NZ270044A - Floating water filter; floating body with parts that allow water to enter and pass through filter to outlet pipe - Google Patents

Description

270044 \HT rx 'A 11 C J V. ,'k.\ PATENTS FORM 5 Number 270044 PATENTS ACT 1953 Dated December 1, 1994 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION COMBINATION WATER SUPPLY FLOAT/FILTER I, SCOTT HILTON MACKIE, of Hatuma Road, RD 1, Waipukurau, a New Zealand citizen, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement. 270044 This invention relates to a filtering apparatus for use with a gravity fed or pumped water supply from a dam or the like.

When water is drawn from an open dam by a piped system, it is desirable that the inlet to the draw-off pipe be provided with a filtering mechanism so that larger debris that tends to accumulate on or in the water can be prevented from entering the pipe system. This is particularly the case with dams that are used in agricultural and the like situations because such dams are often comparatively small and are fed by open streams so the possibility of considerable debris being present in the water is high. It is known that the optimum position for withdrawing water from a dam is just below the surface, because the water at this level is generally the cleanest. Consequently the best results can be obtained by positioning the filter below the level of the water but spaced from the bottom of the dam, out this is not always practical, because of the considerable fluctuation that can occur in the level of the water in smaller dams.

The positioning of the filter is of particular importance when a gravity fed outtake system is utilized because then it is necessary for the inlet to the outtake be maintained at an optimum height from the bottom of the dam. However the inlet must always be positioned below the surface of the water to minimize the likelihood of air entering the outtake pipe and thus prematurely terminating the gravity fed supply.

Various types of filters capable of being used in open or semi open catchment systems are well known. In for instance New Zealand Patent specification 95150 there is described a filtering apparatus which comprises a perforated cylinder which is covered by a gauze. In operation the cylinder is positioned so its longitudinal axis is substantially vertical and the cylinder is provided with a draw off pipe which projects and terminates close to the bottom of the cylinder in an endeavour to minimise the entry of sand and earth into the draw off pipe. Such a filter is designed to be driven into the floor of the dam.

Another form of filtering apparatus is disclosed in New Zealand patent specification 204637 which is designed to strain water which falls through the straining member into a pipe. Such a filter is not designed to be immersed in the water to be strained and so has limited application in agricultural and similar situations. * # 270044 It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a filter which will minimize the above disadvantages or at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly, one form of the invention may be said to comprise a filter having a substantially hollow elongated housing; floatation means located within the housing adjacent at least one end of the said housing, a series of ports formed in the wall of the housing and adapted to allow liquid in which the filter is immersed to flow from outside the filter into the interior of the housing, and junction means formed in the wall of said housing into which the inlet of an outtake pipe may be terminated in a manner that the bore of the outtake pipe will communicate with the interior of the housing.

Preferably anchor means is associated with said housing to enable the housing to be spatially located within the liquid in which it is immersed.

Preferably the floatation means is located within the said housing.

Preferably the ports are holes formed in the wall of the housing.

© Preferably the housing comprises a cylinder which is closed except for the ports.

Preferably the anchor means is attached to the housing at the end distal to the floatation material. i Preferably the amount of the floatation means is arranged so that in use the said ports will be below the level of the water in which the filter is immersed.

Preferably the outtake pipe is connected to the wall of the housing to communicate with the interior of the housing in the area occupied by the said ports.

Preferred forms of the invention will be now be described with 3 - 270044 Fig. 1 is a partly diagrammatic view of a typical filtering unit according to the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the filtering mechanism in use.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 indicates a filter unit which has a cylindrical housing 1 which can be formed of a suitable material such as a plastics material or a metallic material of a combination of the materials which are substantially non-corrodible in water and which has sufficient strength to render it serviceable for long periods of time. Although the housing 1 is shown to be cylindrical with a diameter which is less than the length, the housing can be of any desired and appropriate shape and size.

The interior of the housing is preferably hollow except for flotation material which will generally be positioned within the housing. In one form the floatation material is located adjacent one end only of the housing, in which case when submerged the end with the floatation material will form the top of the filter. In another form, the floatation material can be located adjacent both ends of the housing, and in the housing will lie in the water with its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal. The floatation material can be of a solid form of foamed plastic material or the like, or it can be formed by a substantially air tight canister which can have a removable plug or the like so some or all of the air within the chamber can be displaced by water to enable the user to adjust the height the filter will float within the water.

A top cap 2 seals the end of the housing and if desired the top cap can include an attachment such as that indicated at 4 to provide an anchor which can be utilized to assist in the spatial location of the filter within the water such as the dam indicated at 6 in Fig.2.

A series of ports 5 are formed in the wall of the housing below the area or between the areas that contain the floatation material. In the highly preferred form of the invention, the ports 5 can be in the form of substantially circular holes, with the holes being of a size which are sufficient to allow a free flow of water in which the filter unit is immersed (see Fig. 2) into the interior of the housing. The ports 5 will be of a size that will prevent or substantially prevent the ingress of debris into the interior of the housing which might block the inlet to the outtake pipe 7. While the ports 5 are shown to be substantially circular in shape, the shape and size of 270044 the ports can be varied to suit the particular circumstances. In certain circumstances it may also be convenient to locate additional filtering material around the housing to cover the ports 5 if greater filtering action is required. A union, such as that indicated at 8 is fixed to the wall of the housing 1 to enable the termination of an outtake pipe 7 to be attached tc the filter so that the bore of the outtake pipe 7 will communicate with the interior of the housing. While the union is shown in the drawings as being located in the area occupied by the ports, tlie location of the union can be varied to suit pellicular circumstances but the union will normally be located in that part of the housing which is remote from the floatation material.

The lower end of the cylinder is a'so closed such as by an end plate (not shown in the drawings) so that water can enter the interior of the housing only through the ports 5. The lower end plate may have a suitable anchor means 10 (see Fig. 2) so that the filter can be anchored such as by the anchor rope 11 in a particular location within the dam 6.

The amount and type of flotation material within the filter unit will be adjusted so that when the outtake pipe is attached to the filter unit, the filter will have sufficient buoyancy that it will float just below the surface of the water as indicated in Fig. 2. Because of the specific construction of the filter, the ports 5 will always be below the surface of the water. If the filter is tethered by an anchor, then the length of the anchor rope 11 is adjusted to allow the filter to rise to accommodate the level of the water when the dam is full and yet will maintain the filter in the desired location within the dam.

While the preceding description relates to a preferred embodiment of the invention it will be understood that modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art who come to understand the principle of the invention and all such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (11)

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 270 0 a

1. A filter having a substantially hollow elongated housing; floatation means located within the housing adjacent at least one end of the said housing, a series of ports formed in the wall of the housing and adapted to allow liquid in which the filter is immersed to flow from outside the filter into the interior of the housing, and junction means formed in the wall of said housing into which the inlet of an outtake pipe may be terminated in a manner that the bore of the outtake pipe will communicate with the interior of the housing.

2. The filter as claimed in claim 1, including anchor means associated with said housing to enable the housing to be spatially located within the liquid in which it is immersed.

3. The filter as claimed in claim 1 or located adjacent both ends of the housing.

4. The filter as claimed in claim 1 or located adjacent one end of the housing. in claim 2, wherein the floatation means is in claim 2, wherein the floatation means is

5. The filter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floatation means is located within the said housing.

6. The filter as claimed in claim 1 or in claim 2, wherein the ports are holes formed in the wall of the housing.

7. The filter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the housing comprises a cylinder which is closed except for the said ports.

8. The filter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the anchor means is attached to the housing at the end distal to the floatation material. -6-

• 'V 1997 270044 w 9. The filter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the amount of the floatation means is arranged so that in use the said ports will be below the level of the water in which the filter is immersed.

10. The filter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outtake pipe is connected to the wall of the housing to communicate with the interior of the housing in the area occupied by the said ports. ft

11. The filter substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. END OF CLAIMS -7- QREG west-walker » CO