Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02531254 2005-12-09
APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AN OBJECT AT A CONTROLLABLE DEPTH
WITHIN A BODY OF WATER
This invention relates to an apparatus for supporting an object within a
fluid, and more specificaiiy an apparatus for supporting an object at a
controllable
depth in a fluid.
BACKC3ROUND OF THE INVENTION
In some fields it is necessary to support an object wifhin a fluid in a
generally stationary position for a period of time. For example, submersible
pumps
are often used for supplying lake water to cottages as an altemative to
drilling a well.
t0 A pump is disposed in the lake at a sufficient depth to ensure that the
pump will
remain submersed and thus able to pump water from the lake to shore through a
tubular passage. The pump is supported on the lake floor in an upright
position so
as to take in water at an inlet spaced upward from a bottom end of the pump.
It is known to provide a base of significant weight on which a pump is
supported in an upright manner in order to prevent tipping over of the pump.
Should
the pump tip over, the inlet may become at least partiaily blocked. While a
weighted
base may improve stability, it may not be enough to prevent tipping of the
pump if
exposed to a signfficant amount of force. In addition, removal of the pump
from the
lake for service, replacement or other purpose can be difficult and time
consuming.
As a result, there is a demand for a product that is capable of
maintaining a predetermined orientation of an object disposed within a fluid
and
simplifying the removal of the object from the fluid.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an
apparatus for supporting an object at a controllable depth within a body of
water,
said apparatus comprising:
a buoyant device having variable buoyancy with respect to the liquid;
a control device connected to the buoyant device and operable to
control the buoyancy thereof;
a ballast device having a density greater than the water; and
a support device connected to the buoyant and ballast devices for
supporting the object.
The buoyant device and ballast device exert forces on the support
device in opposite directions, thereby tending to support the object in a
predetermined orientation. By controlling the buoyancy of the buoyant device,
the
control device allows a user to control the depth at which the object is
supported.
The object can be caused to float upward, sink downward or maintain a
generally
constant vertical position within the body of water.
The apparatus may be provided in combination with the object,
wherein the object comprises a submersible pump for pumping water out of the
body
of water. In this case, the submersible pump is preferably operably connected
to a
power source located outside the body of water.
Used with a submersible pump, the apparatus prevents tipping of the
pump from an upright orientation. The pump is sunk to a depth such that the
ballast
device rests on the lake floor and the buoyant device pulls upward on the
support
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device such that the pump remains generally vertical. If subjected to forces
that
disrupt this orientation, the floating tendency of the buoyant member will
return the
pump to its original position. The pump can be easily removed from the water
by
increasing the buoyancy until it floats up to the surface of the lake.
Preferably the buoyant device comprises an expandable buoyant
member and a fixed protective housing, the buoyant member providing the
variable
buoyancy of said buoyant device and being contained within the protective
housing.
Preferably the protective housing has at least one opening therein
through which water can pass into and out of said housing.
Preferably the at least one opening in the protective housing is covered
w+th at least one screen to prevent entry of objects larger than holes in said
at least
one screen into said housing.
Preferably the protective housing is openable for access to the buoyant
member contained therein.
Preferably the ballast device comprises a container to and from which
material can be added and removed respectively to vary the density of the
ballast
device.
Preferably the support device comprises an enclosure member within
which the object can be contained.
The enclosure member may have at least one opening therein through
which water can pass into and out of said housing. In this case, preferably
the at
least one opening in the enclosure member is covered with at least one screen
to
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prevent entry of objects larger than holes in said at least one screen into
said
housing.
Preferably the support device comprises an enclosure member within
which the object can be contained, said enclosure member being openable for
access to the object.
Preferably the buoyant device comprises an inflatable member and the
control device comprises a mechanism for transferring gas to and from said
inflatable member.
Preferably the control device further comprises a pressure gauge
operably connected to the inflatable member for measuring gas pressure
therein.
Preferably the control device further comprises a release valve
operably connected to the inflatable member for releasing gas therefrom.
Preferably the control device further comprises a shut-off valve
operably connected between the mechanism and the inflatable member for
selectively blocking the transfer of gas.
Preferably the mechanism comprises an air pump.
Preferably an auxiliary valve is connected the inflatable member for
selectively providing an additional passagewa y through which gas can exit
said
inflatable member.
Preferably at least a portion of the control device housed within an
openable casing for protection.
Preferably the openable casing is lockable to prevent unauthorized
access to the at least part of the control device housed therein.
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Preferably the control device is remotely positioned with respect to the
buoyant, ballast and support devices for operation for operation of said
controi
device from outside the body of water.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
5 In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus with the buoyant,
ballast and support devices disposed within a body of water and the control
device
disposed on shore.
Figure 2 is a close up elevational view of the buoyant device of Figure
1 with a lid thereof in a partially removed condition.
Figure 3 is a close up elevational view of the support device of Figure 1
with a cap thereof in an engaged condition.
Figure 4 is a close up elevational view of the ballast device of Figure 1
with a lid thereof in a partiaiiy removed condition.
Figure 5 is a top view of the control device of Figure 9 with a protective
casing thereof in an open condition to show contents thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Figure 1 shows an apparatus 10 featuring a buoyant device 12, a
support device 14 and a ballast device 16 disposed within a body of water 2
and a
control device 18 disposed on shore. The support device 14 is used to support
an
object within the body of water 2 and is connected to each of the buoyant and
ballast
devices 12 and 16. The ballast device 16 has a density greater than the water
and
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thus tends to pull the support device 14 to the water body floor 6. The
buoyant
device 12 has variabie buoyancy that can be adjusted to control an upward
force
tending to pull the support device 14 to the top surface 8 of the water body
2. The
opposing forces acting on the support device act to maintain a predetermined
orientation thereof. The control device 18 is operably connected to the
buoyant
device in order to control the buoyancy thereof, and thus also control the
depth at
which the support device, and any object connected thereto, is disposed within
the
body of water.
The embodiment shown in the figures is used to support a submersible
pump in a lake for pumping lake water to the shore for use on land. As shown
in
Figure 2, the buoyant devioe 12 features an expandable buoyant member 20
supported within a fixed protective housing 22. The buoyant member 20 is an
inflatable rubber bladder to and from which air can be pumped and drawn
respectively through air line 24 in order to control the buoyancy of the
buoyant
device 12. The air line 24 passes through a wall of the protective housing 22
in
order to connect to the control device 18 remotely disposed with respect to
the
buoyant device 12. The air line can be made of nylon tubing or other eonduit
known
to those of skill in the art capable of preventing communication between air
flowing
through it and the surrounding water.
The protective housing 22 is openable by means of a removable lid 26
having a threaded base 28 for engaging a respective threaded portion of the
housing
22. An transverse through hole 29 is provided in the lid 26 in order to define
a
handle for gripping of the lid in order to lift, lower, rotate and otherwise
maneuver it.
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When engaged to one another, the lid 26 and the housing 22 define a
substantially
enclosed space in which the buoyant member 20 is protected from damage that
could possibly lead to leakage. An auxiliary valve 30 is supported on the
housing 22
and connected to the buoyant member 20 by a shorter air line 32 In order to
provide
a passageway for air in close proximity to the buoyant member. A T-connector
34
allows connection of each air line to the buoyant member 20 at a single
location,
thereby reducing the points at which air leakage may develop. Openings 36 are
provided in the housing so that water can flow in and out to fill the variable
amount of
space defined between the housing 22 and the inflatable buoyant member 20 as
it is
inflated and deflated. The openings 36 may be screened off to prevent the
entry of
objects, debris or life forms larger than the openings of a suitable screening
material
that may damage the expandable buoyant member 20.
As shown in Figure 3, the support device includes an enclosure
member 40 having a removable cap 42. The enclosure member 40 is sized to
receive a submersible pump therein. An outlet coupling 46 passes through an
opening provided in the cap 42 to operably connect an outlet of the
submersible
pump 44 contained within the enclosure 40 to a T joint 50 disposed thereabove.
The outiet coupling 46 is attached to the cap 42 so as to also support and
locate the
pump 44 within the enclosure member 40 when the cap is removably engaged
thereon. At an end 52 opposi#e the outlet coupling 46, the T joint 50 is
attached to a
support coupling 54 which connects to the housing 22 of the buoyant device 12.
The end 52 of the outlet coupling 46 is dosed, so that water pumped from the
outlet
48 of the pump 44 does not flow upward through the support coupling 54 toward
the
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buoyant device 12. A outlet portion 56 of the T-joint is open and communicates
with
water line 57 that runs through the body of water to the shore such that water
supplied from the outlet of the pump 44 will flow through the line 57 for use
on land.
A power supply opening 58 is provided in the enclosure through which power
line 59
passes to operably connect the pump 44 to a remotely disposed power source on
land.
Openings 60 and 62 are provided near the center and bottom of the
enciosure member 40 respectively in order to allow the entry of water therein
to
supply the pump 44. The upper openings 60 are located a height generally equal
to
an inlet 64 of the pump 44 and are screened off in order to prevent entry of
objects
or life forms that may damage the pump should they reach the inlet 64. Lower
openings 62 are circumferentially disposed about the enclosure member 40 and
covered by a single cylindrical screen 66 to further protect the pump 44. An
eyebolt
68 is provided at the bottom of the enclosure member 40 to facilitate
connection
thereof to the ballast member 16.
As shown In Figure 4, the ballast device 16 features a container 70
having the same form as the protective housing 22 of the buoyant device in
order to
save on manufacturing costs. Just like the housing, the container 70 features
a
removable lid 72 having a threaded portion 74 for engaging a mating portion of
the
container 70 and a transverse through hole 76 defining a handle in the lid. An
access portion 78 of a wall of the container 70 is pivotally mounted by a
hinge 80 for
movement between open and ciosed positions in which access to the interior of
the
container is allowed and blocked respectively. Latches 82 are provided to
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selectivety secure the door-like access portion 78 in the ciosed position.
Material
having a greater density than water is added to the container to act as
ballast for
weighing down the support device 14. As such, the weight and density of the
container can be contro8ed by the type and amount of material contained
therein.
The access portion 78 allows materiai to be added or removed without having to
remove the lid 72. An eyebott 84 is provided atop the lid 72 to facilitate
connection
to that of the support device 14 by means of a flexible connection member 86,
such
as but limited to a cable or chain. The flexibility of the connection member
86
ensures that the support and buoyant devices will return to their original
positions
axially aligned with the ballast device. If the connecfion was rigid and the
devices
were tipped to the extent that the ballast reached the water body floor 6, the
buoyancy of the buoyant device may not be strong enough to return the support
device to an upright orientation, Openings 88 allow water to flow into and out
of the
container 70 so that spaoe therein not having ballast material may be filled
and
drained of water.
As shown in Figure 5, the control device 18 of the apparatus is
connected to an end of the air line 24 opposite the buoyant device 12. A
supply
mechanism 90 for transferring gas to the inflatable buoyant member 20 is
provided
in the form of a conventional hand operated air pump. Between the source
mechanism 90 and the air line 24 are connected a series of devices for
controlling
the flow of air between the mechanism and the buoyant member 20. A shut-off
valve 92 allows the passage of air between the mechanism 90 and air line 24 to
be
selectively blocked to maintain air pressure in the air line 24 and buoyant
member
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20. A release valve 94 allows air in the line 24 and buoyant member 20 to be
drained out into the surrounding environment. A pressure gauge 96 measures the
air pressure in the line 24 and buoyant member 20 to provide a precise level
of
control over the buoyancy of the buoyant member 20. The air line 24 is
attached to
5 the gauge 96 by a fdng 98 and the release valve 94 is connected between the
gauge and shut-off valve 92 by couplings 100. A source line 102 connects the
supply mechanism 90 to the shut-off valve 92.
A casing 104 of the control device 18 features mating top and bottom
halves 106 and 108 pivotally connected along adjacent sides thereof for motion
10 between closed and open conditions. In the closed condition, the halves
define an
enclosed space in which the mechanism, valves and gauge are contained. In the
open condition, these components are aocessible to a user. Mounting elements
110
support the valves and gauge in an interior of the bottom half 108 of the
casing. A
releasable mounting element 112 removably supports the gas transfer mechanism
90 on the top half 106 of the casing to provide room for its operation wfth
the casing
104 in the open condition. Releasable latches 114 are provided to secure the
casing
104 in the closed condition in which the two halves mate to form a water tight
seal in
order to protect the components inside from water damage. The air line 24
passes
through the bottom half 108 of the casing in a sealed manner for connection to
the
gauge 96 such that water cannot enter around the tubular line. The latches 114
are
of a conventional locking type such that the casing 104 can be locked in the
closed
condition such that a user can prevent access to the components within by
others.
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The use of the apparatus, in the exemplary context of supporting a
submersible pump near the bottom of a body of water far the purpose af pumping
some of the water to shore, will now be explained. The pump 44 is installed on
the
cap 42 of the enclosure member 40 by operably connecting the output coupling
46
mounted on the cap to the outlet 48 of the pump 44. The power line 59 is
passed
through the power supply opening 58 and operably connected to the pump 44 in
order to later supply power thereto. The cap 42 is then removably engaged to
the
enclosure member 40 such that the pump is protectively supported therein.
Water
line 57 is connected to the outlet portion 56 of the Tqoint for later
receiving water
from the pump 44 once activated. The inflatable buoyant member 20 is connected
to air line 24 and auxiliary valve 30 and placed within the protective housing
22. The
lid 26 is removably engaged to the housing 22 to enclose the buoyant member
therein. The container 70 is at least partially filled with ballast material
to provide a
density greater than that of the body of water and then closed by removable
lid 72
and openable access portion 78.
With ends of the lines somehow anchored on shore, the buoyant,
support and ballast devices are taken out on the water in a boat a desired
distance
from shore. The buoyant member 20 is inflated by means of the auxiliary valve
30
and the buoyant device 12 is connected to the support device 14 by means of
attaching the support coupling 54 between the protective housing 22 and the T-
joint
50. Once these components are connected, the buoyancy of the buoyant member
can be tested and adjusted to ensure that it can overcome any sinking tendency
of
the enclosure member 40 and pump 44 contained therein. The ballast and support
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devices are then connected by means of eyebolts 68 and 84 and connection
member 86. The devices are all then lowered into the body of water. Should the
devices tend to float, the buoyancy of the buoyant member 20 may be decreased
by
means of deflating through the auxiliary valve 30 until the components begin
sinking.
Once the ballast device 16 reaches the floor of the body of water, the
buoyancy of the buoyant device 12 wi!l pull upward on the support device to
maintain it in an upright orientation as shown in Figure 1. This arrangement
avoids
contact between the pump supporting device 14 and the water body floor,
whereas
tipping over of a pump may occur with the use of a weighted base alone,
causing
material from the floor to block intake to the pump. With the underwater
devices in
place, the installer can return to shore and connect the air line 24 to the
control
device 18 to allow control of the buoyancy from shore. The water line 57 is
connected to a suitable destinarion to which water is to be supplied. Finally,
the
power line 59 can be connected to an appropriate power source to activate the
pump 44 and start the flow of water to land. Portions of the air, water and
power
lines may be bound together, so long as the air and water lines are not ovedy
compressed so as to block or restrict flow therethrough, so that they may lie
along a
single path between the underwater devices and the shore.
Should maintenance or removal of the underwater devices become
necessary, the buoyancy of the buoyant member 20 can be increased through the
control device by pumping in additional air through the mechanism 90 and then
closing the shut-off valve 92 to keep the air in the air line 24 and buoyant
member
20. Once sufficient buoyancy is reached to overcome weight of the underwater
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components, the devices wiii float to the water body's surface for easy
removai. The
devices can even be removed in winter conditions. The control device 18 can be
used to float the underwater devices up toward a frozen surface of the water
body.
The devices can then be detected under the ice so that a hole can cut
therethrough
for access to the devices. For example, including metal components on the
devices
would allow detection beneath the ice by means of a metal detector.
It should be appreciated that the apparatus may be employed through
an aitemative installation process having a different steps and/or order
thereof. The
buoyant member can be inflated or deflated through either of the control
device 18
or the auxiliary valve 30. The control device 18 may be taken out on the boat
for use
during installation. In such a case, the lines would be laid in the body of
water
during the return to shore. The order of the steps in which the underwater
devices
are filled and connected can also be varied. It should be appreciated that the
overall
result is an apparatus that prevents tipping of the pump 44 and resuiting
detrimentai
effects to its perfomnance and provides easy recovery of the pump 44 from the
water
body floor through means of an on shore control device.
In the case of supporting a submersible pump, for example for
providing water from a lake to a cottage for use therein, the pump is
typically
disposed approximateiy 50 feet from the shore or at a distance where the lake
is
approximately 10 feet deep. This provides adequate depth to prevent ice from
forming about the underwater devices in winter, for example 6 feet of water
disposed
below 4 feet of ice. The lines must be of sufficient tength to reach desired
destinations on land from the point at which the underwater devices are
disposed.
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For exampie, in the case where the pump is disposed 50 feet from shore, it may
be
desirable to provide up to 100 feet of air line for connection of the control
and
buoyant devices. Any one of the lines may or may not be provided with the
other
components of the invention. For example, the present invention may be sold as
a
product for use with submersible pumps already in use. In such a case, the
buyer
would likely already have a power and water line that could be used in
combination
with the product.
It should be appreciated that the apparatus of the present invention
may be used or adapted for supporting objects other than submersible pumps
within
a fluid. Furthermore, the apparatus may be used to at depths other than at the
bottom of a fluid body. Balancing buoyant and gravitational forces allows the
depth
at which the object is supported to be maintained. The controllable variabie
buoyancy provides control over the depth at which the object is supported by
allowing upward and downward movement.
Adaptations to the present invention may be readily applied by those of
skill in the art. The hand operated air pump of the control device can be
replaced
with aitemative mechanisms for controlling air distribution and pressure. For
example, the control device may be adapted for connection to a conventional
powered air compressor or may feature a closed system in which the
distribution of
a fixed mass of air between the buoyant member and an alternate mechanism can
be controlled. The connection member 86 for connecting the support and ballast
members may adjustable in length to control the spaced relationship of the two
and
may feature quick release mechanisms for easy detachment from each device. It
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should be appreciated that while shown and described as using rigid couplings
to
connect the support and buoyant devices, these two components may be connected
by a flexible either separate from or connected to the outlet coupling from
the pump.
In the detailed embodiment, the housing 22, enclosure member 40, container 70
and
5 casing 104 for protecting their respective contents are made a plastic
material in
order to resist water damage. It should be appreciated that variQus specific
materials known to those of skill in the art may be applied to the present
invention.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein
above desoribed, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made
10 within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such
spirit and
scope, it is intended that all matter eontained in the accompanying
specification shall
be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
