Water closet flange with continuous bolt slot

A water closet flange for mounting a water closet, the mounting flange having a flange with a continuous bolt slot so that the closet bolts can be located anywhere around the 360.degree. of the flange, a central opening concentric with the bolt slot, and an extension for connecting the flange to the appropriate sewer pipes. The bolt slot is formed with a bottom which limits the downward movement of the closet bolts.

This invention relates generally to mounting devices, and is more 
particularly concerned with a mounting flange for a water closet, the new 
and novel mounting flange of the present invention having a continuous 
bolt slot. 
The conventional installation of water closets, especially in multi-story 
buildings, normally entails the installation of risers that extend 
vertically through the several floors, the risers including a tee joint 
somewhat below each floor. From this tee joint, a "quarter bend" extends, 
a "quarter bend" being a short length of pipe terminating in an elbow. The 
quarter bend extends generally horizontally out, and the closet stub then 
extends up from the elbow through the floor. 
After the piping is in place, someone must go to each closet stub and cut 
the stub to proper length. A water closet flange must then be installed 
around the closet stub, and the flange must be carefully placed so the 
bolt holes in the flange will allow the closet bowl to be mounted with the 
desired orientation. 
The conventional water closet flanges have the above noted disadvantage of 
requiring careful placement to assure proper location of the water closet 
mounting bolts, but there are other undesirable features also inherent in 
the conventional flanges. The bolt holes, or slots, are generally openings 
in a relatively narrow strip of material so that the holes weaken the 
flange. The weakened flange is likely to crack, either in shipment or in 
tightening down a closet bowl. Also, a joint must be made when the closet 
stub is installed, then another joint must be made when the closet flange 
is installed around the closet stub. Since each joint must be packed with 
oakum, then sealed with lead, each joint is very time consuming and 
requires skilled labor. 
The present invention overcomes the above mentioned and other difficulties 
with the prior art water closet flanges by providing a water closet flange 
having a continuous bolt slot. The bolt slot extends around the flange so 
the closet bolts can be placed to orient the closet bowl as desired 
regardless of the placement of the flange. The flange of the present 
invention may also include a flange extension. The flange extension can be 
such as to be received directly into the bell of the quarter bend for 
upper floors, thereby eliminating the closet stub and eliminating one 
joint for each water closet. In the ground floor, the flange extension may 
take the form of a sleeve to receive a closet stub and allow the usual 
caulked joint.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing and to those embodiments of 
the invention here chosen by way of illustration, it will be seen in FIG. 
1 that the device includes a water closet flange generally designated at 
10, the flange 10 including a bolt slot 11. Centrally of the flange 10 
there is an opening 12 adapted to receive the horn (not shown) through 
which material is discharged from a water closet. 
The flange 10 has fixed thereto a flange extension 14, the extension 14 
having a central bore concentric with the opening 12 in the flange 10. It 
will be observed that the extension 14 is like a straight piece of pipe, 
and it is contemplated that this form of extension will replace the 
conventional closet stub. 
Looking at FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawing for a more detailed understanding 
of the construction of the water closet flange of the present invention, 
it will be seen that the flange 10 includes a bottom plate 15 having 
upwardly extending outer and inner walls 16 and 18 respectively. The upper 
end of the outer wall 16 has an inwardly directed lip 19, and the upper 
end of the inner wall 18 has an outwardly directed lip 20. The lips 19 and 
20 are concentric but do not meet, thereby forming the slot 11 which 
communicates with a channel 22 formed between the walls 16 and 18. 
As a result of the above described construction, the flange 10 is in the 
form of a relatively thick body having the slot 11 and channel 22 cut out 
concentrically with the central opening 12. As here shown, the slot 11 is 
also concentric with the outside edge of the flange 10. The slot is of 
course the previously mentioned bolt slot 11, and the channel 22 is of 
such size as to receive the base of a conventional water closet bolt as 
will be discussed in more detail hereinafter. 
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show an entry way 24. One form of such entry way is shown 
in the application of which the present application is a 
continuation-in-part (identified hereinabove) and it will be understood by 
those skilled in the art that many forms of entry way may be devised. The 
object of the entry way is to allow the bolt of a closet bolt to enter the 
slot 11 and the base of the closet bolt to enter the channel 22. 
The entry way 24 as here illustrated is particularly adapted for casting 
the flange with the entry way 24 as an integral part of the casting. The 
entry way 24 includes an elongate slot 25 in the outer wall 16 and an 
intersecting discontinuity 26 of the lip 19. The result is an inverted 
T-shape which will allow the base of a closet bolt to pass through the 
slot 25 while the upstanding bolt portion passes through the discontinuity 
26. 
With especial attention to FIG. 2 of the drawing, it should be understood 
that the distance across the channel 22, i.e. the distance between the 
outer wall 16 and the inner wall 18, must be less than the length of the 
base 28 of a closet bolt 29. This is necessary so the nut can be tightened 
on the bolt 30 without the base's turning within the channel 22 and 
without the necessity of attempting to hold the base to prevent its 
turning. Because of this necessary relationship, it will be understood 
that the slot 25 of the entry way 24 must be long enough to allow proper 
manipulation of the closet bolt 29. The maximum length necessary is of 
course slightly longer than the longer dimension of the base 28 of the 
closet bolt 29; however, it may be desirable to minimize the length of the 
slot 25, and it must be remembered that the closet bolt must have room for 
the base 28 to enter the channel 22. 
It should also be observed that the discontinuity 26 is wide enough to 
allow the bolt 30 to pass therethrough, but the discontinuity 26 should be 
maintained sufficiently narrow that the base of a closet bolt will engage 
the lips 19 and 20 to provide a good holding force even in the vicinity of 
the discontinuity 26. If too large a portion of the lip 19 is removed, a 
closet bolt 29 cannot be used at the entry way 24, thereby partially 
defeating one of the advantages of the present invention. 
Looking now at FIG. 4 of the drawing, there is a riser 31 which would pass 
through the several floors of a multi-story building, one floor 32 being 
here illustrated. Below the floor 32, there is a tee joint 34 with a 
quarter bend 35 extending therefrom and terminating in an elbow 36. As 
discussed above, a closet stub would normally be received in the quarter 
bend 35, and a closet flange would later be installed on the closet stub. 
Using the flange of the present invention, however, one would select a 
flange 10 having an extension 14 of such length as to engage the elbow 36 
of the quarter bend 35. It will be understood that it is relatively easy 
to cut off excess length so the extension 14 does not have to be precisely 
the right length. The outside diameter of the extension 14 is the 
appropriate size to be received in the bell of the quarter bend (which is 
the diameter of the closet stub that would be conventionally installed) 
and allow a caulked joint to be made. 
From the foregoing discussion, it should now be understood by those skilled 
in the art that, in a multi-story building, sleeves could be placed and 
appropriate holes, such as the hole 39, could be left when the floor 32 is 
formed. After the floor 32 is set a person can simply drop the flange 10 
with the extension 14 passing through the hole 39. The orientation of the 
flange is of no importance since the bolt slot 11 is continuous, so the 
placing of the flanges would be quite fast. After the flanges are placed 
over the holes 39, the appropriate joint would be made with a quarter bend 
below the floor. 
When the water closet is to be mounted on the flange 10, two closet bolts 
29 will be passed through the entry way 24 and placed along the slot 11 
and channel 22 wherever desired. After the closet bowl is set over the 
flange 10 with the bolts 30 projecting through the mounting holes in the 
bowl, the closet bowl can be rotated somewhat for better orientation, and 
the closet bolts will simply slide along the bolt slot 11. Since the lips 
19 and 20 provide an adequate retaining means for the base 28 of the 
closet bolts 29 throughout 360.degree., one neet not concern himself about 
the location of the bolts within the slot 11. 
FIG. 5 illustrates a flange made in accordance with the present invention 
for use primarily on the ground floor of a building where a closet stub 
projects up from the ground through a concrete floor 41. In this situation 
it is desirable to use a flange having a relatively short extension that 
allows a caulked joint. 
The flange 45 shown in FIG. 5 is substantially like the flange 10 
previously discussed. The central opening 46 in the flange 45 is large 
enough to receive the closet stub 40 and to provide sufficient space to 
make a caulked joint. The extension 48 is concentric with the opening 46, 
the inside diameter of the extension being the same as the opening 46; 
and, the extension 48 terminates with a bead 49 to retain oakum for making 
the caulked joint. 
It should be understood that the construction of the flange 45 with respect 
to the bolt slot 50 and the communicating channel 51 is the same as that 
previously described. Also, an entry way would be provided in the flange 
45 to allow closet bolts to enter the bolt slot 50. Thus, when a flange 45 
is placed, there is no necessity to consider the orientation because a 
closet bowl can be oriented as desired with respect to the flange. 
It will therefore be seen that the flange of the present invention provides 
an extremely simple water closet flange that solves numerous problems with 
conventional flanges. The bolt slot has substantially uniform strength due 
to the construction, and extends the full 360.degree. around the flange so 
that a closet bowl can be oriented as desired with respect to the flange. 
Also, the extension on the flange allows great ease in installation of the 
necessary piping, conserving both labor and material. 
It will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that the 
particular embodiments of the invention here shown are by way of 
illustration only, and are meant to be in no way restrictive; therefore, 
numerous changes and modifications may be made, and the full use of 
equivalents resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the 
invention as defined by the appended claims.