Floor drain installation system

• US 8,347,906 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sioux Chief Mfg Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sioux Chief Mfg Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Ismert, Joseph P., Julian, Frank D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Macade
• Application Number:
  US12/785,772
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 137/362, 137/15.01, 428/6, 428/8, 429/3
• US Class Current: 137/15.01
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 2005/0413 for height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 2005/0414 for inclination adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/0407 Floor drains for indoor use
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 15/061 Non-reusable forms positioning means without forming function E04G21/185; electric distribution boxes H02G3/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0402 Cleaning, repairing, or assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6988 Floor installation

Abstract

A floor drain installation system includes an adaptor attached to a drain pipe projecting from the ground, a coring sleeve having a bowl-shaped upper end attached to or integral with the adaptor, and a coring plug received within the bowl of the receiver to close off the drain pipe during pouring of a concrete floor and to create a space for subsequent reception of a drain head and grate.

Claims

1. A system for mounting a utility access fixture in fluid communication with a conduit, the conduit presenting a free end below the intended surface level of a poured slab, the mounting system comprising:

a) a utility access fixture having a fixture head projecting radially outward from a central fixture mounting stem,

b) a coring sleeve having a lower portion connectable in fluid communication with said conduit and a bowl projecting outward from said lower portion, said bowl defining a bowl cavity surrounding and opening centrally into a bore extending through said lower portion of said coring sleeve;

said coring sleeve sized to removably receive the utility access fixture therein with the fixture head received within said bowl cavity and the central fixture mounting stem extending into said bore extending through said lower portion of said coring sleeve, and

c) a cover removably positionable to extend across said bowl cavity above a top surface of the utility access fixture received within the coring sleeve such that an upper surface of said cover extends generally flush with an upper edge of said bowl.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein said cover is plastic.

3. The system as in claim 1 wherein the utility access fixture includes a strainer which is fastened to the fixture head by at least one threaded fastener and wherein the cover includes at least one fastener opening positionable in alignment with the at least one threaded fastener such that the at least one threaded fastener can be used to secure the cover and the strainer to the utility access fixture.

4. The system as in claim 3 and further including an adhesive sticker for covering the at least one threaded fastener.

5. The system as in claim 3 wherein said utility access fixture further comprises a substantially ring-shaped shim that tapers in height from a relatively thick side to a relatively thin opposing side which is positionable above said fixture head and below said strainer to tilt said strainer relative to said fixture head.

6. The system as in claim 5 further comprising an adaptor connectable to an upper end of said drain pipe and wherein said coring sleeve is threadably securable to said adaptor.

7. The system as in claim 1 further comprising an adaptor connectable to an upper end of said drain pipe and wherein said coring sleeve is threadably securable to said adaptor.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the fixture head received within said bowl cavity is downwardly and upwardly adjustable relative to said coring sleeve.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said bowl further comprises an annular flange projecting outward from an upper open end of said lower portion of said coring sleeve, and an annular wall projecting upward from an outer portion of said annular flange, said annular wall spaced outward from said lower portion of said coring sleeve by said annular flange.

10. A drain fixture installation system for facilitating connection of a drain fixture to a drain pipe, the drain pipe presenting a free end below the intended surface level of a concrete slab, said system comprising:

a) a drain fixture including a fixture head at an upper end thereof and a lower, exteriorly threaded fixture stem with a bore extending therethrough, the fixture head projecting radially outward from the fixture stem;

b) a fixture receiver comprising;

i) a pipe connection adaptor having an adaptor bore extending centrally therethrough and sized for securement to the free end of the drain pipe such that said central adaptor bore extends in communication with the drain pipe; and

ii) a coring sleeve comprising a fixture head receiving bowl including an annular flange projecting outward from an upper open end of a coring sleeve stem and an annular wall projecting upward from an outer portion of said annular flange, said annular wall spaced outward from said coring sleeve stem by said annular flange, said coring sleeve having a central coring sleeve bore extending therethrough and wherein said fixture head receiving bowl opens centrally into said coring sleeve bore;

said coring sleeve stem is threadingly coupled to said pipe connection adaptor such that a level of an upper edge of said fixture head receiving bowl may be adjusted by rotating said coring sleeve relative to said pipe connection adaptor;

said coring sleeve having an internal coring sleeve thread formed along said coring sleeve bore and below said fixture head receiving bowl;

said fixture head receiving bowl sized to receive the fixture head therein with the lower, exteriorly threaded fixture stem extending into said coring sleeve bore and threadingly coupled to said internal coring sleeve thread;

c) a cover sized to cover a top surface of said fixture head and extend substantially across said fixture head receiving bowl when said fixture stem is connected to said internal, coring sleeve thread formed in said coring sleeve bore;

said cover removably positionable above said fixture head such that an upper surface of said cover extends generally flush with an upper edge of said bowl; and

wherein;

d) when said fixture receiver is connected to the drain pipe and said fixture stem is connected to said coring sleeve, concrete may be poured around the drain pipe and finished to a level generally flush with an uppermost extremity of said drain fixture installation system and said cover acts in combination with said fixture head receiving bowl to produce a void in the concrete in which a height of the fixture head relative to the level of the finished concrete can be adjusted once the concrete has hardened.

11. The drain fixture installation system as in claim 10 wherein said cover is formed from plastic.

12. The system as in claim 10 wherein the utility access fixture includes a strainer which is fastened to the fixture head by at least one threaded fastener and wherein the cover includes at least one fastener opening positionable in alignment with the at least one threaded fastener such that the at least one threaded fastener can be used to secure the cover and the strainer to the utility access fixture.

13. The system as in claim 12 and further including an adhesive sticker for covering the at least one threaded fastener.

14. A method of installing a utility access fixture on a conduit in a slab of poured material, the utility access fixture having an externally threaded cylindrical stem and a head projecting radially outward from an upper end of the stem, the method comprising the steps of:

a) connecting a coring sleeve to the conduit, the coring sleeve having a bowl formed at an upper end thereof and projecting radially outward from a lower, internally threaded coring sleeve stem, the bowl defining a bowl cavity;

b) installing a utility access fixture in the coring sleeve by threading the externally threaded stem of the utility access fixture into the internally threaded coring sleeve stem such that the head of the utility access fixture is received within the bowl cavity of the coring sleeve;

c) securing a cover over the utility access fixture, the cover sized such that an upper surface of the cover extends generally flush with an upper edge of the bowl and covers the bowl cavity;

d) pouring the poured material around said conduit;

e) finishing the poured material to a level generally flush with said upper surface of the cover to form the slab, the bowl and the cover acting in combination to form a void in the poured material;

f) allowing the poured material to harden;

g) removing the cover to provide access to the utility access fixture; and

h) adjusting the height of the utility access fixture relative to the coring sleeve until an upper surface of the utility access fixture extends generally flush with a finished surface.

15. The method as in claim 14 wherein said securing step further comprises securing the cover to the utility access fixture.

16. The method as in claim 14 wherein said securing step further comprises securing the cover to the utility access fixture with one or more fasteners.

17. The method as in claim 14 wherein the utility access fixture includes a strainer fastened to the head of the utility access fixture by one or more fasteners and the same one or more fasteners are used to secure the cover to the utility access fixture.

18. The method as in claim 17 and further including a step of applying adhesive stickers over heads of the one or more fasteners after said securing step.

19. The method as in claim 17 further comprising the step of placing above said fixture head and below said strainer a leveling shim that tapers in height from a relatively thick side to a relatively thin opposing side in order to tilt said strainer relative to said fixture head.

20. The method as in claim 14 wherein the step of connecting a coring sleeve to a conduit comprises the step of threadingly coupling a lower end of the coring sleeve to the upper end of an adaptor and coupling a lower end of the adaptor to the upper end of the conduit such that the coring sleeve and adaptor extend in communication with the conduit and the height of the upper edge of the coring sleeve bowl is adjustable prior to pouring of the poured material by threadingly rotating the coring sleeve relative to the adaptor.

21. A utility access fixture installation system for mounting a utility access fixture in fluid communication with a conduit comprising:

a) a utility access fixture having a fixture head projecting radially outward from a central fixture mounting stem, the conduit presenting a free end below the intended surface level of a poured slab,

b) a coring sleeve having a lower portion connectable in fluid communication with said conduit and a bowl including an annular flange projecting outward from said lower portion and an annular wall projecting upward from an outer portion of said annular flange, said annular wall spaced outward from said coring sleeve stem by said annular flange, said bowl defining a bowl cavity surrounding and opening centrally into a bore extending through said lower portion of said coring sleeve;

said coring sleeve sized to removably receive the utility access fixture therein with the fixture head received within said bowl cavity and the central fixture mounting stem extending into said bore extending through said lower portion of said coring sleeve, and

c) a plug removably positionable in said bowl cavity, prior to reception of the utility access fixture within said coring sleeve, said plug sized to extend across and cover said bowl cavity and such that an upper surface of said plug extends generally flush with an upper edge of said bowl; and

d) wherein said fixture head of said utility access fixture is sized to extend across and cover said bowl cavity and is axially adjustable relative to said coring sleeve when said central fixture mounting stem is received in said coring sleeve upon removal of said plug.

22. The system as in claim 21 wherein said plug includes a threaded stem and an enlarged head projecting outward from said threaded stem;

wherein said threaded stem may be threadingly coupled to an internal thread in said lower portion of said coring sleeve.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the fixture head received within said bowl cavity is downwardly and upwardly adjustable relative to said coring sleeve.

24. The system as in claim 21 further comprising an adaptor connectable to an upper end of said drain pipe and wherein said coring sleeve is threadably securable to said adaptor.

25. A drain fixture installation system for facilitating connection of a drain fixture to a drain pipe, the drain pipe presenting a free end below the intended surface level of a poured slab, said system comprising:

a) a drain fixture including a fixture head and an externally threaded fixture stem with a fixture bore extending therethrough, the fixture head projecting radially outward from the fixture stem;

b) a coring sleeve having a coring sleeve stem connectable in fluid communication with the drain pipe and a bowl comprising an annular flange projecting outward from an upper open end of said coring sleeve stem and an annular wall projecting upward from an outer portion of said annular flange, said annular wall spaced outward from said coring sleeve stem by said annular flange, said bowl defining a bowl cavity surrounding and opening into a coring sleeve bore extending through said coring sleeve stem;

said coring sleeve stem having an internal thread formed therein below said bowl cavity;

said bowl cavity sized to receive the fixture head therein with the fixture stem threadingly coupled to and within said coring sleeve stem such that said fixture head may be positioned within said bowl cavity with an upper surface of said fixture head extending generally flush with an upper edge of said bowl; and

c) a plug removably positionable in said bowl cavity prior to reception of the fixture head therein, said plug sized to extend across and cover said bowl cavity with an upper surface of said plug extending generally flush with an upper edge of said bowl; and

d) wherein said fixture head of said drain fixture is sized to extend across and cover said bowl cavity and is axially adjustable relative to said coring sleeve when said central fixture mounting stem is received in said coring sleeve upon removal of said plug.

26. The system as in claim 25 wherein said plug includes a threaded stem and an enlarged head projecting outward from said threaded stem;

wherein said threaded stem may be threadingly coupled to an internal thread in said coring sleeve stem.

27. The system as in claim 25 wherein said drain fixture head comprises a strainer connected to a drain fixture flange projecting radially outward from said externally threaded fixture stem.

28. The system as in claim 27 wherein said bowl cavity is deeper than said drain fixture head.

29. A drain fixture installation system for facilitating connection of a drain fixture to a drain pipe, the drain pipe presenting a free end below the intended surface level of a poured slab, said system comprising:

a) a drain fixture including a fixture head and an externally threaded fixture stem with a fixture bore extending therethrough, the fixture head projecting radially outward from the fixture stem;

b) a coring sleeve having a coring sleeve stem connectable in fluid communication with the drain pipe and a bowl projecting outward from an upper open end of said coring sleeve stem, said bowl having an upwardly projecting annular outer wall spaced outward from said coring sleeve stem, said bowl defining a bowl cavity surrounding and opening into a coring sleeve bore extending through said coring sleeve stem;

said coring sleeve stem having an internal thread formed therein below said bowl cavity;

said bowl cavity sized to receive the fixture head therein with the fixture stem threadingly coupled to and within said coring sleeve stem such that said fixture head may be positioned within said bowl cavity with an upper surface of said fixture head extending generally flush with an upper edge of said bowl; and

c) a plug removably positionable in said bowl cavity prior to reception of the fixture head therein, said plug sized to extend across and cover said bowl cavity with an upper surface of said plug extending generally flush with an upper edge of said bowl; and

d) wherein said fixture head of said drain fixture is sized to extend across and cover said bowl cavity and is axially adjustable relative to said coring sleeve when said central fixture mounting stem is received in said coring sleeve upon removal of said plug.