Pipe joints or couplings – Water closet type – floor-supported
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-27
2001-07-03
Nicholson, Eric K. (Department: 3627)
Pipe joints or couplings
Water closet type, floor-supported
C004S252100, C411S172000, C411S120000, C285S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254141
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to adjustable-length fasteners such as bolts for fastening water closets for toilets and the like to floors and walls.
Fastening water closets such as toilets and urinals is accomplished conventionally with a fastener T-bolt having a flat T-head that is inserted into a T-slot in a base of toilet bowl or urinal. A threaded shank of the T-bolt is extended upwardly through a floor or horizontally through a wall from the base to where a fastener nut is threaded onto the threaded shank. An aesthetic cover such as a hollow cone is positioned over the fastener nut and a portion of the threaded shank that extends beyond the fastener nut.
However, the problem with the conventional closet fasteners occurs from the length of the threaded shank which must be sufficiently long to extend upward through flooring, whether the flooring be thick tiles or thin vinyl or thin tile. Being long enough for extension through the thickest of flooring leaves typically an excess length of approximately an inch of threaded shaft that must be cut off after the bowl is positioned and sealed in place in order for typical aesthetic covers to be positioned over the threaded shank and fastener nut while a base of the aesthetic cover is positioned against a surface of the base of the toilet bowl or urinal. Cutting off the excess length takes considerable time and care to accomplish without disrupting the seal or positioning of the bowl. It is a fatigue factor to this aspect of plumbing. Providing fastener T-bolts that are the right length is not practical because there are so many unforeseeable variables in floor thicknesses.
A known attempt to solve this problem was a joint and telescoping bolt assembly described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,298, issued to Worley on Dec. 31, 1968. Different from an internally threaded length-adjustment sleeve and an externally threaded length-adjustment bolt of the present invention, the Worley device was limited to a telescopic member that was threaded both internally and externally.
No other known prior art addresses and solves this problem with sufficient similarity to the present invention to merit comparison or citation.
Bolt-length problems of fastening closets to floors and walls have continued to exist.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of these problems, objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide an adjustable-length closet fastener which:
Is quickly and easily adjustable in length to match floor and wall thickness;
Does not need to be cut short for thin flooring and walls; and
Avoids a present problem of loosening and unsealing closet flanges when cutting fastener bolts.
This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with an adjustable-length closet fastener having a fastener shank with an anchor-ridge head which is sized and shaped for positioning side walls of the anchor-ridge head against walls of a predetermined retainer cavity to arrest rotation of the fastener shank and which is sized and shaped for positioning a fastener shank-side surface of the anchor-ridge head against a ceiling of the predetermined retainer cavity at opposite sides of a shaft orifice in the predetermined retainer cavity to prevent exit of the adjustable-length closet fastener from the predetermined retainer cavity. A length-adjustment sleeve with internal machine threads is connected integrally to the fastener shank for extension a predetermined distance towards a predetermined fastening position. A length-adjustment bolt with external machine threads that match the internal machine threads of the length-adjustment sleeve is screwed a desired length-adjustment distance into the length-adjustment sleeve. A fastener nut with internal machine threads that match the external machine threads of the length-adjustment bolt is screwed onto the length-adjustment bolt proximate the predetermined fastening position and rotated for desired tightness between the Anchor-ridge head and the fastener nut.
The predetermined retainer cavity can be a bolt-down slot in a flange of a water-closet base. The length-adjustment sleeve can be attached rigidly or detachably to the fastener shank. If attached detachably to the fastener shank, the length-adjustment sleeve can have separate rotation-arrestment walls. The length-adjustment bolt can have a grasp handle extended linearly for finger or wrench rotation of the length-adjustment bolt in the length-adjustment sleeve for length adjustment prior to screwing on and tightening of the fastener nut. Whether the length-adjustment sleeve is attached rigidly or detachably to the fastener shank, the fastener nut can be a cap type with a closed end for being employed as a fastener bolt with a head by screwing its full length onto the length-adjustment bolt and rotating the length-adjustment bolt for length adjustment prior to thread-tightening rotation. The fastener nut can optionally be made part of the length adjustment bolt.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 927611 (1909-07-01), Stallings
patent: 1915640 (1933-06-01), Alsaker
patent: 2236130 (1941-03-01), Betebenner
patent: 2252194 (1941-08-01), Mills
patent: 3028645 (1962-04-01), Stearman et al.
patent: 3180660 (1965-04-01), Brewington
patent: 3181585 (1965-05-01), Brewington
patent: 3340760 (1967-09-01), Wormser
patent: 3419298 (1968-12-01), Worley
patent: 3905052 (1975-09-01), DeAngelis
patent: 4227722 (1980-10-01), Baber
patent: 4233697 (1980-11-01), Cornwall
patent: 4850063 (1989-07-01), Abbate
patent: 4907923 (1990-03-01), McGrath
patent: 4928531 (1990-05-01), Schult et al.
patent: 5222851 (1993-06-01), Dickerson
patent: 5421036 (1995-06-01), Stevens et al.
Livingston, Esq Edward M.
Nicholson Eric K.
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