Float device

An apparatus comprising:

• a tank or other reservoir for storing liquid;
• an elongate tubular member extending along a vertical direction within the tank;
• a unitary member arranged for rising and falling with the level of liquid in said tank, wherein said unitary member comprises a sealed chamber disposed in a fixed position directly above a hollow chamber, said hollow chamber defined by at least one wall, at least a portion of said wall being inclined to the horizontal and having a plurality of apertures for filtering liquid that is drawn into said hollow chamber;
• and
• a liquid pick-up duct which comprises a flexible tube having its free end couple to said hollow chamber, said flexible tube for drawing filtered fluid from said hollow chamber;
• wherein said unitary member is arranged for movement along the vertical direction within said elongate tubular member;
• and
• wherein said elongate tubular member comprises an open lower end, and said unitary member has a configuration wherein a number of the apertures of the inclined portion of the at least one wall of said hollow chamber extends below said tubular member when the level of liquid in the tank is low.

A method of drawing liquids from a tank or other reservoir comprising:

• providing an apparatus including a liquid pick-up duct operably coupled to a unitary member that is arranged to rise and fall within an elongate tubular member in accordance with the level of liquid in the tank, wherein the elongate tubular member extends in a vertical direction within the tank and surrounds the liquid pick-up duct, wherein the unitary member comprises a sealed chamber disposed in a fixed position directly above a hollow chamber, the hollow chamber defined by at least one wall, at least a portion of said wall being inclined to the horizontal and having a plurality of apertures for filtering liquid that is drawn into the hollow chamber, and wherein the liquid pick-up duct comprises a flexible tube having its free end coupled to the hollow chamber and the elongate tubular member has an open lower end;
• and
• drawing liquid from the tank into the hollow chamber through the plurality of apertures of the at least one wall of the hollow chamber and then into to the liquid pick-up duct in order to filter liquid supplied by the apparatus via the liquid pick-up duct;
• wherein, during the drawing of liquid from the tank into the hollow chamber, the unitary member has a configuration wherein a number of the apertures of the inclined portion of the at least one wall of said hollow chamber extends below said tubular member when the level of liquid in the tank is low.