Patent ID: 8407823

Claim:
A vessel for containing a liquid comprising: a) a floor perimetrically surrounded by a plurality of upwardly projecting walls, the floor and the walls defining a liquid containing area, each wall having an upper edge disposed at an end of the wall opposite the floor and defusing a top of the liquid containing area; b) at least a portion of one of the walls including at least one raised rim portion having one of the upper edges of the walls, the upper edge of the raised rim portion positioned a height above the other upper edges, the at least one raised rim portion extends across an entire length of the wall and includes a sloped portion which blends into the upper edges of the walls adjacent to the at least one raised rim portion forming a smooth continuous transition along the upper edge surface of the raised rim to the upper edges of the walls adjacent the raised rim portion; and c) at least one waterfall device disposed within the at least one raised rim portion, whereby at least one supply orifice extending through the at least one raised rim portion, the at least one supply orifice being in communication with a liquid supply conduit; and at least one spillway ledge disposed in the at least one raised rim portion, the at least one spillway ledge extending from the at least one supply orifice in a direction away from the adjacent raised rim portion to a spillway edge located above a height of the other upper edges.