GB2315821A - Floating fountain - Google Patents

Abstract

The fountain comprises a hollow conical member 2 with an open end 4, a fountain head 5, conduit 7 and a pump 9 acting as ballast; weighted block 11 provides an anchor. An air volume V is trapped in the apex of the cone to provide buoyancy which is adjustable by lifting the fountain from the water and re-immersing or by a bleed valve near the apex 3. The cone is made of plastics and can have a number of lights around its open end 4 to illuminate the water. The pump may be provided with a second outlet to circulate pond water. Alternatively the fountain head may be supported by a block of buoyant material between the head and pump.

Description

TITLE: AN APPARATUS FOR USE IN AN ORNAMENTAL POND THIS INVENTION RELATES TO an apparatus for use in an ornamental pond or the like and more particularly to a floating fountain.

It is common practice to include a fountain in ornamental fish ponds or the like to increase the aesthetic appeal of the pond and also to provide some degree of water circulation withinthe pond. Such fountains are located in the centre of a pond and are mounted on a rockery or other permanent structure. The fountain comprises a fountain head, a conduit leading from the fountain head to a pump, the pump being located on the floor of the pond underneath the rockery or permanent structure. The pump drives water up the conduit and out of the fountain head to produce a fountain spray.

There are a number of disadvantages associated with conventional fountains installed in ornamental ponds.

Firstly, the pump is usually located on the floor of the pond, amidst all the rockery and other parts of the supporting structure and therefore collects debris and silt from the floor of the pond, necessitating regular cleaning and maintenance. The permanent nature of the fountain supporting structure means that the fountain is difficult to disassemble for winter storage or when moving house. In such permanent supporting structures, the pump is usually visible since it must have ready access to the water in the pond. The building of the supporting structure for the fountain takes both time and effort and requires a large volume of material in order to erect an appropriate structure.

The present invention seeks to overcome the abovementioned disadvantages.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an apparatus for use in an ornamental pond or the like, which apparatus comprises a fountain float and means for supporting a fountain head thereon.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a schematic side view of a first embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; and FIGURE 2 is a schematic side view of a second embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, an apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a fountain float 1 in the form of a substantially conical watertight housing 2 having two open ends 3, 4, the first open end 3 comprising the peak of the cone and the second open end 4 comprising the base of the cone. The housing 2 defines a bell-like chamber.

A fountain head 5 having a plurality of spray outlets 6 is provided with a supply conduit 7. The supply conduit 7 is inserted in the first open end 3 of the housing 2 and a sealing member 8 is provided in the opening of the first end 3 and around the supply conduit 7 to provide a watertight seal. Thus the supply conduit 7 projects into the housing 2 toward the other open end 4 of the housing 2. The supply conduit 7 terminates in and supports a pump 9 which is of conventional manufacture.

The pump 9 has an inlet port and an outlet port (not shown) and is operable to pump water into the inlet port, out of the outlet port, up the supply conduit 7 and out of the spray outlets 6 in the fountain head 5. At least the inlet port of the pump is submerged in the pond water.

The pump 9 is powered by a conventional AC power supply (not shown) and is connected thereto by a power lead 10.

Preferably, the fountain float 1 is also provided with an anchor 11 comprising a weighted block. The anchor 11 may be, for example, a hollow casing filled with sand or the like. The fountain float 1 is tethered to the anchor 11 by an anchor line 12. The anchor line 12 is attached either to the pump 9 or the housing 2.

Advantageously, the power lead 10 is secured on the anchor 11 and the length of power lead 10 extending from the anchor 11 to the pump 9 is slightly longer than the length of anchor line 12 extending from the anchor 11 to the pump 9 such that any strain caused by movement of the fountain float 1 away from the anchor 11 is taken by the anchor line 12 rather than the portion of the power lead 10 extending from the anchor 11 to the pump 9.

To install the fountain float 1 described above in an ornamental pond, a location for the fountain float is selected. The anchor 11 to which the fountain float is tethered is dropped or placed in the pond at the desired location. The fountain float is lowered onto the water until the open end 4, the base of the conical housing 2, comes into contact with the water. The housing 2 is tilted slightly and lowered further into the water such that the housing 2 partially fills with water from the pond. The housing 2 is then tilted back to the position shown in Figure 1 and released. A volume V of air is thus trapped in the housing 2. This volume V of air provides floatation for the fountain float. The fountain head 5 is clear of the pond water level WL and the pump 9 is clear of the pond floor F, thereby avoid any silting up of the pump 9.

The distance by which the fountain head 5 is clear of the pond water level WL can be easily adjusted by varying the volume V of air trapped within the housing 2.

The housing 2 simply needs to be lifted out of the water and tilted to let in more or less water so as to vary the volume V of air trapped within the housing 2 when the fountain float is lowered back into the water. Clearly, the greater the volume V of air trapped within the housing 2, then the greater the distance of the fountain head 5 above the water level WL of the pond and vice versa.

The fountain float can be very easily serviced or cleaned simply by pulling the fountain float to the side of the pond, lifting the fountain float out of the water and cleaning it. There is no need to disassemble any supporting structure or even wade into the pond.

The pump 9 typically weighs in the region of 1 kg and therefore acts as a very good weight or ballast to maintain the fountain float in an upright condition as shown in Figure 1.

The sealing member 8 is preferably introduced during the manufacture of the fountain float as, for example, a bead of epoxy resin, plastics filler or some other form of sealant. Alternatively, the seal between the fountain head and the supply conduit and the housing 2 could be effected without the use of a sealing member but using, instead, an airtight slide fit between the supply conduit 7 and the end 3 of the housing 2.

In another embodiment of the invention, the open end 4 of the housing 2 is fitted with one or more lights (not shown). The lights are located inside the housing 2 and are directed to shine a skirt of light radially outwardly and downwardly from within the housing thereby illuminating the pond. The lights are powered by the power lead 10.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the pump 9 is fitted with a second outlet port to which a tap hose (not shown) is connectable. The tap hose can be used to promote water circulation and aeration within the pond.

It is also envisaged that a valve may be provided adjacent the end 3 of the housing 2. The valve would act as a bleed valve to let air in or out of the watertight chamber within the housing 2 so as to vary the volume V of air in the housing 2 and thence adjust the height of the fountain head 5 above the pond water level WL.

Preferably, the pump 9 is symmetrically weighted about the first outlet port. Thus, the conical housing 2 floats in a substantially upright condition. A nonsymmetrically weighted pump may be used, in which case weights are added either to the housing 2 or the pump 9 in order to balance the cone 2 into a substantially upright floating condition.

The housing 2 has been described as having a ;ubstantially conical shape. It is to be appreciated that whilst this shape is preferred, other shapes are also possible as long as a water-tight chamber is defined in the lousing, the chamber having sufficient volume to trap a rolume V of air for supporting the weight of the housing, -he pump and the fountain head.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 2. The same reference numerals are used to denote like parts. Instead of using a bell-like chamber ;uch as the one described in relation to the fountain float f Figure 1, the fountain float of Figure 2 uses a block of buoyant material sandwiched between the fountain head 5 and he pump 9. The block 20 may be of any shape but must have sufficient volume to support the weight of the housing, the fountain head, supply conduit and pump in the pond.

Claims (19)

CLAIMS:

1. An apparatus for use in an ornamental pond or the like, which apparatus comprises a fountain float and means for supporting a fountain head thereon.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the fountain float comprises a buoyant material.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the fountain float comprises a watertight chamber open at one end and adapted to trap a volume of air, the open end being submerged in water when the apparatus is in use.

4. An apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the watertight chamber is defined by a substantially conical housing.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the housing has two open ends, the first end comprising a peak of the cone and being sealed by the means for supporting the fountain head and the second end, comprising a base of the cone remaining open.

6. An apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein the means for supporting the fountain head comprises a sealing member locatable in the first end and being adapted to receive a fountain head, or a conduit in fluid communication with a fountain head, therein.

7. An apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the sealing member is formable around a fountain head, or a conduit in fluid communication with a fountain head.

8. An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the sealing member is formed from epoxy resin.

9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in combination with a pump.

10. An apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein the weight of the pump acts as a ballast to stabilise the fountain float.

11. An apparatus according to Claim 9 or 10, wherein the pump is located in the fountain float, an inlet port of the pump being submerged in the water.

12. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in combination with a fountain head.

13. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is connectable to an anchor by an anchor line.

14. An apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein the anchor line comprises a power cable.

15. An apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein the anchor line is secured to a power cable.

16. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein one or more lights are provided on the fountain float in order to illuminate the surrounding water.

17. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the fountain float is made fron injection moulded plastics.

18. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

19. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.