Two position float arm

A two position float arm for regulating two water levels in water level control systems that are controlled by a float connected to a inlet water valve by a rod. The rod is replaced by a first member (22) hinged to a second member (28). The first member (22) is screwed into the inlet water valve boss while the second member (28) is screwed into the float boss. A sleeve (34) slides over the hinge, locking the first member (22) and second member (28) in line and establishing a first water level. The sleeve (34) may be slid away from the hinge allowing the second member (28) and the attached float to rise to a higher position relative to the first member (22) and thus establish a second water level. The sleeve (34) is maintained in the locked position by a spring. The sleeve is pulled away from the hinge by a cable attached to a knob or a lever.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention pertains to float valve control mechanisms for 
regulation of water level in a container, and more particularly, to float 
valve control mechanisms for reduced water use in toilets. 
BACKGROUND ART 
A float connected to a pivoted arm is often used to control a water inlet 
valve when it is desired to regulate the water in a container. The float 
responds to the water level by exerting a force on the end of the arm. 
This force on one end of the arm may by used at the other end, with the 
aid of the pivot, to turn off the inlet valve. The position of the float, 
relative to the container, at the time the lever causes the inlet valve to 
turn off, determines the regulated water level. Two examples of such use 
of floats are the common household toilet and livestock waterers. 
The common toilet, in particular, has a flush toilet tank system that is a 
significant user of water. It has long been desired to cause the toilet to 
be a more efficient user of water. One line of effort, in this direction, 
has been to simply lower the regulated water level or, equivalently, 
decrease the tank volume by placing bricks or other objects inside the 
tank. However, these efforts are not entirely successful because there are 
times when a larger volume of water is desired for the flush cycle. 
Therefore another line of effort has been directed towards making the water 
level, set in the toilet tank, adjustable to the need of the moment. An 
invention capable of easily adjusting the water level would be more 
responsive to the needs of the user and still help to conserve water. 
Accordingly, a large number of inventions have been devised with this 
object in mind. U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,057 to Therkelsen has a float arm that 
is hinged in the middle. The outer portion of the arm connects to a short 
pivoted lever which has a shoulder. This shoulder can be caught on a stop 
located on the inner section of the arm and in this configuration the 
outer portion of the float arm is held in a lower position which results 
in the toilet tank filling to a lower level. The pivoted lever can be 
pulled upward towards the tank lid, against the force of gravity, so as to 
cause the shoulder to come off of the stop. This allows the outer portion 
of the float arm to assume a higher position and, hence, the toilet bowl 
is filled to a higher level. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,055 to Mormile also has a hinged float arm. The float 
is designed so that the rising water causes it to swing inwards to a 
position where the force on the float locks it into a lower position. A 
lever, whose outer end is pulled upwards towards the tank lid, can force 
the float and the outer section of the arm, outside of the hinge point 
which allows the float to rise to a higher position. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,413 to Lopez describes a hinged float arm in which the 
outer section of the arm has a short pivoted lever that is caught on a 
stop, located on the inner section of the arm, so as to hold the float in 
a lower position. When the lever is lifted towards the tank lid and off of 
the stop, the float rises to a higher position. In another embodiment, a 
pivoted lever on the inner section of the hinged float arm has a notch 
that catches a pin on the outer section. Pulling the arm with its notch 
upwards and free of the pin creates the second float position. 
Other more complex inventions for an adjustable water level are U.S Pat. 
No. 4,296,505 to Chien-Sheng and U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,024 to Chiu. These 
two inventions utilize arms, levers, pivots, secondary floats, telescoping 
arms, and spring loaded detents to achieve adjustable water levels. 
While the inventions summarized above are capable of adjusting a regulated 
water level in a container, such as a toilet tank, they either are 
complex, involving several moving parts, or the control force direction 
required to set them to the secondary float position is upward towards the 
toilet tank lid which leads to a clumsy arrangement for the user. 
Thus it can be seen that an apparatus capable of setting two positions for 
the float in a water level control system that is also simple, requires 
few moving parts and is easily and naturally controlled outside the tank 
by the user would be of considerable utility. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
In accordance, therefore, with an embodiment of the present invention a two 
position float arm is provided that has an first member screwed into the 
inlet water valve boss and a second member screwed into the float boss. A 
hinge connects the two members so that the float may move relative to the 
inlet water valve boss. A sleeve slides over the hinge and restricts 
relative movement of the two members, thus setting a first float position. 
When the sleeve is slid away from the hinge the float is free to assume a 
second position relative to the inlet water valve boss. Therefore, in 
accordance with one aspect of the present invention, two positions of the 
float are set with the use of very few parts. 
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, means for urging 
the sleeve over the hinge are provided so that the first position of the 
float is automatically achieved without intervention by the user. Means, 
when the sleeve is slid away from the hinge, for limiting the travel of 
the second member and, hence the float, is also provided, thus setting the 
second position of the float. Therefore, it is apparent that in accordance 
with another aspect of the invention, a simple method is provided for 
setting the two float positions. 
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, means are made available 
to the user for pulling the sleeve to cause it to slide away from the 
hinge and allow the float to assume the second position. These means make 
it possible for the user to easily set the higher water level for a flush 
cycle associated with the float second position. Otherwise the first float 
position, resulting in a lower water level, is automatically provided. 
Thus it is apparent that, in accordance with another aspect of the current 
invention, a two position float is provided in which the user can simply 
and easily adjust the water volume in the flush cycle. The novel features 
of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. 
The invention will be best understood from the following description when 
read in conjuction with the accompanying drawings.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the present invention in the 
environment of a flush toilet tank T where water level is regulated by a 
float F connected to a water inlet valve IV by a rod. In FIG. 1 the rod 
has been replaced by a two position float arm 20 of the present invention 
having a first member 22 and a second member 28. The first member 22 has a 
threaded end 24 screwed into the inlet water valve boss IVB and the second 
member 28 has a threaded end 30 screwed into the float boss FB. A sleeve 
34 is slidably mounted over the first member 22 and the second member 28. 
Means for urging, such as a helical spring 42, causes the sleeve 34 to 
abut a second pin 38 fixed in the second member 28 so that the sleeve 34 
is positioned over the first member 22 and the second member 28. The 
sleeve 34 has a raised collar 40 and the helical spring 42 is caught 
between the collar 40 and a first pin 36 fixed in the first member 22. 
A means 88 for pulling the sleeve 34 away from the second pin 38 is shown 
in the form of a cable 58 attached to the collar 40 and led through a hole 
94 in the tank wall TW to a knob 64. Pulling on the knob 64 effects the 
second float position as will become apparent in FIG. 2. The first member 
22 may have a pair of bends as shown in FIG. 1 to allow, by turning the 
first member threaded end 24 in the water inlet valve boss IVB, for 
positioning the float F vertically and laterally as desired. A pair of 
lock nuts 84 may be used to secure this position once it is obtained. With 
the two position float arm 20 in the position shown in FIG. 1 a lower 
water level LWL is maintained. 
In FIG. 2 the sleeve 34, of the two position float arm 20, has been pulled, 
against the force of the helical spring 42, towards the first pin 36 so 
that hinge means 86 connecting the first member 22 and the second member 
28 is unlocked. The second member 28 is thus free, under the force of the 
bouyant float F to rotate upward to a higher position. The flost F being 
in a higher position, relative to the water inlet valve boss IVB, results 
in a higher maintained water level HWL in the tank T. Means 88 for pulling 
the sleeve 34 away from the second pin 38, so as to unlock the hinge means 
86, is shown as a cable 58' running to a mechanism actuated by a lever 80 
as is also seen in FIG. 8. 
FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevation view, in accordance with an embodiment of 
the present invention, illustrating the two position float arm 20 in the 
lower float position of FIG. 1. The helical spring 42 is shown urging the 
sleeve 34 away from the first pin 36, which is fixed in the first member 
22, to where the sleeve 34 abuts the second pin 38, which is fixed in the 
second member 28. The sleeve 34 holds the first member 22 and the second 
member 28 in line thus establishing the lower float position of the float 
F.The cable 58 is attached to the raised collar 40 of the sleeve 38 and 
leads to means for pulling 88 (FIG. 1)that can overcome the force of the 
helical spring 42 to cause the sleeve 34 to move away from the second pin 
38. 
The higher float position of FIG. 2 is shown enlarged in the elevation view 
of FIG. 4. In this illustration of an embodiment of the present invention, 
force applied, by a means for pulling 88 (FIG. 2), on the cable 58' has 
caused the sleeve 34 to be pulled away from the second pin 38 of the 
second member 28. The cable 58' is attached to the collar 40 of the sleeve 
34. The collar 40 also provides a surface for the urging force of the 
helical spring 42 to be applied against. The sleeve 34 is shown moved 
towards the first pin 36 of the first member 22 so that the means for 
hinging 86 is exposed and hence unlocked. This allows bouyant force on the 
float F to rotate the second member 28 upward relative to the first member 
22 and the water inlet valve boss IVB. The result is that the two position 
float arm 20 maintains a higher water level in the tank. 
One embodiment of the hinge means 86 is shown in FIG. 5 which is a view of 
the area 5 of FIG. 4 with the sleeve 34 pulled back for clarity of 
illustration. The first member 22 has a hinge end 26 which is connected to 
the hinge end 32 of the second member 28 by a hinge pin 44. FIG. 6 is a 
top plan view of FIG. 5 illustrating the hinge embodiment of FIG. 5 in 
which the first member 22 has a slot 46 in its hinge end 26 which accepts 
a tongue 50 in the hinge end 32 of the second member 28. The first member 
22 and the second member 28 each have a hole which is filled by the hinge 
pin 44. The hinge pin 44 may be swaged at its ends to retain it in place. 
FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7--7 of FIG. 6 illustrating means 
90 for limiting the movement of the second member 28 relative to the first 
member 22. The means for limiting 90 may be a shoulder 56 on the tongue 50 
of the second member 28 and a wall 54 of the first member 22. The wall 54 
is adjacent the slot 46. As shown in FIG. 7 the movement of the second 
member 28, relative to the first member 22, is limited to the point where 
the shoulder 56 abuts the wall 54. 
One embodiment of the means for pulling 88 shown in FIG. 2 is illustrated 
in FIG. 8 which is a view along the line 8--8 of FIG. 2. Means for moving 
82 the outlet valve arm A may consist of a handle H rotatably mounted in a 
bushing B which is held in the aperture AP of the tank wall TW by a nut N. 
The handle H has a cannon 66, inside the tank wall TW, to which the outlet 
valve arm A may be fixed with a set screw S. Rotatably mounted in the 
cannon 66 is the shaft 68. A post 76 is attached to the inner end 72 of 
the shaft 68. A lever 80 may be screwed into the outer end 74 of the shaft 
68. The lever 80 fits into a groove 92 in the handle H which communicates 
with the cannon 66. The groove 92 lies outside the tank wall TW. The lever 
80 may be generally normal to the post 76. The end of the cable 58' is 
attached to the post 76. The action of the means for pulling 88 is most 
easily seen in FIG. 9. 
FIG. 9 is a view along the line 9--9 of FIG. 8 showing the lever 80 located 
in the groove 92 of the handle H. The tank wall is not shown for clarity 
of illustration. The lever 80 may be attached to the shaft 68 
substantially normal to the post 76. The shaft 68 rotates inside the 
cannon 66 and the lever 80 moves within the groove 92. When the lever 80 
is lifted to the position 80a shown in dashed outline, the post 76 is 
rotated to the position 76a shown in dashed outline causing the cable 58' 
which is attached to the upper end 78 of the post 76 to be pulled with a 
force which the cable may transmit to the collar 40 of the sleeve 34 to 
set the float higher position as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. 
It may be apparent that a simple two position float arm has been provided 
which has very few parts and is easily manipulated by the user. Although 
the present invention has been described with reference to preferred 
embodiments, numerous modifications and rearrangements can be made with 
the equivalent result still embraced within the scope of the invention.