US1664140A - Swimming circle - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1928. 1,664,140

J. D. TUCKER v SWIMMING CIRCLE Filed Nov. 5, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.1

Fig. 3

INVENTOR. J. D. Tucker XWQ QAASL,

TITORNEY March 27, 1928, I 1,664,140

J. TUCKER SWIMMING CIRCLE Filed N 5. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet IN V EN TOR.

JD. Tucker BY E S a? K SLETTORNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES- PATENT oFFiCE.

MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

SWIMMING CIRCLE.

Application filed November 3, 1926. Serial No. 145,995.

This invention relates to improvements in swimming structures, my principal object being to provide a swimming area in which an artificial current of any desired velocity is maintained in the water so that a sw mmer can at his option pit his strength against the current or may swim with the same. I have thus imitated conditions obtainable'in a swift flowing river without the danger sometimes accompanying swimming in an open river and without the necessity of such a river being anywhere in the vicinity.

In addition to the above mentioned swimming area I may also provide other'and independent swimming areas in connection therewith, having means for imitating Waves, rapids and other moving water effects so that a swimmer may experience a variety of sensations while swimming, similar to those hewould have when swimming where such features are natural.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a swimming pool showing my artificial current swimming circle arranged in unitary and surrounding association therewith.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a half plan of the swimming pool showing a number of swimming circles provided with different water-motion creating means surrounding the pool.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a wave-makin swimming circle taken on the line 5-5 of *ig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a swimming circle having a means for imitating rapids or similar effects taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and particularly at present to Figs. 1 to 3, 1 denotes a swimming pool preferably of oval form and of varying depth from end to end as is customary. Surrounding the pool in spaced relation thereto is a' continuous canal 2 of any desired and even depth suitable for swimming, a walk or runway 3 for the swim- 0 mers being provided between the pool and the canal and another walk 4 being provided around the outer edge of the canal. Extending across the canal at the bottom thereof is a. nozzle 5 connected by a pipe6 5 to the discharge of a centrifugal pump 7, which is mounted in any convenient location relative to the pool and driven by any suitable means. The intake pipe 8 of the pump leads thereto from the canal a short distance 7 behind the nozzle. It will therefore be seen that with the operation of the pump, and the canal initially filled with water,- a current will be set up from the nozzle around the canal and other intake pipe; the veloc 7 ity of the current of course dependingv upon the speed and size of the pump. At intervals the inner wall of the canal is recessed as at 9 to form eddy or quiet water pools, with steps 10 leading down from the runway 3 so that the swimmers may enter the water in the canal'without at the time being seriously affected by the current. There is no communication betweenthe canal and the pool 1, so that the water in the latter is not affected by the current in the canal. The entire structure is shown herein as being made of concrete but other materials may be used of course if desired.

Referring to Figs. 4 to 6, I have shown the swimming pool 1 as being surrounded by a number of different canals each separate from each other. The canal 11 nearest the pool is of curved zig-zag form in a horizontal plane, the water in such canal preferably having an artificial current imparted thereto by similar means such as has been described in connection with the canal 2.

A canal 12 adjacent and outwardly of the canal 11 is provided at intervals in its length with vertical ridges 12 extending side by side of the canal, the sectional form of these ridges, longitudinally of the canal, simulating that of waves. To cause the water in the canal to forcefully flow up and over the ridges, so that a swimmer will be carried up and down as when swimming in waves in the ocean, a nozzle 14 through which water is forced is disposed in the bottom of the canal at the front end of each ridge,- as shown ig no Fig. 5. This nozzle faces the adjacent side of the ridge and is angled so as to cause the water to be forced directly up said side. The normal water level in the canal between the ridges is of course maintained somewhat:

below the top of said ridges.

Another canal 15 outwardly of the canal 12 is also provided with upstanding ridges 16, located similar to the ridges 13, each such ridge having a nozzle 17 at its base on the forward side thereof. The rear side of these ridges however instead of being straight as is the front side, are broken to form a number of smooth edged steps, as shown at .18, so that the water after being forced over the top of the ridges by the nozzles will flow downwardly over the steps and will give a swimmer in the water asensation similar to passing over rapids or cascades.

Still another canal 2 having the same straight bottom'and current creating means as the canal 2 is provided outwardly of the canal l5. I

All the different canals are separated from each other and from the main pool and have no commun1cat1on with each other, so that thewater may be drained out of any one for cleaning or the like or left inert, withoutinterfering with the operations of the other canals.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of-the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in de tail the present and preferred. construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appendedv claims.

Having thus. described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A swimming structure consisting of a continuous endless canal, means for maintaining a current of water in the canal for substantially the entire length thereof, and a. recess in one of the side walls of the canal extending downwardly from the top thereof and disposed to one side of the line of flow of the current to form a relatively still water area into which a swimmer may first pass when entering the canal.

2. A swimming structure including a stillwater swimming tank, and a continuous swimming canal associated with and surrounding said tank but having no communication therewith.

A swimming structure including a stillwater swimming tank, a. continuous swimming canal associated with and surrounding said tank, and an endless wall separating the tank and canal, said wall being of a width to serve as a walk.

4. A swimming structure including a stillwater swimming tank, and a plurality of endless separated canals associated with and surrounding thetanlgand said canals being separated from the tank and from each other and tl i-e wall-contour of the different canals being different fromv each other.

7 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JESSE D. TUCKER.

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