GB2479391A

GB2479391A - Combined water butt stand and watering can filler

Info

Publication number: GB2479391A
Application number: GB1005851A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matthew Lovett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-08
Filing date: 2010-04-08
Publication date: 2011-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 2030-04-08
Also published as: GB2479391B; GB201005851D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a combined water butt stand and watering can filler. The stand 1 comprises a water tank within the stand and a hinged lid 4 for water 2 extraction and a pipe connection 5 from the supported water butt 6 for water ingress via a water level controlled valve 3 to the tank in the stand. The water butt and stand may be formed as an integral unit comprising upper tank (9 figure 3), lower tank (12 figure) and valve (8 figure 3). A later embodiment relates to a stand without the water butt and level controlled valve which may be used independently from the water butt.

Description

Combined Water Butt Stand and Watering Can Filler This invention relates to a stand for a water butt that enables the quick and easy filling of a watering can and increases the water storage capacity of the combined system.

When installing a water butt, it is normal to place the water butt on a stand to raise it clear of the ground. Water butts are usually supplied with a tap at the bottom which has to be positioned clear of the ground to give sufficient space beneath to allow for a watering can to be filled.

However, filling a watering can from a water butt via a tap is a slow process due to insufficient flow rate. A single water butt has a limited storage capacity of typically up to 250 litres, which can be used up very quickly in a typical garden during a dry spell of weather. Commercial water butt stands are often insubstantial and prone to instability, particularly when placed on an uneven surface and as a consequence of a full water butts high centre of gravity.

To overcome these problems, the present invention proposes a water butt stand that has its own water storage capacity contained within its structure, an access lid which allows a watering can to be filled by dipping, and which is linked to the water butt via a pipe and water level controlled valve. The cuboid, water filled structure, with its lower centre of gravity provides greater stability. The valve keeps the water level in the tank in the stand topped up from the water butt. The hinged lid gives access to the water in the tank; by dipping a watering can directly into the water, it can be filled almost instantly and at a height that is unlikely to cause back strain.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a drawing of a combined water butt stand supporting and connected to a water butt.

Figure 2 shows a combined water butt stand and watering can filler in section from the side connected to and supporting a water butt.

Figure 3 shows an alternative arrangement where the water butt itself is integrated into the structure providing one combined unit removing the need to purchase a separate stand and water butt.

Figure 4 shows an alternative arrangement where the structure is a water butt in its own right, but with the same easy access for the filling of a watering can or other water container.

In figures 1 and 2, a water butt 6 rests upon the combined water butt stand and watering can filler I and is linked via pipe 5. The lid 4 is hinged allowing access for a watering can or other container to be dipped into the water 2 for filling. When the level of the water 2 drops, the level controlled valve 3 opens, re-filling the water butt stand tank I via the pipe 5, drawing water from the water butt 6.

Figure 3 shows an alternative arrangement where instead of having a separate water butt 6 and stand 1, the two are combined into one structure, so that there is an upper tank 9 linked to a lower tank 12. There is still a lid 4 for easy filling of a watering can.

The upper tank 9 is linked to the rower tank 12 via a water level controlled valve 8 that sits in the centre between the two tanks. The upper tank 9 is filled from entry pipe 7 and there is an overflow 11.

Figure 4 shows an alternative arrangement where the stand 13 can be used as a water butt in its own right. The tank is filled directly from an inlet 14 and there is an overflow 15 to prevent the tank 13 overflowing. As before, lid 4 is hinged to aUow access for the extraction of water.

Claims

Claims: 1. A water butt stand that is structurally strong enough to support a full water butt, containing a water tank within its structure with a water level controlled inlet valve connected by pipe to the supported butt, and also with a hinged lid that allows access for water to be extracted from the water tank by the dipping of containers directly into tank.
2. A water butt with integral stand as in claim 1, but constructed as one unit with the linking pipe and level controlled inlet valve located within the structure and not external to the structure as in claim I
3. A water butt that rests on the ground like the stand in claim 1, but without the supported water butt, and which is filled directly, dispensing with the need for a level controlled inlet valve, but retaining the lid for access for the filling of containers with water from the tank.