Abstract:
An apparatus for bolting down a flange. The flange is operatively associated with a structural interface having an opening. The structural interface may be a toilet. The apparatus comprises a fastener assembly disposed through the flange slot, and the fastener assembly includes: a base configured to engage the flange; a bolt shaft with an inner bore, wherein said bolt shaft is connected to the base, and a fastener selectively attachable to the bolt shaft. The apparatus also includes a cap operatively configured to selectively engage the bolt shaft. A method of attaching a flange to a foundation is also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a fastening assembly, method and system. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, this invention relates to a fastener assembly and method to fasten and unfasten a toilet to or from a flange. 
     In the construction, maintenance, and remodeling industry, contractors, plumbers and maintenance technicians, often find it necessary to replace old commodes for either repair or replacement. Due to the structural nature of commodes, installing, lifting, moving, aligning and lowering of the toilets is cumbersome and awkward. Additionally, the method of unfastening the toilet foundation from a floor flange is also cumbersome, awkward and very time consuming. The prior art methods, which includes bolting the toilet base to the floor flange is awkward, unstable and outdated. Also, many flanges are broken from over tightening present day bolts. 
     With prior art toilets, a contractor may need wrench, pliers, channel locks, as well other tools, to tighten down or remove a toilet. Moreover, due to the nature of the toilet&#39;s environment, a contractor working either to install or remove a toilet, desires to quickly and efficiently perform the necessary task and move on to the next. The prior art method of installing bolt caps requires the old style bolts to be cut with a hack saw, bolt cutter, or saw, since the bolts are too long. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment, an apparatus for attaching a toilet to a flange is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a fastener assembly operatively associated with a flange slot, a guide bolt configured to selectively engage the fastener assembly and position the toilet in proper alignment relative to the flange slot, and a cap operatively configured to selectively engage the fastener assembly when the guide bolt is removed so that the toilet is attached to the flange. The fastener assembly includes a base configured to engage the flange, a bolt shaft with an inner bore, wherein the bolt shaft is connected to the base, wherein the guide bolt is selectively engaged with the inner bore, and a nut selectively attachable to the bolt shaft. 
     In this embodiment, the bolt shaft may contain a distal indentation for cooperation with an aperture contained within a foundation of the toilet. Also, the cap may have a proximal gripping end and a distal end, and wherein the distal end is operatively configured to engage with the inner bore of the bolt shaft. Additionally, with one embodiment, the distal end may contain an outer thread member and wherein the bolt shaft&#39;s inner bore contains an inner thread member that engages with the distal end&#39;s outer thread member and the cap may have a receptacle, adjacent the distal shaft, for placement of the bolt shaft when the cap is engaged with the bolt shaft. 
     A method of attaching a flange to a foundation of a toilet is also disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a fastener assembly positioned through a flange slot on the flange, with the fastener assembly including a bolt shaft with an inner bore, wherein the bolt shaft is connected to a base, a nut selectively attached to the bolt shaft and a guide bolt configured to selectively engage the inner bore of the bolt shaft, a cap having a proximal gripping end and a distal end, and wherein the distal end is operatively configured to engage with the inner bore of the bolt shaft, wherein the distal shaft contains an outer thread member and wherein the bolt shaft&#39;s inner bore contains an inner thread member that engages with the distal end&#39;s outer thread member. The method may include inserting the fastener assembly into the flange slot, positioning the guide bolt in an upright position (i.e. approximately vertical) relative to the flange, and lowering the toilet relative to the flange. The method may further include positioning the guide bolts through openings in the foundation when lowering the toilet, removing the guide bolts, and installing the cap onto the bolt shaft so that the flange is attached to the toilet. In one embodiment, the step of installing the cap onto the bolt includes threadedly connecting the distal end of the cap to the inner bore of the bolt shaft. When threadedly connecting the distal end to the inner bore of the bolt shaft, the method may include allowing the bolt shaft to advance into a receptacle formed on the cap. A fastener may also be placed down the bolt shaft when positioning the guide bolt in the vertical position relative to the flange. Also, in the step of positioning the guide bolts through the openings in the foundation, the method may include engaging a distal indentation of the bolt shaft with the openings of the toilet foundation as the openings of the toilet foundation are lowered over the guide bolts. A proximal indentation on the bolt may be included for cooperation with the flange slot. In one embodiment, the distal indentation is in a first orientation and the proximal indentation is in a second orientation opposite the distal&#39;s indentation&#39;s first orientation. 
     In another embodiment, an apparatus for bolting down a flange having a flange slot is disclosed. The flange is operatively associated with a structural interface having an opening. The apparatus includes a fastener assembly disposed through the flange slot, wherein the fastener assembly comprises: a base configured to engage the flange; a bolt shaft with an inner bore, wherein the bolt shaft is connected to the base, and a fastener selectively attachable to the bolt shaft. Also included is a cap operatively configured to selectively engage the bolt shaft, with the cap having a proximal gripping end and a distal end, and wherein the distal end is operatively configured to engage the inner bore of the bolt shaft and with the distal end containing an outer thread member so that the bolt shaft&#39;s inner bore contains an inner thread member that engages with the distal end&#39;s outer thread member. The cap may contain a receptacle, adjacent the distal end, for placement of the bolt shaft when the cap is engaged with the bolt shaft. Examples of fasteners includes a nut member and a lock spring. A guide post may be included that is configured to selectively engage the inner bore of the bolt shaft. The guide post may be used to guide the structural interface into position. In one embodiment, the structural interface is a commode. 
     Generally, toilets bolt to a floor flange, and floor flanges are attached to a sub floor and/or drain pipe. A contractor may find it necessary to use a hack saw or bolt cutter, which would ruin threads, making a future nut removal very difficult. An aspect of one of the disclosed embodiments is the elimination of having to use a hack saw or bolt cutter, and instead, a contractor can utilize the cap to bolt down the flange to the structural interface or unbolt the flange from the structural interface, which eliminates the need for wrenches, channel locks and other tools to tighten and untighten old style bolts and nuts. The structural interface may be a toilet. Other aspects of the disclosure may follow from this disclosure as will be readily apparent from the description that follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art toilet. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the fastener assembly. 
         FIG. 3A  is a cut-away side view of the fastener assembly of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of a lock spring. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the cap. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the cap of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cut-away side view of the cap engaged with the fastener assembly. 
         FIG. 7  is a cut-away side view of one embodiment of the apparatus with the flange in place. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the fastener assembly, boltshaft, guidebolt with the floor flange. 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of the toilet being lowered onto the fastener assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a prior art toilet  2  will now be described. As those of ordinary skill will appreciate, the toilet has a foundation  4 . A floor flange  6  is bolted to the foundation  4  with the bolts  8 . The toilet  2  has a bowl  10  that is operatively associated with the outlet  12  for disposal of the waste. A wax seal  14  is included for sealing the outlet  12 , wherein outlet  12  is attached to outlet line  16 . 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the fastener assembly  20  of the present disclosure. The fastener assembly  20  includes a base  22  that is configured to be inserted into the a flange slot (not seen in this view). As shown, the base  22  is curved in order to cooperate with the floor flange. Extending from the base  22  is the bolt shaft  24 , where in one embodiment, the bolt shaft is fixed to the base  22  such as by welding. Alternatively, the base  22  and bolt shaft  24  can be integrally constructed or attached with thread means. The bolt shaft  24  contains an outer cylindrical surface  26  and an inner bore  28 . In one embodiment, the outer surface  26  contains an outer thread member  30  and the inner bore  28  contains an inner thread member  32 . 
     As further shown in  FIG. 2 , the bolt shaft  24  contains a distal end  34  that has a top taper (also referred to as a distal indentation), shown generally at  36 , for cooperation with an aperture contained within the foundation of the toilet. The distal indentation  36  is to fit into the apertures (openings) in the foundation of the toilet which are not necessarily all the same width in the various commercially available toilets. A bottom indentation  37  (also referred to as a proximal indentation  37 ) may be provided to allow for the bolt assembly to fit various width flange slots; in one embodiment, the distal indentation  36  is in a perpendicular plane as compared to the proximal indentation  37 . In other words, the distal indentation  36  is in a first orientation and the proximal indentation  37  is in a second orientation opposite the distal&#39;s indentation&#39;s orientation. Toilets bolt to a floor flange and floor flanges are attached to a sub floor and/or drain pipe. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3A , a cut-away side view of the fastener assembly  20  of  FIG. 2  will now be described. It should be noted that like numbers appearing in the various figures refer to like components. The base  22  has extending therefrom the bolt shaft  24 . The outer thread member  30  and the inner thread member  32  are depicted, as well as the distal indentation  36 .  FIG. 3A  also depicts the nut member  38  which will engage the outer thread member  30 . As seen in  FIG. 3B , it should be noted that other fasteners besides the nut member  38  may be used, such as a lock spring  39  (seen in  FIG. 3B ). 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the cap  40 . The cap  40  will have a proximal gripping end  42  where a user can grip and turn for tightening and/or removing, which in the embodiment shown is a rectangular box, but other gripping designs may be used. The distal end  44  is a shaft, wherein the distal end  44  will cooperate and engage with the inner bore  28  of the bolt shaft  24  (not shown in this figure). In one embodiment, the distal end  44  will have an outer thread member  46  that will threadedly engage with the inner thread member  32 . The cap  40  also contains a receptacle, seen generally at  48 , wherein the receptacle is an open area for placement of the bolt shaft  24  when the cap  40  is engaged with the bolt shaft  24 .  FIG. 5  is a side view of the cap  40  of  FIG. 4 . Hence, the open area of receptacle  48  is shown along with the distal end  44  and proximal gripping end  42 . In the embodiment shown, outer thread member  46  is also shown. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a cut-away side view of the cap  40  engaged with the fastener assembly  20  will now be described. The distal end  44  of the cap  40  is disposed within the inner bore  28 , and in particular, the thread member  46  is engaging thread member  32 . Also as shown, the bolt shaft  24  is disposed within the receptacle  48 . 
       FIG. 7  is a cut-away side view of one embodiment of the apparatus with the flange in place. More particularly, the flange  6  with associated wax ring  49  is in place relative to the floor  50 . The fastener assembly  20  is positioned through the flange slot  52 . As shown, the base  22  is engaging a bottom lip  53  of the flange  6 , with the bolt shaft  24  extending from the flange slot  52 . The nut member  38  is engaging the outer thread member  30 . As noted earlier, other types of fasteners can be used such a lock ring that will engage with the outer member  30 . In operation, the foundation  4  of the toilet is placed over the flange  6  and lowered so that the bolt shaft  24  extends from an opening “0” in the toilet foundation  4 . Hence, the contractor can now simply grasp the gripping end  42  and fasten the cap  40  onto the bolt shaft  24 . Also note that while one fastener assembly  20  have been described, generally at least two fastener assemblies as seen in  FIG. 7  (one on each side of the toilet) are included per installation, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     In one embodiment, it is possible to utilize an apparatus for lifting and aligning toilets, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,798,469 which is incorporated herein by express reference. Thus, in one embodiment, a guide bolt  54  such as illustrated in  FIG. 8  is utilized. The guide bolt  54  has an outer thread member  56  that will engage with the inner thread member  32  (not seen in this view) of the bolt shaft  24 . In accordance with the teachings of this disclosure, in one embodiment as seen in  FIG. 9  (which is a slide view of the toilet  2  being lowered onto the fastener assembly  20 ), the guide bolt  54  is positioned upright relative to the flange  6 . The toilet  2  is lowered relative to the flange  6  (such as by the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,798,469), the guide bolt  54  is positioned through the openings O in the foundation  4  when lowering the toilet  2 . The guide bolt  54  is then removed (by unscrewing, for instance), and then the cap  40  (not seen in this view) can be installed so that the flange  6  is attached to the toilet foundation  4 . Also in this aligning process, alignment tubes “T” as noted in U.S. Pat. No. 7,798,469 can be placed over the guide bolts for easier lowering and aligning purposes. 
     Although the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is anticipated that alterations and modifications thereof will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the following claims be interpreted as covering all such alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.