Fluidmaster, Inc.

Other

Adolf Schoepe

Oscar R Dufau

Kabir Siddiqui

Fredric E Schmuck

John C McKay

Steven E Maple

Kent Goesling

Frederic E Schmuck

A system is provided for treating water to reduce calcium carbonate deposits. At least three or four pairs of magnets (30a-30d and 32a-32d in FIG. 2) form a group of magnets that are mounted around a water-carrying pipe (12), with the magnets spaced apart parallel to the length of the pipe, and with the magnets of each pair lying on opposite sides of the pipe. Each pair of magnets (e.g. 30a, 32a) and a frame (34) that holds them, forms a unit which clamps individually around the pipe, to facilitate changing of the spacing between adjacent magnets. Two different groups of magnets (16, 18) can be employed, with the spacing of magnets in a first group being nonharmonic to the spacing in a second group.

Water treatment system

A pivotable toilet flush valve member (10) is provided, of the type that includes a float (40) with a pair of holes (44, 52) that allow the float to fill with water during a flushing to close early, and where the float can be turned to vary the amount of water used during a flushing, wherein the float is constructed for easy and loose mounting on a frame (12) and for low friction rotation about a primarily vertical axis (60), and where the flush valve member has a simple detent mechanism to hold the float at any rotational position to which it is turned. The frame has an aperture (74) lying along the primarily vertical axis, and the float has a small diameter upwardly extending projection (70) that projects upwardly through the frame aperture and that is held by the walls of the aperture, for low friction turning. The detent mechanism includes an upstanding wall (100) with an upwardly-open vertical groove (102) that has a plurality of teeth on at least one side of the groove. The frame has a downwardly-extending detent (92) with at least one tooth (111-113) that lies in the groove.

Adjustable flush valve

A method and apparatus are provided that indicate the amount of gas such as air in a clear liquid such as water. The apparatus includes a transparent pipe (60), an input coupling (16) at a first end of the transparent pipe, and a shutoff valve (20) at the second end of the pipe. The first end of the pipe is connected to a source of water (12) under pressure, whose air content is to be determined. With the valve (20) open, water is allowed to pass through the pipe and valve to purge the pipe of air and any previous water. The shutoff valve is then closed, to contain the water under pressure. The dissolved air in the static, pressurized water, immediately forms microscopic air bubbles, which result in the water having a 'milky' appearance. The presence of the milky appearance indicates the presence of a considerable amount of dissolved water (when the water is not under high pressure). The reflectivity of the water indicates the amount of dissolved air per unit volume of water (when not under high pressure).

Air-in-water indicator

Apparatus for magnetically treating water

An assembly is provided for replacing part or all of a toilet flush valve, which facilitates mounting in a variety of toilets and which enables saving of water. The assembly includes an adapter (30, FIG. 6) for mounting on older types of overflow tubes, which includes a ring member (70) having a gap (72) and a leaf spring (80) extending across the gap. After the adapter is moved down along the overflow tube and lies at its base, the spring is pushed in to cause a hook (84) at one end to ride along a ramp (90) from a second tooth (88) to a third tooth (92) and engage the third tooth, to tightly clamp the ring member in place to prevent turning. A closing delay cup (116, FIG. 9) that can be used on a valve member, includes a plurality of holes and at least one plug (126) that is molded to the cup and can be cut off and used to plug one of the holes (120) to adjust the amount of water saved in each flushing. A valve member includes a tank ball having an enlargement (160, FIG. 12) at its top which is received in a yoke, in a universal joint that allow for limited pivoting of the tank ball to seal against valve seats of varying height and tilt.

Replacement flush valve

An assembly is provided for replacing part or all of a toilet flush valve, which facilitates mounting in a variety of toilets and which enables saving of water. The assembly includes an adapter (30, FIG. 6) for mounting on older types of overflow tubes, which includes a ring member (70) having a gap (72l ) and a leaf spring (80) extending across the gap. After the adapter is moved down along the overflow tube and lies at its base, the spring is pushed in to cause a hook (84) at one end to ride along a ramp (90) from a second tooth (88) to a third tooth (92) and engage the third tooth, to tightly clamp the ring member in place to prevent turning. A closing delay cup (116, FIG. 9) that can be used on a valve member, includes a plurality of holes and at least one plug (126) that is molded to the cup and can be cut off and used to plug one of the holes (120) to adjust the amount of water saved in each flushing. A valve member includes a tank ball having an enlargement (160, FIG. 12) at its top which is received in a yoke, in a universal joint that allow for limited pivoting of the tank ball to seal against valve seats of varying height and tilt.

Adapter for toilet fitting

An apparatus is provided which enables a container of cleaning fluid to lie in a water closet and dispense cleaning fluid solely into the toilet bowl rather than into the water closet. The apparatus includes a storage chamber (54) for holding granules of a chemical that dissolves in water to create cleaning fluid, and a transfer chamber (64) through which water flows from a refill valve outlet (40) into a standpipe (44) that leads to the toilet bowl, at each flushing of the toilet. The transfer chamber is coupled to the storage chamber so that cleaning fluid can migrate from the storage chamber (54) into the transfer chamber (64), and yet during each flushing the water from the refill outlet primarily sweeps out cleaning fluid in the transfer chamber. An anti-siphon device (74) between the refill valve outlet and the cleaning fluid dispensing apparatus includes a check valve, and a chamber that surrounds the check valve. The anti-siphon chamber has air holes that let water in the anti-siphon chamber drain into the transfer chamber when water is no longer supplied from the refill outlet, the holes being blocked during flow from the refill outlet.

Cleaner injector system

A faucet handle assembly is described for replacing a handle on a faucet valve stem, which can mount on a wide variety of types of stems. The assembly includes a pair of jaws (30, 32, FIG. 1) having inner surfaces for engaging opposite sides of the periphery (22) of the valve stem and having outer camming surfaces (42, 43) that can be pushed together. The assembly also includes a faucet handle (12) with a hole in the top for passing a screw (28) that screws into a threaded hole of the valve stem, and having a cavity (44) for receiving the jaws. The cavity has camming surfaces (54, 56) that engage the jaw camming surfaces, so as the screw is tightened the jaws are pressed tightly against the valve stem peripheral surface.

Faucet handle universal coupling

Flush valve for toilets

A toilet refill valve is described for refilling a water closet after each flushing, which produces minimal noise during the refill process. The valve includes a valve device which can open to pass water to a vertical outlet tube that empties into the bottom of the water closet. An anti-siphon air tube near the top of the outlet tube has an upper end open to the atmosphere and a lower end facing downwardly along the outlet tube. A restriction in the outlet tube below the air tube, causes water to fill the outlet tube and at least the bottom of the air tube for a water inlet pressure of at least 20 psi. The water at the bottom of the air tube prevents air from being dragged into the downwardly facing air tube, to avoid the noise that would result from such air flowing through the air tube and bubbling out of the bottom of the outlet tube.

Low noise toilet tank valve

An improvement is provided for toilet flush valves on tanks which contain insufficient water to flush properly, which leads to waste of water by double flushing. The improvement enables in-field modification of the flush valve to substantially completely empty the tank. A closing delay device (42, FIG. 1) which includes a cup (64), is attached directly to the top of the tank ball (32) for easy installation, and is tall enough so that when the tank ball is pivoted to the fully opened position the cup is pivoted to a side of the pivot axis (28) opposite the tank ball to delay closing of the flush valve. The tank ball is formed of soft rubber and has an upwardly extending tubular extension (74) with an annular groove therein, which closely receives an annular flange at the bottom of the delay cup device.

In-field installable closing delay cup

Separable box wrench

Improved ballcock float structures are provided including a molded, plastic, hollow body formed of cup-like lower and reverse cup-like upper parts. The parts are retained together by snap engagement between the extremities of the parts with positioning abutments for additional stability. A float guide extends vertically through the body having a vertical opening for receiving a ballcock or the like to be controlled by the float. Control of the float for controlling the ballcock is provided by two, tubular liquid vents secured in and extending upwardly from the lower part bottom wall and a similar liquid vent projecting downwardly through and from the upper part top wall. The liquid and air vents project into the interior of the body, but terminate spaced apart and the relative positions thereof determines the performance of the float. Furthermore, it is preferred that the liquid vents will be of a length about equivalent to a collar formed by the lower part around the float guide so that a liquid-tight chamber is formed at all times retaining a certain amount of liquid, and therefore establishing a ballast. The air vent is preferably of a length extending downwardly into the lower part in assembly, thereby confining liquid to the lower part.

Ballcock float structure

A horizontal water inlet tube is inwardly connected reversely through a valve within a horizontal valve housing and from the valve housing downwardly into a generally vertical water outlet tube. The valve is controlled by a valve control arm projecting generally horizontally from the valve housing downwardly connected through a float connector to a float vertically slideable on a float guide extending downwardly from the valve housing. A diverter at the upper end of the water outlet tube receives water flow generally horizontally from the valve housing into a pair of spaced, downward helical grooves directing the flow spirally into a pair of spaced vertical grooves for ultimate discharge downwardly through the water outlet tube. The diverter vertical grooves are larger in cross-section than the respective helical grooves and are formed by radial plates converging centrally to a cylinder at groove upper portions and an inverted cone at groove lower portions, each vertical groove occupying in the order of 120.degree. of the outlet tube circumference. For shipment, the float guide may be pivoted upwardly at its connection to the valve housing simultaneously carrying the float and float connector without disrupting assembly placing these elements approaching horizontally parallel to the inlet tube, valve housing and valve control arm. The outlet tube is selectively disconnectable adjacent the valve housing for positioning thereof generally horizontal.

Growing community of inventors

Fullerton, CA, United States of America

Adolf Schoepe