GB2142983A - Syphon apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Syphon apparatus including a hand operated suction pump comprising a hollow resilient ball-like body (2) which is formed to define two juxtaposed neck portions (4, 6) which project from the body and which embody inlet and outlet passageways (12, 14), the neck portions being adapted to serve as finger grips to facilitate repeated manual deformation of the body thereby to effect a suction pump action. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Syphon apparatus This invention relates to syphon apparatus and more especially it reiates to syphon apparatus suitable for drawing fuel from the tank of a vehicle or for drawing wine from a fermentation vessel without disturbing sediment produced the fermentation process.

It is an object of the present invention to provide syphon apparatus suitable for the purposes just before described, which apparatus is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

According to the present invention syphon apparatus includes a hand operated suction pump comprising a hollow resilient ball-like body which is formed to define two juxaposed neck portions which project from the body and which embody inlet and outlet passageways, the neck portions being adapted to serve as finger grips to facilitate repeated manual deformation of the body thereby to effect a suction pump action.

In use of the syphon apparatus, the suction pump action is used initially to draw liquid into the ball-like body, the liquid being arranged thereafter to flow away from the body so as to initiate a syphoning operation.

The juxtaposed neck portions may comprise pipes having flanged end parts which serve as the finger grips.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the inlet and outlet passageways in the neck portions are fitted with flexible inlet and outlet tubes, the outlet tube being fitted with a closure member.

The closure member may be a stopper.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the inlet passageway in one neck portion is fitted with a flexible inlet tube and a valve is fitted to the passageway in other neck portion.

In this alternative embodiment of the invention, the flexible inlet tube may be fed via a tap.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure l is a somewhat schematic sectional side view of syphoning apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a somewhat schematic sectional side view of apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the invention; and Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of a hand operated suction pump part which forms a part of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to Figure 1, syphoning apparatus comprises a resilient hollow ball-like body 2 which is fitted with juxtaposed neck portions 4 and 6 which are formed to define flanges 8 and 10 respectively.

The neck portion 4 serves to define an inlet passageway 12 and the neck portion 6 serves to define an outlet passageway 14. Aflexible plastics inlet tube 16 is fitted within the inlet passageway 12 and a flexible plastics outlet tube 18 is fitted within the outlet passageway 14. The outlet tube 18 is fitted with a removeable stopper 20 which includes a retaining strap 22 secured to the tube and effective to prevent loss of the stopper 20.

In use of the syphoning apparatus as shown in Figure 1, the inlet tube 16 is firstly lowered into liquid to be syphoned. The body 2 is then depressed by finger pressure on the flanges 8 and 10 as shown in Figure 3 to expei air contained therein so that the air bubbles up through liquid to be syphoned. The body 2 is then re-expanded so that liquid to be syphoned is sucked into the interior of the body 2. The outlet pipe 18 is then lowered to a level below the level of the liquid to be syphoned and the stopper 20 is removed. Syphoning will then proceed and can be stopped by removing the inlet tube from the liquid to be syphoned. It will be apparent that the flanges 8 and 10 serve as finger grips and facilitate repeated deformation of the body 2 to expel air from the inlet tube 16 and from the interior of the body 2.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention which will hereinafter be described with reference to Figure 2, wherein corresponding parts of the apparatus bear as appropriate the same designations as in Figures 1 and 3, the inlet tube 16 is fitted with a plastics tap 24 which is fed from a length of plastics tube 26. Although the tap 24 and the tube 26 may form a part of the syphoning apparatus, it is envisaged that the tap 24 and the tube 26 may already be available and may form part of a wine making kit for example. The outlet passageway 14 is fitted with a non- return valve 28 and it will be appreciated therefore that the outlet pipe 18 shown in Figure 1 is omitted from this embodiment of the invention.

In operation of the apparatus shown in Figure 2, the tap 24 is initially closed. The plastics tube 26 is connected to the tap 24 and the ball-like body 2 is depressed to the condition shown in Figure 3. This operation forces air from within the body 2 so that it is expelled via the non-return valve 28. The tap 24 is then opened and the ball is then expanded. Air cannot be drawn into the ball via the non-return valve 28 and so fluid to be syphoned is sucked into the body 2 via the tube 26, the tap 24 and the inlet tube 16. In order to ensure that air is fully expelled from the interior of the body 2 and the inlet tube 16, the body 2 may be depressed several times but each time the tap 24 must be closed before depression.

Having drawn liquid to be syphoned into the tube 26, the tap 24 is finally closed and the level of the end of the tube 26 is brought down below the level of the liquid to be syphoned. The inlet tube 16 is then detached from the tap 24 and the tap 24 is opened to begin the syphoning process. Any liquid which may have been sucked into the interior of the body 2 may be drained off into the container used for syphoning.

With careful depression and expansion of the body 2, the liquid to be syphoned can be drawn just up to the top 24 so that it is not then necessary subse quentlyto drain off the body 2.

It will be appreciated that the body 2 may conveniently be moulded from resilient plastics or synthetic rubber material and that the flexible inlet tube 16 and the flexible outlet tube 18 as shown in Figure 1 may also be fabricated conveniently from flexible plastics material. The arrangement shown in Figure 1 might be described as the direct flow syphoning system and may be used, for example, for drawing fuel from the fuel tank of a vehicle. The arrangement may be used for other applications if desired.

The arrangement described with reference to Figure 2 is more especially suitable for use by wine making enthusiasts although it can of course be used for other applications.

Various modifications may be made to the arrangements hereinbefore described without departing from the scope of the invention and for example the flanges 8 and 10 which serve as finger grips may be arranged to take alternative forms.

Claims (7)

1. Syphon apparatus including a hand operated suction pump comprising a hollow resilient ball-like body which is formed to define two juxtaposed neck portions which project from the body and which embody inlet and outlet passageways, the neck portions being adapted to serve as finger grips to facilitate repeated manual deformation of the body thereby to effect a suction pump action.

2. Syphon apparatus according to Claim 1 in which the juxtaposed neck portions comprise pipes having flanged end parts which serve as the finger grips.

3. Syphon apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the inlet and outlet passageways in the neck portions are fitted with flexible inlet and outlet tubes, the outlet tube being fitted with a closure member.

4. Syphon apparatus according to Claim 3 in which the closure member is a stopper.

5. Syphon apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the inlet passageway in one neck portion is fitted with a flexible inlet tube and a valve is fitted to the passageway in other neck portion.

6. Syphon apparatus according to Claim 5 in which the flexible inlet tube is fed via a tap.

7. Syphon apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.