Control stop cap friction ring

Details Control stop cap friction ring Control stop cap friction ring

2002-04-09

2004-01-13

Chambers, A. Michael (Department: 3753)

Fluid handling

With casing, support, protector or static constructional...

Guards and shields

C137S382500, C137S377000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06675827

ABSTRACT:

THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Public washrooms conventionally utilize flushometers to supply a measured amount of water to either a urinal or a water closet. Associated with such flushometers is a plumbing fitting designated as a control stop. This plumbing fitting connects the flushometer with the water supply and has a valve member biased toward a closing position. The bias upon the valve member is adjustable so as to control the water supply to the flushometer. Normally, the adjustment on the control stop is not utilized once the plumbing fitting has been installed except for those instances in which it is necessary to totally shut off the water supply to a flushometer. At such time maintenance personnel will remove the stop cap and close the valve member so that water is no longer supplied to the flushometer.
Stop caps as described are subject to constant thermal change resulting from the water which passes through the stop cap becoming warm during periods of no use and then being cooled during use. This thermal cycling has the effect of loosening the stop cap. This provides a stop cap which may be loosened to the point where it may be accidentally removed or removed by vandals. In either event, it is important to have a stop cap which will stay in place, be relatively difficult to accidentally remove, be of such a construction as to discourage vandalism, but yet be removable by maintenance personnel when so required. The present invention provides a cap assembly which addresses the above shortcomings, is reliable in use, easy to manufacture, and is easier to install than it is to remove. Specifically, the cap assembly includes the conventional cap which will be threadedly attached to the stop cap body and has added thereto a friction ring having a plurality of projections which face the stop cap body, with these projections enabling the stop cap to be attached or installed with less torque than it takes to remove the cap assembly from the control stop.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to stop caps for plumbing fittings and particularly to a cap assembly for a control stop used in combination with a flushometer to provide water to a urinal or water closet.
A primary purpose of the invention is a cap assembly for a control stop which will not become loose during thermal cycling of the control stop.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a cap assembly for the use described which requires less torque in application than it does for removal.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a cap assembly as described which provides reduced torque acting on the control stop bonnet than on the stop cap itself.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a stop cap assembly as described which includes an elastomeric friction ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections which face the control stop bonnet and is applied when the stop cap is attached to the control stop.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3492841 (1970-02-01), Ipri
patent: 3709249 (1973-01-01), Diaz
patent: 4182361 (1980-01-01), Oakey
patent: 4762144 (1988-08-01), Ford
patent: 5497802 (1996-03-01), Whiteside
patent: 5558120 (1996-09-01), Wilson
patent: 5836345 (1998-11-01), Ericson

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