U.S. patent number 3,861,568 [Application Number 05/314,257] was granted by the patent office on 1975-01-21 for liquid soap dispensing system for penal institutions and the like.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Acorn Engineering Co.. Invention is credited to Earl L. Morris, Theodore J. Sally.
United States Patent |
3,861,568 |
Morris , et al. |
January 21, 1975 |
LIQUID SOAP DISPENSING SYSTEM FOR PENAL INSTITUTIONS AND THE
LIKE
Abstract
This invention relates to a plunger-type liquid soap dispensing
unit for lavatories and the like, and more particularly, to a
vandal-proof unit which, once installed, cannot be removed or
disassembled from the soap outlet side of the soap dispensing
unit.
Inventors: |
Morris; Earl L. (Whittier,
CA), Sally; Theodore J. (Whittier, CA) |
Assignee: |
Acorn Engineering Co.
(Industry, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
23219228 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/314,257 |
Filed: |
December 11, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/173; 222/567;
222/321.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
5/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
5/12 (20060101); A47K 5/00 (20060101); B67d
005/40 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/383,379,382,567,566,361 ;285/158,161
;4/145,146,152,191,193 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schacher; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Slattery; James M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lofstedt; Ben E.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A liquid soap dispensing system for lavatories and the like,
comprising:
a. a soap valve having a plunger therein;
b. a valve housing;
c. a pipe adapted to receive and support the valve housing
therein;
d. a wall having a perforation therethrough sufficiently large to
receive the pipe and isolating the lavatory area from the pipe
chase area;
e. means for connecting the valve housing end adjacent to the soap
dispensing end, to the pipe end, and for anchoring said valve
housing end to the side of the wall exposed to the lavatory area,
wherein said anchoring and connecting means cannot be removed or
disassembled from the lavatory area;
f. means for anchoring the pipe to the wall;
g. means for connecting the opposite end of the pipe to the housing
to prevent any substantial movement therebetween;
h. a source of liquid soap;
i. means for connecting the liquid soap source to the valve housing
within the pipe chase area; and
j. means to prevent rotation of the soap valve dispensing outlet
after assembly of the soap dispensing system, comprising:
a groove in the body of the soap valve plunger substantially
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plunger;
a threaded hole through the wall of the valve housing inaccessible
to the lavatory area;
a screw adapted to be threadably mated to the threaded hole in the
wall of the valve housing and being of sufficient length to project
beyond the wall of the valve housing into the valve housing, and
whose diameter is slightly smaller than the groove in the body of
the soap valve plunger so that it may be received thereinto and to
be slideably moveable thereinwith;
an escutcheon anchored to the wall, the escutcheon having a
perforation therethrough wherein the body of the soap valve may be
slideably disposed therein and therethrough, the wall of the
perforation having a slot therein parallel to the axis of the
perforation; and
a tongue formed as an integral part of the soap valve housing
adjacent to the soap valve end and projecting outwardly from the
end thereof, said tongue being adapted to be slideably mated with
the slot.
2. A liquid soap dispensing system as in claim 1, wherein said pipe
adapted to receive and support the valve housing therein is
externally-threaded and is of sufficient length to project beyond
the surfaces of the wall into the pipe chase area and the lavatory
area and wherein said means for connecting the opposite end of the
pipe to the housing to prevent any substantial movement
therebetween, further comprising:
a retaining disc having a diameter larger than the inner diameter
of said pipe and having a perforation therethrough located
substantially in the center thereof, said perforation being larger
than the diameter of said valve housing wherein said disc may be
slideably mated with said valve housing and placed in an abutting
relationship to the end of said pipe;
a deformable metal ferrule adapted to be slideably mated with said
valve housing and disposed in an abutting relationship to said
retaining disc; and
a position nut having a stepped, central bore therethrough with two
different diameters, the larger bore being threadably adapted to be
mated with said pipe and the smaller bore being larger in diameter
than the valve housing so as to be slideably mated therewith, and
wherein said step in said bore is located so that said ferrule does
not contact said step until the threaded end of said bore has been
threadably engaged with said pipe, so that when the nut is
tightened the ferrule is squeezed between the retaining disc and
the step in the bore of the nut until the ferrule is deformed to
circumferencially clamp the body of said valve housing.
3. A liquid soap dispensing system for mounting through a
passageway passing through the thickness of a wall of a building,
said wall serving to isolate the pipe chase area from the lavatory
area, comprising:
a. a soap valve having a plunger therein;
b. a first housing for said valve;
c. a second housing adapted to receive said first housing therein,
said second housing acting to prevent fluid leaks from said first
housing from passing into said wall;
d. means for connecting said first housing end adjacent to the soap
dispensing end to one of the ends of said second housing, and for
anchoring said first housing end to the side of the wall of the
building facing the lavatory area, wherein said anchoring and
connecting means cannot be removed or disassembled from the
lavatory area;
e. means for anchoring said second housing to the wall of the
building;
f. means for releasibly connecting the opposite end of said second
housing to said first housing to prevent any substantial movement
therebetween;
g. a source of liquid soap disposed in a remote location from said
soap valve; and
h. means for connecting in fluid sealing relationship said liquid
soap source to said first housing within said pipe chase area.
4. A liquid soap dispensing system as in claim 3, further
comprising means to prevent rotation of said soap valve dispensing
outlet relative to said first housing and to said second
housing.
5. A liquid soap dispensing system as in claim 4, wherein said
means for connecting said first housing end adjacent to the soap
dispensing end to one of the ends of said second housing, and for
anchoring said first housing end to the side of the wall of the
building facing the lavatory area, wherein said anchoring and
connecting means cannot be removed or disassembled from the
lavatory area, comprises an escutcheon having a stepped bore
therethrough, with two different diameters, the smaller section of
the bore exiting into the lavatory area and being slightly larger
in diameter than the first housing to permit a portion of said
first housing to be disposed therein, said exit portion having a
flanged rim directed radially inward up to at least the soap valve
plunger body, and the larger section of the bore being slightly
larger in diameter than said second housing and having a threaded
surface thereon adapted to be mated with the externally-threaded
second housing, said escutcheon having at least one threaded
receptacle on the backside thereof by which said escutcheon can be
anchored to the wall by means of a threaded fastener adapted to be
mated therewith and which is not exposed to the lavatory area.
6. A liquid soap dispensing system as in claim 3, wherein said
means for anchoring said second housing to the wall, comprises:
a. an escutcheon mounted on the face of the wall exposed to the
lavatory area and having a threaded bore therein adapted to
threadably receive the end of the externally-threaded pipe;
b. a disc, sufficiently large in diameter to cover the perforation
in the wall, and having a hole therethrough larger in diameter than
the outside diameter of said second housing to permit said disc to
be passed over the other end of said pipe and to be placed in
contact with said wall; and
c. a nut adapted to be threadably mated to said second housing
wherein said nut may be tightened to engage said disc and force
said disc into an intimate abutting relationship with said wall.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention.
This invention resides in the field of liquid soap or liquid soap
aerated and delivered as suds or lather, dispensing units for the
lavatories and the like which are vandal-proof.
2. Prior Art.
Liquid soap dispensing systems found in the prior art consisted of
devices which were designed to be installed, serviced, disassembled
or removed from the soap user or lavatory side of a wall or
partition.
When used in public lavatory facilities, such as found in gasoline
stations, public buildings, penal institutions, and the like, such
soap dispensing units must be capable of withstanding the hard use
and abuse to which such facilities are typically subjected.
To limit the removal, disassembly and installation of such units to
authorized personnel, specially designed features and/or locked
cabinets are utilized. However, time and time again it has been
shown that in spite of such precautions, such fasteners and locked
cabinets are subject to tampering and/or removal by unauthorized
persons which render such soap dispensing means inoperative.
In adapting liquid soap or suds dispensing systems for use in
public institutions, such as air terminals, gas stations, schools,
penal institutions and the like, care must be taken to design said
device so it is tamper-proof. Losses caused by vandals represent
large sums of money and the replacement of the fixtures often
greatly exceeds their monetary value or the goodwill generated by
making them available to the public.
In addition, when such a device is installed in prisons or jails,
the problems associated with their removal are further compounded.
Not only may the soap or suds dispenser be rendered inoperative or
useless with regard to their intended function, but, when removed,
are likely to be used as tools or weapons. Since most durable
fixtures are constructed of relatively heavy metals, their
potential use as a weapon presents a very real and serious threat
to others, and may also be used to produce serious self-inflicted
injuries as well. Consequently, it is highly desirable that such
fixtures be designed so that they cannot be removed from the side
which is accessible to the users of said facilities. However, said
fixtures must be readily removable by authorized service
personnel.
The invention described herein is easily installed by a plumber and
is virtually impossible for unauthorized persons, such as vandals,
to remove since it is secured to the wall or partition of the
plumbing unit, such as found in a lavatory area, from the rear
accessible only from the pipe chase area.
In order to effect repairs in a prison soap or suds dispensing unit
found in the prior art, the plumber had to enter the prison cell.
For safety reasons, prisoners occupying the cell were removed to
another holding facility while repairs were made. This procedure
was time-consuming, expensive and offered an opportunity for a
breach of prison security. The present invention eliminates all of
the above problems by providing for removal and/or installation of
the unit for repair without requiring service personnel to enter
the prison cell area.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A vandal-proof, plunger-type finger-actuated soap dispensing system
for penal institutions and the like.
A conventional plunger-type liquid soap dispensing valve, typically
actuated by depressing it inward with the user's finger for the
purpose of delivering a pre-measured amount of soap, or suds, is
slideably mated with and partially contained within a housing.
An escutcheon is mounted on the backsplash or wall and typically
located above the lavatory wash basin, and is anchored thereto from
the back side of said backsplash or wall. The escutcheon is
centrally bored to receive the front portion of the soap dispenser.
The bored section adjacent to the escutcheon front portion of the
bore is generally smooth, except for a slot or groove therein. The
rear portion of the escutcheon bore on the other hand, is
threaded.
The outermost portion of the valve housing has a protruding tongue
adapted to be mated with the slotted or grooved portion of said
escutcheon to prevent rotation of the soap dispenser as
installed.
The outer portion of the valve housing is slideably mated into the
relatively smooth bore of an externally-threaded pipe.
A flat disc with a centrally-disposed perforation slightly larger
than the diameter of the rear portion of the body of the valve
housing, and whose outer periphery is slightly larger than the
externally threaded pipe, is placed over the end of the valve
housing and is used as a ferrule retainer and as an end cap for the
end of the externally-threaded pipe which protrudes into the pipe
chase area.
A ring or ferrule fabricated from a suitably deformable material,
such as copper, brass or a hard elastomeric substance or the like,
is placed over the end portion of the valve housing and positioned
in an abutting relationship to the ferrule retainer previously
mated with said valve housing body.
An end cap or position nut is provided for the externally threaded
pipe with a stepped bore where one bore is slightly larger than the
diameter of the externally threaded pipe and the smaller unthreaded
bore is slightly larger than the diameter of the rear portion of
the valve housing. The end cap is mated with the valve housing and
disposed in an abutting relationship to the ferrule. Tightening the
position nut produces ferrule deformation effecting a strong seal
and clamping force around the valve housing.
The front portion of the soap dispenser containing the soap valve
dispensing port is passed into the pipe and positioned so that the
end of valve housing is disposed in close abutted relationship to
the outermost bored projection of said escutcheon. In this
position, the plunger-actuating mechanism of the soap valve
projects fully outwardly into its desired position in the lavatory,
or soap dispenser user area.
After being positioned as previously described, a flare nut is
placed over the end of the valve housing which projects into the
pipe chase area from the end of the externally-threaded pipe. The
end of the valve housing is then flared to receive the matching
male flared surface of the soap supply control valve.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a
plunger-actuated soap dispensing valve wherein the soap discharge
port cannot be rotated from its position as installed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a vandal-proof liquid
soap or suds dispensing system having no dispenser fasteners
exposed to the user area.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a liquid soap
or suds dispensing system which can be installed, removed,
disassembled, or serviced only from the pipe chase area which is
not accessible to the lavatory user.
Another object of the invention is to provide a soap dispensing
system which passes through the wall or partition from the pipe
chase area to the user or lavatory area and is, at least, partially
supported thereby by connection thereto.
Another important object of the invention is that it is inherently
adaptable to an extremely wide range of wall or partition
thicknesses.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an easily
installable soap dispensing system which is compatibly connectable
to a pressurized or gravity liquid soap supply system.
An important and still further object of the present invention is
to provide valve housing support and alignment system which
contacts the valve housing at a minimum of two points; thereby
creating a ruggedized force-couple type support and alignment
system.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sealing system
around the valve housing to prevent soap leaks into and/or between
the soap dispenser mounting wall or partition which can be
substantially unnoticed for an unreasonable length of time.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent
from the following detailed description, considered together with
the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to
like parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the liquid soap dispensing
system shown in section;
FIG. 2 is an isometric view shown partially in phantom, of the
tongue of the soap valve housing and the mating groove of the
escutcheon;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the front portion of the soap
valve as it enters the valve housing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With continued reference to the drawings, the present invention is
shown assembled and installed.
Installation of the vandal-proof soap dispensing system can only be
accomplished from the pipe chase area. The pipe chase area is
located behind the wall or partition 34 to which the lavatory
facilities are typically mounted and through which the various
plumbing facilities such as water pipes and drains pass.
The soap dispensing unit 15 consists of a liquid soap dispensing
valve 11 which is mated with a valve housing 12. Typically, the
valve 11 is of the conventional finger-actuated telescoping variety
often used for the dispensing of soap in a liquid or foam form. In
most cases, it is generally found to be desirable to mount the soap
dispenser outlet 25 above the lavatory wash basin. One convenient
place to mount the soap dispenser is on the backsplash panel 13 of
the lavatory located above the wash basin, substantially in
alignment with the access hole 10 in the wall 34.
In the backsplash, a hole 14 is provided for the soap dispenser 15.
Two holes 16, 17 are oppositely disposed about the hole 14 to
permit the escutcheon 18 to be attached to the backsplash 13 by
means of threaded fasteners 19, 20 which are installed from the
pipe chase and are not accessible to the lavatory user. However, it
should be noted that a single fastener can accomplish much the same
result, although in the present embodiment we prefer to use a dual
fastener arrangement which provides a balanced distribution of the
attaching force exerted on the escutcheon 18 and about the access
hole 14.
The escutcheon 18 has a stepped bore therethrough. The larger bore
21 is threaded and faces the pipe chase area. The opposite smaller
bore 22 is slightly larger than the diameter of the valve housing
12. The front exit portion of the smaller bore 22 has a flanged rim
24 which is directed radially inward to such an extend that the
edge of the flanged portion of the rim 24 is contiguously disposed
to the body of the soap valve 11. Further, a slot 23 is placed in
the flanged rim 24 in the lowermost portion of the rim 24.
An externally threaded pipe 29 having a relatively smooth bore 30
whose diameter is slightly larger than the valve housing 12, is
then threadably mated to the threaded bore 21 of the escutcheon 18.
A flat disc 31 whose outside diameter is sufficiently large to
cover the hole 10 in the wall 34 and having an essentially
centrall-disposed perforation 32 therethrough, the perforation 32
being slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the pipe 29,
is passed over the unattached end of the pipe 29 and placed against
the wall 34. A nut 33 is threadably mated to the unattached end of
the pipe 29. The nut 33 is tightened until it forces the disc 31
into an intimate abutting relationship with the wall or partition
34. At this point, the pipe 29 is firmly anchored to the wall or
partition 34.
In FIG. 3, the soap valve 11 outlet 25 is keyed so that it cannot
be rotated within the housing 12. Keying is accomplished by means
of screw 26 threadably mated with a threaded hole 9 in the wall of
said valve housing, the end of the screw 26 protruding into an
elongated slot or groove 27 in the valve 11 so that it may be
slideably guided therein.
The soap dispenser is then slideably mated into the pipe 29, from
the pipe chase with the soap valve 11 dispensing end being
installed first. The tongue 35 is slightly smaller than the width
of the slot 23 and is formed as an integral part of the front edge
of the housing 12. The tongue 35 is aligned with slot 23 of the
escutcheon 18 and disposed therein. By mating the tongue 35 with
the slot 23, the soap dispensing outlet 25 is positioned so that
the soap is discharged in a downward direction and cannot be
rotated to permit the soap to be discharged in another
direction.
In order to firmly anchor the valve housing 12 to the pipe 29, and
to seal the end of the pipe 29 and the valve housing 12 which
protrudes into the pipe chase area, a ferrule retainer 36
consisting of a perforated disc wherein the perforation is slightly
larger than the body of the valve 12 and the outer diameter of the
disc is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the pipe 29.
The ferrule retainer is then passed over the valve housing body 12
and thereafter placed in abutting relationship to the edge of the
pipe end. A ferrule 37 is then slideably mated with the valve
housing 12 and positioned adjacent to the ferrule retainer 36. A
position nut 38 having a stepped, central bore therethrough with
two different diameters, the larger bore being threadably adapted
to be mated with the pipe 29, and the smaller bore being larger in
diameter than the valve housing body 12 so as to be slideably
matable therewith, is then installed over the end of the valve
housing 12 and threadably mated with the externally-threaded pipe
29. By tightening the position nut 38, the ferrule 37, which is
captured between the nut 38 and the ferrule retainer 36, is
deformed. Such deformation causes the diameter of the ferrule 37 to
be reduced thereby producing a substantial clamping or gripping
force around the body of the valve housing 12 disposed beneath the
ferrule 37.
The subsequent effects of the installation of the ferrule retainer
36, the ferrule 37 and the position nut 38 and subsequent ferrule
deformation are to provide for increased support of the valve
housing 12 by anchoring it to the pipe 29, and to effect a fluid
seal at the pipe end facing the pipe chase.
The end 39 of the housing 12 which is to be connected to a source
of liquid soap is fitted with a flare nut 40 and subsequently
flared with a flaring tool. The flared end 41 is then mated with a
male flare nipple and connected via the flare nut 40 to the soap
supply source.
It should be understood that the invention as herein before
disclosed can be embodied in other forms than that previously
described in the preferred embodiment and I do not desire to be
limited to the exact details of the construction shown and
described for it should be readily understood that many obvious
modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art to which
said invention pertains.
* * * * *