Fish farm

Claim 2

A fish farm, comprising an upright tank having means providing an upper chamber and a plurality of lower chambers, means including a pump for delivering water to the upper chamber, means for conducting water from the upper chamber to each of said lower chambers, means for returning water from each of said lower chambers to said pump, means for interrupting the delivery of water to selected ones of the lower chambers, and means for maintaining a desired level of water in each of said chambers.

Claim 3

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 1, including means for draining water from each of said chambers.

Claim 4

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 1, including means for dumping the contents of one lower chamber directly into another lower chamber beneath it.

Claim 5

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 2, including means for dumping the contents of one lower chamber directly into another lower chamber beneath it.

Claim 6

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 1, wherein said water conducting means includes means for aerating said water as it enters each lower chamber.

Claim 7

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 1, wherein at least some of said lower chambers are vertically arranged.

Claim 8

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 6, wherein said water conducting means includes a downpipe connecting the upper chamber with each of said vertically arranged lower chambers.

Claim 9

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 6, wherein said water conducting means includes a header extending into each of said vertically arranged lower chambers.

Claim 10

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 6, wherein the water returning means includes a downpipe connecting with each of said vertically arranged lower chambers except the lowermost thereof, and a separate pipe connecting with said lowermost chamber.

Claim 11

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 6, wherein said upright tank also has additional lower chambers arranged on generally the same horizontal level as the uppermost of said vertically arranged lower chambers.

Claim 12

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 10, wherein said water conducting means includes a downpipe connecting the upper chamber with said horizontally arranged lower chambers and each of said vertically arranged lower chambers beneath said horizontally arranged lower chambers.

Claim 13

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 11, wherein said water conducting means includes a header extending into the horizontally arranged lower chambers and a header extending into each of said vertically arraNged lower chambers.

Claim 14

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 10, including means for dumping the contents of each of said horizontally arranged upper chambers directly into one of said vertically arranged chambers therebeneath.

Claim 15

A fish farm, comprising an upright tank having means providing an upper chamber and a pair of lower chambers arranged one above the other, means including a pump fo delivering water to the upper chamber, means for conducting water from said upper chamber to each of said lower chambers, means for returning water from each of said lower chambers to said pump, means for maintaining a desired level of water in each of said chambers, and means for dumping the contents of the upper of the lower chambers directly into the lower of the lower chambers.

Claim 16

A fish farm, comprising an upright tank having means providing an upper chamber and a pair of lower chambers arranged one above the other, means including a pump fo delivering water to the upper chamber, means for conducting water from said upper chamber to each of said lower chambers, means for returning water from each of said lower chambers to said pump, means for maintaining a desired level of water in each of said chambers, and means for dumping the contents of the upper of the lower chambers directly into the lower of the lower chambers.

Claim 17

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 14, wherein said dumping means includes a sump in the lowermost portion of the upper of the lower chambers, and valve means for selectively opening and closing the sump to the lower of the lower chambers.

Claim 18

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 15, wherein the tank has a side opening to the lower of the lower chambers, a drain line extends from the sump to an outer end near the side opening, and there is a valve in the drain line near its outer end.

Claim 19

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 15, wherein the sump has a hole in its lower end, and the valve means includes a vertical tube having a lower end fitting closely within the sump and an upper end above the water level in the upper of the lower chambers.

Claim 20

A fish farm of the character defined in claim 15, including an arm extending from the valve means to an operating handle.

Claim 21

A fish farm, comprising a tank having means providing an upper chamber and a plurality of lower chambers, means including a pump for delivering water to the upper chamber from a first source, means including a downpipe connecting said upper chamber with each of the lower chambers for conducting water from said upper chamber to each of said lower chambers, means for returning water from said lower chambers to said pump, a conduit adapted to be connected with a second source of water under pressure and connecting with the downpipe beneath its connection with the lowermost lower chamber, and valve means in said conduit adapted to open and thus supply said water under pressure to said downpipe in response to inability of said pump to deliver water from said first source.

Claim 22

A fish farm, comprising a tank having means providing an upper chamber and a plurality of lower chambers, means including a pump for delivering water to the upper chamber from a first source, means including a downpipe connecting said upper chamber with each of the lower chambers for conducting water from said upper chamber to each of said lower chambers, means for returning water from said lower chambers to said pump, a conduit adapted to be connected with a second source of water under pressure and connecting with the downpipe beneath its connection with the lowermost lower chamber, and valve means in said conduit adapted to open and thus supply said water under pressure to said downpipe in response to inability of said pump to deliver water from said first source.

Claim 23

A fish farm, comprising a tank having a chamber therein with a bottom wall extending across the tank, means for introducing water to the chamber, means for draining water from the chamber, a pair of upright, concentric pipes mounted on the bottom wall of the chamber, the outer pipe having holes in its lower end to admit water and small particles to the annulus between the pipes, the inner pipe having an upper end lower than the upper end of the outer pipe to determine the level of water within the chamber, and a conduit fixed to the lower end of the inner pipe for returning water to the pump, the lower end of the inner pipe fixed to and extending through the bottom wall of the chamber, the tank having a side opening therein beneath said bottom wall, and said conduit extending loosely through said side opening to permit said conduit to rise and fall with the bottom wall, during introduction of water into and draining of water from said chamber.

Claim 24

A fish farm, comprising a tank having a chamber therein with a bottom wall extending across the tank, means for introducing water to the chamber, means for draining water from the chamber, a pair of upright, concentric pipes mounted on the bottom wall of the chamber, the outer pipe having holes in its lower end to admit water and small particles to the annulus between the pipes, the inner pipe having an upper end lower than the upper end of the outer pipe to determine the level of water within the chamber, and a conduit fixed to the lower end of the inner pipe for returning water to the pump, the lower end of the inner pipe fixed to and extending through the bottom wall of the chamber, the tank having a side opening therein beneath said bottom wall, and said conduit extending loosely through said side opening to permit said conduit to rise and fall with the bottom wall, during introduction of water into and draining of water from said chamber.