Fluid handling – With casing – support – protector or static constructional... – Static constructional installations
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-20
2001-03-20
Rivell, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
With casing, support, protector or static constructional...
Static constructional installations
C137S363000, C052S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202675
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to a sewage lift station. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a lawn trim ring set for sealing a sewage lift station.
2. Background of Related Art
Because lift stations are normally located in a homeowner's front lawn, it is desired to cover them as much as possible so that they are not unsightly, and yet the lift stations must be somewhat viewable and there must be provided ready access to the interior of the tank for maintenance purposes. Typical tanks have covers which are either entirely exposed on the front lawn and are therefore unsightly, or which are completely buried under the grass, making it not only difficult to locate the cover and remove the grass for maintenance purposes, but also requiring extra effort and expense to rebury the cover. Thus, there is a need for a lift station having a readily accessible tank interior and having a cover which can be easily located but which, for aesthetic purposes, is minimally exposed.
A pump in a sewage lift station may fail for any of a number of reasons such as a power failure. In a conventional sewage lift station, a pump failure may lead to the tank becoming filled with sewage that may rise into the basement of a homeowner. There is a need for a backup system to release sewer water from the tank in the event of a pump failure. A charged sewer line leads from the city sewer into a homeowner's home during heavy rains.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforementioned disadvantages of prior art sewage lift stations are overcome using apparatus in accordance with the present invention. In one embodiment, a lawn trim ring set of the present invention comprises a reducer ring having a flange for connection to a tank and a sleeve extending upwardly from the flange. A top cap having a bottom and an upright wall extending from the bottom is removably fastened to the reducer ring sleeve. With the tank connected to the reducer ring, and the reducer ring removably connected to the top cap, exterior water or debris is prevented from entering the tank. The upright wall and bottom of the top cap define a recess for holding soil and grass atop of the lift station when the lift station has been fully installed. The top cap can be easily removed to perform maintenance on the interior of the tank with only minimal interference with the lawn of a homeowner.
The top cap may be bolted to the reducer ring. Alternatively, the top cap may be attached to an interior surface of the reducer ring sleeve by a slip fit. The reducer ring may comprise an internal sealing flange extending inwardly from an interior surface of the sleeve for sealing the reducer ring to the top cap. The top cap can comprise a flange extending radially outwardly from a top portion of the wall. The top cap can comprise holes for drainage.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a gravity flow pump bypass is provided to pass sewer water from the interior of the tank to the exterior of the tank in the event of a pump failure. The gravity flow pump bypass comprises a pipe having an inlet located in the tank, the inlet being positioned higher than the sewer inlet into the tank, higher than the pump, and at a level lower than the basement floor of a home to which the lift station is associated.
A sewage lift station in accordance with the present invention may comprise either one or both of the above-described lawn trim ring set and gravity flow pump bypass.
REFERENCES:
patent: 681994 (1901-09-01), Steele
patent: 1959171 (1934-05-01), Mayer
patent: 3070021 (1962-12-01), Tutthill
patent: 3112760 (1963-12-01), Budd
patent: 3461803 (1969-08-01), Stothoff, III et al.
patent: 3672103 (1972-06-01), Kost
patent: 3715958 (1973-02-01), Crawford et al.
patent: 3938545 (1976-02-01), Nagy et al.
patent: 4178139 (1979-12-01), Seppanen et al.
patent: 4245664 (1981-01-01), Johnson
patent: 4275757 (1981-06-01), Singer
patent: 4348158 (1982-09-01), Wood
patent: 4822213 (1989-04-01), Grace et al.
patent: 4852609 (1989-08-01), Schoenauer
patent: 4919343 (1990-04-01), Van Luik, Jr. et al.
patent: 4928727 (1990-05-01), Dufresne
patent: 4997312 (1991-03-01), Regan
patent: 5161911 (1992-11-01), Regan
patent: 5201600 (1993-04-01), Topf, Jr. et al.
patent: 5299637 (1994-04-01), Skonvall
patent: 5382113 (1995-01-01), Chilton et al.
patent: 5553794 (1996-09-01), Oliver et al.
patent: 5667362 (1997-09-01), Murai et al.
patent: 5672050 (1997-09-01), Webber et al.
patent: 5899024 (1999-05-01), Stannard
patent: 6050050 (2000-04-01), Daul et al.
Tramco Pumpmaster Lift Station advertising sheet, Tramco Pump Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1979.
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
Rivell John
LandOfFree
Lift station flood control system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Lift station flood control system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Lift station flood control system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2540411