US3564623A

US3564623A - Truss-supported swimming pool

Info

Publication number: US3564623A
Application number: US836763A
Authority: US
Inventors: John I Schaeffer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-06-26
Filing date: 1969-06-26
Publication date: 1971-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-23

Abstract

A SWIMMING POOL HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF STRAIGHT SIDE WALL PORTIONS EACH JOINED AT THEIR ENDS TO SUPPORT A LINER OR OTHER WALL STRUCTURE. THE WALL PORTIONS ARE OF A TRIANGULAR TRUSS CONSTRUCTION IN WHICH THE MEMBERS FORMING THE TRUSS MAY BE ASSEMBLED AND DISASSEMBLED. THE SIDE WALLS PROVIDING THE STRENGTH MEMBERS OF THE SWIMMING POOL ARE ALSO PROVIDED WITH LEVELING MEANS SO THAT THE FRAMEWORK MAY BE LEVELED AND SUPPORTED ON UNEVEN GROUND AND MAY BE ASSEMBLED AND DISASSEMBLED FOR USE IN REASONABLY LEVEL LOCATIONS.

Description

Feb. 23, 1971v J. scH'AEFFER 3,564,623

TRUSS-'SUPPORTED SWIMMING POOL Filed June 2e, 1969 1 Y s sheets-sheet 1 INVENTGR. Y JOHN l. .ScHAEFFtR AGE/vr 'n @e Lf fi" E] F 292254,;

Feb. `23, 1971 J. l. scHAEFFER TRUSS-SUPPORTED SWIMMING POOL Filed June 2e, 1969 75E A GENT.

Fell). V23, 1971 l l, SCHAEFFER 3,564,623

TRUSS-SUPPORTED SWIMMING POOL Filled June 2e, 1969 s sheets-sheet z (2* INVENTOR. ,q

BY JOHN A SCHAEFFER AGE/vr' United States Patent O 3,564,623 TRUSS-SUPPDRTED SWIMMING POOL John I. Schaeffer, Forest Place, Towaco, NJ. 07082 Filed June 26, 1969, Ser. No. 836,763 Int. Cl. E04h 3/16; E04c 3/04; E02d 27/32 U.S. Cl. 4-172.19 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A swimming pool having a multiplicity of straight side wall portions each joined at their ends to support a liner or other wall structure. The wall portions are of a triangular truss construction in which the members forming the truss may be assembled and disassembled. The side walls providing the strength members of the swimming pool `are also provided with leveling means so that the framework may be leveled and supported on uneven ground and may be assembled and disassembled for use in reasonably level locations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field 0f the invention The field of art to which this invention pertains is Swimming Pools as found in the general classification of Baths, Closets, Sinks and Spittons, and more particularly in the subclass of tank baths. The swimming pool of this invention is adapted to be used above or below ground with the walls thereof self-supporting and adapted for bolting together in sections and further to have provision for supporting and maintaining the structure on an irregular surface. The walls of the pool frame are truss members disposed to support a free form or the like by means of inner liner supports.

Description of the prior art Prefabricated swimming pools are well known in the art and many patents have been directed thereto to provide a manner and means for assembly at the site of use. These swimming pools are characterized in that they are rather complicated in their assembly and are designed specifically for a particular configuration or shape and are particularly adapted to receive a liner laying against an inner wall thereof. T-hese swimming pools as far as is -known require that the surface upon which they are to be supported be level, graded and prepared to withstand the normal loading of the walls of this type of structure. This, of course, whether in a doityourself endeavor or for an on-the-site assembly by a contractor requires, in many cases, that large and complicated apparatus such as bulldozers, graders, and the like, be used to level an area of substantial size in order to provide a site upon which a swimming pool may be assembled and with t-he water therein substantially level with the top of the pool walls.

The walls forming the liner retaining means of the heretofore known prefabricated swimming pools provide square, rectangular, round or otherwise symmetrical precise shapes allowing little or no variation in conventional design. Wall sections constructed of wood, metal stampings or concrete are generally quite bulky and heavy and are difficult to store the ship. Pools of this type are usually assembled at the site with a multiplicity of components being bolted together. It is also known in the art that wall sections made of metal can be stamped or otherwise fabricated and shipped in stacked array. Pools representative of the above are readily seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,243` issued Oct. 23, 1962 to Ross; in U.S. Pat. No. 3,192,538 issued July 6, 1965 to Walter; U.S. Pat.

Patented Feb. 23, 1971 ice No. 3,016,546 issued lune 16, 1962 to Lerner; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,532 issued June 21, 1966i to Lindsey et al.

It is to bei noted that in all of these exemplified U.S. Patents as well as a wall construction shown in US. Pat. No. 3,094,709 issued to Miccio et al. on June 25, 1963 that these constructions provide -a rectangular or regular construction configuration and all require mounting on a level surface. The wall constructions shown and described in the above patents are heavy and require expensive outlays in tools and in certain conditions a training or expertise on the part of the operator is required to assemble. Contrary to the above-identified art and other art that is known, the present invention relates to a wall structure readily assembled in determinate lengths and using a minimum of materials. At the completion of the assembly of one wall truss portion the truss is prestressed by tensioning a cable to provide a determined amount of stress in the various members so that they may be assembled into place.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to swimming pool structures in which the walls or outer support means are a novel structural truss member. The assembled walls are joined together to form a pool Iadapted to resist the outward thrust of the contained water and also to support a pool deck. Each wall member is a truss assembly and with the truss a triangular conguration with twoy of the corners of the triangle forming a side extent against which the thrust is made and a tension member disposed in space midway of the two wall retaining corners and structurally forming the apex of a triangle. The tension member is positioned away from the pool retaining wall and as assembled is a cable and spacer arrangement in which the cable is spaced in tension to load the truss struts forming the apex prior to the loading of the truss. This arrangement is similar or comparable to the use of prestressed rods or cables in the tensioning of pestressed concrete and like structures. The advantage in the preferred embodiment to be hereinafter described in addition to providing a like prestressed structure adapted to retain high loads is that no special fasteners are required to position the truss strut members or to transmit loads. In the manner of conventional truss loading the compressive loads in the spacers used in maintaining the arms thereof in space relationship approaches zero as the truss accepts the thrust load of the water in the pool. It is to be noted that the truss Wall does not occupy the full pool wall but is placed and spaced so that the Ihydraulic load imposed by a iilled pool is essentially equally divided between the two truss members forming the outwardly extending members of the truss.

It is also to be noted that a plurality of pool leveling devices each attached to the inner members of the truss are disposed downwardly from the pool base frame and are adjusted to engage and rest on any uneven or sloping terrain. This leveling requires only the use of a hand level and a minimum prepartion of the site prior to the erection of the pool. In the embodiment to be hereinafter more fully described the leveling device is shown attached to the truss to act as a spreader bar and in a manner to permit each leveling device to be adjusted until each truss section is level with the adjacent members. Also shown and to be hereinafter more fully described is a supporting arrangement for a deck around the pool area and through which the hydraulic loads on the side of the pool are transferred to the truss sides. This support permits the forming of irregular pool shapes which may be desired by the owner of the pool while providing deck areas for reclining and walking thereon.

A pool liner and wall members to support the liner are conventional, and in the present instance it is contemplated that a plastic pool liner is used to retain the water. Supports for this plastic liner is preferably in the form of metal or plywood sheets which are attached to the truss members or an interior framing forming the irregular pool shape. The liner is usually made with generous dimensions so that it may be formed and/or placed to conform to the unlevel ground condition in which the pool may be erected. If desired a portion of the pool may be made deeper to provide water of sufficient depth to permit diving in a portion of the pool. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a swimming pool which provides an ease of packaging and shipping of the components forming the pool and which when assembled provides substantial rigidity and strength so that pools of many sizes and with any desired internal configuration may be assembled with the hydraulic loads being transmitted to the truss sections forming the outer load retaining portions of the pool.

The truss wall of this invention contemplates two longitudinal members to which are attached stress members to form a triangular truss frame with the base of the triangle being the inner wall plane. The stress members form the other two sides of the triangle and are joined at their apex by a cable which is tensioned to provide a determined prestressing of the truss. A leveling means at selected points may be provided on each truss assembly so that the assembled frame may be placed on uneven ground and leveled. Within the frame a cribtype framework may be provided to determine any desired shape of pool with the hydraulic pressure of the pool transferred through the crib framework to the truss member.

There has been outlined rather broadly the most important features of the truss-supported swimming pool of this invention in order that the present contribution to the art may be more fully appreciated. Those persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which the present disclosure is based may be utilized as the basis for designing other structures carrying out the several purposes of this invention.

There has been chosen a specific embodiment and a modification thereof for the purposes of illustration and description and this embodiment and modification is shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l represents a plan view looking downwardly on a typical pool assembly showing an internal irregular configuration and a method of supporting the internal configuration;

FIG. 2 represents an enlarged fragmentary side view showing a portion of a truss structure and looking toward vthe interior of the pool;

FIG. 3 represents a fragmentary plan view looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows on the truss construction of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 represents a fragmentary end view and looking in the directions of the arrows of the truss construction of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 represents a fragmentary side view showing an arrangement of the pool side panels as they are arranged to engage irregularly contoured ground;

FIG. 6 represents a fragmentary end view looking in the direction of the arrows into the panel assembly structure of FIG. 5 and showing the relationship of the panel to the interior supporting members;

FIG. 7 represents a view of a truss member of this invention as seen in FIG. 2, the A portion indicating an end view of the truss member and the B portion representing a side view of the same truss;

FIG. 8 represents an alternate truss construction, the A portion representing an end view of the truss and the 4 B portion representing a side view of the truss components;

FIG. 9 represents a fragmentary plan view showing a typical deck panel top arrangement of plywood as fastened to the interior means;

FIG. l() represents a fragmentary plan view showing a bottom panel as it is shaped for the bottom of the pool;

FIG. 11 represents an isometric view showing a leveling means including a fixed outer retainer and movable inner post;

FIG. l2 represents a plan view of a novel interior pool configuration; and

FIG. 13 represents a plan view showing the deck arrangement of a free form pool configuration similar to the configuration of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring next to the drawings in which like numbers refer to like members throughout the several figures and in particular to FIG. l in which is shown a plan view of a preferred construction of a truss-supported swimming pool which in normal arrangement is essentially above ground. As seen in this View, an outer truss frame 20 is assembled and bolted together to form a square support within which a thrust and support frame is assembled to form a scaffolding-like support for a deck and for an assembly of lower contoured supports. Within this truss frame 20 the thrust and support frame is formed of lateral members 22 extending inwardly to be joined and supported by uprights 24. As the members 22 approach the inner contour there is provided end uprights 26 to which are attached side plates 2S to be more fully described hereinafter. Adapted to lay on top of these members 22 are deck panels 30 (FIG. 13) which may be made of plywood and the like and attached to the members 22 as by screws or other common attaching media.

Referring next to the triangular truss construction as seen in FIGS 2, 3, 4 and 7 it is to be noted that the inner upper and lower longitudinal members of the truss are each preferably a channel 32 which may be rolled or yformed channel. Longitudinal members made of angles, tubing or other known structural components may be used, however for the purposes of this description they are shown as channels. Providing a spacing means between these channels are vertical members 34 which, in addition to providing the spacing support for the channels; additionally are supports for the leveling means to be more fully described hereinafter. As seen in FIG. 7 views A and B a stress member 36 is made of tubing with the ends and intermediate portion flattened and bent. The ends 36a and 36h are not only flattened but have holes formed .therein and are bent into a shape to lay against each channel 32. The intermediate portion 36C is flattened and bent into a plane parallel to the channel engaging ends 36a and 36b and has formed therein a hole 37.

Stress member 38 is like member 36 except that the member is formed to lie at an opposite slope. In other words, member 36 is formed so as to engage the upper channel 32 (FIG. 2) and move outwardly and downwardly to/the right to portion 36e` thence inwardly and downwardly and to the right to the lower channel 32. Stress member 38 is formed so as to engage the upper channel 32 and move outwardly and downwardly to the left and is made sufficiently longer so that at its juncture with member 36 its similarly formed central flattened portion will lie upon the flattened portion 36e. From the central portion the member moves inwardly and down wardly to the left to the lower channel 32. As .the

members

36 and 38 are bolted to the channels 32 the hole 37 and the like hole in member 38 align and the flattened central portions are substantially in face-to-face engagement with each other.

An eye bolt 40 or similar attaching means as in FIG. 2 is adapted to extend through the holes 37 in the

stress members

36 and 38 and in the joining together of these members provide a passageway for a cable 42. The other ends of the stress members are bolted to channels 32 by bolts or the like indicated as 43, 44, 45 and 46. It is to be noted that where ends 36 and 38 are brought to channels 32 and vertical member 34 is also attached at that point thereto, the bolts `45 and 46 may be longer to accommodate the additional thicknesses of material. Also attached at the juncture of the stress members is a deck support member 50 in the form of a U in which the lower portion has aligned holes for the passing therethrough of cable 42 and in which the upper portion is adapted to carry outwardly inclining railing posts 52. Shown in phantom outline in FIG. 4 and attached to the juncture is an alternate construction providing a roof support column 56 which may also provide a deck and railing support as well as a roof support for an enclosed pool.

Between each X-frame assembly of

members

36 and 38 and their bolts 40 is a spacer 58 through which cable 42 is carried. As seen in FIG. 2 there is a short spacer 64 extending leftwardly of the eye bolt 40 and retaining this spacer 64 is a nut and washer 65 and 66 which cooperates with a like nut and washer on the other end of the cable. The mounting of the support member 50 on the cable y42 may be either on the cable directly in which case small spacers between bolts 40 will extend to the inner side of the U-member. The U-member may also have holes in its `wing portions which holes are slidable over the spacers 58.

Attached to the channels 32 is member 34 within which there is slidably mounted a leveling post 80 best seen in FIG. ll. T ransversely formed through the upright member 34 are a plurality of holes 8.2 each of which are aligned from one side to the other and through which may be passed a pin 84, said pin being a sliding iit in hole 82 and in a like hole drilled in the post 80. The leveling of the pool by the adjustment of all the posts is provided when the pin 84 is removed and post 80 is moved axially within member 84 and when the desired height of the pool side is determined the pin 84 is slid into aligned holes 82 and the hole in post 80. In a similar manner the leveling arrangement may be made with only a single aligning hole 82 provided through .the member 34 and a plurality of holes of like size is formed in post 80 whereby as the post 80 is brought to the determined level height to support the truss side, the pin 84 is mounted in hole 82 and an aligned hole in post 80 to retain the post 80 in member 34. AS shown in FIG. 3 .the :member 34 is placed to the inward side of the channels 32. However, this in only a matter of selection as the member 34 may very well be placed outside as seen in phantom outline in FIG. 3. As seen in FIG. 4 the members 22 seen in phantom outline and extending inwardly may engage the member 34. The upper member is disposed above the upper channel 32 a deter-mined distance calculated so that a level half-way between the channels 32 or at the apex indicated by the cable 42 is the point or level corresponding to the median of the outward thrust forces against the truss.

Referring once again to FIG. l and the arrangement of the members 22 as they are extended inwardly within the frame are spaced so as to transmit the hydraulic thrust to selected portions of the truss members. The horizontal members 22 are attached in spaced relationship to member 34 with one member 22 at the top and one at the bottom so that the force is transmitted directly and at right angles to the truss itself. At the point where the interior configuration of the pool is made as determined by the pool supplier, the pool installer or owner, the inwardly extending members 22 are terminated, at

6 which point uprights 26 are attached between the members 22. To these uprights 26 and to the upper contour or scallop of the deck plates 30 are attached the side plates 28.

Referring to FIG. l0 it is to be noted that at substantially the ground level it is not necessary or desirable to panel the entire area between truss and pool contour. Instead only those areas adjacent to and forming the lower contour are provided with a panel portion within the joint pieces at points 24. Therefore, the inwardly extending portions of a bottom panel 86 are of rather small duration and are mounted on the lower frame so as to transmit thrust directly on to the members 22 and to provide an interior contour similar, if not exactly identical, to the contour formed in the upper decks.

Referring next to FIGS. 5 and 6 it is to be noted that members 22 when joined by members 24 are also substantially tied together on their upper surfaces by means of .the deck 30 and on their lower inner contour by the short panel portions 86. As seen particularly in FIG. 6 the side plate 28 is attached to the deck 30, extending members 22, uprights 24 and to the contoured bottom panel 86. As the plates 28 are usually rectangular a portion often extends below the bottom panel 86 into the dirt or earth whence a small amount of dirt is then graded to provide a illet or smooth grooved surface against which a liner (not shown) may be placed and supported thereby during the lling and using of the pool.

Looking particularly at FIG. 5 it is to be noted that the irregular heights caused by an irregular terrain is accommodated by means of panels 28 which are of varying heights and on their lower edge extend below the dirt or the earth line or surface, and that the bottom panels 86 are attached to lower members 22 and are disposed between uprights 24 so that they may give vertical support to the panels from the deck 30 substantially to the earth line.

Referring next to FIG. 9 there is shown a plurality of typical deck panels 30 which preferably are of plywood and are of a width to join at the support members 22 underneath. For example, when the normal deck panels are two feet wide plywood, the support members 22 are in like manner spaced on two feet centers. The end deck panels are fastened to the members 22, uprights 24, ends 26 and-the panel 28. Each deck panel as it is laid on the under support may, of course, have a portion cut to the desired contour, said panel preferably being precut and match marked or identified as to its iinal location. The uprights 24 may be cut to appropriate lengths at the site to give the support necessary between upper and lower members 22 and between the deck and the ground surface underneath.

Referring next to FIGS. l2 and 13 it is to be noted that in FIG. l2 a typical arrangement is made whereby the deck may have an enlarged corner section indicated as 90. This arrangement provides a pool having a walkway 92 extending around three sides with perhaps a shallow pool depth at 94 and a deeper diving portion 96 with a diving board 98 shown in phantom outline. Such a pool provide swimming accommodations comparable to many belowground installations costing many thousands of dollars. In FIG. 13 is shown a deck after attachment to the crib construction shown in FIG. l the deck showing a free form pool so popular today.

Referring once again to FIG. 3, it is to be noted that in the corner a strut and brace shown as at 9S, extends upwardly and outwardly the strut having a deck support member 99 and an extending upright 100. This upright 100 corresponds to the height and angle of the uprights 52 to which there is usually attached a railing or other conventional type of retaining means. This railing may be in the form of lattice work bars or any other of the myriad means of providing a fence or retainer adjacent a Walkway around an above-ground swimming pool.

Referring finally to FIG. 8 there is shown an alternate stress member 136 in the shape of a V. This member has an upper end 13611 which is a flattened tube portion shaped as end 36a. The tubular portion 13611 extends outwardly, downwardly and to the right (FIG. 8B) until it reaches central flattened portion 136C. A portion of this flattened portion is turned outwardly to form face 136d into which a hole 137 (FIG. 8A) is formed for the passing therethrough of the cable 42. From attened portion 136C a tubular portion 136e extends downwardly, inwardly and to the left until it reaches the lower end 136f which is flattened and provided with bolt holes as in the manner of the lower end of stress member 38.

The stress member 136 is used both as a left member as shown and when turned one-hundred eighty degrees becomes the right member. The right member is shown spaced to the right and in phantom outline (FIG. 8B) and as the two stress members 136 are attached to the channels they are brought toward each other to leave a small space between opposed faces 136d. In this space a flattened end 140 of an upright 141 is slidably inserted and through hole 142 and the holes 137 the cable 42 is led. Spacers 58 are sized so as to extend from the outer left face 136d to outer right face 136d of the next assembled set of stress members 136.

USE AND OPERATION The swimming pools of this invention provide outer walls of a truss construction whose members are prefabricated and are attached to channel lengths 32 precut to length. These channels are mass drilled or punched for the attachment of the ends of the stress members and the spacers 58 used in between are identical in length and are mass produced for this reason. The upright portions 50 with the extended portions 52 may be the conventional construction or in certain cases where a roof support is needed a column is provided to enclose the pool with an alternate construction as seen in phantom outline in FIG. 4. To the side member 50 and in place of the upper and extended portion 52, a column support 58 is attached to member 50 and extends upwardly to provide one of many columns for the roof. The deck, of course, is readily computed as to the number of panels necessary to provide the upper surface and also in like manner the amount, size and configuration of the short or small bottom panel members 86 required to enclose the lower contour of the pool. The lower panels disposed in between the various uprights 24 and to the lower members 22.

Assuming that one desires to assemble a pool like that shown in FIG. l, the do-it-yourselfer or mechanic would assemble each of the side truss assemblies 20 and would then join them at the corners by means of an angle 104 as shown in FIG. 3. The angle retains the truss assemblies as by bolts and all four corners are joined. The leveling as provided by the adjustable parts 80 allow the assembler to bring the side trusses of the pool to a level height or to a common level, after which the interior cribbing as composed of

members

22 and 24 is arranged in place with the interior uprights 26 completing the desired interior configuration support after which the lower bottom panels 86 are attached and the side plates 28 are attached in place. Dirt or a like ll material is then leveled around the side plates 28 so that a liner may be placed therein. After the liner is disposed around the side plates 28 and the distance therebetween the deck is fastened in place. The exterior of the pool for aesthetic reasons is normally covered with light panels not shown, which panels are attached by means of screws and the like to the members 50. These panels enclose the construction portion of the pool and are usually of sheet metal.

The truss side 20 is assembled by first placing two channels 32 in spaced relationship as shown in FIG. 4. To these channels are attached the

stress members

36 and 38 in sequence with the quantity of stress member assemblies being determined by the length of the channels 32. In

8 the alternate construction when the truss is formed with the stress members 136 the assembly is still made in sequence until the length of the channels is filled and supported by the attached stress members.

After the stress members are in place the eye bolt 40 is positioned and the spacers 58 are placed between the eye portions of the bolt 40 and with the cable 42 threaded therethrough the outer sleeves v64 are fed onto the cable ends and the nuts and washers on each end are tightened until the cable is brought to a determined tension to place the

members

36 and 38 or members 136 in compression. This, in effect, pretensions the side prior to the loading by hydraulic pressure after the completing of the assembly with the corners bolted together as above-described. The interior construction of wood cribbing is conventionally made and the upper deck and lower deck members are attached to the members 22. After contouring the dirt, attachment of side panels 28 and the placing of the liner in the pool, the pool is now ready for use. Stair means from the ground to the deck are conventional and may be provided. A top cover or enclosure also may be provided and no claim is made therefore.

It is to be noted that the normal construction of this pool consists of four truss-constructed side members 20 of generally triangular confiuration which are joined as by means of angles at the intersection of the ends and that such a construction provides a maximum of strength for a minimum of material. This structure permits the transfer loading thereof by means of cribbing within the pool and engaging the truss sides so that a free-form pool or other configuration may be made within the confines of the assembled truss sides to provide the determined pool configuration.

The terms in, out, up, down, right, left and the like are applicable to the embodiments as shown or described in conjunction with the drawings. These terms are merely for the purpose of description and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the. Truss- Supported Swimming Pool may be constructed or used.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific embodiments shown and described but departures therefrom may be made within the scope of the accompanyingr claims and Without sacrificing its chief advantages and protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior art allows.

What is claimed is:

1. A swimming pool wall support structure having a liner and a wall and comprising a plurality of outer supports units, said outer support units are adapted for assembly into a polygon frame and when assembled are sized and positioned so as to retain the hydraulic thrust of the water in the pool against said wall, the improvement in the pool structure support unit comprising: (a) a truss assembly including two longitudinal members in a substantially parallel spaced relationship and forming a plane for the inwardly facing wall support portion; (b) a tension member disposed and spaced outwardly from and at a determined distance from the two longitudinal members; (c) a plurality of struts extending from the longitudinal members to the tension member and adapted to retain the tension member in a predetermined spaced relationship to the longitudinal members and to transmit the thrust from the longitudinal members to the tension member; (d) means for joining the ends of the truss assembly to the ends of like adjacent truss assemblies; and (e) means for pretensioning the tension member to place a determined load on the struts.

2. A swimming pool wall support structure as in claim 1 in which the struts are formed so as to provide an assembly in which each longitudinal member is an equal distance from the tension member.

3. A swimming pool wall support structure as in claim 1 in `which the tension member is disposed at substantially the median of the sum of the hydraulic thrust load.

4. A swimming pool wall support structure as in claim 1 in which the longitudinal members when assembled have facing members attached thereto to act as spreader bars to space and transmit the thrust loads evenly to the two longitudinally disposed members.

S. A swimming pool wall support structure as in claim 4 in which the facing members are upright members each adapted to slidably retain a leveling post and means for selectively lixing the height of the leveling post to support the attached truss assembly at a determined level regardless of the contour of the ground upon which it is placed.

6. A swimming pool wall support structure as in claim 1 in which the struts are bent into a V-shape with the ends sized and shaped for attachment to the longitudinal members and with the midregions of the struts provided with means for retaining the tension member.

7. A swimming pool wall support structure as in claim 6 in which the tension member is a cable having threaded end portions and nuts mountable thereon and in which a plurality of spacing members are provided to extend between struts so that when assembled and the cable is tensioned the spacing members are sized to position the struts in a determined array and with the nuts threadedly advanced on the threaded ends of the tension cable, the cable is tensioned to a determined condition.

8. A swimming pool wall support structure as in claim 7 in `which a cribbing frame is disposed inside the polygon frame, the cribbing frame adapted to engage and transmit the hydraulic thrust to the inwardly facing wall support portions of the truss assembly, said cribbing frame adapted to retain an upper deck made. of a plurality of panels and to retain a plurality of bottom panel members attached to the cribbing frame in a determined pattern, said upper deck panels and bottom panels being selectively contoured to provide a desired shaped form to which is attached side plates adapted to support said pool liner in the selected contour.

A swimming pool wall support structure as in claim l0 7 in which the struts are like Shaped and are adapted to lie in a crossed position like an X when the ends of the struts are attached to the longitudinal members and with the midregions of the struts passing each other to lap and lay adjacent each other in a face-to-face. relationship to each other, an eye bolt attaching means adapted to pass through aligned apertures in said midregions of each strut to draw the struts into a xed relationship and to provide' a retaining means for the tensioning cable.

10. A swimming pool wall support structure as in clairn 7 in which said struts are attached to said longitudinal members and are identically shaped to have the general conguration of a half-V in which a rst strut may be rotated one-hundred eighty degrees and paired with a second strut at their respective apeXes to form an X- shaped member, said paired struts being sequentially arranged and having means associated therewith to provide a retaining passageway for the tensioning cable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,027,882 l/1936 Ross 52-581X 3,059,243 10/1962 Ross et al 4-172 3,062,340 ll/ 1962 Hunnabeck 52-640X 3,336,717 8/1967 Ward, Jr, et al 52-640X 3,344,565 10/1967 Nye 52-281X 3,444,659 5/ 1969 Shanni 52-169X 3,460,704 8/1969 Moore et al 4172X 3,466,676 9/1969 Barvera 4-172 3,479,780 l1/l969 Schwarz et al 4--172X LAVERGNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. XR.