Indicating assembly for use with a faucet

A indicating assembly for use with a faucet having a spout having a threaded distal end portion. The assembly comprises an indicating device which has a mounting portion and an indicating portion and a securing mechanism for securing the indicating device adjacent the distal end portion of the spout.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a faucet indicating assembly. The assembly 
is used with a faucet having a spout and includes an indicating device 
mounted near the spout and having indicia thereon. The indicating device 
is securely fastened to the spout and held in place by an attachment such 
as a lock nut, aerator or serrated hose connector. The indicating device 
is especially useful for labelling faucets which dispense non-potable 
water. 
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 
CFR .sctn..sctn.1.97-1.99 
Break tank systems store non-potable or non-drinkable water separately from 
the drinkable water supply. Break tank systems are well suited for use in 
laboratories, such as medical research laboratories, and have faucets 
connected to a break tank for dispensing the non-potable water. Because 
these faucets dispense non-potable water only, there is a need for them to 
be labelled or marked as such. 
Break tank systems are being used more and more frequently for non-potable 
water faucets and now are preferred over vacuum break systems in many 
environments. Water in a break tank system is kept completely separate 
from the drinkable water supply. 
A break tank system has a tank which is filled with water, usually from the 
drinkable water supply. The water from the tank is pumped out of the tank 
and distributed to one or more fixtures for dispensing water. The water 
from the break tank is designated non-potable water. 
Prior to break tank systems, vacuum breakers were preferred safety devices 
for ensuring the drinkable water supply does not become contaminated. 
Vacuum breakers create a vacuum between the water supply and any water 
left in the spout of the faucet thereby preventing any contaminated water 
left in the spout from flowing back into or mixing with the drinkable 
water supply. Using vacuum breakers, the drinkable water supply would not 
become contaminated and water from any faucet in the system should be 
drinkable. However, there are concerns that if the vacuum breaker is not 
installed properly or if a malfunction occurs the water supply can be 
contaminated. 
Heretofore, various analogous and non-analogous devices and methods of 
attaching a sign to a faucet or spigot have been proposed. Several 
examples of such devices are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents: 
______________________________________ 
U.S. Pat. No. Patentee 
______________________________________ 
141,229 Matthews 
877,211 Meyer 
983,289 Kirby 
1,276,735 Devney 
1,402,220 Deutsch et al. 
1,853,622 Kennedy 
2,066,877 Cruver 
______________________________________ 
The non-analogous Matthews U.S. Pat. No. 141,229 discloses a device for 
dispensing syrups in soda-water apparatus. The apparatus has a 
syrup-holder placed within an ice-chamber or cooler and a method for 
attaching the same to a case. The device includes a body having a faucet 
which has a collar. The collar is positioned within the case and is drawn 
against an inner side of a wall of the case by a nut on a screw thread of 
the device on the outside of the case. A washer is placed between the nut 
and an outer wall of the case and serves as a seat for the nut. The washer 
can have a label for the name of the syrup to be dispensed. 
The Kirby U.S. Pat. No. 983,289 discloses a sign exhibit attachment for a 
faucet. The faucet has an operating handle swinging about a horizontal 
shaft from an open to a closed position. Fixed to the shaft is an arm 
having a slot therein. A ring is rotatably mounted to a cylindrical 
portion of the faucet. An arm extends from the ring to the slot in the 
shaft such that rotation of the shaft will cause rotation of the ring. Two 
signs are also attached to the ring whereby when the ring is rotated into 
either the open or closed position, one of the signs is positioned for 
viewing. 
The non-analogous Meyer U.S. Pat. No. 877,211 discloses an urn used in 
hotels and restaurants where coffee is dispensed in large quantities. The 
urn has several faucets to dispense the coffee or liquid and signs are 
shown on the faucet handles. 
The non-analogous Devney U.S. Pat. No. 1,276,735 discloses an advertising 
sign hanger. The hanger is of integral construction and has a head 
portion, having semi-circular openings therein, and a sign portion 
integrally formed with the head portion. The semi-circular openings form 
openings for fitting the hanger over a door knob or the like. 
The Deutsch et al. U.S. Pat. No. 1,402,220 discloses an indicator or tag 
for faucets. The indicator includes a split ring portion having flexible 
arms adapted to be bent around or just below a nut on the faucet and a 
channeled skirt portion depending from the front of the ring adapted to 
fit over a nozzle of the faucet. The arms may have tapered ends to overlap 
one another. Indicia such as "Hot" or "Cold" can be placed on the front 
portion of the ring, just above the skirt portion or directly on the skirt 
portion. 
The non-analogous Kennedy U.S. Pat. No. 1,853,622 discloses an advertising 
medium or tag comprising a message carrying booklet portion and an 
extension portion having an aperture therethrough for attaching the tag to 
a door handle or milk bottle. 
The Cruver U.S. Pat. No. 2,066,877 discloses a device that is attachable to 
a faucet or spigot which can be permanently attached to the faucet or 
spigot and which carries a label or sign which is easily visible to bar 
patrons. The device includes a U-shaped sheet metal member that has a 
short arm terminating in a lip extending substantially at a right angle to 
the short arm, and a long arm which has a sign attached at its outer end. 
The lip is adapted to be received between a knob or handle and a valve 
stem of the faucet. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention there is provided a faucet indicating 
assembly including an indicating device for use with a faucet having a 
spout. The spout has a threaded distal end portion. The indicating device 
has a mounting portion and an indicating portion and a securing mechanism 
for securing the indicating device adjacent the distal end portion of the 
spout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown therein an indicating assembly 10 
of the present invention assembled on a faucet. The assembly 10 includes 
an indicating device 12 on a faucet 14. The faucet 14 is connected to a 
break tank (not shown) and dispenses non-potable water. The faucet 14 
includes a spout 16 having a distal end portion 18 (see FIG. 3) with 
external threads 20 thereon. The indicating device 12 has a mounting 
portion 22 and an indicating portion 24 and is mounted at the distal end 
portion 18 of the spout 16. 
The indicating portion 24 of the indicating device 12 is generally planar 
and has a front surface 26 and a rear surface 28. Indicia 30, such as the 
wording "DO NOT DRINK" shown in FIG. 1, and/or other wording such as, 
"NON-POTABLE WATER" OR "NON-DRINKABLE WATER" can be attached to or etched 
into the front surface 26 of the indicating portion 24 of the indicating 
device 12 to indicate that non-potable water is dispensed from the faucet 
14. 
The mounting portion 22 of the indicating device 12, which is generally 
planar also, and the indicating portion 24 are preferably integrally 
formed and are bent at an angle to each other when mounted on the spout 16 
to allow a person to view the indicia 30 easily from the front of the 
spout 16. 
The indicating device 12 can be made from one piece of metal, i.e., the 
mounting portion 22 and indicating portion 24 can be stamped as one flat 
piece. Then the indicating device 12 can be bent along a line 32 (See FIG. 
4) on the rear surface 28 of the indicating device 12. Note that the 
indicating device 12 need not be made of metal and can be made of plastic 
or any other suitable material. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, the indicating assembly 10 also includes an 
adapter 34, a lock nut 36, a washer 38 and an attachment 40 which, as 
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is an aerator 40. 
Also, generally, faucet manufacturers design their spouts 16 to have 
threads 20 of the same size as reciprocal threads of an attachment 40, 
such as the aerator 40, so that the attachment 40 can be mounted directly 
onto the spout 16 and a standard adapter (not shown) similar to the 
adapter 34, is not needed to mount the attachment 40 to the spout 16. 
Frequently, however, a different size attachment 40, such as one from a 
different manufacturer, will be attached to the spout 16. The standard 
adapter is then used to "step down" (or up) the size of the spout threads 
and enable a smaller (or larger) size attachment 40 to be attached to the 
spout 16. 
The adapter 34 has an annular upper portion 42 with internal threads (not 
shown) and a smaller in diameter lower portion 46 with external threads 
48. The upper portion 42 of the adapter 34 is threadably attached to the 
spout 16. The upper portion 42 of the adapter 34 also has a lower annular 
abutment surface 50 and the mounting portion 22 of the indicating device 
12 abuts against the abutment surface 50 when it is attached to the spout 
16. 
The smaller in diameter lower portion 46 of the adapter 34 is preferably 
longer than lower portions of standard prior art adapters which are used 
only to "step up" or "step down" the size of the threads 20 on the spout 
16. Preferably the lower portion 46 of the adapter 34 is approximately 
3/32 inches longer than such standard adapters, in order to accommodate 
the additional thickness of the lock nut 36 which is approximately 1/16 
inch thick. Note, however, that standard adapters can be used. 
The mounting portion 22 of the indicating device 12 has a hole 52 therein 
so that the indicating device 12 can be placed around the threaded lower 
portion 46 of the adapter 34 and abut against the lower annular abutment 
surface 50 of the upper portion 42 of the adapter 34. Note that the hole 
52 in the mounting portion 22 must be slightly larger than the external 
threads 48 of the adapter 34. 
Preferably, the diameter of the hole 52 is 1/32 inch larger than the 
diameter of the external threads 48 of the adapter 34. For example, if the 
diameter of the external threads 48 of the adapter 34 is 13/16 inches, 
then the diameter of the hole 52 is preferably 27/32 inches. 
When the diameter of the aerator 40 is different than the diameter of the 
spout 16, the adapter 34 can be used to "step down" or "step up" the 
thread size, i.e. a 13/16 inch female to 1/16 inch male adapter to "step 
down" the size of the threads 20 or a 13/16 inch female to 15/16 inch male 
adapter to "step up" the size of the threads 20. 
However, when attaching an aerator 40 having the same size threads as the 
spout 16, the special adapter 34 which does not "step down" (or up) the 
size of the threads 20, i.e. a one-to-one adapter 34, must be used. 
For example, using a Chicago Faucets.RTM. brand faucet having 13/16 inch 
external threads and a Chicago Faucets.RTM. brand aerator having 13/16 
inch internal threads, a 13/16 inch female to 13/16 inch male adapter must 
be used. 
To assemble the indicating assembly 10 including the indicating device 12, 
the adapter 34 is first threaded onto the spout 16. Then, the indicating 
device 12 is placed around the threaded distal end portion 18 of the spout 
16 so that a top surface 53 of the mounting portion 22 abuts the annular 
abutment surface 50 of the adapter 34. 
Next, the lock nut 36 is threaded onto the lower portion 46 of the adapter 
34 thereby securing the indicating device 12 between the adapter 34 and 
the lock nut 36 and also preventing the indicating device 12 from rotating 
about the adapter 34. 
Then, the washer 38 is placed over the lower portion 46 of the adapter 34 
and against the lock nut 36. Next the aerator 40 is threaded onto the 
adapter 34, over the washer 38 and lock nut 36, forcing the washer 38 
against the lock nut 36 thereby creating a seal to prevent leakage of 
water from the assembly 10. The washer 38 can be made of any suitable 
material but preferably is chrome plated with a rubber seat or made of 
brass. 
Note, that the use of the lock nut 36 and/or washer 38 is optional and the 
indicating device 12 can be secured to the adapter 34 by the attachment 40 
only, i.e. an aerator 40, whereby an upper end 54 of the aerator 40 forces 
the indicating device 12 against the abutment surface 50 of the adapter 
34. 
Preferably, however, the lock nut 36 and washer 38 are used with the 
assembly 10 to prevent leakage and to provide the best rotational 
stability preventing the indicating device 12 from rotating around the 
lower portion 46 of the adapter 34. 
In FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of an indicating assembly 60 is shown. 
In this embodiment, an attachment 62 is attached to a spout 61 and the 
attachment 62 is a serrated hose connector 62 instead of the aerator 40 
shown in FIG. 2. 
The serrated hose connector 62 has an upper portion 64 with external 
threads 66. The spout 61 has internal threads 68 which cooperate with the 
external threads 66 of the hose connector 62. 
Also, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, no adapter is necessary because a 
distal end 70 of the spout 61 has an abutment surface 72 and the 
indicating device 12 can be pressed against the abutment surface 72 of the 
spout 61. 
The serrated hose connector 62 has a larger in diameter annular or 
hexagonal portion 74 just below the upper portion 64. The hexagonal 
portion 74 has a top surface 76 which acts as a lower abutment surface 76 
for securing the mounting portion 22 of the indicating device 12 between 
the distal end 70 of the spout 61 and the hose connector 62. 
To assemble the indicating assembly 60 shown in FIG. 3, the indicating 
device 12 is positioned against the abutment surface 72 of the spout 61. 
Then, the upper portion 64 of the hose connector 62 is placed through the 
hole 52 in the mounting portion 22 of the indicating device 12 and 
threaded into the spout 61. The mounting portion 22 of the indicating 
device 12 is held between the abutment surface 72 of the spout 61 and the 
abutment surface 76 of the hose connector 62, thereby securing the 
indicating device 12 to the spout 61. 
From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the indicating 
assembly 10, 60 of the present invention has a number of advantages, some 
of which have been described above and others of which are inherent in the 
invention. Also it will be understood that modifications can be made to 
the indicating assembly 10, 60 described above without departing from the 
teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the 
invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying 
claims.