Patent ID: 7241384

Claim:
A floating strainer especially suitable for supporting a plurality of intake hoses in a pumping system for withdrawing water from a body of water comprising: a rectangular frame having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are each formed by a first pair of horizontal members extending along a left and a right side of the rectangular frame and a second pair of horizontal cross members perpendicular to the first pair of horizontal members extending along a front and a rear of the rectangular frame; four cylindrical drums, each one having an upper and a lower bracket extending along the length of the cylindrical drum and having a first pair of flanges extending up from the upper bracket and a second pair of flanges extending down from the lower bracket, and wherein each of the first pair of flanges connects with the upper portion of the rectangular frame and each of the second pair of flanges connects with the lower portion of the rectangular frame so that each of the four cylindrical drums is connected along a respective corner of the rectangular frame and wherein two of the cylindrical drums are positioned along the left side of the rectangular frame and aligned on a common left-side axis and two of the cylindrical drums are positioned along the right side of the rectangular frame and aligned along a common right-side axis; four vertical support members, each one adjustably connected with and extending down from a respective corner of the rectangular frame, wherein the four vertical support members can be raised or lowered to adjust the level from which water is drawn from the body of water; and an intake manifold supported by the four vertical support members comprising: a box frame having outer dimensions that approximately match those of the rectangular frame, wherein the box frame has a substantially solid upper face, mesh side walls and a lower face that defines a plurality of apertures, and wherein each of the four vertical support members connect along a respective corner of the box frame; and a plurality of intake connections each one positioned over a respective one of the plurality of apertures, wherein each of the intake connections has a tubular body which extends down from the lower face of the box frame and terminates at a hinged collar, wherein the hinged collar has an open and a closed position, wherein the open position is suitable to receive a hose, and wherein the closed position fixes the hose in the collar to form a seal between the intake connection and the hose.