Septic tank system

• US 3,954,612 A
• Filed: 06/26/1974
• Issued: 05/04/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anderson L. Wilkerson
• Original Assignee: Anderson L. Wilkerson
• Inventors: Wilkerson, Anderson L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hart, Charles N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mukai, Robert G.
• Application Number:
  US05/483,219
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 61/11, 61/13, 73/305, 73/319, 73/322, 116/118 A, 138/104, 210/86, 210/91, 210/93, 210/121, 210/170, 210/532 S, 166/54, 166/113
• US Class Current: 210/86
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/58 using mechanically actuated indicating means

Abstract

A septic tank system is provided with an indicator above the ground surface to indicate the water level in the tributaries leading from the tank so that any excess water therein may be pumped out before it causes a back up of sewage upstream of the septic tank.

Claims

1. A septic tank system comprising a septic tank having an inlet to receive sewage and an outlet located just below the top of the septic tank through which the liquid effluent from the tank can flow, a tributary connected to the outlet to receive the effluent and to allow the effluent to soak into the ground, said tributary comprising an elongated ditch that is filled with gravel or the like to about the top of the outlet, means located in the tributary for indicating above the surface of the ground the level of effluent in the tributary, said indicating means including a first vertical conduit extending from above the surface of the ground to the bottom of the ditch forming the tributary, said conduit having openings therein and screen means associated with said openings having a mesh size selected to permit liquid to enter the conduit but to prevent the gravel in the ditch from entering the pipe to allow effluent in the tributary to flow into the conduit to the level of the effluent in the tributary, a float located in the conduit to float in the effluent in the conduit, and means attached to the float and extending above the ground surface to indicate the effluent level in the tributary, and means through which excess effluent may be pumped directly out of the tributary before it causes sewage to back up in the inlet to the septic tank, said means through which the excess effluent may be pumped including a second conduit extending from the surface of the ground through the gravel to about the bottom of the tributary, said second conduit having perforations adjacent the bottom thereof and screen means associated with said perforations having a mesh size selected such that the gravel in the ditch cannot enter the conduit while liquid effluent can to allow the effluent to be pumped out of the tributary to substantially remove all of the liquid effluent from the ditch.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the tributary includes a section of increased width to provide a cavity adjacent the tributary into which the effluent in the tributary can flow and in which the first and second conduits can be located out of the direct line of flow of effluent in the tributary.