# US 4,399,835 A · Water saving toilet control valve > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,399,835 A - Document ID: US4399835A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/336,184 - Filed: 1981-12-31 - Granted: 1983-08-23 - Earliest claimed: 1981-12-31 - Inventors: Anton Holderith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4399835A ## CPC - F16K 31/34: acting on pilot valve controlling the cut-off apparatus - Y10T 137/7374: Flexible diaphragm valve - Y10T 137/7413: Level adjustment or selection means - Y10T 137/7436: Float rigid with valve - Y10T 137/7442: With valve retarder or cushion means - Y10T 137/7446: With flow guide or restrictor - Y10T 137/7472: Vertical inlet riser - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A toilet holding tank water inlet valve of the type utilizing a flexible valve element formed as a portion of a pressure chamber and having a control stem associated with the pressure chamber and a pivot arm associated with the control stem is improved by molding a portion of the pressure chamber to tightly grip the control stem and attaching a vertical member to the pivot arm with a float which can move along the vertical member. An upper float stop is positioned near the uppermost end of the member and a lower float stop is positioned near the lowermost end of the member. As the float moves in response to movement of the water level within the holding tank, the float contacts the upper float stop as the tank is being filled and engages with this stop transferring the buoyant force exerted against the float by the water to the member which in turn moves the pivot arm re-positioning the control stem to effect a seal of a portion of the pressure chamber against a valve seat to inhibit further water influx into the holding tank. As the float moves downwardly with respect to the member as water is being drawn from the tank, the float contacts the lower stop and is momentarily suspended by it as the water level recedes below it. Then, the combined weights of the float, the member and the stops are transferred to the pivot arm which in turn are transferred to the control stem moving the control stem in the pressure chamber allowing the flexible valve element to unseat itself from a valve seat allowing water into the holding tank. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An improvement in a toilet holding tank water inlet valve of the type attaching to an upstanding water inlet supply pipe located in said holding tank, said inlet valve having a valve seat located in association with said inlet supply pipe, a flexible valve element formed as a part of a pressure chamber and operatively associated with said valve seat, said pressure chamber including an opening, a valve stem operatively associated with said opening in said pressure chamber and having a closed position wherein said flexible valve element forms a seal against said valve seat and an open position wherein said flexible valve element is spaced away from said valve seat, a pivot arm attaching to said valve in operative association with said valve stem and being located in a first position with respect to said valve when said valve stem is in its closed position and a second position when said valve stem is in its open position which comprises: retarding means located in operative association with said valve stem and capable of retarding movement of said valve stem; a vertically oriented member capable of moving reciprocally along an essentially vertical axis, said member having ends and operatively attaching to said pivot arm adjacent to its upper end, said pivot arm moving between its first and second positions in response to movement of said member along said axis; means associated with said member for retaining it in said vertical orientation; a buoyant float means movably associated with said member and capable of reciprocally moving vertically with respect to said member in response to the water level in said holding tank between an upper float position when the water level in said holding tank is at a filled level, at least one intermediate float position and a lower float position when said water level in said holding tank is at a depleted level; an upper float engagement means operatively associated with said member proximal to the uppermost end of said member; a lower float engagement means operatively associated with said member proximal to the lowermost end of said member near said depleted water level; the combined weights of said member, said upper float engagement means and said lower float engagement means incapable of transferring sufficient force through said pivot arm to move said valve stem against said retarding means from its closed position to its open position; said float means capable of engaging said upper float engagement means as said float means moves from said intermediate position to said upper float position under the buoyant force exerted on it by water as said holding tank fills with water such that said pivot arm is moved from its second position to its first position moving said valve stem against said retarding means to its closed position resulting in said flexible valve element forming a seal with said valve seat; said float means capable of engaging said lower float engagement means as said float means moves from said intermediate position to said lower float position in response to removal of water from said holding tank such that when said water level in said holding tank is at said depleted level the combined weights of said float means, said member and said upper and said lower engagement means move said pivot arm from its first position to its second position moving said valve stem to its open position and disrupting said seal between said flexible valve element and said valve seat. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The improved valve of claim 1 wherein: said retarding means comprises sizing said opening in said pressure chamber such that said valve stem is frictionally engagable within said opening. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The improved valve of claim 2 wherein: said float means comprising a buoyant body having a vertically oriented tube passing through said body, said body located around said member such that said member passes through said tube. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The improved valve of claim 3 wherein: said means associated with said member for retaining it in said vertical orientation comprises a guide means attaching to said water inlet supply line, said member slidably associated with said guide means. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The improved valve of claim 4 wherein: said upper float engagement means is capable of being positioned on the upper periphery of said member in a variety of positions such that said engagement of said float body with said upper float engagement means is variable with respect to the position of said upper float engagement means on said member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The improved valve of claim 5 wherein: said lower float engagement means is capable of being positioned in a variety of positions on said member such that said engagement of said float body with said lower float engagement means is variable with respect to the position of said lower float engagement means on said member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The improved valve of claim 2 wherein: said means associated with said member for retaining it in said vertical orientation comprises a guide means, said guide means operatively associated with said water inlet supply pipe and extending outwardly from said water inlet supply pipe esentially parallel to said pivot arm when said pivot arm is in its first position toward said member and operatively connected to said member. ### Claim 8 In combination with a water closet of the type having a bowl and a water holding tank connecting to said bowl and wherein said holding tank includes a vertically oriented upstanding water pipe located within said holding tank and a holding tank water inlet valve located on the uppermost end of said supply pipe with said valve including a pivot arm forming a part thereof an improvement which comprises: said valve being located on said supply pipe at a position above the filled water level in said tank; said pivot arm being elongated and having ends and being pivotally attached to said inlet valve proximal to one of its ends with the other of its ends movable between an upwardly displaced closed position and a downwardly displaced open position; a vertically oriented linking means capable of moving reciprocally along an essentially vertical axis, said linking means having ends and operatively attaching to said pivot arm adjacent to its upper end, said pivot arm moving between its upwardly displaced closed position and its downwardly displaced open position in response to movement of said linking means along said axis; a buoyant float means movably connected to said linking means, said movable float means capable of reciprocally moving vertically within said holding tank in response to movement of the water level in said holding tank as said water level in said holding tank moves between a filled level and a depleted level; a float engagement means operatively connecting said buoyant float means to said linking means and capable of transferring movement of said buoyant float means to said linking means; said valve including a valve stem, said valve stem operatively connecting to said pivot arm and movable between a first and a second position in response to said pivot arm moving between its upwardly displaced closed and downwardly displaced open positions; a retarding means located in operative association with said valve stem and capable of retarding movement of said valve stem between its said first and second positions; the combined weights of said linking means and said float engagement means incapable of transferring sufficient force through said pivot arm to move said valve stem against said retarding means from its first position to its second position; said buoyant float means capable of interacting with said float engagement means in a first manner as said water level approaches said filled level from said depleted level and said float engagement means in turn interacting with said pivot arm through said linking means with said interaction of said buoyant float means and said float engagement means moving the other end of said pivot arm to said upwardly displaced closed position with said water level arriving at said filled position, said buoyant float means capable of interacting with said float engagement means in a second manner as said water level approaches said depleted level from said filled level and said float engagement means again in turn interacting with said pivot arm through said linking means with said interaction of said buoyant float means and said float engagement means moving the other end of said pivot arm to said downwardly displaced open position concurrently with said water level arriving at said depleted position such that said valve is open when said water level is at said depleted position and when said water level is moving from said depleted position towards said filled position and said valve is closed when said water level is at said filled position and when said water level is moving from said filled position to said depleted position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The combination of claim 8 wherein: said linking means includes a vertically oriented elongated member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The combination of claim 9 wherein: said valve includes a valve seat located in association with said inlet supply pipe, said valve further including a flexible valve element formed as a part of a pressure chamber and operatively associated with said valve seat, said pressure chamber including an opening; said valve stem operatively associated with said opening, said valve being in said closed position when said valve stem is in a first position with respect to said opening and said valve being in an open position when said valve stem is in a second position with respect to said opening. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The combination of claim 10 wherein: said float engagement means includes an upper float engagement means and a lower float engagement means, said upper float engagement means operatively associated with said member proximal to the uppermost end of said member, said lower float engagement means operatively associated with said member proximal to the lowermost end of said member; said float means capable of engaging said upper float engagement means as said float means moves under the buoyant force exerted on it by water as said holding tank fills with water such that when said water in said holding tank is at said filled position said pivot arm is moved from its downwardly displaced open position to its upwardly displaced closed position moving said valve stem against said retarding means to said valve stems closed position resulting in said flexible valve element forming a seal with said valve seat; said float means capable of engaging said lower float engagement means as said float means moves in response to removal of water from said holding tank such that when said water level in said holding tank is at said depleted level the combined weights of said float means, said member and said upper and said lower engagement means move said pivot arm from its upwardly displaced closed position to its downwardly displaced open position moving said valve stem to said valve stem open position and disrupting said seal between said flexible valve element and said valve seat.