Washer
OwnerChristopher Rycroftinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A splittable washer shown generally at (10), for example for use in a plumbing installation in which a pipe member is mounted in or connected to an article of sanitaryware, comprises separable parts (18) and (20) which are held together by hinge (16). When the washer is in the open configuration it may be fitted to or removed from the stem of tap on the underside of a sanitaryware unit without having to remove a securing nut from the stem of a tap. To close a washer the parts (18) and (20) are urged together until key projection (22) locates in socket (24). In the closed configuration the washer subtantially encloses the stem of a tap.
Claims27
A washer for use in a plumbing installation in which a pipe member is mounted in or connected to an article of sanitaryware, the washer comprising at least first and second parts, the parts being movable with respect to each other between a first configuration in which they define a bore, such that in use the washer may enclose a pipe member which passes through the bore, and a second configuration in which a pipe may be inserted into or withdrawn from the bore generally radially.
A washer for use in plumbing in which a pipe member passes through a hole in an article of sanitaryware, creating a gap between the hole in the sanitaryware and the pipe member, the washer comprising at least one part having a bore defined therein for receiving the pipe member, and at least one projection extending from the washer in a substantially axial direction, for locating in the gap between the pipe member and the article when the washer is urged against the article in use, so as to centralise the washer substantially with respect to the hole in the article.
A method of installing a washer on a pipe member the washer comprising two parts which are movable with respect to each other between a closed configuration in which they define a bore therebetween and an open configuration in which a pipe member may be inserted or withdrawn from the bore generally radially with respect to the washer, the method comprising causing the parts of the washer to adopt the open configuration, introducing the pipe member between the parts substantially radially with respect to the washer, and causing the parts of the washer to adopt the closed configuration, thereby substantially enclosing the pipe member within the bore defined by the parts of the washer.
A method of centralising a pipe member in a hole in an article of sanitaryware, the pipe member having a pipe portion, the pipe portion being housed in a hole of the sanitaryware, and the diameter of the hole being greater than the diameter of the pipe portion, such that a gap exists between the pipe portion and the hole in the sanitaryware, the method comprising the steps of:
- fitting a washer to the pipe portion, the washer having at least one projection extending from the washer in a substantially axial direction with respect to the pipe portion, so that the at least one projection extends towards the article of sanitaryware;
- locating the at least one projection in the gap between the sanitaryware and the pipe portion;
- tightening the washer against the sanitaryware so that the at least one projection makes a friction fit between the pipe portion and the hole of the sanitaryware so that the pipe member is centralised with respect to the hole in the sanitaryware.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.