US3613713A

US3613713A - Sanitary drain siphon

Info

Publication number: US3613713A
Application number: US52921A
Authority: US
Inventors: Meneglier G Gaston
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-07-07
Filing date: 1970-07-07
Publication date: 1971-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-19

Abstract

A sanitary siphon providing a gas seal in the drain line of a washbasin, sink or other appliance, has an inlet tube extending down into a collecting vessel which is freely disposed in a casing having an outlet connected to the sewer and is tiltable in one direction from a normal upright position in the casing to empty the vessel and in the opposite direction to provide access through a closable opening in the casing for removal of any solid object that may accidentally have been dropped in the drain. The collecting vessel is tilted by means of an actuating knob connected with the vessel by a cam-actuating mechanism and is guided so as to tilt about a movable axis permitting a large angle of tilt without interference with the inlet tube.

Description

United States Patent [72] lnventor 50 Field of Search I Meneglier G. Gaston Saint Marcel Les Valence, France [21] Appl. No. 52,921

[22] Filed July 7, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [73] Assignee Alexandre Piq.

Pivas, France [32] Priority Feb. 27, 1967 [33] France [31] 96613 [54] SANITARY DRAIN SIPHON 16 Claims, 17 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 137/2162, l37/247.37, 137/588, 137/592 [51] Int.Cl E03c l/10 llllll llllllllllll04 3114! Primary ExaminerHarold W. Weakley AttorneysRobert E. Burns and Emmanuel .1. Lobato ABSTRACT: A sanitary siphon providing a gas seal in the drain line of a washbasin, sink or other appliance, has an inlet tube extending down into a collecting vessel which is freely disposed in a casing having an outlet connected to the sewer and is tiltable in one direction from a normal upright position in the casing to empty the vessel and in the opposite direction to provide access through a closable opening in the casing for removal of any solid object that may accidentally have been dropped in the drain. The collecting vessel is tilted by means of an actuating knob connected with the vessel by a cam-actuating mechanism and is guided so as to tilt about a movable axis permitting a large angle of tilt without interference with the inlet tube.

SHEET 10F 5 PATENTEDum 19 l97l PATENTEDUET 19 Ian SHEET l 0F 5 PATENTEUum 19 197i SHEET 5 OF 5 s ma , SANITARY DRAIN SIPI-ION This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 708,579 filed Feb. 27, 1968 and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a simple and practical sanitary drain siphon for use in the outlet of sanitary installations such as washbasins, sinks or the like comprising a housing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a collecting vessel freely disposed in the housing so as to be tiltable between a normal upright position and an approximately horizontal emptying position and mechanism for tilting the collecting vessel.

Siphons in the discharge lines of washbasins, flush basins, sinks, washing machines, dishwashers and similar equipment have the function of providing a gas and water seal and to prevent clogging of the drain by solid objects such as rings and the like. Moreover, such siphons should permit the easy removal from time to time of any solid material that has collected in the siphon in order to provide for the free flow of water.

Sanitary siphons have in general had the disadvantage that in order to empty and clean them it has been necessary to use special tools in order to remove the under portion of the siphon whereupon a basin had to be placed under the siphon in order to catch the water and any material in the siphon. This procedure is unhygienic and a source of objectionable odors. Moreover, small objects such as rings which have been lost in the drain can only be recovered through dismantling of the siphon.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing disadvantages by providing a sanitary siphon of simple construction which permits emptying of the siphon as desired and the recovery of any solid objects that may have accumulated in the siphon without dismantling the siphon.

In accordance with the invention the sanitary drain siphon comprises a casing having an inlet in the upper part, an outlet in the lower part and an access opening at one end provided with a removable closure. An immersion tube extends downwardly from the inlet into a tiltable collecting vessel freely disposed in the casing. An actuating cam mechanism is provided for tilting the collecting vessel between an upright position in which it retains sufficient liquid to cover the lower end of the immersion tube so as to form a gas seal and an approximately horizontal tipped position in which liquid is emptied from the vessel into the casing and the collecting vessel opens toward the access opening of the casing to permit removal through the opening of any objects that may have accumulated in the collecting vessel. Preferably, the outlet is provided at the opposite end of the casing from the access opening and the collecting vessel is tiltable through an angle of approximately 120 to 180 from an approximately horizontal position opening toward the access opening of the casing and an approximately horizontal emptying position opening toward the outlet of the casing.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention an end wall of the casing is removable and the collecting vessel is loose in the casing without any fixed pivot and can easily be inserted in and removed from the casing through the end opening thereby facilitating assembly and maintenance. Means is provided in the casing for guiding the collecting vessel in its tilting movement so that it tilts about a movable axis amounting to a combined rotary and translatory movement. This permits tilting the vessel through an angle of approximately 120 to 180 without interference with the inlet tube which projects down into the vessel. The objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of preferred embodiments shown by way of example in the drawings in which:

FIG. I is a plan view of a sanitary drain siphon in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2. is a cross section taken approximately on the line Il-ll of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating schematically different positions of the actuating mechanism for tilting the collecting vessel inside the casing;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views of a side of the collecting vessel showing alternative means for guiding the vessel in is tilting movement;

FIG. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line IV-IV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section taken approximately along the line VV in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention with portions broken away to show the interior;

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the sanitary drain siphon shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a section taken approximately along the line VIII- VIII in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a section taken approximately along the line IX IX in FIG. 7 showing a removable closure provided with a valve;

FIG. 10 is a section taken approximately along the line X- X in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of the collecting vessel;

FIG. 12 is a section taken approximately along the line XIIXII in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view ofa collecting vessel similar to FIG. 11 but showing a modification;

FIG. 14 is a side view ofa cam for tilting the collecting vessel, and

FIG. 15 is a section taken approximately along the line XV-XV in FIG. 14. In FIGS. 1 to 5 there is shown a sanitary drain siphon in accordance with the invention comprising a watertight casing 1 having opposite parallel sidewalls la and lb, a top wall 10, a bottom wall Id and an end wall 1e. The opposite end of the casing is formed by a removable plate 3 which is held in place for example by screws 4 to provide a watertight closure for the end of the casing. At approximately the center of the top wall 10, the casing is provided with an inlet opening 13 surrounded by an upstanding collar 13a adapted to be connected, for example by a threaded or soldered connection, to the drain pipe or a washbasin, sink or other appliance to which the drain siphon is to be applied. At the lower portion of the end wall Ie, the casing is provided with an outlet 2 having a fitting 2a for connection to a discharge pipe 2b leading to a sewer or other disposal system. The direction of flow of liquid into and out of the casing is indicated by arrows F. In the side wall 1b at the end of the casing opposite the outlet 2, there is provided an access opening 5 which as will be explained later, permits removal of any objects that may accidentally have fallen into the siphon. The opening 5 is closed by an easily removable watertight closure 50 which may, for example be screwed into the opening or provided with a bayonet-type joint and may comprise a transparent window for inspection of the interior of the siphon.

Inside the casing 1 there is a catch basin or collecting vessel 7 having two

parallel sidewalls

8a and 8b which lie inside the parallel walls In and lb of the casing with only a small amount of play, a bottom wall 10 and two end walls and 9b which diverge upwardly and are of lesser height than the

sidewalls

8a, 8b so that the upper edges of the end walls define the normal liquid level in the vessel.

In the inlet opening 13 there is an immersion tube 11 that extends down into the collecting vessel 7. An annular collar 12 at the upper end of the tube 11 seats on a shoulder of the opening 13 and provides a fluidtight seal. The lower end of the tube 11 terminates a short distance above the bottom 10 of the Collecting vessel 7. An annular rim projecting upwardly from the bottom 10 of the vessel 7 provides a shallow tray or trough 10a which is located below the immersion tube II and is designed to catch and retain any solid articles falling down through the tube into the vessel 7. The lower end of the immersion tube 11 has curved cutout portions Ila as seen in FIG. 2 so as to facilitate access to any objects that may have accumulated in the tray 10a when the vessel 7 is in position for removal of such objects as described below.

The collecting vessel 7 is tiltable in the casing 1 in a counterclockwise direction from the upright position shown in FIG. 2 to an approximately horizontal position facing the outlet opening 2 and is also tiltable in a clockwise direction from the upright position shown in FIG. 2 to an approximately horizontal position facing away from the outlet opening 2 and toward the access opening 5 for removal of solid objects from the vessel. The range of movement is approximately 180 although it may be somewhat less by reason of the divergence of the

end walls

9a, 9b of the vessel 7, it being sufficient to tilt the vessel in each direction to a position in which the end wall which is then lower is approximately horizontal. Actuating means is provided for tilting the vessel 7 from one position to another, for retaining it in selected position and for guiding the vessel in its tilting movement.

Actuating means for tilting the collecting vessel 7 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 as comprising a knob 6 nonrotatably secured, for example by a transverse pin 19, on the outer end ofa shaft 17 which extends through a bearing bore in an approximately central upper portion of the sidewall 1a of the casing 1 which is opposite the sidewall lb in which the opening 5 is provided. A plate 16 secured on the inner end of the shaft 17 lies between the sidewall In of the casing and the adjacent sidewall 8a of the collecting vessel 7 and has in its lower portion, below the shaft 17, a notch or recess 18, the edges of which form a guiding curve for a cam which is provided on the outer surface of the wall 8a of the vessel 7 and is received in the recess 18 of the plate 16. Two different positions of the plate 16 are shown by way of example in FIG. 3. It will be seen that as the plate 16 is turned about the axis of the shaft 17 by means of the control knob 6, the vessel 7 is correspondingly tilted by the engagement of the cam portion 15 on the wall 8a of the vessel in the recess 18 of the plate 16.

Means for retaining the vessel 7 in a selected position is shown by way of example in FIGS. 4 and 5 as comprising a spring 21 having end portions secured to the sidewall 1a of the casing l, for example by being received in openings 21a in projecting portions of the casing wall, and a central portion which is bent to form a radially projecting bow 22 engageable selectively in one or another of circumferentially spaced

recesses

23, 23a and 23b formed on the inside of an enlarged skirt portion 6a of the actuating knob 6. The recesses are positioned so that the bow 22 of the spring 21 engages in the central recess 23 when the vessel 7 is in an upright position as shown in FIG. 2. When the vessel is tilted in a clockwise direction toward the access opening 5, the bow 22 engages in the recess 230. When the vessel 7 is tilted in a counterclockwise direction toward the discharge opening 2 of the easing, the bow 22 engages in the recess 23b. The vessel is thus releasably held in the position to which it has been turned. Moreover, the spring engagement of the bow 22 in the

recesses

23, 23a or 23b as the knob is being turned provides a tactile indication that one of the positions has been reached. To indicate visually the position of the vessel 7 in the casing, suitable indicator means is provided on the knob 6. As illustrated by way of example in FIG. 4, one end of the transverse pin 19 is extended to form a pointer 19a which by its position indicates the position of the vessel 7 in the casing.

A suitable seal is provided to prevent leakage of water out around the shaft 17. In FIGS. 4 and 5 the seal is shown by way of example as comprising a sealing ring 17a formed of rubber or other suitable elastomeric material and surrounding the shaft 17. A spiral spring serves to compress the sealing ring and to compensate for any play that may be developed over a period of time in the use of the siphon.

Means cooperating with the actuating mechanism to guide the vessel 7 in its tilting movement is shown by way of example in FIGS. 3A and 38 as comprising spaced guiding ribs 25 provided on the outside of the sidewall 8b of the vessel 7 opposite that on which the cam 15 is provided. The guiding ribs 25 are cngageable with a flat raised disc 26 on the inside of the adjacent wall 1b of the casing in alignment with the axis of the shaft 17. The ribs 25 and disc 26 cooperate with one another and with the cam 15 and plate 16 at the opposite side of the vessel to guide the vessel in its tilting movement. In FIG. 3A, the guiding ribs 25 are shown straight and are vertical when the vessel is in an upright position while in FIG. 3B the guiding ribs are shown as curves which diverge upwardly and downwardly. While the disc 26 has been shown circular it will be understood that its shape can be modified to provide the particular tilting movement desired.

Moreover, in FIGS. 2 and 3, means for guiding the vessel 7 in its tilting movement is shown as comprising guiding rails 14 on the bottom of the casing l. The rails 14 are curved upwardly at their ends and at the end 1e ofthe casing they extend up above the outlet opening 2. It will be seen that the rails 14 hold the vessel 7 up off of the bottom 1d of the casing and also prevent it from assuming any position in which it would block the outlet opening 2. The guiding means illustrated in FIGS. I and 2 and that illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 38 can be used together or independently as desired.

The sanitary siphon illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 operates in the following manner. In normal service, the collecting vessel 7 is upright as shown in FIG. 2 and the actuating knob 6 is in its middle position in which the spring bow 22 engages in the middle recess 23. Water from the discharge of the washbasin, sink or other equipment or appliance to which the inlet of the siphon is connected flows in the direction of the arrow F through the immersion tube 11 into the collecting vessel 7 and fills the vessel until it runs over the upper edges of both

end walls

9a, 9b into the casing 1 from which it drains through the outlet 2. Normally the vessel 7 and the immersion tube 11 remain full of water up to the level of the upper edges of the end walls 911, 9b so as to provide a good seal against gases and odors. The distance between the lower end of the immersion tube 11 and the bottom of the collecting vessel 17 is sufficient so that there is no obstruction to the free flow of water into and through the vessel. When it is desired to empty the collecting vessel 7, the actuating knob 6 is turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5 so that the plate 16 is turned about the axis of the shaft 17 in a counterclockwise direction a s viewed in FIG. 3 (which is looking in the opposite direction) whereby the collecting vessel 7 is tipped toward the left to an approximately horizontal position with its open top facing the outlet 2. Water in the vessel is thereby emptied into the casing l and flows out through the outlet opening. After it has been emptied, the vessel 7 is returned to its upright position by reverse rotation of the actuating knob 6. If desired, spring means may be provided for returning the vessel to its upright position.

In the event that an object, for example a finger ring, is inadvertently dropped into the drain leading to the siphon, it is retained in the collecting vessel 7 and in particular in the shallow pan formed by the rim 10a. In order to remove such object from the siphon, the actuating knob 6 is turned in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5 so that the plate 16 is turned in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2 to the position shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 3. The vessel 7 is thereby tilted toward the right to an approximately horizontal position. With the vessel in this position, the water drains out slowly while the any solid object is retained in the vessel. After the water has been drained out and discharged through the outlet 2, the closure 5a is removed so as to provide access to the open top of the vessel 7 through the opening 5. Any object in the vessel can then easily be removed with the fingers or with pinchers or other suitable instrument. After removal of the object from the vessel 7, the opening 5 is closed with the closure 5a and the vessel 7 is returned to its normal upright position by reverse rotation of the actuating knob.

In its tilting movement the vessel 7 does not turn on a fixed axis but, by reason of the manner in which the vessel is actuated and guided as described above, the vessel 7 tilts about a movable axis by a combined rotary and translatory motion. By reason of this motion and the configuration and proportions of the vessel 7, it is possible to tilt the vessel through an angle of approximately I in each direction from the normal upright position) despite the extension of the immersion tube 11 down in the vessel.

The siphon can be cleaned without disassembly by rocking the vessel 7 rapidly back and forth by means of the actuating knob 6 while running water into the siphon through the inlet 13.

The siphon in accordance with the present invention can be readily assembled by inserting the vessel 7 through the open end of the casing while the plate 16 is turned by means of the actuating knob 6 to a position in which the cam of the vessel 7 is received in the recess 18 of the plate 16. The casing is then closed by means of the end plate. 3. Conversely, if it is desired to remove the vessel 7 from the casing for inspection or servicing, this can readily be done merely by reversing the assembly operation.

The siphon in accordance with the invention can be made of any suitable material, for example bronze, aluminum, zinc or a suitable synthetic material. The necessary ribs, cams or other projections can be formed directly on the siphon parts for example by casting or molding so that the finishing of the siphon parts is very simple. The immersion tube 11 can, if desired, be made of rubber or other flexible material.

The free and unobstructed flow of water from both sides of the lower end of the immersion tube 11 avoids the undesirable noises which frequently occur with know siphons. Moreover, a small spring-loaded valve can, if desired, be provided in the shaft 17 in order to avoid the occurrence of a vacuum inside the siphon in the event of a rapid flow of water out of the easing outlet Objectionable noises resulting from water being sucked into the casing are thereby avoided. The valve can, for example be a small spring-loaded ball valve.

In FIGS. 6 to 8 there is shown another embodiment of a sanitary siphon in accordance with the present invention comprising a housing 41 having an inlet connection 53 at approximately the center of its upper side and an outlet connection 42 in the lower portion of one end. The opposite end of the housing is closed by a removable plate 43. Opposite sides of the casing are parallel with one another while opposite ends are inclined so as to converge upwardly as seen in FIG. 7. In one side of the housing below the inlet 53 there is provided an opening to receive a cylindrical shaft 57 which is fixed at its inner end to an approximately egg-shaped cam 56 lying on the inner side of the housing wall. The portion of the housing wall surrounding the shaft opening is thickened so as to provide a sufficicntly long cylindrical bearing surface for the shaft 57. At its outer end, the shaft 57 terminates in a square portion 57a which is received in a corresponding square opening in the inner face of an actuating knob 46 secured to the shaft by means of a screw 59. A sealing disc 58 between the housing wall and the actuating knob 46 provides a fluidtight seal around the shaft. A spiral spring 60 anchored on the housing wall and received in an annular groove on the inner side of the actuating knob 46 acts on the knob when it has been turned in either direction to return the knob and cam 46 to a normal position in which the smaller end of the cam 56 points upwardly. On the same side of the housing as the actuating knob 46 but somewhat lower and offset toward the end opposite the outlet 42 there is an access opening closed by a cap 45 provided with a gasket ring 72 to provide a fluidtight closure. The cap 45 is provided with a plurality of openings 70 which are normally covered by a valve membrane 71 on the inner side of the cap. The membrane 71 is secured to the cap by a screw 72. The cap 45 with the membrane 71 thus forms a valve which admits air to the inside of the housing to avoid the formation of a vacuum, for example by the rapid fiow of water from the housing. Any noise that might be created by such a vacuum is thereby avoided.

In the housing 41 there is an immersion tube SI (FIGS. 6 and 8) which extends downwardly from the inlet 53 into a tiltable receptacle 47. At its upper end the inlet tube 51 is provided with an annular flange which is received in the inlet connection 53 in such manner as to provide a fluidtight connection.

As seen in FIGS. 11 to 13, the receptacle 47 has two parallel sidewalls 47a and 47b while the bottom and opposite ends of the receptacle are formed by an approximately U-shaped wall 50 having upwardly diverging sides. The upper open side of the receptacle 47 is convexly curved (FIGS. 11 and 13). The receptacle 47 is of such width that its parallel sidewalls fit closely inside the parallel sidewalls of the housing 41. On the side 47b of the housing adjacent the cam 56 there are provided two spaced-apart, symmetrical raised profile sections 63 having convexly curved edges 64 as seen in FIG. 13. Along its convexly curved upper edge the receptacle side 47b is provided with an outwardly projecting rim 470, the thickness of which corresponds to the thickness of the raised profile sections 63. On the other sidewall 47a of the receptacle there are likewise provided two spaced-apart, symmetrical raised profile sections 61 having convexly curved edges 62 as seen in FIG. ll.

As seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, the receptacle 47 is disposed in the housing 41 with the projecting rim 470 of the sidewall 47h ,resting on the upper end of the cam 56. In this manner the receptacle is suspended in the housing without the bottom of the receptacle resting on the bottom of the housing. The inside width of the housing is only sufficiently greater than the weight of the receptacle 47 that the latter is freely movable in the housing and not sufficient to permit disengagement of the rim 470 from the cam 56. On the inner side of the housing wall opposite the actuating knob 46 there is provided a raised disc 67 in line with the shaft 57 of the cam 56. The disc 67 cooperates with the curved guiding edges 62 (FIG. 11) of the raised portions 61 to guide the receptacle 47 when it is tilted by engagement of the cam 56 with the curved guiding edges 64 of the raised sections 63 upon rotation of the cam by means of the actuating knob 46. On the inside of the housing wall op posite the actuating knob 46 at the upper corner adjacent the end in which the outlet 42 is provided there is a raised section 65 (FIGS. 7 and 8) which has a profile edge 66 and is of approximately the same thickness as the disc 67.

The receptacle 47 is thus completely loose in the housing without any attachment and is merely retained in position between the sidewalls of the housing by the cooperation of the cam 56 and disc 67 with the raised

portions

470, 61 and 63 of the receptacle. With the closure plate 43 and the immersion tube 51 removed, the receptacle 47 can simply be inserted in the housing bottom first while the cam 56 is held in an approximately horizontal position so that it can enter between the curved guiding edges 64 of the raised sections 63 while simultaneously the disc 67 slides between the curved guiding edges 62 of the raised portions 61. The cam 56 is then turned by meansof the actuating knob 46 to a vertical position as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 so that the receptacle is upright in its normal service position. The tube 51 is then inserted.

When the siphon is in service, the receptacle 47 is normally in an upright position as seen in FIGS. 11 and 13. Water entering the inlet tube 51 from the washbasin, sink or other installation or appliance fills the receptacle to the level of its end walls and then overflows into the casing 41 from which it drains through the outlet 42. As the lower portion of the tube 51 is immersed in the water retained in the receptacle, a gasproof and hence odorproof seal is provided. When it is desired to empty the receptacle 47, the actuating knob 46 is turned in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 while to remove any solid object that may have lodged in the receptacle, the operating knob is turned in a counterclockwise direction so that the object can be removed through the opening provided by removal of the cap 45. When the actuating knob is released; the receptacle 47 is returned to its normal upright position by the spring 60.

By reason of the form of the cam 56 as well as the guiding curves 62 and 64, the receptacle 47 is not rotated about a fixed axis when the actuating knob 46 is turned but rather initially has a tilting movement until the upper edge of one end of the receptacle engages the immersion tube 51 and then upon further turning of the knob 46 the receptacle pivots about the point of engagement with the tube 51 until the straight portion of the then lower end wall lies approximately horizontal with the bottom of the housing. The two end positions of the receptacle 47 are represented in broken lines in FIG. 7.

The raised portion 65 with its profile edge 66 on the inside of the housing wall assists in righting the receptacle 47 when the receptacle is returned to its rest position in that the upper outer edge portion 61a (FIG. 1 1) of the corresponding profile section 61 comes to rest on the guiding surface 66.

While in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, profile sections are provided on both sides of the receptacle, it can be shown in principle that the cam 56 in cooperation with the guiding curves 64 is sufficient to give the receptacle the different positions described without it being necessary to provide the other side of the receptacle 47a with profile curves cooperating with profiles on the inner surface of the adjacent housing wall. Hence the side 47a of the receptacle can be made plain and merely slide on the inner face of the adjacent wall of the housing.

While the air inlet valve has been shown as arranged in combination with the closure 45, it will be understood that it can alternatively be incroporated in the actuating knob 56 or, as a separate valve member, for example a diaphragm valve or spring-loaded ball valve can be located on any suitable portion of the housing.

All parts of the siphon can be manufactured in simple manner as cast or pressed parts of metal or synthetic material whereby the parts, in particular the receptacle 47 with its profiled walled portions, can be produced in finished form so as to avoid machine operations.

It will be understood that the several features of the embodiments illustrated in the drawings are mutually interchangeable insofar as they are compatible. For example the spring return illustrated in FIG. 10 is applicable to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 Moreover, while preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the drawings and are herein particularly described, it will be understood that the invention is in no way limited to these embodiments.

What l claim and desire to secure by letters patent is:

l. A sanitary drain siphon comprising a casing having an inlet in the upper part of the casing, an outlet in the lower part of the casing and an opening adjacent one end, a removable closure for said end opening, a tiltable collecting vessel in said casing underneath said inlet opening, an immersion tube extending downwardly from said inlet into said collecting vessel, actuating means for tipping said collecting vessel comprising an actuating member on the outside of the casing, cam means on the inside of the casing engaging a cooperating portion of said vessel and shaft means extending through a wall of the casing to connect said cam means and actuating member, and means for guiding said vessel in its tipping movement, said vessel being tippable by said actuating means from an upright position in which said vessel retains liquid to cover the lower end of said immersion tube to form a gas seal and an approximately horizontal tipped position in which liquid is emptied from said vessel into said casing, and said vessel opens toward said opening of the casing to permit removal through said opening of any objects accumulated in said vessel 2. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said cam means comprises a plate fixed on the inner end of said shaft means between a sidewall of said casing and said vessel and having a cutout, and in which said cooperating part of said vessel comprises a circular cam located on the adjacent wall of said vessel and received in said cutout.

3. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1; in which said cam means comprises a generally egg-shaped cam fixed on the inner end of said shaft means, and in which the cooperating portions of said vessel comprises opposed symmetrical shoulders having convex edges engageable by said cam.

4. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which the side of said vessel opposite the side adjacent said cam means is provided with two opposite symmetrical guiding surfaces, and

in which a disc-shaped cam on the inside of the adjacent casing wall engages said guiding surfaces to guide said vessel in it tipping movement.

5. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said casing is provided in an inside upper corner with a profiled shoulder which is engageable with an upper edge portion of said vessel to assist in the righting of the vessel.

6. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which a vacuum-relief valve in the casing admits air to the casing in the event of subatmospheric pressureoccuring in said casing.

7. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which a return spring acts on said actuating member to bias said vessel to an upright position.

8. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said removal opening and said outlet are located at opposite ends of said casing and in which said vessel is tiltable in one direction from a normal upright position to said approximately horizontal position opening toward said removal opening and is tiltable in an opposite direction from said normal upright position to an approximately horizontal emptying position opening toward said outlet.

9/ A sanitary drain siphon according to claim I, in which said casing comprises end plate which is removable to permit insertion of said vessel into said casing.

10. A sanitary drain siphon comprising a casing having a top, bottom, opposite parallel sidewalls and end walls, with an inlet opening in the top of the casing and an outlet in the lower part of the casing, a tiltable collecting vessel in said casing underneath said inlet opening and having opposite parallel sidewalls closely inwardly of said sidewalls of the casing and a connecting U-shaped wall forming the bottom and end walls of said vessel, said ends being lower than said sidewalls of said vessel and spaced sufficiently inwardly of the end walls of said casing to permit tipping of the vessel in the casing, an immer sion tube extending downwardly from said inlet opening into said collecting vessel, actuating means including an actuating member outside the casing for tipping said collecting vessel and means for guiding said vessel to impart to it a combined rotary movement and translatory movement endwise of the casing in tipping.

11. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which said actuating means comprises cooperating cam means between a first sidewall of said casing and the adjacent sidewall of said vessel, and shaft means extending through said first sidewall of the casing and connecting said cam means with said actuating knob.

12. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 11, in which said guiding means comprises cooperating cam surfaces on the inside of a second sidewall of the casing opposite said first sidewall and on the adjacent sidewall of said vessel.

13. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which one end wall of said casing comprises a closure which is removable to open said end of the casing for insertion and removal of said vessel.

14. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which an upstanding annular wall on the inside of the bottom of said vessel defines a shallow pan into which said immersion tube projects.

15. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which said outlet is at one end of said casing and an opening with a removable closure is provided adjacent the opposite end of the casing, and in which said vessel is tiltable by said actuating means in one direction from a normal upright position to a position in which said vessel opens toward said opening with one end wall approximately horizontal and is tiltable in the opposite direction from said normal upright position to a position in which said vessel opens toward said outlet with the opposite end wall approximately horizontal.

16. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which said vessel when moved from a normal upright position by said actuating means first tilts until the upper edge of one of said end walls of the vessel engages said immersion tube and then pivots about the point of engagement of said end wall with said tube.

Claims

1. A sanitary drain siphon comprising a casing having an inlet in the upper part of the casing, an outlet in the lower part of the casing and an opening adjacent one end, a removable closure for said end opening, a tiltable collecting vessel in said casing underneath said inlet opening, an immersion tube extending downwardly from said inlet into said collecting vessel, actuating means for tipping said collecting vessel comprising an actuating member on the outside of the casing, cam means on the inside of the casing engaging a cooperating portion of said vessel and shaft means extending through a wall of the casing to connect said cam means and actuating member, and means for guiding said vessel in its tipping movement, said vessel being tippable by said actuating means from an upright position in which said vessel retains liquid to cover the lower end of said immersion tube to form a gas seal and an approximately horizontal tipped position in which liquid is emptied from said vessel into said casing, and said vessel opens toward said opening of the casing to permit removal through said opening of any objects accumulated in said vessel

2. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said cam means comprises a plate fixed on the inner end of said shaft means between a sidewall of said casing and said vessel and having a cutout, and in which said cooperating part of said vessel comprises a circular cam located on the adjacent wall of said vessel and received in said cutout.

3. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said cam means comprises a generally egg-shaped cam fixed on the inner end of said shaft means, and in which the cooperating portions of said vessel comprises opposed symmetrical shoulders having convex edges engageable by said cam.

4. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which the side of said vessel opposite the side adjacent said cam means is provided with two opposite symmetrical guiding surfaces, and in which a disc-shaped cam on the inside of the adjacent casing wall engages said guiding surfaces to guide said vessel in it tipping movement.

6. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which a vacuum-relief valve in the casing admits air to the casing in the event of subatmospheric pressure occuring in said casing.

8. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said removal opening and said outlet are located at opposite ends of said casing and in which said vessel is tiltable in one direction from a normal upright position to said approximately horizontal position opening toward said removal opening and is tiltable in an opposite direction from said normal upright position to an approximately horizontal emptying position opening toward said outlet. 9/ A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said casing comprises end plate which is removable to permit insertion of said vessel into said casing.

10. A sanitary drain siphon comprising a casing having a top, bottom, opposite parallel sidewalls and end walls, with an inlet opening in the top of the casing and an outlet in the lower part of the casing, a tiltable collecting vessel in said casing underneath said inlet opening and having opposite parallel sidewalls closely inwardly of said sidewalls of the casing and a connecting U-shaped wall forming the bottom and end walls of said vessel, said ends being lower than said sidewalls of said vessel and spaced sufficiently inwardly of the end walls of said casing to permit tipping of the vessel in the casing, an immersion tube extending downwardly from said inlet opening into said collecting vessel, actuating means including an actuating member outside the casing for tipping said collecting vessel and means for guiding said vessel to impart to it a combined rotary movement and translatory movement endwise of the casing in tipping.