Replacement faucet handle kit

In a replacement faucet handle kit of simple and inexpensive form there is included a plurality of adapters each having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portions of the adapters are substantially identical and of non-circular, transverse cross-sectional configuration, such as hexagonal transverse cross-section, complementary to the transverse cross-sectional configuration of a recess in the underface of the replacement faucet handle, and the second end portion of each adapter has a bore of non-circular, transverse cross-sectional configuration, with the second end portion of each adapter differing from the second end portion of each remaining adapter with respect to one or more of the following characteristics, namely, the length thereof, the length of the bore therein, the transverse cross-sectional configuration of the bore therein, and the transverse cross-sectional dimensions of the bore therein, the bores in the adapters having transverse cross-sectional configurations and dimensions which are complementary, and of corresponding length, to the upper end portions of the valve stems of faucet valves of different manufacturers. Thus, a selected one of the adapters, the bore in which has a transverse cross-sectional configuration and dimensions complementary, and of corresponding length, to the upstanding end portion of a valve stem, may be non-rotatably mounted on the valve stem, with the replacement faucet handle being non-rotatably mounted on the selected adapter the length of the second end portion of which is such that the replacement faucet handle is at substantially the same pre-determined level as the former faucet handle.

This invention is concerned with a kit of parts for replacement of a faucet 
handle in an existing faucet installation. In a faucet installation 
consisting of original manufacturer's equipment the valve of the faucet 
installation conventionally has an upstanding valve stem the upper end 
portion of which is of non-circular, transverse cross-sectional 
configuration, with an underface of the faucet handle having a bore of 
complementary length and complementary transverse cross-sectional 
configuration and dimensions, so that with the upper end portion of the 
faucet valve stem disposed within the bore in the handle the handle is 
non-rotatably mounted at a pre-determined level on the valve stem and 
turning of the faucet handle results in turning of the valve stem and 
hence opening or closing of the faucet valve. The upper end portion of the 
faucet valve stem is generally of cylindrical form having a series of 
equi-angularly spaced, longitudinally extending spline grooves, with the 
bore in the faucet handle being of corresponding length and cylindrical 
form having a corresponding series of equi-angularly spaced, 
longitudinally extending ribs which, with the handle mounted on the valve 
stem, are engaged within the spline grooves in the upper end portion of 
the valve stem. 
Through use of the faucet installation over an extended period of time the 
ribs in the bore provided in the faucet handle may become broken or 
otherwise damaged and this necessitates replacement of the faucet handle, 
unless of course the entire faucet valve and handle are replaced which is 
more expensive and in many cases unnecessary. 
A problem in relation to the provision of replacement faucet handle kits is 
that there have been no generally accepted standards in the industry for 
the length and transverse cross-sectional configuration and dimensions of 
the upper end portions of the faucet valve stems, or for the level of the 
handle when mounted on the valve stems. Thus, in relation to the 
above-described transverse cross-sectional configuration of the upper end 
portions of the faucet valve stems the diameters of, and the number and 
dimensions of the splined grooves formed in, the upper end portions of the 
valve stems vary substantially among manufacturers. With the view to 
overcoming this problem there has hitherto been proposed and used a 
replacement faucet handle kit which comprises a replacement faucet handle 
together with an adapter which is adapted to be non-rotatably mounted 
within a recess in the underface of the handle, the adapter having a 
central opening which is of sufficiently large diameter to accommodate the 
upper end portions of the faucet valve stems which are of the largest 
transverse cross-sectional dimensions currently in use, with three or more 
grub screws being screw-threadedly mounted in the adapter and being 
adapted to be tightened against the upper end portion of the valve stem. 
However, this solution to the problem has not proved entirely 
satisfactory, since the grub screws may become loose or otherwise fail to 
remain securely in engagement with the upper end portion of the valve 
stem, particularly after the faucet installation incorporating the 
replacement handle has been in prolonged use. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,162 which issued on Mar. 23, 1970 to W. F. Gresham et 
al discloses an alternative structure which incorporates an adapter 15, 
but this structure of Gresham et al is comparatively complicated and hence 
expensive, and incorporates a spring such as the spring 33 of FIGS. 1 
through 3 to secure the adapter 15 to the handle. This spring which is an 
essential feature of the structure of Gresham et al is, of course, 
susceptible to breakage or other damage particularly through prolonged use 
of the faucet installation. 
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a 
replacement faucet handle kit in which the above-described disadvantages 
of the previously known and used structures are substantially overcome or 
mitigated. 
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a kit of parts 
which comprises a replacement faucet handle having an underface, a recess 
provided in said underface of the handle, and a plurality of adapters each 
having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end 
portions of the adapters are substantially identical and are each of 
non-circular, transverse cross-sectional configuration complementary to 
the transverse cross-sectional configuration of the recess in the handle, 
the second end portion of each adapter having a bore of non-circular, 
transverse cross-sectional configuration, with the second end portion of 
each adapter differing from the second end portion of each remaining 
adapter with respect to at least one characteristic selected from the 
group of characteristics consisting of the length thereof, the length of 
the bore therein, the transverse cross-sectional configuration of the bore 
therein, and the transverse cross-sectional dimensions of the bore 
therein. Means is provided for permitting securement of the handle and a 
selected one of the adapters, the length and transverse, cross-sectional 
configuration and dimensions of the bore in the second end portion of 
which are complementary to the length and transverse cross-sectional 
configuration and dimensions of an upper end portion of a faucet valve 
stem, to the upper end portion of the faucet valve stem. Said selected one 
of the adapters is adapted to be non-rotatably mounted on the upper end 
portion of the faucet valve stem by disposing the upper end portion of 
said faucet valve stem within said bore in the second end portion of said 
selected one of the adapters, and the handle is adapted to be 
non-rotatably mounted on said selected one of the adapters by disposing 
the first end portion of said selected one of the adapters within the 
recess in the handle, with the handle and said selected one of the 
adapters being securable to the upper end portion of the faucet valve stem 
.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes generally a casing under which is 
disposed a faucet valve which may be of conventional form and which 
operatively controls the supply of water through associated pipes (not 
shown) to a spout 11 from which the water is operatively discharged into, 
for example, an associated sink or wash hand basin. The faucet valve has 
an upstanding valve stem 12 turning of which results in opening or closing 
of the faucet valve, the upper end portion 13 of the valve stem 12 being 
of non-circular, transverse cross-sectional configuration. Thus, this 
upper end portion 13 of the valve stem 12 may, as shown in the drawings, 
be of cylindrical form having equiangularly spaced, longitudinally 
extending spline grooves 14, as is conventional in the art. 
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a replacement 
faucet handle 20. A replacement faucet handle kit according to the 
invention also comprises a plurality of adapters 15 two of which are shown 
in FIGS. 3 and 4. Each of these adapters 15 which may be of molded nylon 
comprises a first end portion 16 and a second end portion 17, the first 
end portions 16 of all the adapters 15 being substantially identical and 
each being of non-circular, transverse cross-sectional configuration, such 
as of hexagonal transverse cross-sectional configuration, for a purpose 
hereinafter explained. The second end portions 17 of the adapters 15 each 
have a bore 18 of non-circular transverse cross-sectional configuration, 
with the second end portion 17 of each adapter 15 differing from the 
second end portion 17 of each remaining adapter 15 with respect to one or 
more of the following characterics, namely, the length of the second end 
portion 17, the length of the bore 18 in the second end portion 17, the 
transverse cross-sectional configuration of the bore 18 in the second end 
portion 17, and the transverse cross-sectional dimensions of the bore 18 
in the second end portion 17. The transverse, cross-sectional 
configuration and dimensions of the bore 18 of each adapter 15 are 
complementary to the transverse cross-sectional configuration and 
dimensions of the upper end portion 13 of the valve stem 12 of a faucet 
valve of a different manufacturer, with the lengths of the bores 18 of the 
respective adapters 15 corresponding to the lengths of the upper end 
portions 13 of the valve stems 12 of the faucet valves of the different 
manufacturers, and with the length of the second end portion 17 of each 
respective adapter 15 being such that, with the replacement faucet handle 
20 operatively installed as hereinafter described, the handle 20 is at 
substantially the same pre-determined level as the original manufacturer's 
faucet handle. Thus, as shown by way of example in FIGS. 3 and 4, the 
bores 18 of the adapters 15 are of different diameters and incorporate 
longitudinally extending ribs 19 which in the bores 18 of the different 
adapters 15 are differently angularly spaced and may be of different 
dimensions. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the bores 18 in the 
different adapters 15 are of different lengths, and the second end 
portions 17 of the different adapters 15 are of different lengths. While 
in FIGS. 3 and 4 the bores 18 of the adapters 15 are both shown as being 
cylindrical with the longitudinally extending ribs 19, it will be 
appreciated that if there are in use faucet valves the upper end portions 
of the valve stems of which are of non-circular transverse cross-sectional 
configuration, other than of cylindrical form incorporating longitudinally 
extending spline grooves, a replacement faucet kit according to the 
present invention may include adapters 15 the bores 18 of which are of 
non-circular transverse cross-sectional configuration complementary to the 
non-circular, transverse cross-sectional configuration of the upper end 
portions of the valve stems of these faucet valves. 
The replacement faucet handle 20 has an underface 21 in which is provided a 
recess 22 the transverse cross-sectional configuration of which is 
complementary to that of the first end portion 16 of each of the adapters 
15. 
In order to install the replacement faucet handle 20 of the kit according 
to the present invention the former faucet handle is, of course, first 
removed, and a selected one of the adapters 15 the bore 18 of which has a 
non-circular, transverse cross-sectional configuration and dimensions 
complementary to those of the upper end portion 13 of the valve stem 12, 
and a length corresponding to that of the upper end portion 13 of the 
valve stem 12, is then non-rotatably mounted on the upper end portion 13 
of the valve stem 12 by disposing the upper end portion 13 of the valve 
stem 12 within the bore 18 of said selected adapter 15. The handle 20 is 
then non-rotatably mounted on said selected adapter 15 by disposing the 
first end portion 16 of said selected adapter 15 within the recess 22 in 
the handle 20, the length of the second end portion 17 of said selected 
adapter 15 being such that the handle 20 is at substantially the same 
pre-determined level as was the former faucet handle of the original 
manufacturer's equipment. 
Means is provided for permitting securement of the handle 20 and said 
selected adapter 15 to the upper end portion 13 of the valve stem 12, this 
means preferably comprising a hole 23 which extends through the handle 20 
between the recess 22 and the top face of the handle 20, and an open-ended 
passage 24 which extends through the first and second end portions 16, 17 
of each adapter 15. A locking screw 25 is disposed through the hole 23 and 
the open-ended passage 24 of said selected adapter 15 and is engaged 
within the screw-threaded bore 26 in the upper end portion 13 of the valve 
stem 12 thereby to secure the handle 20 and said selected adapter 15 to 
the upper end portion 13 of the valve stem 12. 
The handle 20 may be of transparent material such as an acrylic plastics 
material, and in this case in order to enhance the appearance of the 
replacement faucet handle 20 when installed there is preferably included 
in the replacement faucet handle kit an opaque skirt member 27 which may 
be of chrome-plated material and which is adapted to be received within a 
concavity 28 in the underface 21 of the handle 20, thereby when the 
replacement faucet handle 20 is installed to shield from view the second 
end portion 17 of said selected adapter 15 and the upper end portion 13 of 
the valve stem 12. As will of course be appreciated an opening 29 which is 
preferably of a shape complementary to the transverse cross-sectional 
configuration of the first end portion 16 of each adapter 15 is provided 
in the skirt member 27 for disposition of the first end portion 16 of said 
selected adapter 15 therethrough. Furthermore, each adapter 15 preferably 
incorporates between the first and second end portions 16, 17 thereof an 
outwardly projecting flange 30 which operatively serves securely to clamp 
the skirt member 27 when the replacement faucet handle 20 is in its 
installed condition. A cap 31 may be removably snap mounted in a recess 32 
in the top face of the handle 20 thereby to cover the head of the locking 
screw 25, and as is conventional in the art this cap 31 may on its outer 
face bear appropriate marking such as the letter "H" or "C" to identify 
the handle 20 as controlling the supply of hot or cold water, 
respectively. 
Thus, the present invention provides a replacement faucet handle kit which 
is of simple and inexpensive form and which substantially overcomes or 
mitigates the disadvantages of the previously known and used forms of 
replacement faucet handle kits hereinbefore described.