Universal plastic flange for connecting urinals to drain pipes

A universal plastic economical connection for the art of connecting urinals to drain pipes which will eliminate the conventional time consuming and relatively costly steps required of the prior art. This connection will readily fit two-inch (2") diameter pipe currently used by plumbers, thereby eliminating the costly use of threaded adapters and transitions to other materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention pertains to the art of connecting all wall hung urinals with 
integral traps to plastic drain pipes. An important object of the present 
invention is to eliminate the costly materials and man-hours currently 
used in the installation of wall hung urinals. This invention can be used 
in any plastic system where wall hung urinals which have integral traps 
are to be installed. 
There are different methods currently used for connecting the drain outlet 
of a wall hung urinal, most of which involve the use of a brass threaded 
flange, adapters, expensive copper and copper fittings which consequently 
require the use of a torch to solder joints of said fittings, pipe and 
adapters. There are numerous disadvantages encountered by using these 
methods such as not calculating proper distances of the flange from the 
finished wall and the possibility of leaks if extreme caution is not used 
when soldering or tightening threaded joints--not to mention the man-hours 
used to perform these functions and the high cost of threaded adapters and 
extra materials. 
It would be desirable to have a flange fabricated from a plastic material 
that will eliminate all of the above disadvantages by one simple step. 
When roughing the system with a plastic material, it would only be 
necessary to connect the flange with the proper solvent or cement which 
properly seals the joint. This will eliminate the need of the transition 
from a non-compatible material or the use of a threaded adapter to connect 
the drain pipe to the urinal. There will be no complicated calculations to 
be made as this universal flange fits flush against the finished wall, no 
copper fittings to be soldered as this flange will be installed with all 
solvent or cement joint connections and will virtually eliminate all 
possibility of leaks. 
It is the intention of the present invention to eliminate a substantial 
portion of the existing cost of labor and materials used in roughing and 
connecting all wall hung urinals with integral traps using the present 
method of installation. It is not, however, the intention of the present 
invention to connect any wall hung urinals which have external traps. 
Urinals with external traps are rarely used because the advantages of 
using urinals with integral traps far exceed and advantages of external 
traps. 
SUMMARY 
Brass threaded flanges of a general type are well known in the art but as a 
whole are characterized by many inherent disadvantages. It has been 
discovered by the use of the present invention fabricated from a plastic 
material to combination with a conformable means for sealing such as a 
gasket placed between the flange and the pottery of the urinal, and the 
enlongated openings for universal adaptability to all wall hung urinals 
with integral traps eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art. It is 
desirable to have a flange fabricated from a plastic material which will 
be compatible with the system being installed that is not subject to 
corrosion or deterioration after long periods of use. It is molded in a 
two-piece injection type mold in such a manner as to be ready for use 
after removal from the mold with no machining required. 
Such a flange comprises a tubular section which has a proximal end, the 
outside diameter of which is greater than the inside diameter of the drain 
outlet of the urinal. The distal end of the tubular section has both an 
inside and an outside diameter sized so as to be compatible with the 
gasket that is placed thereon. 
More specifically, the flange of the present invention comprises a body 
member having an outer periphery and a circular inner periphery defining a 
central hole axially through the body. The body has front and rear 
surfaces defined by a wall extending between the outer and inner 
peripheries. The outer periphery of the body is displaced rearwardly from 
the hole a predetermined distance. The inner periphery of the circular 
hole has a predetermined dimension which will easily accept connecting to 
the drain pipe. 
It is an important object of the present invention to provide a flange 
fabricated from a plastic material which is very economical to manufacture 
and simple to install. 
It is an additional important object of the present invention to provide a 
flange which is molded in one-piece designed to eliminate costly threaded 
adapters and extra materials and man-hours presently used in installing 
all wall hung urinals having integral traps. 
This invention has a very unique feature which will enable the spread of 
the connecting bolts to be easily adjusted to fit the many different 
spreads of wall hung urinals presently manufactured with integral traps. 
This invention will provide a universal flange that will eliminate the 
need for plumbers and contractors to have their money tied up in 
unnecessary inventories with flanges specifically designed to do just one 
job. 
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during 
the course of the following description.

FIG. 1 shows wall hung urinal A hanging on finished wall B and connected to 
universal plastic flange C of which socket of flange C is quickly sealed 
to standard 2" diameter plastic drain pipe J with a solvent cement. 
Standard drain pipe J is quickly sealed to plastic drainage tee fitting D 
by use of a solvent cement. Note that the drain pipe marked J is standard 
2" diameter because it is a known fact in the art that all wall hung 
urinals having integral traps require a 2" diameter drainage connection. 
FIG. 2 shows an end elevational view of flange C. 14 is the innermost edge 
of the connecting bolt track of C. 24 is bolt head track. 22 outlines the 
outermost surface of the front part of C. This is shown in FIG. 3. 23 is 
front part of C that faces drain outlet of A which receives the most 
rearwardly part of gasket E as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. 23 is also shown in 
FIGS. 5 and 6. 26 shows the outermost periphery of flange C also shown in 
FIGS. 5 ad 6. 21 illustrates the most rearwardly part of main embodiment 
of C which fits flush against the finished wall. 25 is the most rearwardly 
part of flange C drain outlet. 
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional elevational view of C taken on line 3--3 of 
FIGS. 4 and 5. 21 illustrates the most rearwardly part of main embodiment 
of C which fits flush against the finished wall. This is also shown in 
FIG. 2. 15 is the outermost edge of bolt head track of C. This is also 
shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. 20 illustrates the outermost periphery of the 
socket drain outlet of C. See 20 also in FIG. 4. 12 is the drain outlet 
socket of C having a minimum length of 0.750". 9 illustrates drain outlet 
socket entrance taper of C which is necessary to allow the easy entry of 
the drain pipe J as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8. 9 is also shown in FIG. 4. 10 
is the drain socket entrance of C. The inner periphery requiring a 
perdetermined dimension to receive standard 2" plastic pipe J as shown in 
FIGS. 1 and 8. 10 is also shown in FIG. 4. 18 is the most inwardly portion 
of the bolt head track 24 of C. This design is necessary to allow the 
connecting bolt F to slide in the minimum distance required for connecting 
all wall hung urinals A having integral traps and requiring a 4" spread 
between connecting bolts F. This is also shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 7, and FIG. 
8. 14 is the innermost edge of the connecting bolt track of C. Also shown 
in FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6. 16 is the outermost periphery of 
the extrusion to receive the gasket E which seals flange C to urinal A. 
This is also shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. 13 illustrates the most rearwardly 
part of the inner periphery as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 
at which point 13 has the beginning of a design required taper extending 
diagonally and rearwardly to termination point 11. 13 is also shown in 
FIG. 4. 11 is the most inwardly part of the socket drain outlet comprised 
of a predetermined inner periphery to receive standard 2" plastic pipe J 
as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8. 17 is the most inwardly part of the bolt track 
of C. This is also shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
FIG. 4 item 19 illustrates the inner periphery of extrusion of C. Also 
shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7. 27 is the most outwardly portion of 
bolt track of C. This design enables this invention to accommodate all 
wall hung urinals with integral traps requiring an extremely wide bolt 
spread. This feature is one of the most unique items of the present 
invention. This is also shown in FIG. 7. 
FIG. 7 item E is the gasket which is applied around 16 on C. This gasket is 
required to make the necessary water tight seal between A and C. You will 
note that F is shown in FIG. 7 at an intermediate spacing which enables 
this invention to accommodate all wall hung urinals with integral traps 
that require an intermediate bolt spread. This is again emphasizing the 
unique feature of the present invention. E is also shown in FIG. 8. 
FIG. 8 item G illustrates metal washer in position on F against C. H is a 
jam nut which is necessary to secure F in a predetermined bolt spread to 
align with holes in pottery of A for connection. I illustrates a finished 
acorn nut that when properly tightened compresses E to a water tight seal 
between the drain outlet of A and the drain inlet of C. 
It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and 
described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that 
various changes in the shape, size and arrangment of parts may be resorted 
to without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the 
subjoined claim.