GB2287726A

GB2287726A - Syphon inducing device

Info

Publication number: GB2287726A
Application number: GB9405936A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Arthur Butler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-03-25
Filing date: 1994-03-25
Publication date: 1995-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-25
Also published as: GB2287726B; GB9405936D0

Abstract

A syphon-inducing device for immersion in liquid to be reduced in volume and for use with a large bore waste hose, comprises a cylindrical body member having inlet means for said liquid at one end and including a non-return valve member, outlet means at the other end including means for connection of said large bore waste hose, and means for attachment of a primary supply hose between said inlet and outlet means, the internal diameter of at least the outlet means end substantially matching that of the hose, the device further including a liquid flow retarding means movable with resistance under priming supply pressure through the outlet means end and along the length of the waste hose, so as to maintain in the large bore waste hose behind the retarding means a column of water substantially without any free air. <IMAGE>

Description

SYPHON INDUCING DEVICE The present invention relates to a device for removal of liquid from a container by the use of a syphon.

The invention is particularly but not exclusively, useful in the removal of a large body of liquid from, or for cleaning, a container such as a swimming pool, paddling pool, pond, water butt, or beer barrel.

Syphon inducing devices for removing an excess of accumulated water from a body of water, for example for removing excess water from a swimming pool or a pond following rainfall, are known. Such devices are typically attached to one end of a pipe and immersed in the body of water, and water from the mains is caused to flow through the pipe to waste to establish the syphon. However, when a large bore pipe is used, which is preferred for the removal of large amounts of water, difficulties arise with these devices in that there is often an insufficient flow of liquid from the mains supply to establish the syphon when the column of water has passed over the high point of the outlet.

The present invention seeks to overcome this problem by providing a device which is suitable for establishing a syphon effect in large-bore pipes for the transfer of large volumes of liquid.

According to the present invention, a syphon-inducing device for immersion in liquid to be reduced in volume and for use with a large-bore waste hose comprises a cylindrical body member having inlet means for said liquid at one end and including a non-return valve member, outlets means at the other end including means for connection of said large bore waste hose, and means for attachment of a priming supply hose between said inlet and outlet means, the internal diameter of at least the outlet means end substantially matching that of the hose,the device further including a liquid flow retarding means movable with resistance under priming supply pressure through the outlet means end and along the length of the hose, so as to maintain in the large-bore waste hose behind the retarding means a column of water substantially without any free air.

In most applications, the priming supply will be water from the mains supply; the attachment means for the supply hose is preferably a limb which extends from the body member and has a hose-connection nozzle formed therewith.

Preferably, the non-return valve member is in the form of a flap valve; it functions to prevent back-flow of mains priming water to the bulk of the liquid. The flow retarding means is preferably flexible or resiliently deformable and, optionally, porous.

Preferably, the retarding means is a foam rubber cylinder of diameter slightly larger than that of the hose, although natural sponge, rubber latex or even a vinyl material may be used provided that it will travel along the bore of the waste hose, thereby maintaining behind it a column of liquid which eventually extends to the length of the hose and establishes the syphon. When the retarding means is ejected from the hose at the outlet end thereof, the mains supply can be isolated and the syphon will be maintained by liquid entering the device through the inlet means. The use of foam rubber has been found to be advantageous in that it allows some water to pass through, thereby effectively providing lubrication at the interface between the retarding means and the internal wall of the hose.

Preferably, in order to ensure an adequate supply to the waste hose to maintain the syphon once the influence of the flow retarding means is absent and with the priming supply isolated, the diameter of the inlet means is enlarged compared with that of the outlet means.

Optionally, a pipe equipped with a cleaning head is attached to the inlet end of the device, to allow the base or sides of the container to be cleaned by abrasion and suction, without requiring the container to be emptied.

The removal of liquid from, for example, a swimming pool may be effected by the connection, in known manner, of a water supply hose to the priming supply nozzle and a large-bore hose to the outlet end of the body member. The foam rubber cylinder or other flow retarding means is inserted into the device through the outlet end, before connection of the large-bore hose, and the device is then lowered into the pool.

The outlet end of the waste hose is taken to a suitable exit location which is at a lower level than the device in the pool. The priming supply is turned on and water flows into the body member, the pressure of the water starting to force the foam rubber through the device and into the waste hose. When the foam rubber is ejected from the waste hose, the tap is turned off; water continues to flow through the device from the pool via the non-return valve towards the outlet by virtue of the syphon thus established, until either the pool is empty or the syphon is broken by the level of water in the pool equating with the outlet end of the large-bore hose.

Alternatively, when, for example, a swimming pool is to be cleaned, a suction cleaning head may be connected to the inlet end of the device, the supply and waste hoses being connected as before and the syphon being initiated as before, the cleaning head being attached to extension handles for control purposes, removed dirt being entrained with liquid being removed by virtue of the syphon.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a longitudinal section of a syphon inducing device ready for use.

Referring to the drawing, the device consists of a cylindrical body 10 having an inlet end formed as a socket defined by an internal flange 11 for optional connection to a hose or connector 23 for a cleaning head (not shown). The outlet end 12 is formed with a stepped profile facilitating connection to a largebore outlet or waste hose 13, having an internal diameter substantially the same as that of the outlet end portion 18 of the body.

A right-angled limb 14 formed with a hose connector nozzle 15 connects a hose 16 to a tap (not shown) of the mains water supply, an aperture 17 putting the limb into communication with the interior of the body.

A non-return valve in the form of a resilient vinyl flap valve 20 attached by a pin to the flange 11 is provided at the inlet end, to restrict flow through the device only in the direction of the arrow A, and a cylindrical foam pellet 21 is inserted within the bore of the body. The pellet is slightly oversize in relation to the diameter of the bore and is resiliently deformed on insertion therein.

The hoses 13, 16 may be of known, commonly available type; the hose 13 is preferably relatively thickwalled, to prevent kinking.

The diameter of the inlet end is preferably larger than that of the outlet end and conveniently the enlarged inlet end is continued within the body, downstream of the valve 20, or chamber 22.

In use, for example for removimg water from a swimming pool, the hoses 13, 16 are attached to the device as shown and, optionally, an extension piece or connector 23 for a cleaning head (not shown) is attached. The device is then lowered into the body of water in the pool, ensuring that the device is fully immersed and that the remote end of the outlet hose 13 is at a lower level than the inlet end of the device. As with any syphoning arrangement, the hose is led upwardly through the surface of the water in the pool, over the edge or rim threof, and thence to the lower-level emptying or disposal point, thereby describing a high point (not shown) over which it is necessary to establish an air-free column of water for the syphon to be established. For this purpose, the tap is turned on allowing priming water to flow through the supply hose 16 into the limb 14, through the aperture 17 and into the chamber 22 where it is constrained by the flap valve 20 to exert pressure on the pellet 22, which is forced through the outlet end portion 18 into the outlet hose 13. When the pellet is ejected from the distal end of the hose 13, the tap is turned off.

Water from the pool is drawn into the device through the socket 11, the flap valve 20 being deflected to the open condition, by virtue of the syphon thus established.

It will be aprpeciated that the effect of the pellet, passing with resistance under priming water pressure along the hose 13, is to ensure that the hose 13 upstream of the pellet, despite having a relatively large bore, is nevertheless kept filled with a column of water supplied through the relatively small-bored hose 16 so that the water does not merely flow away downstream of the high point of the hose 13. Any such flowing away would of course allow air to enter the hose, thereby preventing the establishment of a syphon. The pellet retains the integrity of the water column until the pellet is ejected from the hose, whereupon the large-diameter inlet 11 ensures an adequate flow to maintain the syphon. The resilience of the pellet may allow it to be used with outlet hoses of different internal diameters.

The invention also includes a method of inducing a syphonic flow of liquid through a larger bore pipe or hose by means of a priming flow through a smaller bore priming inlet to the pipe or hose, including the step of retarding the flow of priming liquid through the pipe or hose by occluding the pipe or hose progressively nearer its downstream end as priming continues so that the priming flow can build and maintain a full column of liquid to the downstream end, and apparatus for carrying out the said method and including means for forming an occlusion which travels progressively along the pipe or hose from the inlet to the downstream end, preferably under pressure of the priming flow, to establish said full column of liquid.

Claims

CLAI1WS

1. A syphon-inducing device for immersion in liquid to be reduced in volume and for use with a large bore waste hose, comprises a cylindrical body member having inlet means for said liquid at one end and including a non-return valve member, outlet means at the other end including means for connection of said large bore waste hose, and means for attachment of a primary supply hose between said inlet and outlet means, the internal diameter of at least the outlet means end substantially matching that of the hose, the device further including a liquid flow retarding means movable with resistance under priming supply pressure through the outlet means end and along the length of the waste hose, so as to maintain in the large bore waste hose behind the retarding means a column of water substantially without any free air.

2. A device according to Claim 1, in which the non-return member is in the form of a flap valve to prevent backflow of the mains priming liquid to the bulk of the liquid to be removed.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the flow retarding means is preferably flexible or resiliently deformable and optionally, porous.

4. A device according to any previous claim, in which the attachment means for the supply hose is a limb which extends from the body member between the nonreturn valve position and the outlet means and has a hose-connection nozzle formed therewith.