Abstract:
Exposing through a wall opening of a psychiatric facility stall shower as a plumbing fixture, a water outlet to which is splined an anti-suicide conical handle, wherein the mere unsplining of the handle make accessible for repair the plumbing fixture water outlet.

Description:
The present invention relates generally to improvements for a water mixing valve for a shower of a psychiatric facility and, more particularly, to rendering the mixing valve accessible to repair without undermining the psychiatric facility&#39;s rules for the safe use of the handle of the water mixing valve, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of Search 
   As background, the focus of the description which follows is on a psychiatric prison or like facility, and used as an example is the problem posed by a closet clothes rod and its being used for attempted, and actually achieved, suicides at such facilities. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,318 for “Safety Closet Rod System” issued on Feb. 17, 1987, to this inventor, Laurence D. Kopp, the negating of the closet clothes rod as a suicidal implement is disclosed. Equally foreboding is a handle of a water mixing valve in a stall shower, and the distinctively different problem it poses. The handle is effectively negated as a suicidal implement, but in doing so, a problem is created in being able to provide access to the water mixing valve installed behind the wall of the stall shower to permit maintenance service to be rendered to the valve. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing problem of the prior art, namely, the problem of accessibility of the handle of the shower water-mixing for the purpose of making repairs. 
   More particularly, it is an object to mount the mixing water valve handle to be readily removed for repairs but, in so doing, still negating the improper use of the mixing water valve handle as might consist of clearances in the mounting structure. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings should not be construed as limiting the invention to the example shown and described, because those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains will be able to devise other forms thereof. 
       FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view of a shower stall having a mixing valve of anti-suicide construction requiring access for maintenance provided by the disassembly method of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view illustrating the mixing valve construction made accessible for maintenance; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view showing further details of the disassembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an isolated view of the mixing valve circumscribed by the arrow  4  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is an isolated perspective view illustrating an initial step in the within inventive disassembly method; 
       FIG. 7  like  FIG. 5  is a structural cross-sectional view, but in  FIG. 7  illustrating a subsequent step in the disassembly method of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 8  is a partial isolated view of the portion of the mixing valve circumscribed by the arrow  8  of  FIG. 7 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Shown in the drawings is one of many commercially available water mixing valves, the one preferred being patented by Speakman Co. of Wilmington, Del. under U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,684 and which valve is generally designated  10  and shown in its installed condition operatively disposed to operate the water mixing mode of a stall shower  12  of a psychiatric facility  14 , a shower stall wall  16  being a support for an external mounting cover plate  18 , with two assembly screws  20  and  22  joining the components  18  and  10 . 
   Disposed in covering relation over the screws  20 ,  22  is a collar  24  with a circular lip  26  which has a centrally located circular opening  28  in alignment with an underlying central opening  30  of the cover plate  18  and through which openings  28 ,  30  a free end  32  of a horizontally oriented stem  34  of the valve  10  is projected, said projected stem end  32  being, according to the present invention, having a first embodied splining  36  functional in the disassembling method as will be better understood as the description proceeds. 
   Assembled on the collar  24  and sized to fit within the confines of the lip  26  is an anti-suicidal handle  38 , having to this end a conical configuration or shape so as to obviate the engagement about the thusly shaped handle  38  of a noose that can be used in a suicide attempt. The handle  38  is prepared with a central throughbore  40  in the front end of which throughbore there is broached a second embodied splining  42  which is in interengaged relation with the splining  36  of the stem  34  to cause rotation in unison of the handle  38  and stem  34 , but by virtue of the embodied splines  36 ,  42  allowing releasing movement, as noted by the arrow  44 , of the handle  38  along the splines  36  of the stem  34 . 
   Completing the machining preparation of the handle  38  is a tapping or threading  46  of the front end of the throughbore  40 . Inserted in the threaded throughbore  40  is a backing-off screw  48  which is rotated to a first extent into contact with the valve stem  34  and to a subsequent extent which results in axial movement noted by the arrow  50  which backs the handle  38  off of the collar  24  exposing the assembly screws  20 ,  22  and the unscrewing of the screws  20 ,  22  releasing the collar  24  and exposing the water mixing valve  10  which is then rendered maintenance service in its installed condition. 
   While the water valve mounting structure for practicing the within inventive method herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the detail of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.