AU3891201A - Swimming pool construction - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Original Complete Specification Standard Patent P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 Invention Title' The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing known to me:- C Ir i PAGE 1 Original Complete Specification Standard patent APPLICANTS: GARY MICHAEL LYNCH MICHAEL VINCENT LYNCH TITLE SWIMMING POOL CONSTRUCTION

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AUSTRALIA

26 th APRIL 2001 GARY MICHAEL LYNCH 880 GERMAN CHURCH ROAD REDLAND BAY QLD 4165 PH (07) 3206-8800 FAX: (07) 3206-8811 Page 2 P/00/003 28/5/91 Section 29

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Original Complete Specification Standard patent I, being the person identified below as the Applicant, request the grant of a patent for an invention described in the accompanying specification.

Full application details follow.

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[71] Applicants: Address: GARY MICHAEL LYNCH MICHAEL VINCENT LYNCH 880 GERMAN CHURCH ROAD, REDLAND BAY QLD 4165 SWIMMING POOL CONSTRUCTION [54] Invention Title: 7.

[72] Name of actual inventor: GARY MICHAEL LYNCH [74] Address for service in Australia: 880 GERMAN CHURCH ROAD REDLAND BAY QLD 4165 (Signa re) (Dat Page 3 P/00/009 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Original Complete Specification Standard patent

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Invention Title: SWIMMING POOL CONSTRUCTION This invention is described in the following statement: I Page 4 BACKGROUND OF THIS INVENTION This invention i relates to the construction of swimming pools and water storage vessels, both i above ground and in-ground construction, and relates to walls being made of prefabricated structural panels, with the inner surface of the panels being I 5 made of stainless steel with or without an insulating foam backing.

3 Prior Art.

1 A) Institute reinforced concrete pools Present in-ground concrete pools are expensive to make and require large I quantities of reinforcing steel which is labour intensive and expensive.

10 The surface of the pool has to have a rendered smooth finish and then a surface finish applied.

t B) Moulded fibreglass pools Prefabricated off site manufactured fibreglass pool are limited in size to the available road transport. The transporting of the fibreglass pool is expensive, 15 often requiring special road and access permits, and an on site crane to remove the pool from the truck and into position.

The surface of Fibreglass pools is often subjected to chemical attack by fungus, such as "Black spot", and delamination caused by "osmosis" C) Prefabricated panel construction with pool liners I 20 Numerous methods have been developed to manufacture swimming pools using prefabricated panels made from various materials ranging from i concrete, fibreglass, structural foam panels. The panels are placed around the perimeter of the pool, fixed onto or into a concrete floor or similar surface I and then a pool liner is fitted to the inside of the pool for water retention.

The pool liners used are subject to deterioration resulting in expensive I replacement, also most liners are not suitable for used in heated pools as they

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Page expand with the increase temperature causing wrinkles to form. The life of I vinyl liners is reduced due to UV degradation.

I This particular invention relates to the following aspects 3 A series of prefabricated stainless steel panels with an internal pool surface of 316 or 318 grade stainless steel, of varying lengths and curved 3 shapes, which are assembled together in combinations to form the desired shape of the pool walls.

A waterproof joint system for connecting the panels together with a i 10 propriety epoxy such as "Megapoxy H" and a stainless steel bolt system for permanent installations, or mastic type waterproof sealant for tempory installations.

ii The wall panels are fitted into a floor locking system, made of an aluminum extruded section, or a formed steel section,. The floor locking ~sections may be fixed to a concrete floor with an epoxy glue and bolts, or may be cast into the concrete floor. The floor lock section has a waterproof sealant i injected into the floor locking during assembly of the wall panels into the floor lock section.

20 The wall panels have a formed locking bead at the internal bottom section of the wall panels. This bead can created during manufacturing folding I of the wall panel or by welding a small metal bar to the base of the wall panel.

The wall panels are locked into the floor seal with a solid locking bar, being 1 hammered down tightly behind the wall panels, into the recessed rear of the floor lock. The locking bar has a series of drilled holes along its length, into I which a removal pinch bar can be inserted to remove the locking bars, for tempory pool installations.

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Page 6 The floor lock may be attached to an existing poured concrete floor with I steel anchor pins or dyna bolts, with a "Megaepoxy" floor seal. This method of construction may be used for the tempory erection of a pool.

A stainless steel top coping panel is fixed to the side wall panels, using bolts, self drilling tex screws or by spot welding. A "Megaepoxy" or mastic I type joint sealant is used for water proofing the joints. The top coping edge panels are joined together to form a continuous beam around the top of the I pool. For temporary installations the beam may be pop riveted together, while for permanent installation the coping edge panel may be welded on site I 10 together.

:A continous concrete bond beam may be poured around the perimeter of the .pool or tank, using the formed top coping edge as formwork.

t A Wet deck drain may be attached to the perimeter coping edge as a pool water return, or skimmer boxes may be fitted into the coping edge.

The top coping edge may have a formed cavity, through which incoming I pool return filtered water may be piped under pressure and injected at intervals around the top edge perimeter, using propirity directional nozzels.

i A waterproof concrete floor is normally poured after the wall panels have been installed, but may be poured first with panel floor lock recesses for the I 20 wall panels being incorporated into the concrete floor perimeter.

I The surface finish of the concrete floor to be smooth rendered suitable for:- a painted finish, a polyeurthane coating, a fibreglass resin finish, U or ceramic tiles.

Page 7 For floors used for a temporary pool installation, the ground may be I levelled with bedding sand, or a floor covered with inter-locking ply panels laid, the outer perimeter floor lock is attached to the ply or ground. A vinyl or plastic liner is laid over the formed ply or sand covered floor, and over the I 5 outer edge floor lock. The wall panels are now assembled into the floor lock with sealant on top of the floor liner A fully waterproof chemical bonding of the concrete floor to the floor lock I is achieved by thorough treatment of the floor lock section with degreasing solvents, abrasive grinding of the concrete interface area of the section then I 10 painting the prepared surfaces with a propriety epoxy such as "Megapoxy H" and then pouring the concrete floor immediately before the epoxy is cured.

This will ensure a completely waterproof joint.

ti.; An embodiment of the invention will be described in detail hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which t.i Fig 1. illustrates a three dimemsional drawing of a typical lay out for a 3 swimming pool, above ground or in-ground construction.

Fig 2. illustrates a three dimemsional drawing of the side wall panel.

Fig 3. illustrates a schematic drawing of a typical side wall construction.

Fig 4. illustrates a detailed schematic drawing of a sheet metal folded floor 3 lock section, in accordance with this invention.

I Fig 5. illustrates a detailed schematic drawing of an extruded floor lock section, in accordance with this invention.

I Page 8 Fig 6. illustrates a detailed schematic drawing of the wall panel joint 1, I inserted into the floor lock 10, set in concrete.

1 Fig 7. illustrates a detailed schematic drawing of a sheet metal folded or 3 extruded floor lock section, in accordance with this invention.

I Fig 8. illustrates a detailed schematic drawing of the wall panel joint 1, inserted into the floor lock 10, bolted on to a tempory floor,31, with a flexible I floor liner, 31, corner section, 32, hold down bolts, 30. in accordance with this invention.

Fig 9. illustrates a detailed cross sectional view of a typical inground 10 commercial pool, in accordance with this invention.

I. Fig 10. illustrates a side view straight panel joints of varyingThe wall panels have a formed locking bead at the internal bottom section of the wall panels.

1' ~This bead can created during manufacturing folding or by welding a small metal bar to the base of the wall panel. The wall panels are locked into the i 15 floor seal with a solid locking bar, being hammered down tightly behind the ~wall panels, into the recessed rear of the floor lock. The locking bar has a series of drilled holes along its length, into which a removal pinch bar can be inserted to remove the locking bars, for tempory pool installations.

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Fig 11. illustrates a sectional view of the wall panel with the top edge coping 3 attached.

I Fig 12. illustrates a three dimensional drawing of two wall panels bolted together and sealed.

I Page 9 Fig 13. illustrates a detailed side view of a short wall brace located behind I and bolted to each wall panel joint, in accordance with this invention.

SFig 14. illustrates a detailed side view of a tall wall brace located behind and I bolted to each wall panel joint, in accordance with this invention.

I 5 Fig 15. illustrates a detailed plan view of three wall brace located behind and bolted to each wall panel joint, in accordance with this invention.

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Fig 16. illustrates a three dimensional drawing of the top coping edge joined I with two other folded panels to form the pool water return ,the folded holding :edges for; the wet deck grating and the anti wave panel below the wet deck 10 grating with the bottom water return trough below, in accordance with this invention.

Fig 17. illustrates a three dimensional drawing of the top coping edge,5, and wet deck ,39, joined to the side wall panel, in accordance with this invention.

I. Fig 18. illustrates a detailed plan view of the wet deck, 39, and anti wave 15 gratings,40, in accordance with this invention.

Fig 19. illustrates a detailed side view of the top coping edge and wet deck system joined to the side wall panel, in accordance with this invention.

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Fig 20. illustrates a detailed side view of the top coping edge joined with I two other folded panels to form the pool water return with jets,41, the folded holding edges for; the wet deck grating, 39, and the anti wave panel, I below the wet deck grating ,39, with the bottom water return trough, 42, below, in accordance with this invention.

Page Detailed description of one method of construction in accordance with I this invention.

I Preferred method of construction of an in-ground swimming pool.

I 5 In Fig 1. there is illustrated a drawing of a swimming pool which may be constructed using manufactured foam panels 1, with a 316 or 318 stainless I steel or similar corrosion resistant interior sheet. The outside of the wall panel may be sheeted with a sheeting material that will impart structural I strength to the wall and may be constructed in timber, fibreglass, aluminium, or steel with and appropriate corrosion rating or may be left ucovered and I back filled with soil or concrete.

go The wall panels 1, may be of any length or height to suit the size and depth of the pool being constructed, and are jointed together, in accordance with this i invention, using a stainless steel bolts and a waterproof sealant joint assembly 3, which has been thoroughly cleaned before assembly. The wall panels have a formed locking bead at the internal bottom section of the wall panels. This bead can created during manufacturing by folding or by welding a small metal bar to the base of the wall panel. The wall panels are locked into the floor seal with a solid locking bar or angle section, being hammered S 20 down tightly behind the wall panels, into the recessed rear of the floor lock.

i The locking bar has a series of drilled holes along its length, into which a removal pinch bar can be inserted to remove the locking bars, for temporory I pool installations.

i a) The reinforcing 8, required for the pool floor 7, is deigned by a structural engineer with the aid of a geotechnical soil survey, reinforcing earth anchors I and screw pilling as required for stability. Stainless steel reo bars may be a preferred method of reinforcement for the long life cycle requirements of the I cement floor 7.

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I Page 11 The addition of steel fibers into the concrete during pouring may be used to I enhace the structural strength and minimise surface cracking.

I b) The site is excavated with 200 mm clearance to allow for soil I movement, the base of the pool floor, fig 9, contoured to desired falls and gravel fill placed on the floor, geotechnecical fabric is used to prevent soil I incursion into the gravel base. Drainage pipes and valves in stalled, and then insulating sheets of polystyrene, 35, are laid over the gravel to form a heat I retention layer.

I c) The engineer designed steel reinforcement, 7, is placed on the floor and S• 10 reinforcing perimeter bars installed. The walls of the pool are marked out with pegs and string lines, and a series of height adjustable screw bolts, 19, with base washers, 20, inserted into pipes, 21, driven into the floor, are installed fI: around the pool wall perimeter.

The folded floor lock,10, or extruded floor lock, 11, is attached to the S 15 screw jacks, 22. The floor lock 10, is leveled and braced to the desired falls in '1 the pool floor surface. The floor lock, 10, is filled with a polystyrene strip to prevent cement from filling up the floor lock during the concrete pour.

e) The floor of the pool is poured, using a waterproof mixture of concrete, to which may be added steel reinforcment fibers. The concrete floor is i 20 continuously poured, screeded and finished off with helical trolling machines, to the desired falls and required floor finished f) The concrete floor is allowed to cure. The floor lock ,10, is cleaned out so I that the wall panels 1, may be installed into the perimeter floor lock, 10. The floor lock section,10, has a waterproof sealant, 3, injected into it during 3 assembly of the wall panels 1.

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I Page 12 g) The wall panels 1, are locked into the floor lock ,10, with a solid locking I angle bar 23, being hammered down tightly behind the wall panels 1, into the recessed rear of the floor lock 10. The locking angle bar 23, has a series of drilled holes 24, along its length, into which a removal pinch bar can be inserted to remove the locking bars. Alternatively nuts are welded onto the bar holes 24, so that bolts 25, can be screwed in to lift and remove the locking bar 3 23, for disassembly.

I f) The skimmer boxes, or wet deck returns and pool water inlet lines are installed into the wall panels 1, as they are installed around te pool.

i 10 h) The wall brace frames 6, are bolted to every wall panel joining edge using stainless steel bolts 37. The base of the brace is fixed to the perimeter edge of the concrete floor with chemset stainless steel bolts 36.

i) The polystyrene foam insulation 35, is glued to the back of the pool panels 1, as required for thermal insulation.

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i 15 j) A grout 9, cement mixture or similar, is packed into the back of the wall panel 1, and recessed floor lock 10, to give a permanent water tight seal for permanent installations.

i; k) The folded stainless steel top coping edge 5, is welded or bolted to the I top of the side wall panels 1, with a waterproof sealant 3, between the joints.

E 20 I) For permanent installations, a concrete top perimeter bond beam ,38, is used to strenghten the pool structure.

o) The pool surround is back filled with gravel and the top surface sealed.

g Similar construction methods are used to construct above ground pools.

Claims (7)

1. 2. A method of construction according to claim 1, a vessel constructed of a I series of panels internally sheeted with stainless steel or similar corrosion 10 resistant panels, joined together with a waterproof sealant and stainless steel bolts, in conjunction with a base locking system attached to a floor base, or 0. o cast into a concrete floor.
2. 3. A construction system according to claim 1 and 2, wherein the floor lock it": has adjustable screw jacks fitted for leveling and stability pior to and during 15 pouring of the concrete floor.
3. 4. A construction system according to claim 1, 2 and 3, wherein the floor locks I have a formed locking recess incorporated into the bottom section of the floor lock. This recess can be created during manufacturing by folding or by extrusion section. I 2 5. A construction system according to claim 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein walls I panels have a formed locking bead at the bottom section of the wall panels. This bead can be created during manufacturing by folding or by welding a 3 small metal bar or pipe, to the base of the wall panel. The formed locking bead can be on the internal or external sides of the wall panel. I Page 14 1 6. A construction system according to claim 1,2, 3, 4 and 5, wherein walls are formed from said panels inserted into a floor lock system and bonded chemically with an epoxy resin to a poured concrete floor to provide a I waterproof vessel without the need of an internal waterproofing liner. 3 5 7. A construction system according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, wherein walls are formed from said wall panels inserted into a floor lock system and 3 bolted to together with a waterproof sealant to provide a waterproof vessel with an internal waterproofing liner as the said floor. I
4. 8. A construction system in accordance with claims 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, wherein each wall panel joint has an external reinforcing steel brace bolted to the wall panels and to a perimeter floor.
5. 9. A construction system in accordance with claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, ~wherein each wall panel has an internal corrosion resistant stainless steel sheet, or similar corrosion resistant material bonded to an inner insulating 1: 15 foam core, with an optional outer structural sheet. oooo
6. 10. A construction system in accordance with claim 9, wherein each wall panel's foam core acts as a heat retention barrier in conjunction with the concrete floor base being poured over a similar foam heat retention barrier.
7. 11. A method of constructing a structure or vessel for the containment of a I 20 body of fluid, including the steps of forming walls of prefabricated insulating foam panels, creating a desired insulated waterproof floor within the said U walls. 3 Page 12 A construction system substantially as here before described with I reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 13 A method of construction, substantially as here in described. 1 14 The articles, things, parts, elements, steps, features, methods, processes, 3 5 compounds and compositions referred to or indicated in the specifications and/or claims of the application individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of such. 3 Dated this Twenth Sixth day of APRIL 2001 1GARY MICHAEL LYNCH •I go I;:i oo I: I oo