Patent ID: 8245890

Claim:
An intake nozzle for a pump comprising: a cylindrical duct portion defining a circular bottom mouth surrounding a central upstanding axis of the duct portion with the bottom mouth arranged to face downwardly toward an upwardly facing flat surface from which liquid is to be drawn into the mouth; the duct portion being arranged for connection to an inlet pipe of the pump so that the pump draws liquid from the nozzle into the pump for discharge; a plate member surrounding the bottom mouth and defining a downwardly facing nozzle surface for facing the flat surface, so that the liquid is drawn between the flat surface and the downwardly facing nozzle surface before entering the bottom mouth; a plurality of spacer members extending downwardly from the nozzle surface for spacing the nozzle surface from the flat surface; the nozzle surface being shaped and spaced from the flat surface so as to define an annular gap surrounding the bottom mouth which defines with the flat surface an annular area at the annular gap which is substantially equal to the circular area of the bottom mouth; the nozzle surface being shaped between the annular gap and the mouth so as to define an inwardly and upwardly extending curved surface portion which is shaped such that an annular area between the surface portion and the flat surface at any circle surrounding the central axis of the bottom mouth is substantially equal to the circular area of the bottom mouth; the plate member extending outwardly from the annular gap to an outer peripheral edge of the nozzle surface so as to define a peripheral intake mouth between the flat surface and the outer edge of the downwardly facing nozzle surface through which the liquid is drawn to pass under the nozzle surface to the bottom mouth; the nozzle surface being shaped such that, as it extends outwardly from the annular gap to the peripheral mouth, the annular area at any circle surrounding the central axis between the nozzle surface and the flat surface increases with the radius.