US3644942A

US3644942A - Swimming pool liner support means

Info

Publication number: US3644942A
Application number: US44947A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald C Haight
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-06-10
Filing date: 1970-06-10
Publication date: 1972-02-29
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-28

Abstract

A preformed liner support or so-called filler device of triangular cross section which is designed for fast and easy installation in an above-the-ground swimming pool or other pool utilizing a flexible plastic water-retaining liner. Said triangular filler device is positioned on the ground along the bottom of the pool sidewalls, within the pool interior, and is designed to provide support means for the lower portion of said plastic liner to prevent the same from being ruptured by the weight of the water in the pool, as well as eliminating the possibility of water pressure forcing said liner beneath the bottom edge of said pool sidewalls.

Description

O Umted States Patent 1 51 3,644,942 Haight 1 Feb. 29, 1972 [54] SWIMMING POOL LINER SUPPORT 3,315,278 4/1967 Schatzki et al ..4/172. 19

MEANS 3,486,289 12/1969 Lavack [72] Inventor: Donald C. Haight 174 West Allerton primary EXamine,- Henry m il 53207 Attorney-Morse" & Morsell l 1 197 57] ABSTRACT [211 44947 A preformed liner support or so-called filler device of triangular cross section which is designed for fast and easy installation [52] US. Cl ..4/ 172.19, 4/172 in an above-the-ground swimming pool or other pool utilizing [51] ....E04h 3/16, E041 3/13 a flexible plastic water-retaining liner. Said triangular filler 58 Field of Search v.4/172,1'/2.19,172.11 device is Positioned on the ground along the bottom of the pool sidewalls, within the pool interior, and is designed to pro- 5 References Cited vide support means for the lower portion of said plastic liner to prevent the same from being ruptured by the weight of the UNITED STATES PATENTS water in the pool, as well as eliminating the possibility of water pressure forcing said liner beneath the bottom edge of said 3,024,470 3/1962 Baker ..4/ 172 pool sidewalls. 3,256,532 6/1966 Lindsey et 211.... 3,193,847 7/1965 Mashura ..4/172. l9 17 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures 1 n 4 i fl w,

I i i 1 4 /6 /3 {1 Z g L 7 nu-u --Z/ Patented Feb. 29, 1972 3,644,942

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR DONALD c. HAIGHT I M- M ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 29, 1972 3,644,942

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m w L 2 2a 1 a f :j w LL 22 Z/ INVENTOR DONALD C. HAIGHT ATTORNEYS Patented F b 29, 1372 3,644,942

3 Sheets==he&t 3

DONALD 'C. HAIGHT AT TORNEY SWIMMING POOL LINER SUPPORT MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to liner-supporting filler means for swimming pools of the type employing a flexible plastic water-retaining liner.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the installation of above-the-ground swimming pools or other pools utilizing a plastic liner it is necessary that a beveled embankment or the like be built up along the bottom of the pool wall, in the pool interior, in order to provide support means for the lower portion of the plastic liner to prevent the same from being ruptured by the weight of the water in the pool, or from being forced beneath the bottom edge of the pool sidewalls, which is undesirable. For this purpose it has heretofore been the custom for the pool owner to obtain a supply of dirt or sand and laboriously form a short sloping earthen embankment which is designed to angle downwardly from the pool wall to the ground to support the relatively thin plastic liner. This is an extremely tedious, difficult, and timeconsuming chore. Moreover, at the end of the season if the pool is disassembled and stored away the earthen embankment is washed away or disintegrated by the elements, and the next year it is necessary for the pool owner to repeat the laborious task of building an earthen support, or so-called filler, around the interior of his pool. Another shortcoming of said conventional earthen embankments is that if the pool liner should develop a leak said earthen filler will be washed away, and must be rebuilt when the liner is repaired.

With the above in mind, the present invention is intended to provide a preformed filler device molded of plastic or the like, which device can be quickly and easily installed in a pool to perform the function of a liner support, thereby eliminating the task of manually constructing a filler of dirt or sand, as is the present practice.

As far as applicant is aware, there are no prior patents which in any way anticipate his invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a molded plastic filler device for swimming pools of the type utilizing an inner, flexible plastic liner, which filler device is triangular in cross section so that it can be rested on the ground flush against the pool sidewall and will provide an inclined surface designed to support the lower portion of said flexible liner, at the juncture between the vertical and horizontal portions of said liner. Thus said filler not only provides support for said relatively thin flexible plastic liner, to prevent the same from rupturing, but it also effectively prevents the pressure of the water in the pool from forcing said liner under the bottom edge of the pool wall, which frequently occurs when a filler of some type is not utilized.

A further object of the invention is to provide a preformed filler device molded of plastic or similar material, as described, which filler can be formed in short, easily handled sections which are adapted to be readily joined together to form a filler assembly of any desired length.

A further object is to provide a swimming pool filler device molded of plastic or similar material, as described, which material may be resilient and pliable to conform to the contour of the particular pool in which said filler is to be installed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a preformed plastic filler, as described, which forms a smoother, more even support for the inclined pool liner portion, thereby facilitating the cleaning of the pool.

A further object is to provide a preformed plastic filler as described which is tough and durable, and which can be used for a number of seasons without requiring repair or replacement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a preformed pool filler as described which is adaptable for use with pools of various makes and styles.

A further object is to provide a modified form of the invention which is adapted to be used with a supplemental, overlay filler strip for increased size and strength where required.

A further object is to provide a modified form of the invention utilizing adhesive means to ensure the proper positioning of said filler device relative to the pool wall.

A further object is to provide a modified form of the invention utilizing a specially designed plastic or metal base element to facilitate and ensure the proper installation and retention of said filler.

Still further objects of the present invention are to provide a novel filler device for swimming pools of the type utilizing plastic liners, as described, which novel filler is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and which is otherwise particularly well adapted for its intended purposes, as will become apparent hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and several modified forms thereof, and wherein the same reference numerals designate the same or similar parts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a typical above-theground-type swimming pool utilizing the present invention, a portion thereof being broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rectangular form of pool utilizing the invention;

FIG. 3 is a similar perspective view showing a circular pool incorporating the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the preformed filler device;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the filler comprising the invention installed in a pool;

FIG. 6 is a similar vertical sectional view showing a modified form of said filler device;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another modified form of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a clip device for securing two adjacent filler sections together;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a special base element that can be used with the invention; and

FIG. l0 is a sectional view of a modified form of the base member illustrated in FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, illustrated therein is a circular swimming pool 10 of the type that is ordinarily erected in a backyard or a driveway or the like, said pool being designed to rest on the ground 13 and being provided with an upright wall 11 several feet in height formed of sheet metal or the like. In the use of a pool of this type a flexible plastic liner 14 is mounted within the pool to retain the water.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a similar above-the-ground pool 10 which is rectangular in form, including a plurality of right-angularly disposed sidewalls 1 1. With respect to the shape of said pool, incidentally, it is to be understood that the novel socalled filler device comprising the present invention can be advantageously utilized with pools of any configuration or size. Moreover, in addition to its use with above-the-ground pools, the preformed filler can be used with any swimming pool utilizing a flexible, water-retaining plastic liner, and the invention is not to be limited in this respect.

As hereinabove mentioned, with pools using a thin plastic liner the practice has heretofore been for the owner to obtain a quantity of dirt and tediously buildup an inclined bulwark or embankment against the inner surface of the pool wall which extends upwardly at an angle from the ground to a point on the wall spaced several inches above the ground, the purpose being to provide a solid backing and support for the lower por tion of said pool liner at the juncture of the liner bottom and sidewall (which liner portion is designated by the numeral 14' in FIG. 5). Without such support it has been found that the considerable weight and pressure of the water in the pool (which water is designated by the numeral 26 in the drawings) is likely to rupture said plastic liner, or said water pressure is liable to force the liner under the bottom edge of the pool wall 11, which is undesirable.

As will be appreciated, the building of said earthen barrier or filler is an extremely tedious and time-consuming chore. Moreover, if the owner disassembles his pool after the season said dirt filler will be washed away or destroyed by the elements, and when he erects his pool the following year it is necessary for the owner to go through the work of building another filler of dirt or sand. With this in mind, and as hereinabove mentioned, the object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive preformed filler which can be quickly and easily installed in a fraction of the time required to form an earthen filler, and which preformed plastic filler can be stored away with the pool for use in subsequent years.

In accordance with the invention, and referring now specifically to FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings, the novel preformed liner support or so-called filler is designated generally by the numeral 16. Said filler 16 is triangular in cross section and is preferably molded of a relatively inexpensive but durable plastic material, such as styrofoam or other even more pliable plastic or rubberlike material which will permit said filler to be easily shaped to fit the contour of the particular pool for which it is intended. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, said filler is in the form of a right-angled isosceles triangle, with the horizontal side or bottom 17 and vertical side 18 thereof being equal and lying flush against the ground 13 and pool sidewall 11, respectively, and with the flexible plastic pool liner l4 resting against the elongated inclined side 19 of said triangular filler, as best appears in FIG. 5. With respect to said angled face 19 of the present filler, incidentally, while a flat plane has been found to perform satisfactorily in most pools, in some installations it might be preferred that said face 19 be slightly convex in form, so that when it is subjected to the tremendous pressure of the water in the pool said bowed surface will be forcibly urged inwardly thereby to assume the flat plane which is desired.

Although it is not illustrated in the drawing, it is possible to form the triangular filler device 16 with a plurality of spaced cutouts or notches in its back face 18 to promote the deflection or bending of said filler when it is intended to be installed in a curved or contoured pool.

With reference still to FIG. 5, most conventional above-theground swimming pools have their sidewalls 11 formed of sheet metal, as described, (although plastic or other material could also be utilized) and the bottom longitudinal edges of said walls are designed to fit into a slotted pipe or tube 21 or the like which is intended to reinforce and provide a stable base therefor. Alternatively, a rectangular base element can be employed, or the lower edge of said wall 1 1 can be deflected and shaped to form a flange adapted to perform the same function. In any event, with pools of the type herein concerned it is desirable to have an enlarged base element removably or permanently formed along the lower edge of the pool sidewalls for increased rigidity and stability. Preferably a plurality of spaced clips 27 (FIG. 5) each having a depending leg carried within said slotted base member 21 and an upright, angled leg forcibly inserted into the plastic filler are utilized to retain said filler in position relative to the pool wall, although this is not a critical feature of the invention. As a matter of fact, once the filler has been installed and the pool filled with water 26 the pressure of said water functions to securely retain said filler in position.

To accommodate a base element such as the tube 21 formed or mounted on the bottom edge of the pool wall the novel preformed filler device comprising the present invention has a cutout 22 formed in the lower corner portion thereof. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 said cutout 22 is rectangular in shape in order to receive either a tubular base member such as the element 21 or a rectangular pipe or base flange, while in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 it will be noted that the cutout 22 is semicircular in order to closely accommodate a tubular base element 21. In FIG. 8 of the drawings, moreover, there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein partial arcuate cuts 23 are provided in the filler, and if said filler is to be used with a pool wall having a tubular base element the user has merely to pull the piece 24 free, manually severing the thin strip 24 holding the same to the filler proper, thereby providing a longitudinal curved cutout for a tubular base member 21.

With reference again to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings, it will be seen that the modified triangular filler 26 illustrated therein has a shorter base surface 17 than vertical face 18, and in FIG. 7 there is mounted against the inclined face 19 of said triangular filler a supplemental or so-called overlay strip 28. Said overlay strip is ordinarily, though not necessarily, molded of the same plastic or other material as the filler proper, and is provided for those pool installations wherein the owner desires a larger, bulkier filler device than that provided by the regular filler l6 hereinabove described. Said overlay strip 28 can be rolled into a compact unit when not in use and can be quickly and easily secured to the regular filler 16' by means of a double-faced adhesive 29 or the like, said adhesive being in the form of an elongated continuous strip or shorter, spaced pieces, as desired. In this respect, incidentally, in lieu of the above-described spaced clips 27 (FIG. 5) employed to hold the filler in proper position against the pool wall 11, a strip or pieces 30 of similar double-faced adhesive can be utilized for this function, as shown in FIG. 7.

Ordinarily the plastic filler strip 16 comprising the present invention will be provided in convenient, relatively short lengths, as for example l0 foot sections, which can be easily handled and when it is desired to install the filler in a pool a number of said sections can be joined together to form a continuous elongated strip of the required length. Numerous connecting devices can be used for this purpose, of course, and in FIG. 8 there is illustrated a plastic or metal bracket device 31 which is particularly well adapted for this purpose. As will be seen, said platelike connector 31 is adapted to cover the juncture 34 between two adjacent filler sections, to prevent the pool liner from finding its way therebetween, and is provided with a downwardly deflected top flange 32 which fits closely over the upper edge of said filler sections. A pair of pointed prongs 33 or the like which are punched inwardly from said plate stock are forcibly inserted into said plastic filler sections to prevent the same from shifting, thereby providing a simple but effective means for securely joining the adjacent filler sec tions. As mentioned, said connecting bracket 31 is merely one possible device that can be used to join the separate filler sections, and other means, including tape, can be utilized without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 9 of the drawings, illustrated therein is a modified form of the present invention wherein a special rigid plastic or metal base member 36 is designed to retain the triangular, preformed filler 16 in position. As will be seen, said base member 36 includes a flat bottom 37 upon which the lower face 17 of the filler is seated, an upright wall 38, and an upwardly and inwardly angled outer end portion 39 within which the lower, outer corner of said filler is retained. Not only does said base member aid in holding the filler firmly in position, but it greatly speeds and facilitates the installation of said filler, it being necessary merely to lay said relatively rigid base element in position on the ground immediately adjacent the pool wall and to then manually pressurably insert the plastic filler therein.

In FIG. 10 there is shown a modified form 36' of the base member 36 illustrated in FIG. 9, wherein a slightly different angled outer end portion 39 is employed, and wherein the upright wall 38 is provided with an offset outwardly projecting portion 40 at its lower end forming a recess to accommodate a pool wall having a flanged base portion 1 l As mentioned, the bottom portions of the pool walls can vary widely, depending upon the make and style of the pool, and, similarly, it is to be understood that the size as well as the shape of the base recess 40 illustrated in FIG. can also be varied, depending upon the particular pool wall structure for which the unit is intended.

To install the new and improved preformed filler device 16 comprising the present invention in a swimming pool, a number of filler sections are joined together as described, and are positioned on the ground within the pool interior with the vertical face of said triangular filler abutting the inner surface of the pool wall. A base device such as the base 36 illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 may be utilized to aid in the installation of said filler, but the invention is not to be limited to use with such a base member. After the filler has been installed around the entire inner periphery of the pool the conventional flexible plastic pool liner can be mounted in the pool in the usual manner, and the pool filled with water.

As hereinabove described, due to the presence of said filler member 16 the lower portion 14' of the relatively thin and fragile plastic water-retaining liner 14 is firmly supported and will not rupture nor be forced under the bottom edge of the pool wall by the pressure of the water therein.

A further important advantage of the preformed plastic filler comprising the present invention is that it provides a much smoother, more even inclined surface than can ordinarily be obtained with a filler manually formed of dirt or sand, thereby eliminating crevices or wrinkles in said liner and facilitating the cleaning of the pool interior.

Unlike the manually formed dirt or sand fillers heretofore used, when it is desired to disassemble the pool at the end of the season the plastic filler 16 comprising the present invention can be readily folded into a relatively small, compact unit and stored with the pool, where it will be available the next year when it is time to reassemble the pool.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be seen that the present invention provides a completely new innovation in the swimming pool art, and which eliminates one of the most tedious and time-consuming chores heretofore associated with the erection of above-the-ground pools, as well as other pools utilizing a flexible plastic liner.

As mentioned, it is to be understood that while a preferred form of the present invention, and several modifications thereof, have been illustrated and described herein, numerous additional modifications or variations of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. It is contemplated, moreover, that while the novel preformed filler device comprising the present invention has been described throughout the foregoing specification as being formed of styrofoam or similar plastic material, said filler could be formed of any material suitable for the purpose described, and the invention is by no means to be limited or confined in this respect. Accordingly, what is intended to be covered herein is not only the illustrated forms of the present invention, but also any and all variations or modifications thereof as may come within the spirit of said invention.

What I claim is:

1. in a swimming pool of the type having a vertical sidewall extending upwardly from the ground and an inner, waterretaining flexible liner, liner support means, comprising: an elongated preformed filler of substantially triangular cross section, said filter being adapted to be rested on the ground in the pool interior with one face positioned against the inner surface of said pool vertical sidewall and with its inclined face extending downwardly at an angle to the ground from a point on said pool wall spaced above the ground, said preformed filler being adapted to be installed around the entire inner periphery of said pool and to have the lower portion of said flexible liner, at the juncture of said liner side and bottom portions, positioned on said inclined filler face, said filler providing support means for said linear portion to prevent the same from being ruptured by the weight and pressure of the water in the pool or from being forced beneath said pool sidewall by said water pressure, said filler being formed of a material which is flexible to permit said filler to conform to the contour of thergarticular pool in which it is to be installed.

2. e swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 1 wherein said pool sidewall has an enlarged base element on its bottom longitudinal edge, and wherein said filler is provided with a recess to accommodate said wall base element.

3. The swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 2 wherein said filler recess is rectangular in shape.

4. The swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 2 wherein said filler recess is arcuate in shape.

5. The swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 1 wherein said filler device is formed of a plastic material.

6. The swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 5 wherein said filler device is styrofoam plastic.

7. The swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 1 and including means for retaining said support device in position relative to the pool wall.

8. The swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 7 wherein said retaining means comprises a plurality of spaced slips engageable with said filler and with the lower portion of said pool wall.

9. The swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 7 wherein said retaining means comprises double-faced adhesive tape.

10. The swimming pool liner support means recited in claim 1 wherein said elongated filler is formed of a plurality of joined-together sections.

1 l. The swimming pool liner support means recited in claim 10 wherein said filler sections are joined together by removable clip means.

12. The swimming pool liner support means recited in claim 10 wherein said filler sections are joined together by means of adhesive tape.

13. The swimming pool liner support means recited in claim 1 and including an overlay strip adapted to be mounted on the inclined face of said filler.

14. The swimming pool liner support means recited in claim 1 and including a rigid base member within which said filler is removably mountable, said base member comprising a bottom, a vertical back positionable against the outer surface of the pool wall, and an upwardly and inwardly angled outer end portion designed to engage the lower acutely angled comer of said triangular filler.

15. The swimming pool liner support means recited in claim 14 wherein said base member back is provided with an offset outwardly projecting portion forming a recess adapted to accommodate an enlarged base member on the bottom of said pool wall.

16. The swimming pool liner support means recited in claim 1 and including a rigid base member within which said filler is removably mountable, said base member comprising a vertical back positionable against the outer surface of the pool wall, a bottom, and an upright forward end portion adapted to be received in a vertically disposed slotted opening located intermediate the width of the filler bottom and extending the length thereof.

17. The swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 3 wherein a base member is positioned in closely spaced relation to the inner surface of the pool sidewall, and wherein a strip of material is secured to and extends downwardly from the back face of said filler, said strip being adapted to closely fit between said pool sidewall and base members with the latter positioned in said filler recess.

Claims

1. In a swimming pool of the type having a vertical sidewall extending upwardly from the ground and an inner, water-retaining flexible liner, liner support means, comprising: an elongated preformed filler of substantially triangular cross section, said filter being adapted to be rested on the ground in the pool interior with one face positioned against the inner surface of said pool vertical sidewall and with its inclined face extending downwardly at an angle to the ground from a point on said pool wall spaced above the ground, said preformed filler being adapted to be installed around the entire inner periphery of said pool and to have the lower portion of said flexible liner, at the juncture of said liner side and bottom portions, positioned on said inclined filler face, said filler providing support means for said linear portion to prevent the same from being ruptured by the weight and pressure of the water in the pool or from being forced beneath said pool sidewall by said water pressure, said filler being formed of a material which is flexible to permit said filler to conform to the contour of the particular pool in which it is to be installed.

2. The swimming pool liner support device recited in claim 1 wherein said pool sidewall has an enlarged base element on its bottom longitudinal edge, and wherein said filler is provided with a recess to accommodate said wall base element.

11. The swimming pool liner support means recited in claim 10 wherein said filler sections are joined together by removable clip means.

14. The swimming pool liner support means recited in claim 1 and including a rigid base member within which said filler is removably mountable, said base member comprising a bottom, a vertical back positionable against the outer surface of the pool wall, and an upwardly and inwardly angled outer end portion designed to engage the lower acutely angled corner of said triangular filler.