US3009166A - Combined pool cover and sun screen - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 21, 1961 s. E. SEARS 3,009,166

COMBINED POOL COVER AND SUN SCREEN Filed Feb. 2l, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 21, 1961 s. E. SEARS COMBINED Poor. covER AND sUN SCREEN 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2l, 1958 /r/G. Z

1NvENToR. .S4/f7 B52-mes S. E. SEARS COMBINED POOL COVER AND SUN SCREEN Nov. 21, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 2l, 1958 INVENTOR. .5M/15554,? .1'.

BY i

,4free/Vix United States Patent 3,009,166 COMBINED POSL COVER AND SUN SCREEN Sam E. Sears, 327 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Feb. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 716,782 14 Claims. (Cl. 4-172) This invention relates to swimming pool accessories, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide simple means for establishing a shaded area at, or over the pool.

It is a fact that when there are deciduous trees in the vicinity of a swimming pool, the leaves from the trees nd their way into the pool where they may discolor the water and render the pool uninviting. Such lleaves may also nd their Way into the pools outlets, necessitating their removal from the pool.

Open pools also are dangerous to small children who may fall into them when unattended. In fact, occasionally drownings of young children in pools have been reported.

Hence, another object of the invention is to prov1de a protective cover for such pools, mounted in such a way at the pool, that the cover can be manipulated to enable it to function also as a sunshade or sun screen.

In accordance with the invention a cover is provided that normally overlies the pool at or near the ground line, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple framing means at the -pool that assists in shifting the cover to an elevated position in which it will place an area of the pool in shade; and at the same time, will leave la desirable clearance space where the swimmers may dive into the pool from the edge of the pool or from a diving board at the point on the apron of the pool.

yalso to provide several alternate power-means for effecting the desired movements of the cover.

Further objects of the invention will be evident from a careful reading of this specification, and a study of the accompanying drawing.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combinations of parts to be described hereinafter, al1 of which contribute to produce an eicient combined pool cover andl sun-screen.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a swimming pool provided .with equipment embodying -rny invention, and in which the screen is represented as supported and guided on a rectilinear frame, on which the screen is partially extended from a roller on which it can be wrapped.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic plan of a view showing the means employed for effecting the extension of the screen when of flexible curtain type, from the roller on which it can be wrapped if desired.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary View which is a vertical section taken in the plane of the line 3 3v of FIGURE 1, to show the details of the guiding means employed for guiding the side edges of the screen along the side bars of the screen frame.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section in the plane of the line 4 4 on FIGURE 2 to illustrater the direction in which two of the mns of the endless cord or cable are wrapped upon the -roller on which the curtain type screen will wrap upon its roller when the screen is not in use.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section in the plane of the line v5 5 on FIGURE 2 and illustrates the direction in which the other two runs of the cord or cable are wrapped upon the curtain roller.

Ycause it to move down FIGURE 6 i-s a cross-section on the line 6-6 of FIG- URE 10, in a vertical plane transverse to the pool and showing an embodiment of the invention in which an electric motor for raising a rigid type of screen is mounted on one of the frame columns of the equipment. This view is broken away and illustrates cables and drums upon which they wrap in raising the screen to a high level above the pool.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-section taken in the plane of the line 7-7 of FIGURE 13 further illustrating a trolleytype carriage guided in one of the inclined guide bars of the framing equipment and which is shackled to a rigid type screen to raise or lower it when desired.

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section in the plane of the line 8-3 of FIGURE 12 illustrating the means preferably employed for locking the rigid type screen adjacent the ground level when the pool is not in use.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective similar to FIGURE l illustrating an embodiment of the invention in which a rigid type screen may be used with counterweight means capable of maintaining the screen in its raised position, and provided with a water receptacle carried bly the screen, which when full of water will inhibit the action of the counterbalance means and return the screen to the ground level.

vFIGURE 10 is a vertical section parallel with the longitudinal axis of the pool and yon the axis of one of the inclined guide bars. This view cooperates with FIG- URE 6 to complete the disclosure of the motor-actuated means for raising and lowering the rigid-type screen,

FIGURE 11 is a vertical transverse section on the line 'l1- 11 of FIGURE 12 illustrating a latch dev-ice for latching the rigid-type screen in its elevated position when it has been raised to that heightu FIGURE 12 is a side elevation of the equipment using the hydraulic overbalancing means referred to in connection with FIGURE 9 and further illustrating the details of piping and valves for the same that enable the water to be drawn off the water receptacle when desired, to rev-ive the action of the counterbalancing means to return the screen and empty Water receptacle to their elevated position.

FIGURE 13 is a vertical section similar to FIGURE 10 in which the weight of the rigid-type screen is slightly overbalanced by counterweights preferably concealed in one or more of the vertical columns at the pool-side. The amount by which the counterweights overbalance the weight of the screen should, or may be slight, thereby enabling the weight of a man hanging on the screen to to the ground level, where it can be locked down.

Referring new to the parts of the equipment as illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 5 inclusive, along the long side of the coping 1 of the pool 2, I provide frame structure capable of supporting a flexible curtain-type screen 3 the side edges 4 of which are doubled over, as at 5, after being passed around a run 6a of an endless cord or cable 6. The two plies that constitute the doubled edge 5 are connected together by two lines of stitches 7 (see FIG.r 3). In order to guide the edges 5 along and within the side bars 8a of a rectilinear frame S'that supports the curtaintype flexible screen 3, the side bars are of 3-sided boxform with the open side toward the longitudinal axis of the frame 8, and between the upper and lower walls of each side bar 8a two pads 9 are located.

These pads are of circular form in horizontal crosssection, and are each supported on centrally located pins 10 stepped in bosses welded to the inner faces of the horizontal side walls of the side bars 8a. The end faces of the guide-pads 9 for the screen are made smooth and lie quite close to the face of the material at the edge of the screen, so as to hold the edges of the screen apart and guide them along the frame 8.

At the left end of the frame 8, pulleys 11 are mounted on central pins 12, and the endless cords 6 pass around the pulleys 11 and pass back to the other end of the frame 8. These return runs are free, `that is, unattached to the screen.

Still referring to FIGURES l and 2, at the right end of the frame 8 the free runs 6b of the endless cords 6 are attached in the same manner to pulleys 13 between two flanges 14, and of course, both of the endless co-rds are attached to the pulleys in the same way. This is illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5.

While both the cords pass under a horizontal guide pulley 15 from the under side of which the cord 6a, for example, passes up to the upper side of its pulley 13 and the cord 6b passes to the under side of the same pulley. While the cord 6 as referred to above, is an endless cord, of course, in practice, if desired, each of these cords could have separate ends at the pulleys if supplied with suflicient turns on the pulleys to supply cord for all of the extending movements of the cord from the pulleys. It is merely necessary to have the cords from each of the runs pass around their pulleys in opposite directions from each other.

If the cord 6 is not an endless cord, of course, the wrapped ends of the separate cords must be attached to the pulleys.

The pulleys 13 are concentric with a roller 16 which extends transversely and carries a central shaft 17 which also carries the pulleys 13 on its ends that project beyond the ends of the roller. If desired, the roller can be rotated by means of a crank on the end of the shaft 17 but as illustrated, in FIGURE l, an electric motor 18 may be provided mounted on the side of the housing 20 for the roller 16, located at one side of the frame.

The shaft of the roller is supported at each end on upwardly extending brackets 21, respectively, one of which is shown in full lines in FIGURE 1. The lower ends of the brackets are supported on the side bars of the frame 8. The drive from the electric motor 18 is illustrated conventionally as including a sprocket chain 22 running over a sprocket wheel 23, as shown in FIGURE 2.

At intervals along the side bars 8a of the frame 8, bolts, such as the bolts 24 shown in FIGURE 3, are provided.

Framing is provided for raising the screen from the level of the pool and for supporting the screen in a raised position. In FIGURE l the framing illustrated comprises four columns 25 that may be stepped on the sill of the pool if Wide enough, or otherwise on some small blocks or piers 26 alongside the sills of the pool. Two of these posts 25a or columns are located beyond an end sill 1a of the pool, and by this means a considerable shaded area is established at 26, as shown on FIGURE l, at least when the sun is at a high altitude.

Any suitable means may be employed for raising the frame Sto an elevated position from the level of the sill 1. In order to guide the frame S from its lower level to an elevated point, I prefer to employ gmide bars 27 corresponding to each of the columns.

While the columns 25 are preferably of cylindrical form, the guide bars 27 are preferably of box form similar to the form shown in FIGURE 3. In this instance, the open side of this box form guide is on the side 28 that is toward the pool to permit short square studs 29 to project out from the side bars 8a of the frame, and the ends of these bars are attached to trolley form carriages of the type illustrated in FIGURE 13. In this instance, however, each carriage has two rollers that roll on the bottom side 29 of the tbox-form arms. These rollers 30 are indicated in dotted lines on FIGURE 1.

When this screen is applied to relatively small pools, the frame 8 may be pulled up to its elevated position by one or two men who would seize the right hand end of 4 the frame 8 shown in FIGURE 1, and exert a horizontal pull upon the frame of sufficient force to cause the rollers 30 to roll up the inclined frame bars 28. When the frame arrives at a sufciently elevated position it will be automatically located there by means of one or more latches 31, the construction of which will be presently described.

The pairs of columns 2S that are located opposite to each other are connected by transverse brace bars 32 located at a slightly higher level than the upper face of the screen 3. If desired, however, an electric motor 33 may be provided at the pair of columns that are located in a medial position along `the sides of the pool. This motor 33 should be provided with a reduction gear 34 to drive a transverse shaft 35 at a relatively slow speed, and a pulley 35a within the upper ends of each of these two columns, a cord 36 ybeing attached to the trolley type carriage with each of the two corresponding guide bars 27.

In the FIGURES 6 to 9 inclusive I illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which the weight of a rigid screen 3a is provided with counterbalancing means, as illustrated in FIGURE 13, that enables the weight of the rigid screen to be balanced by the weights in the counterweight. This expedient enables the rigid screen 3a to be provided with a receptacle 37 which when tilled with water from a water supply pipe 38 and a flexible rubber connection 39 provided with a Y-connection 40, with two valves 41 and 42 in its branches; by lling the receptacle from the supply valve 41 the weight of the water therein will more than counterbalance the weight in the counterweight and cause the screen to be depressed. When the screen is almost down to its low level, and the valve 41 having been shut off, the valve 42 can be opened and held at ground level. As this occurs the water in the receptacle 37 will drain out as the screen is depressed by pushing down on its upper side.

In this embodiment of the invention the side bars 43 extending out from the sides of the screen connect up to trolley type carriages 44 to which the upper ends of the bars 43 are attached by upright brackets 45 to enable the trolleys to run up and down without friction in the inclined side bars 46, as shown in detail in the section FIGURE 7.

'In the section FIGURE 13 a counterweight 46 with a number of individual weights 46a is illustrated. In FIGURE 13 the counterweight 46 is indicated as supported in a fall loop 47 with one run 47a of the loop passing up over a pulley 48 in the upper end of the column 25b, and it extends down in the inclined guide bar 49, and is attached to the trolley carriage at its shackle 50.

The other end of this line 47 that constitutes the loop is attached to a fixed anchor bracket 51 at that end of the column. The individual counterweights 46a have radial slots 52 that enable them to be slid onto a hanger bar 53, the upper end of which carries the pulley S4 that hangs in the loop. This loop type of hanger for the counterweight practically doubles the amount of movement that is imparted to the carriage that carries the shackle 50. When using this type of carriage the box-form inclined bar has a slot 55 in its bottom wall through which the upright bracket 45 passes up to the trolley, as shown in FIGURE 7.

When the rigid screen 3a is located down to its lower level it may be locked in this position, for which two staples 56 may be provided, projecting up from the upper face of the sill of the pool (see FIGURES 8 and 9).

When the screen 3a comes down to its lower level a slot S7 in a T-bracket S8 slides over each of these staples. They project high enough up to have a padlock applied to the upper end of each staple.

In FIGURES 6 and 10 I illustrate another embodiment of the equipment in which an electric motor 60 drives a reduction gear 61, both mounted on an angle bracket secured on one of the columns 2SC, to drive two small drums 52.

On these drums cords or small cables wrap when the drums are rotated to raise the screen to a level where it is shown in FIGURE l0. A shaft 63 spanning the distance between the pair of columns may have a coupling 63a in it to enable either of the drums to operate the screen in case the cord on the other drum is being replaced.

In reading FIGURE ll, showing one of the latches 31 that are used on two or more of the columns, to maintain the screen in its elevated position, it will be noted that the latch bolt has a square head 64, and has an inclined bottom face 65 on its tip that is in the path of the edge 66 of the screen as it comes up tot the position in which the screen edge is being shown in dotted lines at 66a.

When Contact occurs the latch spring 67 is compressed, but snaps back under the screen when it lifts slightly further.

A ring 68 attached to the rear end of the bolt enables the latch bolt to be withdrawn, and functions also to keep the spring-loaded bolt intact within the latch casing.

-If the curtain-type screen is of heavy material a longitudinal rest-bar 67 may be provided (see FIGURE 1). And it may be of inverted channel form with spaced rollers 68 mounted in the channel between its side ilanges.

Many other embodiments of this invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Let ters Patent:

1. An elongated rectangular swimming and diving pool, having a diving board at one end of the same projecting toward the pool in combination with an awning frame having an awning of fabric material attached to the upper side of said frame, said frame being commensurate with the dimensions of said pool to enable the frame to lie at the ground level and completely to cover the area of the pool, thereby excluding falling leaves from entering the pool, a plurality of inclined guide members extending up from the ground level at the sides of the pool and is parallel relation to each other, Said frame having side bars with studs projecting outwardly therefrom, and guided on said inclined guide members; and means for applying force to said members to force them up said guide members, and elevate the frame and awning, thereby withdrawing the end fof the said frame from the end of the pool, thereby providing a clearance space for the movement of a diver diving into the pool from said diving board.

2. A combined protective cover and screen member for a pool according to claim 1, including an awning that is opaque and capable of excluding direct sunlight from passing through it to an area of the pool at a lower level than the awning.

f3. `In a combined protective cover and sun screen for a swimming pool or the like, according to claim 1, including a roller supported on said frame and extending transversely across the pool, a flexible screen that is wider than the pool and overlaps the opposite side walls of the same, and capable of wrapping on said roller.

4. A combined protective cover and screen for shading an area of a swimming pool, the combination of a screen member including a ilexible curtain, a transverse roller with means for supporting the same at an elevated position, said roller having a pulley adjacent each end thereof; endless cords secured respectively to said pulleys and extending along -and adjacent each side of the pool, each of said endless cords having an inner run toward the pool and an outer run spaced laterally from the inner run, and with a guide pulley associated with each endless cord, and toward the end of the pool remote from the roller about which the endless cords pass, means yfor supporting and guiding the edges of said screen adjacent the said in- 6 ner runs of the cords, means for securing the side edges of said screen to the inner runs of said endless cords, thereby supporting the screen from the same and means for eiecting the rotation of said roller to extend the screen to any desired distance with relation to the area of the pool.

5. A combined cover and screen, according to claim 4, including a supporting bar at the `level of the side edges of the screen, extending longitudinally with the length of the pool for supporting the middle portion of said screen as it is drawn off from the roller, and located at an inter mediate line along the length of the pool; said bar having anti-friction rollers on its upper side -for supporting the screen and for easing its movements when being extended from the roller, or being returned to the roller.

6. A combined protective cover and screen for a swimming pool, according to claim 4, in which the guiding means for the said inner run of the endless cords include pulley units, each including an upper pulley located above the edge portion of the screen and a lower pulley disposed below the edge portion of the screen, the faces of said pulleys being spaced so as to define a guide space for the edge of the screen between the same.

7. A protective cover and screen for a swimming pool, according to claim 4, including a horizontal frame on which the said screen is mounted, said frame having side bars in which the said guide pulleys are mounted, and including inclined guide bars of channel form cross-section, extending upwardly from the ground line at two points on each side of lthe pool, said inclined guide bars being parallel with each other; and carriages with pulleys guided in the inclined guide bars respectively, with means yconnecting the same with the adjacent side bars -of the frame: a motor with means connecting the same to said carriages for moving the same up or down in said inclined guide members to raise or lower the said frame with relation to the ground line.

8. A cover and sun-screen for a swimming pool according to claim 7, in which the said screen has side bars of angular cross-section, and means associated with the angular side bars for effecting the locking down of the screen adjacent the ground level.

9. In a protective cover apparatus for a swimming pool. the combination of upright columns disposed respectively on each side of the pool, and supported at the ground line, inclined guide bars supported on the ground line and connected at their upper ends to the adjacent sides of said columns, said inclined parallel guide members having slots on their under sides respectively, a cover for the pool located over the pool in the space between the side columns, and normally located adjacent the ground line, trol ley-form carriages located respectively in the inclined guide members having shackles extending down through said slots with their lower portions off-set toward the sides of said cover and attached to the same, said carriages having antidriction rollers riding on the lower walls of said inclined guide members and pivotally connected to said shackles; pulleys rotatably mounted in said columns adjacent their junction with the inclined guide members with cords wrapped upon them, means `for anchoring the ends of said cords `on said carriages, and means for rotating said pulleys to lift the cover to an elevated position above the surface of the pool.

10. Cover apparatus for a swimming pool, according to claim 9, including spring-actuated latches on the columns automatically latching the cover in the elevated position.

1l. In a protective cover apparatus for a swimming pool, the combination of upright columns disposed respectively on two opposite sides of the pool, and supported at the ground line, inclined guide bars supported at the ground line, inclined guide bars supported on the ground line and connected at their upper ends to the adjacent sides of said columns, said inclined guide members having slots on their under sides respectively, a cover for the pool located over the pool in the space between the side columns, and normally located adjacent the ground line, trolley-form carriages located respectively in the inclined guide members having shackles extending down through said slots, with their lower portions off-set toward the sides of said cover and attached to the same, said carriages having anti-friction rollers riding on the lower walls of said inclined guide members and pivotally `connected to said shackles, pulleys rotatably mounted in said columns adjacent their junction with the inclined guide members with cords passing over said pulleys, the cords beyond said pulleys in said columns being disposed in loops respectively, counterweights hung in said loops respectively, and means for rotating said pulleys to raise or lower the carriages to change the level of said cover.

12. In a protective cover and sunscreen apparatus for a swimming pool, the combination of side frame-members located on opposite sides of the pool, a cover located over the pool and between said side frame-members, cord suspension means for said cover including cord ends connected to the said cover and pulleys around which the cords extend, said cords including lloops below said pulleys respectively, .with an anchored run of each cord supported at an elevated point, and a counterweight suspended in said loop exerting force in the cords for substantially counter-balancing the cover in an elevated position on said side frame-members, water container means mounted in said cover with means for supplying water to lthe same for counter-acting the force of said counterweight, thereby causing the descent of the cover from its elevated position to about the ground level.

13. A protective cover and sun screen apparatus for a swimming pool, according to claim 12, including a water line with a exible connection therein connected to a water supply, said water line including a valve for admitting water through the same to the water container means; and valve means capable of being operatable at will to draw the water from the water container means when the connection to the water supply is shut ott.

14. In a protective cover and sunscreen for a swimming pool, the combination of a screen composed of opaque fabric material capable of overlying the pool at about the ground line, frame means for guiding the side edges of the screen to an elevated position with the cover shifted longitudinally away from one end of the pool, thereby developing clearance for a swimmer diving into the pool at that end.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 998,506 Haggardt July 18, 1911 1,720,081 Kornsweet July 9, 1929 2,701,881 McGee Feb. 15, 1955 2,724,123 Kesler Nov. 22, 1955 2,754,899 Karobonik et al. July 17, 1956 2,796,072 Smith June 18, 1957 2,820,635 Herman Jan. 21, 1958 2,832,362 Critoph Apr. 29, 1958

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