GB2033547A - Floats for ballcocks - Google Patents

Abstract

The float (4) is of a hollow cup-like configuration which has an open face allowing air to flow into the float (4) and be trapped therein when the float (4) is inverted into a liquid, open face downwards. The float (4) has a threaded aperture (8) to accommodate the end of a valve operating arm and has its cup like configuration in the form of two hollow troughs (12, 13) on either side of a connecting valley portion (14). The float (4) can still function notwithstanding a small hole appearing therein and can be stacked with the peripheral flanges (9) of the stacked floats resting on one another. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Floats This invention relates to floats and more especially to floats suitable for use with ballcock valves.

The standard type of ballcock float which has existed for many years has been a buoyant ball fixed rigidly to an arm which operates the ballcock valve to allow liquid, usually water, to flow into a container. A round ball has been found to deteriorate over the many years in which its is required to operate, often developing small holes which allow entry of water into the inside of the ballcock float. The water once in the ballcockfloat can only escape much more slowly than additional water can enter and hence eventually the float will become so weighted with water that its buoyancy will be insufficient for effective operation of the ballcock valve.

As such a ball float is constrained to move in an arc by the ballcock arm, even if a hole that may have developed was normally above the water line when the container was full, as the float sinks down with a falling water level it can often happen that the hole at some stage will be below the water line thus allowing water to enter through the hole.

In accordance with this invention there is thus provided a float adapted to be fixed to the end of an arm operating a valve for controlling entry of liquid into a container, said float having an open faced cup like configuration (as herein defined) adapted to retain air trapped therewithin when inverted, open face downward, into a liquid.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show one possible embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows, diagrammatically, the relationship of a ballcockfloatto a container and a ballcock arm and bailcockvalve, Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a float according to one possible embodiment of the invention, Figure 3 shows a plurality of the floats of Figure 2 when stacked or nested together.

Thus, referring to Figure 1 especially, a container 1 adapted to hold and retain a liquid, generally water, has a valve 2 controlling the flow of water through an inlet 3 into the container, 1, the valve 2 being operated by a float 4 which moves between the two positions shown with the variation in water level between levels at A and B, thus raising or lowering arm 5 such that at a predetermined upper water level the arm 5 closes the valve 2 preventing further water flow into the container.

The movement of float 4 is seen to be an arc having its radius the length of arm 5, the corresponding water levels in the float 4 being referenced C and D in the upper and lower positions of the float 4 respectively.

Referring now also to Figure 2, the float of the invention such as suitable for use in the arrangement of Figure 1, is shown to be substantially cup like in shape. By cup like is meant that the member has an open face allowing air to flow into the float and be trapped therein when the open face is closed off. The float is therefore provided of an at least partially hollow configuration. The float is adapted to retain the air in such a manner that when placed in a stable state, inverted into water for example, it retains or traps sufficient air to provide sufficient buoyancy to operate, for example through an arm 5 such as shown in Figure 1, a desired valve of the type as normally used with a ballcock float.

Thus referring to Figure 2 a float 4 is shown in its operative position with an inverted cup shape hav ing a relatively deep body portion 6 adapted to retain or trap air therein and an open face in its base 7 allowing free passage of air into the body portion 6 where it is trapped.

It will be immediately appreciated that if a small hole should appear in the float 4 of the present invention, such as hereinbefore mentioned with regard to previous designs of ball float, water would not be trapped inside the float 4 and the float 4 would still be able to function with the remaining air trapped in the section above the hole.

The surface area of the base 7 may be increased by a flange 10 and a rim 9 as shown which increase its surface area providing a corresponding increase in the stability of the float 4 when freely floating in water.

The body portion 6 is shown provided with a connection at 8 so that it can be joined to the free end 18 of an operating arm 5 (see Figure 1). This connection 8 needs to be relatively rigid so that swivelling motion of the float 4 about its connection such as to the arm 5 is minimized. Thus connection 8 as shown is a hole threaded to receive a threaded end 18 of operating arm 5 such that the float 4 can be screwed up tightly on the end 18.

The float 4 can be of any suitable material as long as the buoyancy thereof is sufficient for the required purpose; a suitable material is plastics which can be moulded into the desired configuration in one operation. In such a moulding operation a connecting hole 8 in the float 4 can be provided as a self-tapping hole for screwing the end 18 of the arm 5 therein or alternatively it can be provided with a screw thread itself.

A further desirable feature of one possible embodiment of the invention and as shown is to provide the floats 4 of such a shape or configuration that a plurality thereof can be stacked inside each other i.e.

are nestable, and hence enable a greater quantity of the floats 4 to be stacked in substantially the same space. This feature is shown by way of example in Figure 3 where three of the floats 4 are nested together. It is desirable for ease of removing one float 4 from the remaining stacked floats 4 to provide the rim 9 extending from the flange 10 surrounding the base 7 of the floats 4. In this manner as shown in Figure 3 the rims 9, 9a and 9b of respective floats 4 sit on top of the flange 10 of the lower float leaving a space 11 between the resepctive body portions 6 of the floats 4 such that the floats can be simply removed frm the stack as required.

The connection 8 to connect the float 4 to afloat arm 5 is in a position that swivelling of the float 4 on the arm 5 is prevented or at least minimized. Hence the connection 8 will be at or close to a horizontal line drawn through the center of buoyancy of the float 4 and thus may, in the example shown, be at a position intermediate the base 7 and the highest point of the body portion 6.

The particular construction shown in Figure 2 provides further desirable advantages. Thus, two inverted trough like portions 12 and 13 are shown provided running substantially parallel to each other joined by a valley portion 14 and in the valley portion 14 a thickened part 15 can be provided of greater thickness than the remaining portions of the wall 6.

In part 15 of this valley portion 14 the connection 8 to the arm 5 is shown provided.

The provision of two trough like portions 12 and 13 will also give added stability to the float 4 especially against swivelling movement about its connection to the arm 5.

Moreover, by providing the connection 8 in the valley portion 14the individual units can be formed into a nested package in the manner shown in Figure 3 without the connection creating a restriction against stacking.

While the invention has been described with reference to one possible embodiment thereof it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto and moreover where specific integers have been stated and known equivalents exist therefor, such known equivalents are incorporated herein as if specifically set forth.

Claims (8)

1. A float adapted to be fixed to the end of an arm operating a valve for controlling entry of liquid into a container, said float having an open faced cup like configuration (as herein defined) adapted to retain air trapped therewithin when inverted, open face downward, into a liquid.

2. A float as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said adaptation for connection with said valve operating arm comprises a threaded or threadable aperture.

3. Afloat as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said open face is provided at the base of a pair of troughs extending upwardly therefrom on either side of a valley portion extending therebetween.

4. A float as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a rim of a flange extends around said open face, a plurality of floats being nestable and able to be stacked one above the other with the rim of an upper float resting on the flange of a lower float to provide a spacing between juxtaposed side wall surfaces of respective floats.

5. A float as claimed in Claim 4 wherein respective side walls thereof taper inwardly from the flange on each side.

6. Afloat as claimed in Claim 3 when dependant on Claim 2 wherein said valley portion includes a thickened portion of material in which said aperture is provided.

7. A float as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is moulded from a plastics material.

8. A float substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated bythe accompanying drawings.