GB1604587A - Swimming pool accessory - Google Patents

Description

(54) SWIMMING POOL ACCESSORY (71) I, MICHAEL AXTON MAY, a British Subject of Gay Bowers Farm, West Hanningfield, Chelmsford, Essex, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to swimming pool accessories.

One pool accessory which is becoming increasingly popular is a nozzle which provides a current of aerated water adjacent one edge of the pool to enable a swimmer to have the benefit of swimming against a current. There is also a feeling of exhilaration to be derived from a bather supporting himself stationary within the stream without actually swimming.

The motor for driving a pump for such a nozzle will usually require a 3 phase supply of 440v and to provide controls for this adjacent the pool, for use by wet or immersed bathers, is a considerable safety hazard. This is particularly so with installations which are not built in when the pool is built, but are added later.

According to the present invention, there is provided a pool accessory in the form of a nozzle to provide a current of aerated water adjacent one edge of the pool, in which the nozzle is attached to and fed via a pool ladder having hollow handrails, one of the handrails providing a suction inlet to a remote pump and the other handrail providing a pressure outlet for the pump and being connected to the nozzle, an injection mixer being located upstream of the nozzle to allow the entrainment of air into the water.

The accessory may include a flow control for the water to the nozzle.

Control of the pump motor may be by means of a pneumatic (or hydraulic) pressure link between a push button or a control panel and a remote electrical switch device near the pump and motor.

The invention will be further described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification, in which drawings : Figure I is an elevation of a preferred form of accessory according to the invention; Figure 2 shows one side elevation of the accessory of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an opposite side elevation of the accessory of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing further details of the accessory; and Figure 5 is a flow diagram.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a pool ladder having a pair of hollow handrails 1 and 2, of stainless steel tube, and an upper step 3 and two other steps 4. The lower ends of the handrails 1 and 2 are closed by rubber buffers 5 which also abut the pool wall. The opposite ends of the handrails 1 and 2 are bent back and then down via a return bend 6 to free open ends 7 which are used as take off points to buried pipelines for connection to a pump. A nozzle unit 8 is mounted on the underside of the top step 3 and consists essentially of a nozzle 11 which is connected via a connector 12 to the handrail 1 and a pressure switch 13 and a flow control lever 14. An air inlet line 15 is also connected to the unit 8 and is provided with a manually variable control 16 which progressively covers or uncovers an air inlet aperture as it is threaded down or up.

The handrail 2 is provided with water inlet apertures 17 adjacent its lower end, i.e.

well clear of the nozzle 11.

Turning now more particularly to Figures 4 and 5, further details of the apparatus are shown. It is seen that the connection 12 passes from the handrail 1 and leads first to a flow control valve 18, which is manually operated by means of the control 14, and then through an injection mixer 19 which draws in air through the connection 15 and control 16. The resulting aerated water passes out through the nozzle 11. It will also be seen that the pressure switch 13 is in the form of a button or diaphragm which forms one wall of a fluid chamber 21 connected to a line 22 which is led into the handrail 1 adjacent the unit 8, through a suitable fluid pipe connection and is also led out of that handrail l adjacent its end 7. The line 22 continues, as shown in Figure 5, to a remote pump house 23 where it operates a switch 24 for a motor 25 which drives the pump 26.A suction line 27 for the pump is connected to the handrail 2 and a pressure line 28 to the handrail 1 when the ladder illustrated is installed in a pool shown diagrammatically at 29. The jet of water emanating from the nozzle 11 is indicated by the arrow 31 and the approximate position of the pressure switch 13 is also shown in Figure 5.

It will be seen that by utilizing the handrails 1 and 2 of the ladder, the nozzle unit may be mounted in the otherwise wasted space behind the ladder rungs and between the handrails, and at the same time the pump and motor may be remote from the pool edge. The use of a pneumatic or hydraulic rather than an electrical control for the motor also enhances the safety aspect.

Various modifications may be made with- in the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

WHAT I CLAIM IS : 1. A pool accessory in the form of a nozzle to provide a current of aerated water adjacent one edge of the pool, in which the nozzle is attached to and fed via a pool ladder having hollow handrails, one of the handrails providing a suction inlet to a remote pump and the other handrail providing a pressure outlet for the pump and being connected to the nozzle, an injection mixer being located upstream of the nozzle to allow the entrainment of air into the water.

2. A pool accessory as claimed in claim 1, includlng a manually operable flow control for the water to the nozzle operable from within the pool.

3. A pool accessory as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a drive motor for the pump is controlled by means of a pressure link between a pus button adjacent the pool and a remote electrical switch device near the pump and motor.

4. A pool accessory as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the air is induced via a manually variable control.

5. A pool accessory substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings accompanying the prqvisional specification.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. then through an injection mixer 19 which draws in air through the connection 15 and control 16. The resulting aerated water passes out through the nozzle 11. It will also be seen that the pressure switch 13 is in the form of a button or diaphragm which forms one wall of a fluid chamber 21 connected to a line 22 which is led into the handrail 1 adjacent the unit 8, through a suitable fluid pipe connection and is also led out of that handrail l adjacent its end 7. The line 22 continues, as shown in Figure 5, to a remote pump house 23 where it operates a switch 24 for a motor 25 which drives the pump 26. A suction line 27 for the pump is connected to the handrail 2 and a pressure line 28 to the handrail 1 when the ladder illustrated is installed in a pool shown diagrammatically at 29.The jet of water emanating from the nozzle 11 is indicated by the arrow 31 and the approximate position of the pressure switch 13 is also shown in Figure 5. It will be seen that by utilizing the handrails 1 and 2 of the ladder, the nozzle unit may be mounted in the otherwise wasted space behind the ladder rungs and between the handrails, and at the same time the pump and motor may be remote from the pool edge. The use of a pneumatic or hydraulic rather than an electrical control for the motor also enhances the safety aspect. Various modifications may be made with- in the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. WHAT I CLAIM IS :

1. A pool accessory in the form of a nozzle to provide a current of aerated water adjacent one edge of the pool, in which the nozzle is attached to and fed via a pool ladder having hollow handrails, one of the handrails providing a suction inlet to a remote pump and the other handrail providing a pressure outlet for the pump and being connected to the nozzle, an injection mixer being located upstream of the nozzle to allow the entrainment of air into the water.

2. A pool accessory as claimed in claim 1, includlng a manually operable flow control for the water to the nozzle operable from within the pool.

3. A pool accessory as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a drive motor for the pump is controlled by means of a pressure link between a pus button adjacent the pool and a remote electrical switch device near the pump and motor.

4. A pool accessory as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the air is induced via a manually variable control.

5. A pool accessory substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings accompanying the prqvisional specification.