CA1188054A - Swimming pool wall strengthening means - Google Patents

Swimming pool wall strengthening means

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Publication number
CA1188054A
CA1188054A CA000420951A CA420951A CA1188054A CA 1188054 A CA1188054 A CA 1188054A CA 000420951 A CA000420951 A CA 000420951A CA 420951 A CA420951 A CA 420951A CA 1188054 A CA1188054 A CA 1188054A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
panels
swimming pool
pool
stiffening member
wall panels
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000420951A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Donald H. Weir
Charles F. Robinson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Fox Pool Corp
Original Assignee
Fox Pool Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Fox Pool Corp filed Critical Fox Pool Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1188054A publication Critical patent/CA1188054A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An arrangement comprising a plurality of wall panels connected end-to-end to form the swimming pool is strengthened and is afforded with means to retain alignment, and prevents the wall panels from buckling. Horizontal stiffening members are positioned in cut-outs formed in vertical support posts secured to the panels and in the vertical flanges at the ends of the panel modules to which brace members are also attached. Vertical Z-shaped post or rib members se-cured to the modular panels are provided with a bottom tab which may be staked in position facilitates alignment of the panels. A longi-tudinal stiffening member positioned at the bottom of the wall panels is optionally used and adds substantial additional strength and align-ment means to the pool structure.

Description

3~!38~1S~

SWIMMING POOL WALL STRENGTHENING MEANS

This invention relates to a swimming pool wall panel strength-ening means which prevents buckling and/or misalignment of a swimming pool wall which is fabricated from a pluarlity of wall panels secured end-to-end around the periphery of a pool.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various constructions which employ an assembly of modular panels connected end-to-end to form the perimeter of the pool are known. In addition to being secured by various means at the ends, these swimming pool wall panels, for the most part, employ some supporting or bracing structure to retain the wall panels in a vertical position. Generally, such means include brace members which extend outwardly from the panel in a plane perpendicular to the panel. Such braces are spaced generally at the points where panels are connected and at appropriate intervals between the ends of the panels. However, even with positioning of such braces at frequent intervals on the panels, a structure which adds sig-nificantly to the cost when the number of braces is relatively high, the pool wall panels still have a considerable tendency to buckle and misalign while the assembly is taking place after being initially positioned and ; when concrete is poured or backfill is added.
It is thus apparent that a need exists for an improved swimming pool wall panel stiffening and bracing system and for means that aid in retaining positive alignment of the pool wall formed from an array of assembled modular wall panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention resides in providing an improved supporting, stiffening and alignment retaining means ~or swimming pool walls constructed from modular wall panels which are primarily and prefer-ably ~ormed from, but need not be limited to, sheet metal.

~ 8~35 ~
This and other objec-ts of the invention are at-tained by in-jecting horizon-tal stiffening members in cutout portions formed for this purpose in the end flanges formed at the ends of the wall panels and in the vertical posts welded or otherwise attached to the wall panels. The vertical posts are preferably Formed so as to have a ~ cross section to provide a combination of ease of use and optimum strength. A tab formed and extending laterally from the bottom of the ~ post is arranged to receive an anchoring pin which secures the aligned panel in position. Supplementing the stiffening and alignment of the wall panels a longitudinal stiffening member, which may be conveniently an angle iron is positioned at the bottom of and secured to the panel and receives therein a staking pin to secure the panels to the substrate and hold them in alignment.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood and appreciated from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly in sectional elevation, of a fragmentary portion of a swimming pool wall and deck illustrating the edge of the upper stiffening member and a post side.
Fig. 2 is a perspective ~iew of a fragmentary portion of a swim-ming pool wall and associated horizontal top and bottom stiffening members and vertical ~ brace post with alignment tabs seen from a point outside the pool.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation enlarged view of a swimming pool wall showing the side of a vertical ~ brace with bottom alignment tab, an upper horizontally extending U brace (stiffener) and a lower angle iron stiffener with a coping in palce over the top edge of the wall and U brace.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIO~

In order to provide stiffness for the swimming pool side wall, the wall panel 10 is supported with a longitudinally extending stiffening ~ 8~305~
member 12, which is preferably formed so as to have a U-shape cross section secured along the upper edge 1~ of the wall. The panels 10 are formed at the ends with a flange lOa by bending the ends of panel 10. This facili-tates securing adjacent panels to each other and to the brace such as by bolts secured in openings lOb and 33a, respectively. The member 12 may, of course, be formed of other cross section such as L-shaped angle members or it may be cylindrical. A plurality oF hori~ontally spaced vertical stiffening posts or ~ braces 16 are secured, such as by welding, to the panel 10 in spaced relation to each other, such as at intervals of about two feet. Each of these ~ brace members is formed with a cut-out 18 at its top end, as best seen in Fig. 3, to accommodate the stiffening member 12.
Similarly, the flanged ends of a panel are likewise provided with a cut-out 18a as best seen in Fig. 2. to receive the member 12. A coping 20 having a suitable bifurcated lower portion, i.e. an inner leg 22a and an outer leg 22b, receives the upper edge 14 of the wall 10 together with the upwardly projecting side 24 of the horizontal longitudinal stiffening channel 12 as best seen in Fig. 3. The ~ brace 16 is preferably provided with a tab 25 at its lower end with a hole 26 therein to receive a stake 28 for securing and retaining the wall of the swirnming pool in alignment.
As will become apparent by reference to Fig. 1, the stiffening member 12 is designed to receive poured concrete during the forming of a deck 30 which is conventionally formed so as to partially or entirely surround the pool. The concrete also enters the interior of the coping 20 to secure the entire top of the wall and posts and the stiffener 12 in a unitary structure. The structure is further supported and secured by use of a plurality of crossed braces 32 positioned at properly spaced intervals along the outside of the wall 10 and suitably fastened such as by bolts 33 to the vertical posts or braces 16 and end panel flanges lOa. Concrete C
is also applied at the bottom of the wall 10, sufficient to cover the anchor pins 28 and tab 25, as well as the bottom of the outer brace 329.
Further stiffening of the panels 10 can be accomplished by, op-tionally, using a stiffening member 35 which may conveniently comprise an L-shaped cross section and which is positioned at the bottom of the wall ~ ~3~3~5 9k panel 10 as best shown in Fig. 3. The melnber 35 is secured from the front (i.e. the interior side of the pool) such as by screws 36. Stiffen-ing member 35 extends longitudinally bordering the bottom edge of the wall panels and is positioned substantially parallel to the channel 12. To re-tain alignment of the pool wall, stakes 41 are driven into the ground through spaced holes 40 that are -Formed in the angle member 35 at suitably spaced intervals. The angle stiffener 35 is provided with a plurality of holes 40 so that it can be anchored at any of various suitable places. When the bottom stiffener is employed, it is not necessary that a stake also be driven through the tab 25 as the staking of the stiffener member 35 affords ample retention of the wall. In the embodiment utilizing the bottom stiff-ening member (Fig. 3), poured concrete C just sufficient to cover the stifF-ening member 35 is applied. A layer of sand S is then applied as a protec-tive intermediate base upon which the vinyl pool liner 42 rests.
The strengthening features which have been described afford a pool with much improved ruggedness and substantially does away with all significant buckling in the pool wall. Additionally, the anchoring, by means of a stake driven through the tabs, formed at the bottom of the vertical posts which are welded to the pool wall panel, holds the pool securely in alignment. Even before backfill and poured concrete has been applied to permanently set the pool wall, the pool wall supported in ac-cordance with the invention is self-sustaining and may be worked around without danger that its alignment will be disturbed while the preliminaries other than the poured concrete are completed. This arrangement of self-supported wall panels, stiffened in accordance with the invention affords, also, a construction having substantially optimum stress distribution in a most simple and inexpensive manner.
The pool wall stiffening and bracing means herein provided is preferably employed in a below ground swimming pool. However, it will be apparent that the several distinct advantages of the structural arrangement of the invention may also be applied to those o-f the more substantial con-struction of swimming pools of the above ground type.

(35~

The installation of a below ground pool in accordance with the advantageous structure of the invention will now be summarized. Once the site on which the pool is to be installed is excavated, the pool outline is marked and the wall panels 10 on which the end flanges lOa are formed and the ~ posts 16 are welded. The cross braces 32 are secured to posts or ~
member 1~ and end flanges lOa and the stiffening members 12 are then wedged into the cut-out portions 18 formed at the top of the vertical posts 16.
The pool wall is aligned and anchoring stakes 28 are driven through the holes 26 formed in the tab 25. Where the bottom optional stiffener 35 is to be applied, the angle member 35 is slipped under the bottom of the wall panels 10, or the angle iron 35 may be laid in place at the site once the pool outline is ~arked and before the wall panels are placed in position, and then the panels are deposited thereon and sheet metal screws used to fasten the stiffener 35 to panel 10. The wall is aligned and stakes 28 are then driven through aligned holes 26 in the tab 25. When the bottom stiffening member 35 is employed, staking through the 25 is optional be-cause sufficient strength and rigidity is afforded by staking through holes 40 at appropriate intervals in stiffener 35. The coping 20 is then posi-tioned over the top 14 of the wall panel. Preferably the legs 22a and 22b of coping 20 are of sufficient length so as to grip within these de-pending bifurcated legs not only the top of the wall 10 but also a leg of the stiffening member 12 locking the various parts in a rigid integral arrangement. Once the posts are fully aligned and secured, concrete deck 30 is poured filling the voids including those in the channel member 12 and in the coping 20. A concrete footing C sufficient to cover pins 28 (Fig. 1) orto cover member 35 (Fig. 3) is poured. A fine grain sand S
is applied within the pool wh~n the concrete is dry to serve as a pro-tective floor for the vinyl liner 42 whose retaining bead 43 is secured in channel 21.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been dis-closed in detail, it is to be understood that various alternative details or equivalents which fall within the scopr of the invention as claimed may be adapted by those skilled in the art.

Claims (9)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A below-ground swimming pool comprising an assemblage of metal side wall panels having vertical reinforcing posts welded at intermittent locations along the length of the panel side, said panels being joined in end-to-end relationship and being braced in upright position to form the perimeter of the swimming pool, a cut-out at the top of said posts between the wall panel and the outer edge of the post a stiffening member horizontally positioned within said cut-out so that the top of said stiffening member is not higher than the top of said wall panel and abuts against the back side of the top of said wall panel, bracing members secured contiguous to the top and to the bottom of said vertical posts and extending outward from said wall panels and secured in a footing and a poured concrete deck formed around the outer periphery of the pool and embedding therein the top of said bracing members, the top of the vertical post containing said cut-out, the top of said wall panels and said stiff-ening member.
2. A swimming pool as claim in Claim 1 wherein the vertical post comprises a Z-shaped cross section and said post is provided with an anchoring tab extending horizon-tally from the bottom of said post to permit anchoring of said post to the subsoil.
3. A swimming pool as claim in Claim 2 further provided with a longitudinally extending stiffening member positioned at the bottom of and secured to said panels and means for anchoring said stiffening member to the under-lying substrate.
4. A swimming pool as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said bottom stiffening member has an L-shaped cross section with an upright leg secured to the panel from the front and a horizontal leg at the bottom which is provided with a plurality of anchoring openings.
5. A swimming pool as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the wall panels are provided with substantially right angle end flanges which abut the end flanges of adjacent panels, said flanges having a cut-out at the top between the panel front and the outer edge of the flange to accept said stiffening member.
6. A swimming pool as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said stiffening member disposed horizontally in the cut-out at the top of said posts comprises a longitudinal channel member with an upward facing U-shaped cross section.
7. A swimming pool as claimed in any one of Claims 2, 3 and 4 wherein a coping with depending bifurcated legs is inserted at the top of the side wall panels so that the said legs straddle, and grip therebetween, the top of the wall panel and a leg on the U-shaped stiffening member postioned within said cut-out.
8. A swimming pool as claimed in either one of Claims 5 and 6 wherein a coping with depending bifurcated legs is inserted at the top of the side wall panels so that the said legs straddle, and grip therebetween, the top of the wall panel and a leg on the U-shaped stiffening member positioned within said cut-out.
9. A method of assembing a below-ground swimming pool from an assemblage of prefabricated metal side wall panels which have vertical posts that are substantially the height of the wall panel welded at intermittent locations along the length of the wall panel, forming a cut-out of a portion contiguous to the wall panel of the top of each of said posts, excavating a ground site, assembling said panels peripherally to form the pool enclosure in said ground-site, securing outwardly extending bracing members on said vertical posts and on the ground, inserting a horizontal stiffening member within said cut-out portion to extend around and abut against the top and at the back of the wall panels, the top of said stiffening members being substantially flush with the top of the wall panels and co-extending around the periphery of the pool, affixing a coping around the periphery of the swimming pool, and at the top of said wall panels, pouring a concrete footing to secure in place at the bottom said posts and said bracing members and pouring a pool deck at the outer periphery of said pool to embed therein the tops of said bracing members and said vertical posts, said stiffening member and coping.
CA000420951A 1982-02-17 1983-02-04 Swimming pool wall strengthening means Expired CA1188054A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US34950182A 1982-02-17 1982-02-17
US349,501 1982-02-17

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1188054A true CA1188054A (en) 1985-06-04

Family

ID=23372662

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000420951A Expired CA1188054A (en) 1982-02-17 1983-02-04 Swimming pool wall strengthening means

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1188054A (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112963029A (en) * 2021-02-18 2021-06-15 略奇(北京)科技有限公司 Quick-mounting modular outer frame structure of pool body of water pool

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112963029A (en) * 2021-02-18 2021-06-15 略奇(北京)科技有限公司 Quick-mounting modular outer frame structure of pool body of water pool

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