Protection device and sump pump

The combination of a protection device and a sump pump apparatus or the like, said pump apparatus being positioned in a liquid-containing sump in which there is a fixed component such as the walls of the sump, in which sump variations occur in the liquid level, the pump apparatus comprising a pump component suspended with its bottom above the bottom of the sump and control means to turn the pump component on after the liquid level has risen to a sufficiently high elevation to prime the pump component, said combination comprising:

• a vessel having an interior opening extending downwardly from the top thereof, the horizontal dimensions of said opening being sufficiently large so that said vessel will fit about the bottom of the pump component, said vessel having a "water line" below the top of the vessel so that the vessel will float in the liquid in the sump, said vessel having a liquid passage from the exterior to the interior of the vessel with at least a portion of said passage being above said water line whereby with said vessel floating normally the liquid will not traverse said passage, said vessel forming at least part of said device;
• and
• guide means engaging the vessel and for engaging a first of said components for aligning said vessel below said pump component with said interior opening aligned to receive the bottom of the pump component, whereby as said liquid level increases said vessel will rise about the bottom of the pump component and prevent the liquid from entering the bottom of the pump component;
• said vessel having stop means aligned for engaging one of said components after said liquid has risen to an upper elevation sufficient to position said vessel about the bottom of the pump component for preventing said vessel from rising further with respect to the pump component, said upper elevation being below said sufficiently high elevation, said portion of said passage being above the liquid level when the liquid level is at said upper elevation and below the liquid level when the liquid level is at said sufficiently high elevation, whereby before said liquid reaches said sufficiently high elevation the liquid will flow through the passage and into the vessel causing the vessel to sink away from the bottom of the pump component whereupon the liquid can enter the pump component.