Vacuum flush water closet

• US 4,237,934 A
• Filed: 07/28/1978
• Issued: 12/09/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jered Brown Brothers, Inc. (Pohlad Family Cos.)
• Original Assignee: Jered Brown Brothers, Inc. (Pohlad Family Cos.)
• Inventors: Cameron, James F., Gregory, Charles E., Brian, Michael, Thomas, Jerald F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohan, Alan
• Application Number:
  US05/928,879
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 137/595, 137/596, 137/637, 251/80, 251/14, 251/289
• US Class Current: 137/637
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/00 Special constructions of flushing devices in motor vehicles or trailers B60R15/00; in railway carriages B61D35/00; in ships B63B29/14; in aircraft B64D11/02, e.g. closed flushing system
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 1/006 Pneumatic sewage disposal systems; accessories specially adapted therefore
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87096 Valves with separate, correlated, actuators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87161 With common valve operator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87169 Supply and exhaust

Abstract

A vacuum flush water closet having a bowl and rim which are made from steel stampings covered with chemical resistant porcelain. The water closet has a self-contained flushing water and sewage valve discharge control system which is operatively mounted around the bowl and enclosed by an outer shroud made of a molded high impact plastic material. The water closet is shock proof and is mounted on a base plate that may be fixedly secured to a mounting surface, such as a floor or ship'"'"'s deck. The bowl is mounted on a sewage discharge valve which is spring closed and vacuum opened. Flushing water is supplied through a spray ring mounted around the upper end of the bowl. The flushing water is controlled by a vacuum operated valve. The operation of the flushing water valve and the sewage discharge valve is controlled by a vacuum-gravity timer which is activated by a push button switch mounted at the rear of the bowl rim. The length of the flushing cycle and the sewage discharge cycle is controlled by the vacuum-gravity timer. The flushing cycle takes place in a short time interval and a minimum amount of water is employed for flushing purposes.

Claims

1. A fluid flow activation switch, comprising:

(a) a housing having a cylindrical chamber open at one end to the atmosphere and closed at the other end;

(b) a circular flexible diaphragm member disposed in said cylindrical chamber and having a circular periphery sealingly fixed to the housing to divide said cylindrical chamber into one portion open to the atmosphere and one portion sealed from the atmosphere;

(c) a vacuum line is connected to said cylindrical chamber sealed portion to admit vacuum to provide a selective holding action on the operating shaft;

(d) a valve operating member having an operating shaft movably mounted in said cylindrical chamber in said housing, and attached to said diaphragm;

(e) a push button member;

(f) spring means interconnecting said push button member and said valve operating member;

(g) a pair of normally closed, two-way vacuum flow control valves mounted on said housing;

(h) a bridge member fixedly mounted on said operating shaft and having a pair of bridge arms attached thereto;

(i) each of said bridge arms having a valve operator mounted thereon for operative engagement with one of said flow control valves for operating the same, whereby when the push button member is depressed the operating shaft is moved, from an initial position, inwardly of said housing into an advanced position so as to flex said diaphragm member into said cylindrical chamber sealed portion, and the bridge member and valve operators are moved to operate said flow control valves from normally closed positions to open positions, and vacuum admitted through said vacuum line into said cylindrical chamber sealed portion holds the diaphragm and operating shaft in said advanced position to hold the flow control valves in said open positions, and when the vacuum is releasing from said cylindrical chamber sealed portion, the diaphragm member will return the operating shaft to its initial position and the bridge and valve operators will return the flow control valves to their normally closed positions.