Patent ID: 7779787

Claim:
A valve system for providing liquid to a means for containing liquid comprising, as viewed in side elevation: a body comprising means for entering liquid at an upper end thereof and means for ejecting liquid at a lower end thereof, there being functionally integrated thereinto rod means for controlling flow of liquid through said valve system, such that when said rod means is caused to be moved laterally liquid can flow, but when said rod means is oriented to project substantially downward liquid does not flow, said rod means being substantially vertical along its length and projected out of the lower end of said body; said valve system further comprising float means slidingly coupled to said rod means; the lower end of said body being present in said means for containing liquid; such that in use said rod means is occasionally caused to move laterally by an animal's direct contact with at least one of said rod means and said float means with the result being that liquid flows into, through, and out of said valve system into said means for containing liquid wherein it accumulates; said float means being functionally implemented so that, as liquid accumulates in said means for containing liquid, said float means is caused to rise into said body and block further occasional lateral rod means motion until said accumulated liquid is removed from said means for containing liquid and said float means descends out of said body.