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US 3,952,764 AGranted
Single lever faucet construction
AssigneeKel-Win Manufacturing Company, Inc.
InventorRobert J. Keller, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A single lever faucet construction utilizing a removable cartridge assembly and improved force balance and friction control on an operating ball cam member. A pair of valve members are mounted in the cartridge in side-by-side relationship with cam follower control means therefor and means to effect vertical adjustment to compensate for both tolerance variations and wear of parts. An underbody member and adapter therefor with three passageway inlets permits the use of a diverter valve and sink spray arrangement in a single installation.
Claims24
A single lever mixing faucet construction comprising:
- a. a fixedly mounted underbody member having an open-mouthed socket at one end adapted to receive a removable cartridge therein,
- 1. said underbody member being in fluid communication with sources of hot and cold water,
- b. a removable cartridge member at least partially received in said socket of said underbody member,
- c. means for retaining said removable cartridge member in said socket of said underbody member,
- d. said removable cartridge member comprising:
- 1. a cartridge housing member,
- 2. a cam member mounted within said cartridge housing member for substantially universal motion about a pair of intersecting axes,
- 3. means for moving said cam member manually about said pair of intersecting axes,
- 4. first cam restraining means serving to prevent outward movement of said cam member,
- 5. second cam restraining means serving to prevent inward movement of said cam member, said second cam restraining means comprising:
- i. at least three cam follower members engageable with said cam member,
- 6. a pair of valve members respectively actuated by a pair of said cam follower members and adapted to establish fluid communication between said sources of hot and cold water and a spigot,
- 7. said third cam follower member being constantly in engagement with said cam member and serving to counterbalance the forces on said cam member by said pair of cam follower members and to prevent an inadvertent change of position of said cam member,
- 8. mixing chamber means within said cartridge member located downstream from and in fluid communication with said pair of valve members,
- e. and spigot means in fluid communication with said mixing chamber means.
12 more elements
A removable cartridge construction for use in connection with a single lever mixing faucet comprising:
- a. a cartridge housing member,
- b. a cam member mounted within said cartridge housing member for substantially universal motion about a pair of intersecting axes,
- c. a lever member attached to said cam member,
- d. a cap member retained at one end of said cartridge housing member,
- 1. said cap member contacting said cam member and serving to prevent outward movement of said cam member,
- 2. said cap member having an opening through which said lever member extends,
- e. a pair of cam follower means engageable with said cam member,
- f. a pair of valve members respectively actuated by one of said pair of cam follower means,
- g. and a compensating cam follower member constantly in engagement with said cam member,
- 1. said compensating cam follower member serving to counterbalance the forces exerted on said cam member by said pair of cam follower means and to prevent an inadvertent change of position of either of said lever member or said cam member.
7 more elements
A single lever faucet construction having means to compensate for both tolerance variations of parts and for wear of parts comprising:
- a. a fixedly mounted underbody member having an open-mouthed socket at one end adapted to receive a removable cartridge therein,
- 1. said underbody member being in fluid communication with sources of hot and cold water,
- b. a removable cartridge member at least partially received in said socket of said underbody member,
- c. means for retaining said removable cartridge member in said socket of said underbody member,
- d. said removable cartridge member comprising:
- 1. a cartridge housing member,
- 2. a cam member mounted within said cartridge housing member for substantially universal motion about a pair of intersecting axes,
- 3. means for moving said cam member manually about said pair of intersecting axes,
- 4. first cam restraining means serving to prevent outward movement of said cam member,
- 5. second cam restraining means serving to prevent inward movement of said cam member, said second cam restraining means comprising:
- i. at least three cam follower members engageable with said cam member,
- 6. a pair of valve members respectively actuated by a pair of said cam follower members and adapted to establish fluid communication between said sources of hot and cold water and a spigot,
- i. said pair of valve members being mounted vertically in side-by-side relationship,
- ii. each of said valve members being provided with a vertically extending stem member each of which has one of said pair of cam follower members threadedly secured thereto,
- iii. means for providing access to said stem members to permit vertical adjustment of said pair of cam follower members with respect to said stem members when said cartridge member is received in said underbody member,
- 7. said third cam follower member being constantly in engagement with said cam member and serving to counterbalance the forces on said cam member by said pair of cam follower members and preventing an inadvertent change of position of said cam member,
- 8. mixing chamber means within said cartridge member located downstream from and in fluid communication with said pair of valve members,
- e. and spigot means in fluid communication with said mixing chamber means.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.