Drain Fitting

Abstract

A fitting for a drain floor having an opening toward which a plastic pipe projects comprises: A. a tubular plastic body sized for reception in said opening and having an outwardly projecting top flange to overlie the floor extent bounding the opening, an external thread below said opening at the body exterior, and a nut threadably engaging the thread and rotatable relative to the body to effect clamping of said floor extent between the top flange and nut, said body, flange, thread and nut consisting of molded plastic material, B. the body having an internal flange defining an axially downwardly facing stop shoulder spaced below the level of said top flange, and the body defining a bore extending below said stop shoulder and sized to receive said pipe with push fit interference so that the pipe upper end may be engaged with the stop shoulder, whereby the pipe and body may be rapidly made up and bond connected at said bore.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to plumbing fixtures, and more particularly concerns improvements in drain fittings as may be used in shower stalls.

It has long been customary to install brass drains in shower stalls. Such installation is time consuming and expensive due to the cost of the brass metal in the fitting, and the time consumed in preparing and applying lead waste to the joint as packing between the fitting and drain pipe. If it is found that if plastic drain pipe has previously been installed, then a serious problem arises due to the fact that hot lead melts the plastic in the drain pipe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a major object of the invention to provide a solution to the above problems and difficulties through the use of a plastic drain fitting of unusually advantageous construction, and particularly well adapted to use with both plastic and metallic drain pipe. Basically, the fitting comprises a tubular plastic body sized for reception in a drain floor opening and having an outwardly projecting top flange to overlie the floor extent bounding the opening, an external thread below the opening at the body exterior, and a nut threadably engaging the body thread and rotatable relative to the body to effect clamping of the floor extent between the top flange and the nut; also, the body has an internal flange defining an axially downwardly facing stop shoulder spaced below the level of the top flange, and the body defines a bore extending below the stop shoulder and sized to receive the pipe with push fit interference so that the pipe upper end may be engaged with the stop shoulder, whereby the pipe and body may be rapidly made up and bond connected at the bore, at the job site.

Further, the upper end of the body is adapted to receive a cover plate with grille overlying the body interior, and a flange bounding the grille and overlying the body flange. The plate may also consist of molded plastic material, and the plate and body may have interfitting support shoulders within the body upper extent to support the plate independently of the flange. In this regard, the support shoulder on the plate may be formed by an annular boss integral with the plate and bounding the grille received downwardly within the body upper extent. The boss may also, by inward deflection, serve to retain the plate on the body, a snug fit to the counterbore producing the frictional retention force. Finally, the body is also adapted to receive a metallic cover plate, and to be connected to a metallic drain pipe by means of an adapter, as will be seen.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of illustrative embodiments, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings, in which:

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is an elevation, in section;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan of drain plate;

FIG. 3 is an elevation, partly in section; and

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 2, of a modification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1, the drain fitting 10 for floor 11 is adapted to be quickly installed and made up to plastic drain pipe 13 projecting upwardly toward the opening 14 formed by the floor. The latter may for example be a shower enclosure floor pan.

The fitting 10 includes a tubular plastic body 16 sized for downward reception in the opening 14, with a body flange 17 overlying the floor extent 11a bounding the opening 14. An external thread 18 on the body projects below the flange, and a molded plastic nut 19 threadably engages the thread, and is rotatable thereon relative to the body to effect clamping of the floor extent 11a between the nut and the top flange 17. A seal may be effected by providing an annular elastomer washer 20 and a thin annular gasket 21 to be clamped between the nut 19 and the floor underside.

The body 16 has an internal flange 24 defining an axially downwardly facing stop shoulder 25 spaced below the level of the top flange 17, the body also defining a bore 26 extending below that stop shoulder. The bore is sized to receive the pipe 13 with push fit interference, so that the pipe upper end may be engaged with the stop shoulder, whereby the pipe and body may be rapidly made up, with predetermined location, and bonded together at the bore. Typically, the pipe and fitting may consist of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (known as ABS), and the bonding may be carried out by solvent welding, wherein a suitable liquid organic solvent (aromatic or aliphatic) for ABS is applied to the joint to dissolve the surface material which unites after solvent evaporation. One such solvent is toluene, others also being usable. Accordingly, the time-consuming and expensive conventional techniques for joining metallic fittings and pipe, using lead waste, are avoided. Also, inasmuch as the fitting 10 consists of molded plastic, the relatively much higher cost of brass in a metallic fitting is eliminated. Downward tapering of the flange 24 at 30 prevents build-up of waste deposits on the flange.

FIGS. 1 and 2 also illustrate the provision of a drain plate, as for example that indicated at 31 having a flange 32 overlying the top flange 17, and a grille 33 bounded by the flange 32. Plate 31 may also advantageously consist of plastic material, such as ABS, with grille 33 received downwardly in the body bore upper extent. For example, the body bore 34 may have a counterbore 34a proximate the top flange 17. In addition, the plate 31 and body 10 may have interfitting support shoulders within the body bore upper extent to support the plate independently of the flange. The support shoulder on the body may be formed at 36 between bore 34 and counterbore 34a, and the support shoulder on the plate may be formed at the lower end of annular boss 37 integral with the plate and also bounding the grille. A gap 38 separates the grille 33 and boss 37, whereby the boss is inwardly deflectible by the counterbore 34a to an extent producing a snug interference fit acting to retain the plate 31 in downwardly assembled relation to the body 10, while allowing removal of the plate as desired, for drain cleaning purposes.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternate metallic plate 40 having a flange 41 (corresponding to flange 32) bounding grille 42. Legs 43 project downwardly from the plate for interference engagement with counterbore 34a, to permit retention as well as periodic removal of the plate with respect to body 10.

FIG. 3 shows a method of adapting the plastic pipe 13 to a metallic drain pipe 50, below the level of the described fitting. Adapter 51, which may consist of plastic such as ABS, has a box end 52 to receive the lower end of the pipe 13, with suitable solvent welding at 53. The lower flanged end 54 of adapter 51 abuts the upper end 55 of metallic pipe 50, and a sealing coupling 56 straddles this joint, a tightened band 57 pressurizing the seal.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a fitting for a drain floor having an opening toward which a drain pipe projects, the combination comprising

a. a tubular body sized for reception in said opening and having an outwardly projecting top flange to overlie the floor extent bounding the opening, an external thread below said opening at the body exterior, and a nut threadably engaging the thread and rotatable relative to the body to effect clamping of said floor extent between the top flange and nut, said body, flange, thread and nut consisting of molded plastic material,

b. and a plate having a flange overlying said top flange and a grille bounded by said flange, and the body defining a bore extending below the level of said grille and sized to receive said pipe with push fit interference, whereby the pipe and body may be rapidly made up and bond connected at said bore,

c. the body defining a counterbore located inwardly of said flange and a support shoulder formed between the bore and counterbore,

d. and the plate having an integral annular boss which bounds the grille in radially outwardly spaced relation thereto, the boss and said counterbore having interference engagement whereby the boss is deflected inwardly toward the grille upon assembly of the plate onto the body and the boss frictionally retains the plate and body in removably assembled relation, the boss terminal located proximate said support shoulder whereby the plate is supported via the boss and independently of the plate flange.

2. The combination of claim 1 including said drain pipe which consists of plastic material, said drain pipe received in said bore.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said plastic consists of ABS.

4. The combination of claim 1 with the body having an internal flange defining an axially downwardly facing stop shoulder spaced below the level of said top flange and located to be engaged by the pipe upper end.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said plate consists of molded plastic material.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said plate consists of metallic material.

7. The combination of claim 1 including an annular seal clamped between the nut and the floor underside.

8. The combination of claim 2 including a metallic drain pipe spaced below the plastic drain pipe, and a plastic adapter pipe interconnecting the metallic pipe and plastic drain pipe, in drain intercommunication.