Patent Publication Number: US-11391030-B2

Title: Telescoping toilet mounting flange

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/982,765, filed Dec. 29, 2015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/097,357, filed Dec. 29, 2014, both of which being incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a systems and methods for mounting toilets in relation to wastewater pipes and floor structures. More particularly, disclosed and protected herein is a telescoping mounting system and a method for mounting toilets using such a system in a rapid, efficient, and reliably watertight manner. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Closet flanges of varied designs are well known in the plumbing industry. In residential use, many modern closet flanges are constructed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic or metal or PVC and metal with a rigid outer ring. Such closet flanges have a top outer ring with apertures to allow attachment of the flange to a floor structure. Slots are disposed in the flange to allow the fitting of anchor bolts that project, typically in a precarious manner, from the slots in the flange to engage mounting holes in a toilet base. Inside the outer ring is a lower toroidal or donut-shaped section where a wax ring forms a seal around the discharge horn that projects from the bottom of the toilet. A lower pipe-shaped portion attaches to a waste pipe beneath the floor level. 
     Closet flanges are designed to be installed on top of the finished floor to maintain the proximity of the toilet horn and the lowered portion of the flange at the intended spacing for a standard wax ring to fill. For many, many years, such wax rings have been the accepted method to create a seal between the toilet and the closet flange. To install a toilet with a wax ring seal, a person must first set the toilet on its back or side and press the wax ring firmly on to the area around the toilet horn on the bottom of the toilet. 
     In further preparation for setting the toilet, a person must cause two anchor bolts to project vertically through the slots in the closet flange. Plumbers often use some of the wax ring to attempt to stabilize the anchor bolts while some types of anchor bolts include a pair of plastic retainers to seek to hold the bolts upright. Even with these proposed solutions, the ability of the anchor bolts to be retained in a substantially vertical position during installation is tenuous at best. 
     To set the toilet in place, the installer, who often has a limited ability to perceive the anchor bolts around the toilet, must attempt to hold the toilet just above the closet flange in exactly the right location and orientation so that the anchor bolts align with the mounting holes of the toilet and then lower the toilet carefully to cause both anchor bolts to pass through the mounting holes in the toilet base simultaneously. If the anchor bolts miss the mounting holes in the toilet base, the anchor bolts will likely be displaced laterally, perhaps while being fouled by being inadvertently driven into the wax ring. The toilet must then be removed and set on its side or back and the anchor bolts must be realigned to prepare for another try. Once the toilet is successfully lowered to cause the anchor bolts to be received through the mounting holes, the toilet is pressed into place and nuts are tightened onto the anchor bolts to fix the toilet in place. Since toilet bases vary in thickness, most anchor bolts are made longer than typically necessary so that the excess must be cut away if one is to allow for proper fitting of a plastic modesty cap. 
     In addition to the challenges inherent in such installation structures and methods, the experienced installer will be aware that, when a toilet is applied over raised flooring material, such as tile, applied under its base or where the floor structure is unsound or not level, the spacing that the wax ring must span and seal can be increased beyond the capacity of the ring thereby preventing proper sealing. Furthermore, wax rings are inherently messy and are known to leak, such as where they are not disposed in the intended location, where they detach unnoticed, where a portion of or even the entire ring is forced out of the flange laterally, or where the wax ring is not thick enough to fill in the intended area. Still further, it has been found that heated floors can cause the wax to liquefy and weep out from under the toilet base. 
     With the limitations and challenges exhibited by prior art toilet installation methods well-recognized, there has been a longstanding need for a toilet mounting system and a method for installing such systems that facilitates the mounting of toilets in relation to floor structures in a rapid, efficient, and reliably watertight manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, the present invention is founded on the basic object of providing a toilet mounting system and a method for mounting toilets that facilitates the mounting of toilets in relation to floor structures rapidly, efficiently, and in a reliably watertight manner. 
     A further object of embodiments of the invention is to eliminate the need for messy and unreliable wax rings during toilet installation. 
     A more particular object of the toilet mounting system and method disclosed herein is to eliminate the need for cumbersome attempts to lower a toilet onto precariously upstanding mounting bolts during toilet installation. 
     These and further objects, advantages, and details of the present invention will become obvious not only to one who reviews the present specification and drawings but also to those who have an opportunity to make use of an embodiment of the telescoping toilet mounting flange and method for installing toilets using such flanges disclosed herein. Although the accomplishment of each of the foregoing objects in a single embodiment of the invention may be possible and indeed preferred, not all embodiments will seek or need to accomplish each and every potential advantage and function. Nonetheless, all such embodiments should be considered within the scope of the present invention. 
     In carrying forth the foregoing objects, embodiments of the telescoping toilet mounting assembly are operable to connect a toilet with a toilet base with first and second spaced mounting holes and a wastewater discharge port to a floor, a wastewater pipe, and a lower female flange section with a ring portion and a tubular wall portion. The toilet mounting assembly, which can alternatively be referred to and provided as a toilet mounting kit, has an upper male flange section for being mounted concentric with the wastewater discharge port of the toilet base. The upper male flange section has a ring with first and second spaced mounting holes for aligning with the first and second mounting holes of the toilet base and a tubular wall portion to be received into the lower female flange section. First and second hollow bolts are provided for being respectively received through the first and second mounting holes of the upper male flange section and through the first and second mounting holes of the toilet base. The first and second hollow bolts have exterior threads and a broadened head portion. First and second base bolt nuts are provided for being tightened on to the exterior threads of the first and second hollow bolts respectively. First and second fastening bolt structures are included, each fastening bolt structure with a bolt head, a threaded tip, and a body portion that is adjustable in length from the bolt head to the threaded tip, and first and second mounting members are provided for being fixed to the lower female flange section. 
     Under such constructions, the upper male flange section can be attached to the toilet base by passing the first and second hollow bolts through the first and second mounting holes of the upper male flange section and through the first and second mounting holes of the toilet base. The first and second base bolt nuts can be tightened onto the first and second hollow bolts, and the toilet base and the upper male flange section so coupled can be attached to the lower female flange section and the wastewater pipe by passing the first and second fastening bolt structures through the first and second hollow bolts and into threaded engagement with the first and second mounting members when the first and second mounting members are fixed to the lower female flange section. 
     As disclosed herein, the fastening bolt structure can comprise a barrel bolt with an internally threaded barrel sleeve and a screw threadedly received into the barrel sleeve. A threaded locking aperture can be disposed in each mounting member, and each barrel sleeve can terminate in the threaded tip for threadedly engaging the threaded locking aperture of the mounting member. 
     Also according to embodiments of the invention, the broadened head portion of each of the first and second hollow bolts can comprise a clamping plate, such as an arcuate clamping plate, with the hollow bolt fixed to project from the clamping plate. Under such constructions, arcuate furrows can be disposed in an underside of the ring of the upper male flange section for receiving the clamping plates. 
     An annular sealant ring can be disposed between the upper male flange section and the toilet base to establish a watertight connection therebetween. Moreover, a sealant ring can be provided for being interposed between the tubular wall portions of the upper male flange section and the lower female flange section to establish a watertight connection therebetween. 
     According to practices of the invention, each mounting member can comprise a mounting plate with a threaded locking aperture. The mounting plates can be arcuate, and the lower female flange section can have arcuate furrows in its ring portion for receiving one of the arcuate mounting plates. It is further taught herein to have first and second mounting apertures disposed through the mounting plate spaced from the locking aperture and aligned mounting apertures disposed through the ring portion of the lower female flange section so that mounting fasteners can be passed through the mounting apertures and into a flooring material. 
     The telescoping toilet mounting assembly disclosed herein permits the practicing of a method for mounting a toilet with a toilet base to a floor, a wastewater pipe, and a lower female flange section. The method is founded on providing a telescoping toilet mounting assembly. The mounting assembly can comprise an upper male flange section for being mounted concentric with the wastewater discharge port of the toilet base. The upper male flange section has a ring with first and second spaced mounting holes for aligning with the first and second mounting holes of the toilet base and a tubular wall portion to be received into the lower female flange section. First and second hollow bolts are provided for being respectively received through the first and second mounting holes of the upper male flange section and through the first and second mounting holes of the toilet base. The hollow bolts have exterior threads and a broadened head portion, and first and second base bolt nuts are provided for being tightened on to the exterior threads of the first and second hollow bolts respectively. Further, first and second fastening bolt structures are provided, each fastening bolt structure with a bolt head, a threaded tip, and a body portion that is adjustable in length from the bolt head to the threaded tip, and first and second mounting members are included for being fixed to the lower female flange section. 
     With such a mounting assembly provided, the upper male flange section can be attached to the toilet base by passing the first and second hollow bolts through the first and second mounting holes of the upper male flange section and through the first and second mounting holes of the toilet base and tightening the first and second base bolt nuts onto the first and second hollow bolts. With the toilet and the upper male flange section so joined, the toilet and the upper male flange section can be applied to the lower female flange section with the tubular wall portion of the upper male flange section received into the tubular wall portion of the lower female flange section. Then, the toilet base and the upper male flange section can be attached to the lower female flange section and the wastewater pipe by passing the first and second fastening bolt structures through the first and second hollow bolts and into threaded engagement with the first and second mounting members with the first and second mounting members fixed in relation to the lower female flange section. 
     Practices of the method can include mounting the lower female flange section to the floor and the wastewater pipe. By way of non-limiting example, where each mounting plate further has at least one mounting aperture disposed through the mounting plate spaced from the locking aperture and at least one aligned mounting aperture disposed through the ring portion of the lower female flange section, mounting the lower female flange section to the floor and the wastewater pipe can include passing mounting fasteners through the mounting apertures in the mounting plates and the lower female flange section and into a flooring material. For instance, where the flooring material comprises a concrete flooring material, the step of passing mounting fasteners through the mounting apertures and into the flooring material can comprise passing the mounting fasteners through the mounting apertures and into threaded anchor bolts embedded in the concrete flooring material. In such practices of the invention, the method can further include embedding the threaded anchoring bolts in the concrete flooring material, such as while the concrete flooring material is setting, by drilling and fixing in place, or in any other manner. Where the flooring material comprises a wood flooring material, the step of passing mounting fasteners through the mounting apertures and into the flooring material can comprise passing screw mounting fasteners through the mounting apertures and screwing the mounting fasteners into the wood flooring material. 
     The telescoping toilet closet flange in certain embodiments can incorporate a two-part assembly that utilizes a combination of an upper male section that is attached by screws or bolts, for example, to the underside of the toilet base through the innermost area of standardized elongate holes in the toilet base into a steel plate set on top of the toilet base and a lower female section that is attached to the toilet base support surface or floor into which the upper section is positioned. An annular layer of adhesive sealant is deposed on a flattened area between the upper male section and the bottom of the toilet. This creates a rugged and watertight seal that cannot be dislodged while setting the toilet. The upper male section can be fitted with a plurality of O-rings or ribbed type seals disposed around its outer circumference to promote a watertight seal with the lower female section. 
     It is a feature of the practices of the invention to provide a method for precisely aligning the upper male section with its adhesive sealant and attaching it to the bottom of the toilet in the correct location centered around the discharge horn of the toilet. Attachment screws are positioned in the openings of the flange and firmly held while the ends of the screws are pushed through the mounting holes in the toilet base. 
     It is another feature of embodiments of the toilet mounting flange and method to provide a washer plate to be set on top of the toilet base with a threaded hole to receive the upper male section attachment screws or bolts and an unthreaded hole disposed adjacent thereto to bolt down the toilet to the lower female section of the flange. 
     Further features of embodiments of the invention include the use of the laterally elongated toilet base holes whose positioning, size, and spacing is standard to all toilet bases to allow two side-by-side screws or bolts to pass through each elongate hole to mount the toilet rather than the use of a singular, pre-placed standard anchor bolt. Embodiments are disclosed herein a single hollow bolt with exterior threads is permanently attached to each side of the upper male flange section allowing attachment to the bottom of the toilet and permitting an additional bolt to pass inside the hollow bolt to secure the toilet to the lower female flange section. An efficient, direct bolting down of the toilet to the lower part of the closet flange is permitted without the need for conventional anchor bolts or a wax ring. The lower female section of the present invention can be provided with standard predrilled holes to screw the device to subflooring and threaded holes aligned to the outermost area of the toilet base elongate holes. 
     The toilet is thus provided with a variable or telescoping watertight height tolerance. The lower female section of the flange can be installed directly to a subfloor during rough plumbing procedures thereby reducing the number of installation processes requiring additional visits by a plumber. The rough plumbing process for practices of the present invention can include permanent attachment of the lower female section to the waste pipe and floor. Flooring materials can abut the edge of the lower section of the flange and no longer must be positioned beneath it. 
     Practices of the toilet mounting flange and method eliminate the need of an installer to acquire, purchase, or install additional seals, seal extensions, or separate devices to create a watertight and dependable seal, such as might otherwise be required due to increased or decreased proximity to a closet flange, such as due to varying thicknesses of flooring material installed under the toilet base. Without limitation except as may be included in the claims, the upper and lower sections can be formed entirely of metal or plastic or combinations of metal and plastic. It is contemplated further that the upper male section can be used independently of the lower female section, such as by being attached to a toilet and fit directly inside of a fixed pipe with the toilet screwed directly to the floor. Still further, an additional lower female flange section can be provided that is specifically designed to be embedded in concrete thereby allowing an installer to create a rigid bolting down of the toilet without drilling into the concrete slab. 
     One will appreciate that the foregoing discussion broadly outlines the more important goals and features of the invention to enable a better understanding of the detailed description that follows and to instill a better appreciation of the inventors&#39; contribution to the art. Before any particular embodiment or aspect thereof is explained in detail, it must be made clear that the following details of construction and illustrations of inventive concepts are mere examples of the many possible manifestations of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the accompanying drawing figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention for a telescoping toilet mounting flange positioned for mounting a toilet; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a lower female flange section of the telescoping toilet mounting flange; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of an alternative telescoping toilet mounting flange according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the telescoping toilet mounting flange positioned mounting a toilet in relation to a floor structure; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the telescoping toilet mounting flange; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the telescoping toilet mounting flange of  FIG. 5  during mounting in relation to a floor structure; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the telescoping toilet mounting flange of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the telescoping toilet mounting flange of  FIGS. 3 and 7  positioned mounting a toilet; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a telescoping toilet mounting flange according to the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the telescoping toilet mounting flange of  FIG. 9  positioned mounting a toilet in relation to a floor structure with a subfloor and a flooring material atop the substrate; 
         FIG. 11  is an amplified cross-sectional view of the telescoping toilet mounting flange of  FIG. 9 , again positioned mounting a toilet in relation to a floor structure with a subfloor; 
         FIGS. 12A and 12B  are bottom and top plan views of the male upper flange of the telescoping toilet mounting flange of  FIG. 9 ; and 
         FIGS. 13A and 13B  are bottom and top plan views of the female lower flange of the telescoping toilet mounting flange of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The telescoping toilet mounting flange and the method for installing toilets using such flanges disclosed herein are subject to a variety of embodiments, each within the scope of the invention. However, to ensure that one skilled in the art will be able to understand and, in appropriate cases, practice the present invention, certain preferred embodiments of the broader invention revealed herein are described below and shown in the accompanying drawing figures. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a cross-sectional view in front elevation of a telescoping toilet mounting system according to the invention is depicted. It will be understood that, while  FIG. 1  primarily depicts one side of the telescoping toilet mounting system and one side of the toilet base  18  to be mounted, the second side of the telescoping toilet mounting system and the toilet base  18  are similarly constructed and mounted. 
     In  FIG. 1 , a lower female flange structure  10  is retained to be received into a floor and wastewater pipe  14  that is disposed therebelow. An upper male flange section  16  is attached to the toilet base  18 . Attachment screws  22  disposed to each side of the toilet base  18  are threaded into female threads  24  of a mounting plate  26 , which can be a mounting plate  26  of steel or another material, that is disposed atop the toilet base  18 . Left and right screws  22 , one to each side of the base  18 , pass through mounting holes in the upper male flange section  16  and are tightened to compress sealant material  28  that is prepositioned in a lowered contact area  30  to contact an underside  32  of the toilet base  18 . The sealant material  28  creates a watertight seal between the upper flange  16  and the underside  32  of the toilet base  18 . The upper male flange section  16  can thus be attached to the toilet base  18  prior to engagement with the lower female flange structure  10  and prior to engagement with the floor structure, such as while the toilet is fully accessible while rested on its side or back. 
     During the mounting process, the toilet base  18  and the upper male flange section  16  are attached at each side thereof to the lower female flange  10  by a bolt  34  that passes through the mounting plate  26 , through the toilet base  18 , through a hole  36  in the upper flange  16 , and through a tapered opening  38  in the lower female flange structure  10  then to be threaded into a floor mounting plate  40 . The floor mounting plate  40  can be of steel or another material. The upper male flange section  16  has a recessed area  42  on the planar lower surface  44  thereof to allow the head of the screw  22  be received therein, such as to be flush or nearly flush with the planar lower surface  44  of the upper flange  16 . This allows a clearance  46  space to be minimized. 
     With the upper male flange section  16  attached to the toilet base  18 , the toilet base  18  and the upper male flange section  16  attached thereto are lowered into place. The upper male flange section  16  has a tapered distal end  48  that is readily aligned with and received within an inner sidewall  50  of a lower tubular wall section  52  of the lower female flange structure  10 . An annular, ribbed sanitary seal  54  creates a water and gas proof seal between the lower female flange structure  10  and the upper male flange section. Over-compression of the sealant material  28  is prevented by an integral proximity stop  55 , which can, by way of example and not limitation, be interposed between the upper male flange section  16  and the underside  32  of the toilet base  18 . For instance, in the depicted embodiment, the proximity stop  55  surrounds the shank  56  of the attachment screw  22  thereby to prevent over-compression of the sealant material  28  or a stressing and possibly cracking the entire upper male flange section  16 . 
     Embodiments of the invention can thus be characterized as a telescoping toilet mounting flange system for the installation and connection of a toilet base  18  to a floor and waste water pipe  14 . The toilet base  18  has two spaced mounting holes  20 , one on each side of the base  18 , and a wastewater discharge port  15 . The telescoping toilet mounting flange system comprises an upper male section  16  attachable to the toilet base  18  through the toilet base mounting holes  20 . As seen, for instance, in  FIG. 1 , the upper male section  16  comprises a ring  17  that has an interior port  19  concentric with the toilet base wastewater discharge port  15 . The ring  17  of the upper male section  16  further has two spaced apart mounting holes  36  arranged to be aligned with the toilet base mounting holes  20 . The ring  17  further has a flanged tubular portion  45  with a tapered end  48  arranged to extend downward into the wastewater pipe  14 . 
     An upper male section attachment ring connection is thus formed by the bolts  22  as they are upwardly disposed through the mounting holes in the ring  17  of the upper male flange section  16  and through the toilet base mounting holes  20  to threadedly engage the plate  26  disposed atop each of the toilet base mounting holes  20  for receiving the bolt  22 . The sealant material  28 , which can comprise an adhesive sealant ring  28 , disposed between the toilet base  18  and upper male flange section  16  is arranged to be concentric with the interior port  19  of the upper male flange section  16  and the toilet discharge opening  15 . The sealant ring  28  is arranged to be compressed upon a tightening of the bolts  22  in relation to the threaded plates  26 . 
     The lower female flange structure  10  is attachable to a floor structure. As shown in  FIG. 1 , for example, mounting plates  40  with threaded bolt-down holes  58  can be disposed below the tapered openings  38  in the lower female flange structure  10 . During installation, the bolt-down holes  58  are aligned with the toilet base mounting holes  20  to permit the toilet base  18  to be top-bolted and mounting to the waste water pipe  14  and to the surrounding floor structure. The lower female flange section  10  has a circular ring portion  21  that is disposed a facing relationship with the ring  17  of the upper male flange section  16  and a flanged tubular wall section portion  52  that, when installed, extends downwardly into the waste water pipe  14 . The sealant ring  28  is disposed between the rings  17  and  21  of the upper male flange section  16  and the lower female flange section  10 . 
     The lower female flange section  10  can be further understood with reference to  FIG. 2  where the lower female flange section  10  is shown in a top plan view. There, mounting plates  40 , which in this embodiment comprise arcuate mounting plates  40 , are shown to be embedded or otherwise disposed in the underside of the ring portion  21  of the lower female flange section  10 . Threaded bolt-down holes  58  are shown centered in the mounting plates  40  and in the ring portion  21  of the lower female flange section  10  between screw-down holes  60  that are disposed through the ring portion  21  of the lower female flange section  10  and the mounting plates  40  for permitting direct attachment, such as by screws, to a floor structure. Supplemental screw-down holes  62  are disposed in opposition through the ring portion  21  spaced from the screw-down holes  60  to provide for supplemental floor attachment as may be required for additional strength. 
     Turning to  FIG. 3 , an alternative embodiment of the telescoping toilet mounting system is shown, and components of such a telescoping toilet mounting system, albeit with certain variations thereto, are shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In  FIG. 3 , one side of the telescoping toilet mounting system and one side of the toilet base  18  are shown with the understanding that the second side of the telescoping toilet mounting system and the toilet base  18  are similarly constructed and mounted as mirror images thereof. Components of the mounting system are shown in an exploded view in  FIG. 7  and in cross section in  FIG. 8 . 
     There, an upper male flange section  64  is attached to the underside of a toilet base  18  utilizing two hollow bolts  66 , one to each side of the toilet base  18 . The bolts  66  are slid through hole  68  through the upper male flange section  64 . The heads of the bolts  66 , which can be square, hexagonal, or otherwise non-round shapes, are captured in correspondingly square, hexagonal, or otherwise non-round recesses  70 , and the bolts  66  are further slid through the oval holes  20  common to all toilet bases. The upper male flange section  64  is secured in place and a watertight relationship is established between the upper male flange section  64  and the toilet base  18  as the waterproof sanitary seal  28  interposed between the upper male flange section  64  and the toilet base  18  is compressed by tightening a toilet base bolt nut  72  onto the exterior threads  74  of the bolt  66 . 
     In a marked improvement over the prior art, with the upper male flange section  64  fixed in place relative to the toilet base  18  and with the tubular portion  45  of the upper male flange section  64  projecting concentrically beyond the exhaust port  15  of the toilet base  18 , installation can then be rapidly and efficiently completed. The tubular portion  45  of the upper male flange section  64  can be slid into the lower tubular wall section  52  of the lower female flange structure  10  to cause the rings  17  and  21  of the upper male flange section  64  and the lower female flange section  10  to be disposed in a concentric, facing relationship. The toilet can then be fixed in place by passing toilet bolt down screws  76  through the hollow bolts  66 , through tapered openings  78  in the lower female flange structure  10 , and to have threaded tips of the screws  76  received into threaded holes  86  in the floor mounting plates  40  and tightening the screws  76  to both sides of toilet base  18 . The tapered openings  78  in the lower female flange section  10  and the threaded holes  86  in the mounting plates  40  are again centered in the ring portion  21  of the lower female flange section  10  between screw-down holes  60  that are disposed through the ring portion  21  of the lower female flange section  10  and the mounting plates  40  for permitting direct attachment, such as by screws, to a floor structure. 
     Supplemental screw-down holes  62  are disposed in opposition through the ring portion  21  spaced from the screw-down holes  60  to provide for supplemental floor attachment as may be required for additional strength. The telescoping capability of toilet mounting system can be further recognized in  FIG. 8 , for example, where additional flooring material  82 , such as tile or any other material, is disposed under the toilet base  18  while the lower female flange section  10  is attached directly to the subfloor  84 . With the additional flooring material  82  in place, clearance  46  is expanded. Nonetheless, a watertight seal is maintained between the toilet base  18  and the upper male flange section  64  and between the upper male flange section  64  and the lower female flange section  10  by operation of the ring of sealant  28  and the circular ribbed sanitary seal  54 . 
       FIG. 4  depicts the telescoping toilet mounting system of  FIG. 1  employed in mounting a toilet to a floor structure comprising a subfloor  84  and additional flooring material  82 , such as tile or any other flooring material, disposed atop the subfloor  84 . There, the telescoping capability of the invention is again exhibited where the additional flooring material  82  is disposed under the toilet base  18  while the lower female flange section  10  is attached directly to the subfloor  84 . With the upper male flange section  16  fixed in relation to the toilet base  18  and the toilet base  18  elevated by the additional flooring material  82 , the clearance  46  has accordingly been expanded. Despite that expanded clearance  46 , a watertight seal is ensured by the circular ribbed sanitary seal  54  between the upper male flange section  16  and the lower female flange section  10  and by the sealant ring  28  compressed between the upper male flange section  16  and the toilet base  18 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  depict an alternative embodiment of the lower female flange portion of a telescopic toilet mounting system as disclosed herein. There, the lower female flange portion is designed to be embedded in a poured concrete floor while the concrete is in liquid form. The lower female flange portion has an upper washer-shaped ring  92 , which could be a steel upper washer-shaped ring  92 , that is rotatably attached to a lower wastewater pipe connection  94 , which could be a plastic lower wastewater pipe connection  94 . For example, the washer-shaped ring  92  can be rotatably engaged with grooves  95  disposed within a ring portion of the wastewater pipe connection. Two tubular sleeves  96  with interior threads  98  are firmly attached to the ring  92 . A metal foot  101  is firmly attached at the bottom of each sleeve  96 . 
     Under this construction, the sleeves  96  and the ring  92  and wastewater pipe connection  94  connected thereto are anchored in relation to the concrete floor when the concrete has hardened. The lower female flange portion so retained can further retain a toilet in relation to a concrete floor  97  and in relation to the wastewater pipe  99 . The benefit of this embodiment is that an installer of a toilet will not have to drill into hardened concrete to attach a toilet flange and toilet to a floor  97  and waste pipe  99 . Accordingly, as further shown in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 6 , the upper circular ring  92  is thus rotatably attached to the lower wastewater pipe connection  94  with the two attached downward extending internally threaded sleeves  96  supported by feet  101  within the concrete floor  97 . This structure thus provides pre-disposed, threaded holes in the form of the tubular sleeves  96  with interior threads  98  to permit bolting a toilet to the floor  97  and a waste pipe  99  by use of toilet base installation bolts  105  in much the same manner and with corresponding components as those shown and described in relation to  FIG. 1  with respect to a wood floor structure. 
     The toilet attachment method of the embodiment of  FIGS. 5 and 6  thus allows independent rotation of the upper ring  92  in relation to the wastewater pipe connection  94 . The independent rotation of the upper ring  92  allows an installer, by way of example and not limitation, to glue the lower pipe connection  94  to the wastewater pipe  99  and then to rotate the upper ring  92  to the proper position, such as by using registration marks  103 , in relation to the wall behind the toilet and at ninety degrees from sleeve  96  since concrete hardens considerably slower than traditional plastic cements. 
     A further embodiment of the telescopic toilet mounting system is indicated generally at  100  in  FIGS. 9 through 11 . There, the mounting system  100  again includes an upper male flange section  102 , which is shown apart from the system  100  in  FIGS. 12A and 12B , that has an annular, flat ring portion  148  and a tubular wall portion  150  connected to the ring portion  148  by a conical portion  149 . The mounting system  100  further includes a lower female flange section  104 , which is shown apart from the system  100  in  FIGS. 13A and 13B , that has an annular, flat ring portion  152  and a tubular wall portion  154  connected to the ring portion  152  by a conical portion  153 . A sealing O-ring  146  is retained, such as by being received in an annular channel in the inner surface of the tubular wall portion  154 , to be sealingly disposed between the tubular wall portion  150  of the upper male flange section  102  and the tubular wall portion  154  of the lower female flange section  104 . 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 12A and 12B , the ring portion  148  of the upper male flange section  102  has first and second arcuate furrows  156  disposed in opposition on the underside thereof, and first and second apertures  116  are disposed in opposition centrally within the furrows  156 . The mounting system  100  includes first and second arcuate clamping plates  108  that are shaped and sized to be received into the arcuate furrows  156  in the upper male flange section  102 . A hollow bolt  114  with a tubular interior is externally threaded and fixed to project from each clamping plate  108 . 
     As shown, for instance, in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , with the clamping plate  108  disposed below the rim portion  148  of the upper male flange section  102  and the hollow bolts  114  can be received through the apertures  116  in the upper male flange section  102  and through the mounting holes  20  of the toilet base  18 , hold-down nuts  118  can be threadedly engaged with the external threads of the hollow bolts  114  thereby fastening the upper male flange section  102  to the toilet base  18 . An annular sealant ring  106 , which is compressed upon tightening of the hold-down nuts  118 , is again disposed between the upper male flange section  102  and the toilet base  18  to establish a watertight connection therebetween. 
     With more particular reference to  FIGS. 13A and 13B , the lower female flange section  104  can be seen to have first and second arcuate furrows  112  disposed in opposition on the upper side thereof, and those furrows  112  receive and retain correspondingly sized and shaped arcuate mounting plates  110 . A threaded central locking aperture  126  is disposed in each mounting plate  110  with a corresponding aperture  128  disposed through the lower female flange section  104 , and first and second mounting apertures  130  and  132  are disposed through the mounting plate  110  outboard of the locking aperture  126  with aligned apertures  136  and  138  disposed through the lower female flange section  104 . 
     In installing the mounting system  100 , as will be discussed further hereinbelow, fasteners  158  and  160  can be driven through the apertures  130 / 136  and  132 / 138 . In an installation relative to a room with a floor of wood or another material into which one can screw directly, the fasteners  158  and  160  can comprise wood screws. In other installations, such as in relation to a room with a formed material such as but not limited to concrete, the fasteners  158  and  160  can be threadedly received by internally threaded anchor bolts  140  and  142  that can be preset in the floor material as discussed, for instance, in relation to the embodiment of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . Where necessary, additional fasteners can be driven through supplemental apertures  144  in the lower female flange section  104  and into the flooring material. 
     Under this construction and with more particular reference to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , an installer can carry out an efficient and convenient method of mounting of a toilet in relation to a floor structure and wastewater pipe  200  by first fastening the upper male flange section  102  to a toilet base  18  and separately securing the lower female flange section  104  in relation to a floor structure, whether the toilet base  18  is to rest atop an additional flooring material  82  disposed atop a base floor material  84  as in  FIG. 10  or directly on a base floor material  84  as in  FIG. 11 . By engagement of the hold-down nuts  118  with the hollow bolts  114 , the clamping plates  108  are caused to clamp the upper male flange section  102  into fixed engagement with the toilet base  18  with the sealing O-ring  106  creating a liquid-tight relationship therebetween. By operation of the fasteners  158  and  160  passing through the mounting plate  110  and into the flooring material, whether by being directly screwed into the flooring material or by being screwed into anchor bolts  140  and  142  embedded in the flooring material, the lower female flange structure  104  is fixed in place. The tubular wall portion  154  of the lower female flange section  104  is matingly or otherwise sealingly engaged with a wastewater pipe  200  as, for example, in  FIG. 10 . A sealing O-ring  162  or another sealing mechanism can ensure a liquid-tight relationship between the lower female flange structure  104  and the wastewater pipe  200 . 
     With the upper male flange section  102  fixed to the toilet base  18  and the lower female flange section  104  fixed relative to the floor structure and the wastewater pipe  200 , the toilet can be quickly and reliably engaged with the wastewater pipe  200  by lowering the upper male flange section  102  into mating engagement with the lower female flange section  104  with the sealing O-ring  146  establishing a liquid-tight relationship between the flange sections  102  and  104 . Then, the toilet can be fixed in place by application of a fastening bolt structure  121  with bolt head and a threaded tip  124  that is passed through the hollow bolt  114  and into threaded engagement with the threaded aperture  126  in the mounting plate  110 , which itself is fixed to the floor structure by the fasteners  158  and  160 . With this, and notably without the messiness of the wax ring and the precarious toilet bolts required by the prior art, a toilet can be efficiently mounted in a reliably watertight manner. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the fastening bolt structure  121  has a body portion that is adjustable in length from the bolt head to the threaded tip  124 . To accomplish this, the depicted fastening bolt structure  121  comprises a barrel bolt, often referred to as a sex bolt, formed by an internally threaded barrel sleeve  122  that terminates in the threaded tip  124  and a screw  120  that is threadedly received into the barrel sleeve  122 . With this, the effective length of the fastening bolt structure  121  can be adjusted by rotation of the screw  120  within the barrel sleeve  122 , and single, concentric fastener construction of the fastening bolt structure  121  is operative to fix the toilet base  18  in place. 
     Such embodiments can readily accommodate varied distances between the toilet base  18  (and thus the upper end of the hollow bolt  114  securing the upper male flange section  102  to the toilet base) and the mounting plate  110  (and thus the floor structure to which the mounting plate  110  and the lower female flange section  104  are secured). As in  FIG. 10 , for example, where additional flooring material  82  raises the toilet base  18  higher above the base flooring  84 , the fastening bolt structure  121  spans a greater length with the screw  120  received a given portion into the barrel sleeve  122 . However, as in  FIG. 11  where the additional flooring material  82  is not present, the fastening bolt structure  121  spans a lesser length with the screw  120  received a greater portion into the barrel sleeve  122 . 
     As a result, a watertight connection can be established in varied installation situations using the same mounting system  100 . The mounting system  100  provides an effective solution to the long-felt need for an efficient and convenient mounting solution for joining a toilet base  18  with a wastewater pipe  200  in a sealed manner. With the ability to mount the upper male flange section  102  to the toilet base  18  in a permanent manner and then to fasten the joined toilet base  18  and upper male flange section  102  to the lower female flange section  104  and wastewater pipe  200 , the mounting system  100  provides a self-aligning structure that eliminates the need to lower a toilet precisely onto precariously upstanding bolts as is required by the structures of the known prior art, which often involves multiple separate sets of fasteners, messy wax rings, and loosely upstanding bolts onto which an installer must attempt to lower a heavy toilet. 
     With certain details and embodiments of the present invention for a telescoping toilet mounting system and method disclosed, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that numerous changes and additions could be made thereto without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention. This is particularly true when one bears in mind that the presently preferred embodiments merely exemplify the broader invention revealed herein. Accordingly, it will be clear that those with major features of the invention in mind could craft embodiments that incorporate those major features while not incorporating all of the features included in the preferred embodiments. 
     Therefore, the following claims shall define the scope of protection to be afforded to the inventors. Those claims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. Certain claims may express, or be interpreted to express, certain elements as means for performing a specific function, at times without the recital of structure or material. As the law demands, any such claims shall be construed to cover not only the corresponding structure and material expressly described in this specification but also all legally-cognizable equivalents thereof.