US3699730A

US3699730A - Sump pump cover

Info

Publication number: US3699730A
Authority: US
Inventors: Burnice Lee Humphrey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-03-25
Filing date: 1971-03-25
Publication date: 1972-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-24

Abstract

Sump pump covers of wood and steel are most frequently used to provide covers over the open sump where water is collected and must be exhausted from time to time. The present invention is a sump pump cover of dome-like flexible construction, and having a radial slot which permits the outlet of the sump to pass therethrough. The cover has locking members at its undersurface which are adjustable and which are spaced from each other to engage the interior surface of the sump opening to locate the cover whereby the outer edge of the cover extends beyond and completely encloses the sump opening. The cover is flexible and because of its curvature tends to shed surface contaminants and foreign objects. The outer edge of the cover allows water to seep past and enter the sump.

Description

United States Patent Humphrey SUMP PUMP COVER [72] Inventor: Burnice Lee Humphrey, 404 West Race Street, Portland, Ind.

221 Filed: March 25,1971

211 Appl. No.: 128,043

[52] US. Cl. ..52/19, 49/463, 137/371, 220/24 R, 220/42 B [51] Int. Cl. ..F16j 13/02 [58] Field of Search ..52/l9, 82, 80, 302; 137/371, 137/382, 296, 381; 49/463, 464; 220/42 B,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,718,344 9/1955 Troster ..137/381 X 3,363,797 1/1968 Roese ..220/24 R 5] Oct. 24, 1972 Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. Attorney-John A. Young ABSTRACT Sump pump covers of wood and steel are most frequently used to provide covers over the open sump where water is collected and must be exhausted from time to time. The present invention is a sump pump cover of dome-like flexible construction, and having a radial slot which permits the outlet of the sump to pass therethroug h. The cover has locking members at its undersurface which are adjustable and which are spaced from each other to engage the interior surface of the sump opening to locate the cover whereby the outer edge of the cover extends beyond and completely encloses the sump opening. The cover is flexible and because of its curvature tends to shed surface contaminants and foreign objects. The outer edge of the cover 'allows water to seep past and enter the sump.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUET 2 m2 3 699.730

F 5 INVENTOR BURNICE L. HUMPHREY BYgoflwvcb ATTORNEY SUMP PUMP COVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Virtually all of the present sump pump covers are either of wood or steel construction; they tend to be expensive and are objectionably fragile or ill-suited to the.

basis purpose of being both a cover and resistant to corrosion which is commonly encountered from sump water.

What is needed is a material of construction which is impervious to water and is relatively unaffected by water, while at the same time being flexible so that it will not or cannot easily be broken, yet lightweight so that it can be removed from time to time if servicing is required such as cleaning or removal of the sump pump or sump motor.

Accordingly, it is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a lightweight and easily constructed sump cover which is constructed of plastic material and is flexible so that in the event that it is walked on, it will flex without breaking.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a standard sump pump cover which will fit a considerable range in size of sump openings by means of simple, adjustable locating members which are disposed at the undersurface of the sump cover.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a readily manufacturable sump cover of fiber-reinforced plastic composition which can be manufactured in large quantities to yield an inexpensive product which has an unlimited wear life.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the cover detached from the pump;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view taken through the sump showing the pump in operative position, the view being taken on section line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the sump pump and cover in operative position;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the invention, having a different insert for covering the radial slot; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, the sump pump cover designated generally by reference numeral 10 is a flexible, glass-fiber reinforced plastic composition; one suitable plastic material is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, it being understood that reference to this material is intended solely for purposes of example, and is not by way of limitation.

The cover is a part spherical or curved configuration as indicated in FIG. 3, and the outer edge 12 of the cover extends beyond the outer periphery of sump opening 14. The edge contacts surface 16 of the floor in the vicinity of the opening, and is light enough in contact so that water can flow between the cover 10 and the floor l6 and enter opening 14. The sump pump cover has a radial slot 18 so that a pipe 20 which ex hausts fluid from within the sump can pass through the cover.

The sump pump 21 rests on the bottom 22 and is actuated by a motor 24 to exhaust water from the sump through pipe 20. Cover 10 is located relatively to the opening by means of three circumferentially spaced locating

members

28, 30 and 32. These locators are also of plastic composition, and each consists of a leg 34 which is slightly curved in order to conform with the undersurface 36 of the cover, and has an elongated track 38 which can permit radial adjustment of the locating member.

A transverse leg 40 of each locator engages the surface of the side wall of the sump opening 14, thereby properly locating the sump cover relative to the sump opening. The

legs

34 and 40 are strengthened by a rib 42 which connects the two legs as indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The locators are adjusted radially by means of screws 44 which are passed through openings in the cover and are passed through track 38. Once the locator is disposed in a radial sense at the proper location, nuts 46 are then turned down to hold the locators so they can no longer move radially and are then held in place in accordance with the particular diametral size of the opening of the sump pump well. There are three sets of radially spaced openings which are drilled in the cover so that the locators can be varied considerably to accommodate for different size sump openings.

Once the cover is in place, it is quite flexible and can bend without breaking. Thus, should children or adults step on the cover, it will flex without breaking.

The convex configuration of the cover being higher level at the center than at the outer periphery will tend to cause any objects which come onto the surface to roll off the surface of the cover, preventing entry of foreign objects into the well of the sump.

The sump cover can be finished in any desirable color.

Once the sump is in place, the slot 18 can be covered either with a. series of inserts designated generally by reference numeral 48 and having bendable fingers which are located on opposite sides of the sump cover, and which because of their resiliency, will tend to be held in place, or, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a single insert designated generally by reference numeral 50 and having

longitudinal slots

52 and 54 along the opposite edges may be proportioned to slide over and substantially fill the radial slot 18. Referring to FIG. 6,

slots

52, 54 are proportioned to receive and grip the edges of 18 and are held in place in this manner so that virtually the entire upper portion of the sump is covered and is protected against entry of foreign objects.

It is within the teaching of the present invention, that the track 38 can be located in the cover 10 or the locator 28 to provide the radial adjustment.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in connection with a single example embodiment, it will be understood that this is illustrative of the invention and is by no means restrictive thereof. It is reasonably to be expected that those skilled in this art can make numerous revisions and adaptations of the invention, and it is intended that such revisions and adaptations will be included within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cover member for sump pumps having domed configuration and proportioned to extend over the open end of a sump, a radial slot through which outlet pipes can extend from within said sump, a removable insert which is received within said slot and adapted to form a closure thereof, and a plurality of spaced locating members at the convex undersurface of said cover and having adjustable means for radial adjustment thereof whereby said cover is locatable relatively to the sump to provide a complete cover thereof, means for clamping said locating members for holding said locating members in place.

2. The cover in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cover is comprised of a flexible reinforced with glass fibers plastic material.

3. The cover in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plastic material is comprised of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

4. A cover in accordance with claim 1 wherein said locating members are each comprised of a leg having a track and proportioned to conform with the curved undersurface of said cover and adapted to receive therethrough fastening members which extend transversely through said cover, said track providing radially adjustable movement, a transverse depending leg integrally formed with said locating member and engageable with side wall of said sump, and a reinforcing rib constructed integrally with said first mentioned leg and with said depending leg to effect structural reinforcement.

5. A structure in accordance with claim 1, including two notches constructed integrally within longitudinal edges of said insert and proportioned to receive the confronting edges of said radial notches for insertion and removal.

6. The structure in accordance with claim 1 including clamping screws which are received through openings in said cover and the complementary tracks of said locating members to mechanically secure such locating members in place.

7. The cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cover member is constructed of flexible organic composition material of glass reinforced polymeric composition.

8. A sump cover construction comprising a domelike flexible configuration including a radial slot and proportioned so that the outer edges overlie and extend beyond the outer edge of the sump pump opening, and a plurality of locating members at the undersurface of said cover adapted to engage the interior of the sump pump opening to define the proper location of the cover, and adjusting means for radially locking said respective locating members.

9. The cover in accordance with claim 8 including an insert which is insertable within said slot and held therein by interfitment of the confronting edges of said insert and said slot.

Claims

8. A sump cover construction comprising a dome-like flexible configuration including a radial slot and proportioned so that the outer edges overlie and extend beyond the outer edge of the sump pump opening, and a plurality of locating members at the undersurface of said cover adapted to engage the interior of the sump pump opening to define the proper location of the cover, and adjusting means for radially locking said respective locating members.