US 4,225,987 AGranted

Variable volume control for toilet flush tanks

OwnerHarley R. Goldman, Stewart Hallinventors

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Abstract

A water saving apparatus for a tank flush mechanism in which the trapped air in the flush discharge valve is vented to terminate the flush when the water level in the tank drops to a predetermined level. A pair of water level responsive actuators, set to respond at different water levels, cooperate with a normally closed vent valve coupled to the air chamber in the flush discharge valve. As the water level in the tank drops after a flush is initiated, the actuator set at the higher level in the tank will normally respond first to open the vent valve to exhaust the air from the discharge valve and terminate the flush. To provide a large volume flush, the higher level responsive actuator is rendered non-responsive by the user's manipulation of the flush handle, thereby allowing the flushing action to continue until the other actuator responds to the falling water level to open the vent valve.

Claims20

Dependent claims

For use in a toilet flush tank normally filled with flushing water to a prescribed level, said tank having a flush discharge opening at the bottom and a discharge valve for closing the discharge opening, said discharge valve having an air chamber open at the bottom and adapted to be lifted to flush water from the tank through the discharge opening, flush control apparatus for regulating the amount of water flushed from the tank comprising,

a housing adapted to be mounted within said flush tank above the normal water level in said tank,
vent means in said housing,
air passage means coupling said air chamber in said discharge valve to said vent means, and
water level responsive means for opening said vent means when said water level falls to a predetermined height below said normal level,
whereby air trapped within said chamber when the discharge valve is lifted to initiate a flushing operation retains the discharge valve in floating condition until the water level in the tank falls to said predetermined height at which said water level responsive means opens said vent means to permit the air entrapped in said chamber to escape, whereupon water enters the chamber to cause the discharge valve to drop to its seated position and close the discharge opening.

2 more elements

means adapted to be manually actuatable from outside said tank and to extend into said tank for lifting said discharge valve to initiate a flushing operation,
a housing adapted to be mounted within said flush tank above the normal water level in said tank, said housing having first and second compartments,
vent means in said housing including an opening interconnecting said first and second compartments and a stopper normally closing said opening,
air passage means coupling said air chamber in said discharge valve to said first compartment, and
water level responsive means for displacing said stopper from its normally closing position to open said vent means when the water level in said tank falls to a predetermined height below said normal level, thereby to permit air entrapped in said discharge valve air chamber to escape and cause the discharge valve to close the discharge opening and terminate the flushing operation.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.