Improvements in and relating to Couplings for Water-closets and other Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 29th Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Couplings for Water-closets and
other Apparatus.
We, JAMES JOSEPH RICKETTS and FRANCIS JOHN TORRANCE, Citizens of the United
States of America, residing respectively at Squirrel Hill Pittsburgh and 241 Western
Avenue Allegheny City both in the County of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,
one of the United States of America, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to joints and couplings, and has special advantages in
connecting pipes to water closets, urinal basins and other vessels of earthenware or
like material which can be easily broken. It is well known to those skilled in the
art that in order to connect the supply pipes to water-closet bowls, a
rigid elbow
joint has been employed and that the neck extending out from the bowl was weak
and extremely liable to fracture, while in case of such accident, the entire bowl
was rendered useless. Such fracture usually occurred while connecting the pipes to
the bowl on account of the rigid elbow joint employed, or subsequent thereto, on
account of transverse strain brought upon the joint because of imperfect work or
from other causes, such as settling of the building; in which case as the neck of the
bowl was weaker than the metal tubing or the elbow connecting it thereto, it
generally broke under the strain. By our invention we provide a joint by which
this difficulty is entirely overcome.
It comprises, generally stated, a connecting elbow of rubber or like flexible material
moulded to shape, and having at one end thereof, a flange integral with the body, and
extending out at right angles therefrom, and at the other end an enlargement of
greater diameter than the body of the elbow at the base of the flange, such construc-
tion giving the necessary strength of body and strength at the ends of the elbow and
the elasticity of the elbow allowing it to be sufficiently compressed to enter the
coupling sleeve employed to connect it to the supply pipe or bowl. It also comprises
a flexible elbow or like joint having an enlargement or bulb at one end thereof,
corresponding to the shape of the horn, and adapted to fit around the horn of the
closet, and form a tight joint therewith. It also comprises the flexible elbow or like
joint having the flange formed at the end thereof, and a coupling sleeve having a
threaded interior and an annular recess below and of greater diameter than the
threaded interior to receive the flange of the rubber elbow. It also comprises other
improvements as hereinafter set forth.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will describe
the same fully, referring to the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a sectional view of our coupling attached to a water-closet bowl ;
Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the elbow ;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the elbow having flanges at each end;
Figure 4 is a detail sectional view showing the way of connecting such elbow to
the bowl; and
Figure 5 is a detail view showing another means of connecting the elbow to the
bowl.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.
The elbow a is made of flexible water-tight material such as india-rubber and of
sufficient strength and thickness to sustain the strain to which it may be subjected.
The elbow b, shown in Figures 1 and 2, is formed with the enlargement or bulb 6
therein, having the contracted mouth and so forming the annular channel &, the
bulb corresponding substantially in shape to and being adapted to be expanded
around the head c of the horn c of the closet. Extending within the enlargement

page_text: is the annular neck d of the same diameter as the elbow and adapted to fit within
the mouth of the horn and seat itself against the inner part thereof, the annular seat c²
being preferably formed in the horn c, so as to provide for the use of an elbow or
coupling of the same internal diameter as the horn. A flange e is formed on the other
end of the elbow a adapted when in position to be held securely within the annular
seat or recess formed in the sleeve which connects the supply pipe g with the
elbow a.
The annular seat or recess / extends into the body of said sleeve beyond
the interior threaded face f, while the shoulder / extends in beyond said threade 1
face, thereby forming a secure support for the rubber flange e of the elbow. The
threaded face f2 of the sleeve engages with the threaded portion g' of the supply
pipe g, thereby forming a water-tight connection between said pipe and elbow a.
This annular recess in the sleeve so provides for the employment of a rubber elbow
of the same internal diameter as the pipe or nipple connected to the sleeve, a matter
of great importance, as the water flowing from the tank to the bowl encounters no
obstructions, and therefore its velocity is not checked. It is evident that to obtain
sufficient strength in the elbow, it must be made sufficiently thick and that the flange
must extend out beyond the body far enough to prevent its being drawn out of the
sleeve. By forming the recess for the flange in the sleeve. the flange is securely held
while the sleeve is adapted to engage with the ordinary threaded pipe or nipple; and
when the pipe or nipple enters the sleeve it seats itself against the flange back from
the edge of the flange, a much more secure joint being thus obtained.
The elasticity of the rubber flange e permits of its ready insertion within the
annular recess as it is apparent that said Hange must be slightly bent before it can be
made to enter said recess, but when in position it will spring back to its normal shape.
The effect produced by the elasticity of the flange e together with the recess and
the shoulder his to strengthen the connection with the sleeve and form a water-
tight joint. The same principle is involved in securing the enlargement to the
born c, first the expansion of said enlargement permitting its adjustment to the horn c
and it then contracts around said horn serving to form a tight connection. The neck d
adds to the strength of this connection by fitting against the interior face of the horn,
and in the seat thereof; and the peculiar effect of said neck d being that, as tho
water flows through the coupling from the supply pipe g, the neck d is forced against
the interior walls of the horn, so preventing the escape of any of the water through
leakage around said neck or between the horn and the enlargement.
In Figure 2, the flexible elbow is shown with flanges e at each end. In Figure 4
this elbow is shown connected by coupling sleeves or swivel nuts with both the
bowl and supply pipe. The horn of the water closet has at the end thereof, the
sectional flanges or lips with which lugs on the nipple engage, and a tight joint
is formed with this neck by means of the washer m and the nut m' screwing onto the
nipple. The flexible elbow is connected to the nipple 7 in substantially the manner
described in connection with the supply pipe g. If desired a short thimble n may
be employed around the elbow and fitting against the flange e thereof, to prevent
the coupling sleeve from injuring the rubber when it is turned. In Figure 5 is shown
another means of connecting the flange of the elbow to the bowl, the connection being
made by direct clamping. One clamp p fits around the bead or head c' of the horn c,
the other clamp fitting against the flange e of the elbow, and the two clamps
compressing the flange e against the end of the horn, and so forming a tight
joint.
These are given simply as illustrations of the means of connecting the elbow and
horn, as it is evident that the connection can be made by any suitable device. In the
several forms of elbow illustrated, it will be seen that the enlargements at the ends of the
elbow are of greater diameter than the smallest diameter of the coupling sleeve, or
other connecting device, and consequently that it is necessary to compress the elbow
to insert it in the connecting device. It will also be seen that the flange of the
rubber elbow serves the double purpose of a connection between the elbow and sleeve
and a washer to be compressed in forming the desired joint.
The most important result obtained by our improvement is, however, that we are

page_text: enabled to connect the bowl and the supply or other pipe by means of an elbow
joint, which is flexible and so relieves the bowl or other earthenware articles of all
such strain from the pipe connections, as might cause the fracture thereof, either during
setting up or when in use, overcoming entirely the objection before referred to in
this regard. The flexible elbow is also cheap and easily applied and may be
employed to advantage in making other connections.
Having now particularly described and ascrtained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. A flexible coupling elbow for connecting to water-closet bowls or other
purposes, formed of rubber or like flexible material moulded to shape, and having a
flange at one end integral with the body, and extending out at right angles there-
from, and having an enlargement at the other end of greater diameter than the body
of the elbow at the base of the flange, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2nd. In a coupling for water closets, the combination with the horn thereof having
a head thereon, of a rubber or like flexible elbow having an enlargement or bulb
at one end provided with a contracted mouth and adapted to fit around the horn,
and form a tight joint therewith, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3rd. In a coupling for water-closets, the combination with the horn thereof having
a bead thereon, of a rubber or like flexible elbow having an enlargement at one end
thereof provided with a contracted mouth and adapted to fit around the horn and a
neck extending within said enlargement and adapted to seat itself against the interior
wall of the horn, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4th. In a coupling for water-closets, the combination with the horn thereof having
an annular seat therein, of a flexible elbow having an enlargement at one end
thereof adapted to fit around said horn, and a neck extending within said enlarge-
ment and arranged to enter the seat formed for it in said horn, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
5th. In a coupling for water closets, the combination with a rubber or like flexible
elbow having a flange formed on the end thereof, of a coupling sleeve having a
throaded interior and an annular recess below and of greater diameter than the
threaded interior and adapted to receive the flange of the rubber elbow, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 12th day of Å 1900-
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.