GB2350595A

GB2350595A - Resiliently anchored floating container

Info

Publication number: GB2350595A
Application number: GB9912765A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Hooper; David John Precious
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-06-01
Filing date: 1999-06-01
Publication date: 2000-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-01
Also published as: GB9912765D0; GB2350595B

Abstract

A floating container has one or more load carrying vessels 1 attached buoyancy means 3 and is connectable to an anchor 7 by connector means 8 and 9, with the connector means being resiliently attached to the anchor. The resilient force is adjustable to a value less than the displacement buoyancy of the loaded container. The vessel or vessels may have access to the water in which it is floating, through mesh covered apertures (12, Fig 2). The vessel or vessels may be formed from a synthetic polymer while the buoyancy means may be formed as an annular chamber 4 surrounding an upper portion of the vessel or vessels, filled with impermeable foam. The resilient means may be provided by a variable tension spring 9 or a by a cable passing through a pulley fitted to the base of the container and carrying a mass at its free end.

Description

2350595 FLOATING CONTAINER - FLOATING PLANTER This invention relates to a

floating container that may contain a plant often called a planter. 5 There are many situations where it is desirable to have a free or anchored floating planter on the surface of an area of water such as a lake, pond, stream, etc. without having to build a platform or small island from the bottom of the water. The platform is not only costly and inconvenient but also takes up space below the water line and reduces the tree movement of any fish or other living water creatures. in many cases the level of the water changes due to tides, rainfall, usage, evaporation, etc. and will affect the restricted area of a fixed platform or island. Open top planters with holes in the plant container will sink through ingress of water and open top planters without holes in the plant container will eventually sink when out of doors due to the f illing of the container with water or f rom natural precipitation.

To overcome this problem the floating planter is connected to an anchor by a cable, rope or cord of sufficient length and adjustment to ensure that it floats at the highest level reached by the surface of the water. In many cases the length of the connector results in the container being located somewhere in a large circle when the water level is below its maximum. Stable and accurate location of the container is not possible.

The need for floating containers is steadily increasing for growing plants as features for water areas such as ornamental lakes, ponds, etc. They are also used to contain candles and other illumination means as decoration or warning of areas of water.

The present invention provides a floating container, such as a planter, which can be anchored f airly accurately in an area of water regardless of level changes or can be allowed to float freely on the surface of the water. 5 According to the present invention there is provided a floating container having a central load carrying vessel with attached buoyancy means and can be linked to an anchor by connector means, characterised in that the connector means is resiliently attached to the anchor and the resilient force is adjustable to a value less than the displacement buoyancy of the loaded container.

The central load carrying vessel forming the load carrying portion of the container has dimensions and shape primarily dictated by the dimensions of the load it will carry. The vessel may be watertight or have access to the water in which it is floating. This may be direct access through one or more apertures or indirect access through a mesh, grid, cloth or similar material. For ease of manufacture the vessel preferably has a circular cross section and may take the f orm of a cylinder closed at its immersed end or a truncated cone similarly closed at the end with the smaller diameter. The vessel may however be of any cross section that is capable of containing plants. The vessel may be made of metal, a synthetic polymer or other corrosion resistant material. The former must be resistant to corrosion in the presence of water or suitably coated to impart such resistance. The preferred material is a thermoplastic synthetic resin or resin combination such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or ABS. Such materials have a specif ic gravity in the range 0. 9 to 1.1 which is close to that of water. Using such a material the buoyancy needs only to be adjusted to balance the load in the vessel.

X The buoyancy means may form an integral part of the container or a separate component f itted to the load carrying vessel. In one embodiment the buoyancy means is formed by an annular U-shaped chamber surrounding the upper portion of a circular vessel. The sides and bottom of the chamber can be moulded with the vessel and buoyancy maintained by sealing the open surface of the U-shaped chamber with an annular lid. in alternative embodiments the chamber is filled with water impermeable foam or constructed from rigid foam such as that formed by heating polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride or other suitable thermoplastic resin with a blowing agent or as a result of condensation polymerisation to form a polyurethane. Such foams and their method of manufacture are well known.

The anchor will usually comprise a substantial mass such as a lump of metal or more pref erably stone or concrete. In either case the anchor will have attachment means for its connection to the container.

The connector means may be a metal cable, one formed from a synthetic polymer or any other corrosion resistant material. In all cases the cable must be capable of maintaining its strength and flexibility when immersed in water for long periods. The resiliency in the connector means may be provided by a spring f orming part of the linkage between the anchor and the container or a mass attached to the free end of the cable after passage through a pulley fitted to the base of the container. In either case the resilient f orce must be less than the displacement buoyancy of the loaded container. This ensures that the container always f loats and is not pulled underwater when the level rises as would happen with a fixed length connector or one having insufficient resilience. To achieve the desired amount of resilience which is matched to the buoyancy of the loaded container the spring must be capable of having its restoring force adjustable. In the embodiment where a mass is attached to the f ree end of the cable the mass may take the form of a container in which an appropriate load is placed or a rod capable of accepting cast metal or cement weights.

In another embodiment a f ixed length of cable without resilient means may be attached to the container so that when the water reaches its maximum level the planter lies below the surface of the water without detrimental effects to any marginal plants contained within the vessel. The floating planter returns to and floats on the surface when the water level recedes.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a floating container according to the invention in use in a pond or other water feature, Figure 2 shows the central load carrying vessel of the floating container shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the load carrying vessel, and Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the load carrying vessel.

A floating container, see Figure 1, consists of a central load carrying vessel 1 floating in a pond filled with water 2. Buoyancy means 3 is formed by an annular trough 4 covered by a lid 5 attached to the load carrying vessel 1 along its inner circumference 6. The base of the vessel 1 is linked to an anchor 7 by connector means consisting of a cable 8 and a spring 9. The presence of the spring 9 ensures that the container is resiliently attached to the anchor 7. The resilient force is adjusted to be less than the displacement buoyancy of the loaded vessel 1.

Thevessel 1, see Figure 2, carries upwardly facing supports 11 on its base. The supports 11 ensure that a f lower pot or other plant container can rest easily in the vessel 1 encircled by water from the pond which can pass freely into the vessel through apertures 12 in its base.

In a further embodiment, see Figure 3, the vessel I illustrates the inclusion of an inner vessel 13 which fits within the vessel I and rests on the supports 11.

Apertures 14 allow free access for water which has passed through the apertures 12.

An alternative form of the vessel 1, see Figure 4, the inner vessel 13 which is held in place by side spacers 15 preventing lateral movement.

In a variation of the embodiment described with respect to Figures 2, 3 and 4 the apertures 12 are omitted so that a water reservoir is formed around the supports 11 to cater for and irrigate any plants contained in the inner vessel 13. In all cases where the apertures 12 are open and an inner vessel 13 is used as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the area around the supports 11 allows fish to suck at the apertures 12 but deny the fish access to the root vegetation within the inner vessel 13.

In the embodiment in which the spring 9 is replaced with a counterbalancing weight. The base of the vessel I has an attached pulley wheel through which the cable 8 passes. The free end of the cable 8 is attached to a weight which holds the cable 8 under an amount of tension less than the buoyancy of the vessel 1 and buoyancy means 3 when the vessel is carrying a load. The weight attached to the cable 8 may consist of a container which can be filled with pebbles or other weights to achieve the required tension. In all cases the weights used and the container must be capable of withstanding continuous immersion.

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Claims

1. A f loatincc container havinq a one or more load carryinq vessels with attached buoyancy means and linkable to to an anchor by connector means, characterised in that the connector means is resiliently attached to the anchor and the resilient force is adiustable to a value less than the displacement buoyancy of the loaded container.

2. The floatinq container as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the vessel or vessels are waterticrht.

3. The f loatinq container as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the vessel or vessels have access to 15 the water in which they are f loatinq.

4. The f loatinq container as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the vessel or vessels have access to the water in which they are f loatinq throuqh a series of 20 apertures in the vessel or vessels.

5. The f loatinq container as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the apertures are covered by a mesh, qrid or cloth. 25

6. The floatinq container as claimed in any of the Precedinq claims, characterised in that the vessel or vessels have a circular cross section and take the form of a cylinder closed at its immersed end or a truncated cone 30 closed at the end with the smaller diameter.

7. The floatinq container as claimed in any of the Drecedinq claims, characterised in that the vessel or vessels are made f rom a synthetic polymer. 35

8. The floatinq container as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the polymer has a specific qravity in the rancre 0. 9 to 1. 1.

9. The floatinq container as claimed in any of the precedinq claims, characterised in that the buoyancy means is an inteqral part of the container.

10. The floatinq container as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the vessel or vessels have a circular cross section and the buoyancy means is formed by an annular U-shaped chamber surroundinq the upper portion of the vessel or vessels.

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11. The floatinq container as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that sides and bottom of the chamber is moulded with the vessel or vessels and the olDen surface of the chamber is sealed with an annular lid.

12. The floatinq container as claimed in any of the claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the buoyancy chamber is filled with water impermeable foam.

13. The floatinq container as claimed in any of the precedincr claims, characterised in that the connector means is a synthetic polymer or a corrosion resistant metal cable.

14. The floatinq container as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that the cable is resiliently attached to the anchor by means of a sDrinq whose tension can be varied.

is. The floatinq container as claimed in claim 13, 35 characterised in that the cable passes throuqh a pulley f itted to the base of the container and carries a mass a ttached to the free end to provide a resilient attachment.

16. Floatinq containers havinq a central load carryinq vessel or vessels with attached buoyancy means and linkable to to an anchor by connector means as claimed in claim 1 and as herein described.

17. Floatinq containers havinq a central load carryincr vessel or vessels with attached buoyancy means and linkable to to an anchor by connector means as herein described with reference to the accompanyinq drawinqs.

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