Technical Field This invention relates to a spout for a faucet and more particularly to a faucet spout incorporating a discharge lift rod.

Background of the Invention Widespread faucets have been becoming more popular. Widespread faucets have a separate spout usually interposed between the faucet handles without a common escutcheon and being independently mounted. However, discharge lift rods have been difficult to install with the widespread spout. Sinks and the like for widespread faucets generally have in their rim two holes for the faucet handles and a third hole which is needed either for the faucet spout or the discharge lift rod. The rod must pass through the inside of the faucet spout. In most widespread spouts, the two supply fittings connect to a cross member which is in turn connected to the spout member. In other models, they are connected directly into a cavity of the faucet spout. In both cases the faucet spout must be provided inside with a tubular member running the cavity, so as to provide a sealed leakless passage for the discharge lift rod. The tubular member had to be manufactured integrally with the faucet spout thereby causing serious difficulties in the production, or mounted to the delivery spout with seals and expensive gasket systems for the seal. The structure of the spout is however very complex, and the spout itself must generally be manufactured by welding and brasing which can damage the seals. Careful and expensive production processes must be used to avoid a

, lot of losses with either previous spout structure.

Summary of the Invention

Ϊ In accordance with the invention, the structure of a faucet spout has its base section passing through the corresponding hole of the rim of the washbasin. The base

has two longitudinal separated and parallel supply passages each communicating with one fitting. The base section also has a hole for receiving a discharge supply lift rod. The hole is made obliquely in said lower section of the spout and passes between said two supply passages without intersecting them.

The base section of the spout can be easily and economically manufactured. Bar stock, through mechanical operations such a& turning, boring and threading (all of them are easily carried on. automatic tooling machines) can be manufactured into the lower section of the spout. The upper part of the delivery spout can be manufactured with any conventional process and then connected through keying or screwing to said lower section. Particularly the upper part of the spout can. be produced very economically by curving a metal pipe.

The hole for the passage of the discharge lift rod does not communicate with any water passages so that gasket systems and seals can. be eliminated, thus providing great economy and. ease of manufacturing the delivery spout.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings in whichr

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned view showing the rim of a sink, with one hole for a control handle and the hole for the delivery spout with one control handle and the base section of the delivery spout according to the invention installed in these holes.

Fig. 2 shows the lower section of the delivery spout sectioned along the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The rim 1 of a sink has a hole 2 for the installation of a delivery spout 30 (also including the lift rod 21) and a hole 3 for the installation of a faucet handle 4. A second hole substantially identical to hole 3 for the installation of a second control handle

substantially identical to handle 4 is provided on the other side of the hole 2, and is not shown. The handle 4 controls a valve mounted in a valve body 5 which has an inlet fitting 6 for a supply pipe, and an outlet fitting 7 for connection to a fitting 8 of a flexible pipe 9. Flexible pipe 9 has a fitting 10 to connected to the faucet spout. A second flexible pipe 11 has fitting 12 connected to the faucet spout and has its other end connected to the second faucet handle (not shown) .

The base section 13 of the faucet spout is a separate body member which is substantially cylindrical and therefore can be manufactured by turning of metal bar stock. The lower portion 14 of base section 13 is externally threaded to threadably engage a flange 24. Furthermore, after the threaded portion 14 is passed through the hole 2, a gasket 25, a washer 26 and a nut 27 are threaded onto portion 14 to fix the base section 13 to the rim 1 of the washbasin.

The upper portion of the base section 13 has a cavity 15 with a threaded portion 16 threadably receiving the upper part 20 of the faucet spout. Two supply passages 17 and 18 longitudinally extend through the base section 13 downward from cavity 15 and pass through hole 2. The lower ends of supply passages 17 and 18 are treaded to receive the fittings 10 and 12 of the flexible pipes 9 and 11. The passages 17 and 18 are parallel and separated for their entire length.

Finally, a hole 19 obliquely passes between the two supply passages 17 and 18 without intersecting them (see Fig. 1) and opens in the lower part of the side of the lower end 13 and upperly on the cover surface of 13 (see Fig. 2) . The oblique hole 19 slideably receives the discharge lift rod 21 which is oblique, too. Preferably, the lower part 22 of the rod 21 is so bent as to extend

-1 vertically to the bottom. The upper end of the rod 21 is provided with a control knob 23. The hole 19 for the rod 21 crosses the part 13 between the passages 17 and 18,

which are separated, without communicating with them, so that no gasket or seal is required. The hole 19 can be made in the base section 13 on automatic machines and with minimal production costs. The discharge control rod 21 can be operated in a conventional fashion by lifting the knob for closing the discharge outlet and allowing the sink to fill and by lowering the knob for emptying the sink. During the lifting manoeuvre, the rod 21 shifts obliquely and therefore its lower part 22 undergoes a certain transversal shifting at the same time as its longitudinal operative shifting. . This does not however cause any consequences as the articulation of the rod 22 with the discharge lever (not shown) is sliding.

The construction of the faucet spout according to the invention calls for the usage of flexible fittings to the faucets, which facilitates the installation operations, especially when there are assembly inaccuracies and manufacturing tolerances that are easily compensated with flexible- fittings.

The upper part 20 of the faucet spout can be a simple piece of curved pipe, externally threaded at an end so as to be connected with the internally threaded portion 16 of the cavity 15, and threaded also at the other end to receive a spout, aerator or other delivery terminal. This method is the most economical. The upper part 20 of the faucet spout could however be various other alternatives and be connected any way to the base section 13. In particular cases, the base section 13 could also be integral to the upper part of the delivery spout.

Variations and modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the scope and spirit as defined in the appended claims.