GB2118033A

GB2118033A - Apparatus for covering swimming pools

Info

Publication number: GB2118033A
Application number: GB08208668A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hamilton Bland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-03-24
Filing date: 1982-03-24
Publication date: 1983-10-26

Abstract

The apparatus for covering a swimming pool includes two or more lengths 18 of heat insulating material and a mobile reel 11 on which the lengths are successively wound and unwound. The lengths are drawn off the reel by a towing device 25 and over the pool. After a length 18 is unwound the reel may be repositioned to unwind further lengths. The towing device includes a towing bar 26 fitted with a shield 28 whereby movement of water onto the lengths of material is inhibited during unwinding. The lengths of material are in turn wound back onto the reel 11 during removal of the lengths from the pool. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for covering swimming pools This invention relates to apparatus for covering swimming pools and in particular to apparatus including a cover which extends across the surface of the water primarily for retaining heat in the water.

Heat retention covers are already known and it can be shown that great energy savings can be achieved by covering heated swimming pools by laying heat insulating material on the water surface. This considerably reduces the heat loss and evaporation from the heated water and also enables the building in which the pool is housed to remain unheated when the pool is not in use.

However known heat retention covers are cumbersome and inconvenient to use. For example in one system the covers are in several lengths and each length is stored and unwound from a reel. Thus numerous reels are required with the consequent problem of storing the reels when not in use. Moreover in some cases the lengths are relatively wide to reduce the number of reels employed but making the reels very cumbersome to manoeuvre and store.

An object of the invention is to provide a cover for swimming pools which is convenient to use.

According to one aspect of the invention apparatus for covering swimming pools comprises two or more lengths of heat insulating material to be placed on the surface of the water, a reel device on which the lengths are successively wound and unwound, attachment means for connecting each length to towing means whereby the lengths are drawn off the reel and over the pool, and mounting means for the reel device whereby the reel device is movable along the side of the pool to reposition the device after a length is unwound over one portion of the pool and unwind a further length over another portion of the pool.

Conveniently the apparatus comprises means for attaching the inner end of the innermost length of material to a cylindrical body portion of the reel device.

Preferably said attachment means is located at one end of each length of the material and is arranged to be detachably secured to towing means in the form of a towing bar so that the towing bar is spaced from the leading end of the length of material during an unwinding operation, the towing means further including a shield element which trails behind the bar during towing and inhibits the movement of water onto the upper surface of the associated length of material during unwinding onto the water surface.

According to a second aspect of the invention a method of covering swimming pools with heat insulating material comprises wrapping two or more lengths of the insulating material in succession around a reel device, positioning the reel device at one position at the edge of a swimming pool, attaching the outer end of the outermost length on the reel to towing means, operating the towing means to unwind the outermost length from the reel device and to lay the length over an area of the water, repositioning the reel devjce at another position at the edge of the swimming pool, attaching the towing means to the next succeeding length of material on the reel device and unwinding the length by operation of the towing device to lay the next length over another area of water.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of example only and with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a reel without insulating material, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the reel of Fig. 1 from which a length of material is being unwound with a towing device, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a length of material.

Referring to the drawings apparatus for covering swimming pools includes a mobile frame 10 on which is rotatably carried a reel 1 The frame 10 has a rectangular base 12 at the corners of which are located wheels 1 3 which are of the castoring type and the wheels are fitted with brake means (not shown) whereby the rotation of the wheels is prevented when it is desired to fix the position of the frame on the ground. Upstanding from each end of the base 12 is an A frame 14 which rotatably support the ends of a central shaft 15 of the reel.

The reel 11 also includes a cylinder 1 7 about which lengths of heat insulating material 18 are wound, the cylinder 1 7 having a length corresponding to the width of the material 1 8. At the ends of the cylinder 1 7 are disc-like flapges 1 9 which keep the material 1 8 in position on the cylinder and also provide means for rotating the reel on winding in the lengths of material, as will be described. Connecting elements 20 are connected at one of their ends to the cylinder 1 7 at spaced locations along the cylinder and the elements 20 are flexible and have at their outer ends hooked connectors 21 for securing an end of a length of material 18 to the cylinder 17.

In use, at the commencement of a pool covering operation, the reel 11 is wound with two or more lengths of insulating material 18, such as shown in Fig. 3. The lengths are each of similar form having at one end connecting elements 22 similar to the elements 20 on the reel, i.e.

including connectors 21, and having at the other end connecting elements 23 which are flexible strips having at their free ends loops 24 in which the connectors 21 are locatable to secure the ends of the elements 23 to the connectors 21. Thus the lengths of material 1 8 are connectable end to end and are so connected when wound on the reel so that there are successive lengths of material on the reel including an innermost length having its inner end attached by the connecting elements 20 and 23 to the reel and an outermost length having its outer end accessible for connection to a towing device 25 (Fig. 2) through its connecting elements 22.

With the reel 11 having the desired number of lengths of material 1 8 wound thereon, the reel 11 and frame 10 are wheeled to a first position at the edge of the pool to be covered for a first length of the material to be unwound from the reel. The towing device 25 is then connected to the outer end of the outermost length of material 1 8 on the reel. The towing device 25 includes a bar 26 to the ends of which is secured a towing element 27, conveniently a length of cord or the like long enough to extend from one end of the pool to the other. Carried on the bar 26 are spaced, looped connectors 28 through which are located the hooked connectors 21 on the connecting elements 22 to connect the bar 26 to and spaced from the end of the length of material 18.The bar 26 also carries across its width a shield in the form of a piece of flexible material 28 which is mounted on the bar 26 so as to pivot about the bar and, in use, to trail behind the bar and extend under the leading edge of the length of material being towed over the pool. In this way the piece of material 28 inhibits water from passing onto the upper surface of the material 18 as it is towed over the water.

At the start of the operation of unwinding a length 1 8 from the reel 10, the towing element 27 is laid along the pool and the bar 26 is secured to the length 1 8 to be unwound. Then simply by pulling on the element 27 with the wheels 13 of the reel braked the length 1 8 is unwound over the surface of the water. When the leading end of the length reaches the end of the pool the trailing end is at the opposite end of the pool and the towing device is detached from this length. The towing bar is carried back to the reel. The unwound length is detached from the next succeeding length, which is still wound round the reel, and the towing bar is attached to this unwound length.

The reel is then moved to another position at the edge of the pool, in most cases immediately adjacent the first position, so that the next length of material can be unwound alongside the lengths already in place on the pool and the unwinding procedure is repeated; This sequence is-continued until a succession of lengths of material are unwound and laid adjacent one another on the surface of the pool.

The nature of the heat insulating material is such that the lengths float on the water surface and reduce the heat and evaporative losses from the water. Thus once the material is laid on the water the building in which the pool is housed no longer has to be heated to preserve the fabric of the building and the presence of the insulating material significantly reduces the heat loss from the water into the unheated space above the water.

Conveniently the insulating material is a cross linked closed cellular polyethylene material in which the top surface is covered with woven polyethylene and the edges and ends of the lengths are sealed.

In practice it has been found possible, in some cases, to carry all the lengths of material required for covering a pool on one reel and, since the reel need not be unduly long, the apparatus does not offer a significant storage or mobility problem.

Even if more than one reel is required for larger swimming pools the apparatus offers a manageable storage problem compared with other systems in which a reel for each length of material must be provided.

The removal of the cover is equally as simple as the placing of the covers and is, in effect, a reversal of the operation except that the towing device 25 is not required. The lengths of material are successively connected to the reel and the reel is rotated by means of the flanges 1 9 to wind the material about the reel, the reel being moved along the edge of the pool for repositioning at the end of each of the lengths. For winding in the lengths the first is connected to the elements 20 on the reel and subsequent lengths are connected to the proceeding length in end to end relationship, as described.

It will be appreciated that if necessary the lengths 18 may be of different widths.

Claims

1. Apparatus for covering swimming pools comprising two or more lengths of heat insulating material to be placed on the surface of the water, a reel device on which the lengths are successively wound and unwound, attachment means for connecting each length to towing means whereby the lengths are drawn off the reel and over the pool, and mounting means for the reel device whereby the reel device is movable along the side of the pool to reposition the device after a length is unwound over one portion of the pool and unwind a further length over another portion of the pool.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising means for attaching the inner end of the - innermost length of material to a cylindrical body portion of the reel device.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2wherein; said attachment means is located at one end of each length of the material and is arranged to be detachably secured to towing means in the form of a towing bar so that the towing bar is spaced from the leading end of the length of material during an unwinding operation, the towing means further including a shield element which trails behind the bar during towing and inhibits the movement of water onto the upper surface of the accociated length of material during unwinding onto the water surface.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3 wherein the lengths of material are connectable end to end when on the reel device.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each length of material has loops at one end and hook elements at the other end, the hook elements being securable to the loops, and hook elements or loops being attached to the-towing means to secure the lengths to the towing means.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the mounting means include wheels at least one of which includes braking means whereby the reel device is secured against movement at the side of the pool.

7. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the ends of the cylindrical body portion include flange means which serve as means for rotating the body during winding in of the lengths of material.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the lengths of material are made of cross linked closed cellular polyethylene.

9. A method of covering swimming pools with heat insulating material comprising wrapping two or more lengths of the insulating material in succession around a reel device, positioning the reel device at one position at the edge of a swimming pool, attaching the outer end of the outermost length on the reel to towing means, operating the towing means to unwind the outermost length from the reel device and to lay the length over an area of the water, repositioning the reel device at another position at the edge of the swimming pool, attaching the towing means to the next succeeding length of material on the reel device and unwinding the length by operation of the towing device to lay the next length over another area of water.

10. Apparatus for covering swimming pools substantially as described with reference to the drawings.