cover, and externally operated the convexity of the external surface of the means bearing against the top of the cover 10 cover being suflicient to prevent the use of for utilizing said screw to secure the cover to the cover as a standing place, a transverse the bowl, for the purpose specified.

clamping bar having ends adapted to fit un HARRY A. W. SBENCER. der the inturned flange of the rim of the VVit-nesses: water closet bowl, a screw connected With GEO. VVM. MIATT,

said transverse clamping bar and projecting D. WV. GARDNER.

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