US3890230A

US3890230A - Wall formed conduit for swimming pools and method of making the same

Info

Publication number: US3890230A
Application number: US451064A
Authority: US
Inventors: James A Patterson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-03-14
Filing date: 1974-03-14
Publication date: 1975-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-17

Abstract

A conduit and the method of making the same for the introduction of filtered water into swimming pools, the conduit formed by covering a generally horizontal conduit forming portion in a metallic pool wall with a plate. The plate includes a V-shaped recess. Directional outlets are selectively formed in either of the two sections forming the V-shaped recess or in the remainder of the plate to cause water to be directed into the pool upwardly, downwardly or horizontally.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Patterson 1 1 WALL FORMED CONDUIT FOR SWIMMING POOLS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME [76] Inventor: James A. Patterson, PO. Box

44147. Columbus. Ohio 43204 [22] Filed: Mar. 14, I974 [21] Appl. No: 451.064

[52] US. Cl. 210/169; 4/172.17; 29/475 [51] Int. Cl E04h 3/20 [58] Field of Search 210/60. 74, 197. 169; 4/l72.l2-172. 19; 52/630; 29/475 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 849.502 4/1907 Rude .1 52/630 3.045.829 7/1962 Rule et all 210/169 3.157.597 11/1964 Burba 210/169 3.234.700 2/1966 Creveling 52/630 3.308.596 3/1967 Coopcr ct a1. 52/630 3.363.767 1/1968 Ellis .14/17117 3.391.790 7/1968 Lerner 4/l72.17

[ 1 June 17, 1975 3.432.867 3/1969 Whitten. Jr. t, 4/17217 3.561.017 2/1971 Holland 1/172117 3.668.714 6/1972 Balter 4/172.l7 3.749.244 7/1973 Januzzi. Jr 210/169 3.815.160 6/1974 Balter 14/172117 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 964.192 7/1964 United Kingdom 210/169 Primary Examiner-Theodore A. Granger Attorney, Agent. or FirmWood. Herron & Evans [57] ABSTRACT 6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures WALL FORMED CONDUIT FOR SWIMMING POOLS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME This invention relates to a conduit system and the method of making the same for swimming pools, and more particularly, the invention is directed to a conduit system for a metal wall pool wherein the conduit is formed in part by a portion of the metal wall of the pool, the conduit being completed by the welding of a plate over that portion of the metal wall of the pool.

For many years the plumbing for introducing water from a filter into a swimming pool has consisted of pipe buried in the earth surrounding the outside of the pool. The pipe is connected to a filter and has branch conncctions leading into the swimming pool to form outlets at spaced locations around the pool. Such plumbing is difficult to install and when installed tends to deteriorate more or less rapidly, depending on soil conditions. Since it is usually under a concrete deck surrounding the pool. its repair is quite difficult and costly.

ln Ogden US. Pat. No. 2,932,397 there is disclosed a conduit system forming a substantial improvement over the conventionally used buried plumbing. In the Ogden system a water return gutter extending around the top of the pool is formed in part by a conduit which is connected to a filter and used to introduce water into the pool. In forming a part of the gutter, it is not subject to the deteriorating effects of being buried in soil. and it is always exposed for ease of maintenance. The Ogden system. however, introduces water to the pool from the conduit adjacent the overflow gutter. which has the limitation of injecting water close to the top of the pool.

The present invention not only obviates the limitation of the Ogden system, but additionally provides a number of advantageous features, particularly when used in conjunction with a metal wall pool.

The invention includes the formation of the conduit as a part of the metal walls of the pool. In a metal wall pool. the conduit is formed by first forming a generally horizontal offset in the wall structure and thereafter covering that offset with a plate which is welded to the wall to complete the conduit. Holes are formed in the plate at spaced locations along its length to form outlets for directing jets of filtered water into the pool.

The plate preferably has a horizontally or longitudinally extending Vshaped recess formed in its surface. The V-shaped recess is constituted by a downwardly facing section and an upwardly facing section, either of which may be drilled perpendicularly to the section to form downwardly or upwardly directed outlets. Alternatively. the plate may be drilled horizontally to form holes through which filtered water is directed horizontally into the pool.

The conduit structure thus far described has many advantages and options for the pool builder. It can be located at any vertical position on the wall of the pool. For example. it can be located adjacent the bottom of the pool. following generally the contour of the bottom of the pool from the shallow end to the deep end. At least some of the outlets can be formed to direct water horizontally into the pool. thus providing a continuous sweeping action on the bottom of the pool. thereby tending to keep the bottom of the pool clean and eliminating much of the vacuuming normally required for maintenance of the pool.

Alternatively. the conduit can be installed horizontally around the pool, being quite close to the bottom of the pool at its shallow end and spaced from the bottom of the pool at the deep end. By selectively directing the water into the pool either upwardly, downwardly or horizontally through the use of the V-shaped recess. the differing requirements for introduction of water at the different depths of the pool can be accommodated to provide assurance of a uniform distribution of filtered chlorinated water into the pool. For example. at the shallow end of the pool the outlets can be predominantly horizontally directed. whereas at the deep end of the pool a number of outlets can be downwardly directed to assure good penetration of the incoming water to the bottom of the pool.

Thus. the combination of selection as to the vertical position of the conduit on the pool wall as well as the direction of the jets of water introduced into the pool permits the pool builder to accommodate a wide variety of pool shapes. depths and the like while providing complete assurance of the proper distribution of filtered water into all parts of the pool as well as the maintenance of a desired level of chlorine residual in the bottom of the pool.

In the construction of a metal wall pool. the conduit structure has several additional advantages. The formation of a channel-shaped offset in the wall of the pool covered by a plate which forms the conduit creates a box-like reinforcing element which strengthens the pool wall and reduces the need for additional bracing normally required to install and maintain straight vertical walls.

The vertical walls are normally formed by welding, along a horizontal joint, two or more sheets which are usually four feet wide sections. By forming the conduit offset at the location of such joint. the joint will be concealed by the overlying plate, thereby eliminating the need to polish that joint after its formation.

Not only does the V-shaped recess in the plate provide a structure for conveniently directing water upwardly or downwardly, but additionally the V-shaped recess strengthens the plate and makes it easier to handle during the time that it is welded to the pool wall.

The conduit structure of the present invention also admits of the formation of a safety ledge a few feet below the surface of the water at the deep end of the pool simply by modifying the configuration of the conduit.

Another advantage of the invention resides in the comparative ease with which it can be fabricated either at the shop or in the field. By way of example, the current practice of fabricating the Ogden gutter and conduit is to first form a hollow conduit by welding a plate to a generally channel-shaped section. Thereafter. usually in the field, that hollow conduit is welded to the metallic gutter structure. The difficulty with that fabrication system and structure resides in the fact that the initial welding of a plate to a channel-shaped section to form the hollow conduit introduces stresses and distortions into the conduit. It requires a highly skilled welder to accommodate those stresses and distortions in properly welding the hollow conduit to the remaining gutter structure. By contrast, the formation of the conduit in the pool wall requires the joining together of the two shaped elements. namely, the wall and the plate. neither of which has been stressed or distorted due to pre vious welding.

Another advantage of the invention is that it admits of a method of flow control wherein filtered water is introduced into the pool at the bottom of the pool or at least well below the surface of the pool and is caused. through regulation of the main drain at the bottom of the pool, to flow generally in an upward direction with at least 50 percent of the water returned to the filter being returned via the gutter around the top of the pool.

The several features of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a diagrammatic sectional view through the center of the pool;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view through the center of the pool illustrating an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view through a pool wall illustrating one form of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 illustrating an alternative form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 illustrating still another alternative form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 88 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 99 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 10-10 of FIG. 2.

It will be appreciated that the invention is adapted to be used with a pool of any configuration. By way of illustration, the invention is illustrated as installed in a pool 12 which is simply a rectangular pool having a shallow end 13 and a deep end 14. The pool is formed with metal side walls 15 and a concrete bottom wall 17. The pool has a conduit formed in the side walls of the pool and extending all around the perimeter of the pool.

Water is introduced into the conduit from a recirculating system and filter 27 which is connected to the conduit at a point closest to the filter by an inlet tube 21 which permits the water to flow in both directions around the pool to the end of the pool opposite the point of introduction. The conduit 20 has spaced outlet openings 23 to be described in greater detail below. Water may be returned to the filter through a main drain 25 in the bottom of the pool and through a gutter 26 located at the top of the pool and extending around the perimeter of the pool.

One form of conduit structure is illustrated in FIG. 3. It is formed of an upper sheet metal section 30, a lower sheet metal section 31 and a plate 32. The sheet metal sections are conveniently obtained as 4 feet wide sheets which may be, for example, l0 feet long. The upper section is formed in a conventional press brake to provide a gutter 35 including a coping 36 which forms the outer wall of the gutter and trapezoidal section 37 forming the inner wall of the gutter. The lower end of the upper section terminates in an outwardly and downwardly directed flange 38. The lower section 31 has at its upper end an outwardly and upwardly directed flange 39 whose upper edge butts the lower edge of the upper section and is joined thereto by a continuous weld. Thus. the joined edges of the upper and lower sections respectively form a channel-shaped offset 40 which when closed by the plate 32 forms the conduit 20. The plate 32 preferably has flanges 41 which project into the offset 40. Continuous welds are formed at 43 and 44 to make the conduit watertight.

The plate 32 preferably has a V-shaped recess 45 formed in its surface by a downwardly facing section 46 and an upwardly facing section 47. Apertures as outlet openings for discharging water into the pool from the conduit may be formed by drilling a horizontal hole as at 50 in the vertical wall of the plate 32 to provide a horizontal jet of water discharging into the pool. An outlet opening 51 may also be drilled at the downwardly facing section 46 to provide a downwardly directed jet discharging into the pool. A hole 52 may also be formed in the upwardly facing section 47 by drilling a hole perpendicular to that section so as to discharge water into the pool in an upward direction. The holes will be positioned along the length of the conduit at locations determined by the pool designer. The holes may vary in size from V4, 5/l6 or 7/l6 inch diameter holes, with their number and size depending upon the number of gallons per minute of water to be discharged into the pool.

It can be observed from FIG. 3 that by forming the conduit structure across the joint between the upper and lower sections, the weld joining the upper and lower sections will be concealed by the plate 32 and hence requires no polishing, thereby eliminating one fabricating operation which would normally be required in forming the pool wall.

An alternative form of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. There, the pool is formed by an upper section 60 and a lower section 62, the upper section being configurated to form a gutter as described above. The lower end of the upper section terminates in an outwardly directed flange 63 which abuts a similarly formed outwardly directed flange 64 at the upper end of the lower section 62. A continuous weld is formed at 65 to join the upper and lower sections together where their flanges 63 and 64 abut. The flanges 63 and 64 are not absolutely necessary. but provide a convenient means for stiffening the wall structure without having to add additional bracing at that area. In this embodiment, the conduit is formed simply by forming a channel-shaped offset 67 intermediate the upper and lower edges of the lower section and enclosing that section by a plate 32 formed as described above and continuously welded over the offset 67 at 68 and 69.

In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, the upper and lower sections are flanged and joined together at their flanges as described above and as indicated at 70. A channel-shaped offset 71 is formed in the lower section 72, the upper portion of the offset 71 being enclosed by a plate 73. The plate 73 has a generally vertical upper portion which is continuously welded at 74 to the upper end of the offset 71. The plate also has an inclined portion 75 which is continuously welded as at 76 to a vertical wall of the offset 71. This configuration creates a ledge 77 having a horizontal dimension of four inches, for example. Thus, the conduit configuration serves the dual function of providing a footrest for the swimmer at the deep end of the pool. Because the embodiment just described is normally located at the deep end of the pool, a still additional wall section 78 may be required to form a wall of sufficient vertical dimension for the deep end of the pool.

The plate 32 with its V-shaped groove admits of horizontal. upwardly directed. and downwardly directed jets of incoming water as described above. The manner in which such jets can be utilized is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 6-10. In FIG. I, the conduit is shown as being completely horizontal around the periphery of the pool, the conduit being adjacent the bottom wall at the shallow end of the pool and being spaced above the bottom wall at the deep end of the pool. As shown in FIG. 6, the inlet openings at the shallow end of the pool may be horizontally directed to provide a sweeping action across the bottom of the pool. Intermediate the deep and shallow ends of the pool where the conduit is spaced above the bottom of the pool. at least some of the jets should be downwardly directed as illustrated in FIG. 7 to provide assurance of the introduction of filtered chlorinated water into the bottom of the pool. The outlets at other locations may. as illustrated in FIG. 8, be horizontally directed or upwardly directed so as to make the introduction of the filtered water into the pool as uniform as possible.

A somewhat different approach is illustrated in FIG. II). There. the conduit is generally horizontal but is configurated to lie adjacent the bottom of the pool all around the perimeter of the pool. All around the perimeter of the pool, horizontal outlet openings will be formed in the conduit to direct water in a sweeping action across the bottom of the pool to provide a continuous cleaning action. Additionally, however. as illustrated in FIG. 10, at some locations upwardly directed outlets will be formed in the conduit to assure good circulation of filtered water into the upper areas of the pool.

The conduit configuration of FIG. 2 admits of a method of controlling the flow of water into the pool through the regulation of the flow of water out of the main drain. By proper regulation, at least 50 percent of the water returning to the filter is required to flow over the gutter wall to be returned to the filter via the gutter. Through this system, clean water is introduced into the bottom of the pool and is forced to circulate to the top of the pool where it is discharged over the gutter walls.

I claim:

I. A swimming pool comprising. in combination:

a recirculating and filter system,

a tank with a floor and metal side and end walls,

metal gutter means constructed and arranged along the upper edge of the metal side and end walls of the pool.

conduit means with a first end connected to said gutter means and a second end in communication with said recirculating and filtering system whereby liquid collected in said gutter is conducted to said filter system.

conduit means comprising metal box structure connected to said walls and constructed and arranged around the periphery of said metal side and end walls of the pool and located on the side of said walls opposite the interior of the tank defined by said walls.

said metal box structure further being located at a height above the bottom edge of said walls and beneath the bottom of said gutter means.

a V-shaped recess formed into the side of said metal box common with the sidewall along its peripheral length and constructed and arranged whereby the interior of said recess is in fluid communication with the interior of said tank,

apertures located in the side walls of said V-shaped recess for the passage of fluid therethrough,

conduit means with a first end in communication with said filter and recirculating system and a second end in communication with the interior of said metal box structure whereby filtered water may be returned to the interior of said tank through said apertures located in the sides of the \/-shaped recessv 2. A conduit as in claim 1 further comprising said recess presenting a downwardly facing section and an upwardly facing section,

said apertures being formed in at least one of said sections.

3. A conduit as in claim I wherein said metal box structure is located adjacent the bottom of said wall.

said apertures being directed horizontally whereby jets of incoming water will tend to sweep across the bottom ofa pool to assist in maintaining the bottom of the pool in a clean condition. 4. A conduit as in claim 1, said metal box structure being formed by an offset in said tank walls and enclosed by a plate, said offset being formed by a vertical section and upper and lower horizontal sections, said plate having its upper edge welded to said upper horizontal section and its lower edge welded to said vertical section, thereby forming a conduit while exposing said lower horizontal section to form a safety ledge. 5. A conduit as in claim 1, said metal box structure being configurated to form a safety ledge located a substantial distance below the top of the pool wall. 6. In a swimming pool comprising, in combination: a recirculating and filter system, a tank with a floor and metal side and end walls, metal gutter means constructed and arranged along the upper edge of the metal side and end walls of the pool, conduit means with a first end connected to said gutter means and a second end in communication with said recirculating and filtering system whereby liquid collected in said gutter is conducted to said filter system, the method of forming a conduit for delivering water from the filter system to the interior of the tank comprising the steps of: bending the metal tank walls at a location below the top of said tank walls to form an outwardly projecting offset extending generally horizontally around the periphery of said pool,

covering said offset with an elongated metallic plate to define a conduit formed in part by the offset portion of said tank wall and in part by said plate,

securing the longitudinal edges of said plate to said tank walls to form a watertight seal with respect to said tank walls,

forming apertures as outlet holes in said plate spaced longitudinally around the perimeter of said pool for the introduction of water under pressure from said filter to said pool.

and connecting said thus formed conduit to said filter system, whereby filtered water from said system may be introduced into the interior of said tank through said conduit.

Claims

1. A swimming pool comprising, in combination: a recirculating and filter system, a tank with a floor and metal side and end walls, metal gutter means constructed and arranged along the upper edge of the metal side and end walls of the pool, conduit means with a first end connected to said gutter means and a second end in communication with said recirculating and filtering system whereby liquid collected in said gutter is conducted to said filter system, conduit means comprising metal box structure connected to said walls and constructed and arranged around the periphery of said metal side and end walls of the pool and located on the side of said walls opposite the interior of the tank defined by said walls, said metal box structure further being located at a height above the bottom edge of said walls and beneath the bottom of said gutter means, a V-shaped recess formed into the side of said metal box common with the sidewall along its peripheral length and constructed and arranged whereby the interior of said recess is in fluid communication with the interior of said tank, apertures located in the side walls of said V-shaped recess for the passage of fluid therethrough, conduit means with a first end in communication with said filter and recirculating system and a second end in communication with the interior of said metal box structure whereby filtered water may be returned to the interior of said tank through said apertures located in the sides of the V-shaped recess.

2. A conduit as in claim 1 further comprising said recess presenting a downwardly facing section and an upwardly facing section, said apertures being formed in at least one of said sections.

3. A conduit as in claim 1 wherein said metal box structure is located adjacent the bottom of said wall, said apertures being directed horizontally whereby jets of incoming water will tend to sweep across the bottom of a pool to assist in maintaining the bottom of the pool in a clean condition.

4. A conduit as in claim 1, said metal box structure being formed by an offset in said tank walls and enclosed by a plate, said offset being formed by a vertical section and upper and lower horizontal sections, said plate having its upper edge welded to said upper horizontal section and its lower edge welded to said vertical section, thereby forming a conduit while exposing said lower horizontal section to form a safety ledge.

5. A conduit as in claim 1, said metal box structure being configurateD to form a safety ledge located a substantial distance below the top of the pool wall.

6. In a swimming pool comprising, in combination: a recirculating and filter system, a tank with a floor and metal side and end walls, metal gutter means constructed and arranged along the upper edge of the metal side and end walls of the pool, conduit means with a first end connected to said gutter means and a second end in communication with said recirculating and filtering system whereby liquid collected in said gutter is conducted to said filter system, the method of forming a conduit for delivering water from the filter system to the interior of the tank comprising the steps of: bending the metal tank walls at a location below the top of said tank walls to form an outwardly projecting offset extending generally horizontally around the periphery of said pool, covering said offset with an elongated metallic plate to define a conduit formed in part by the offset portion of said tank wall and in part by said plate, securing the longitudinal edges of said plate to said tank walls to form a watertight seal with respect to said tank walls, forming apertures as outlet holes in said plate spaced longitudinally around the perimeter of said pool for the introduction of water under pressure from said filter to said pool, and connecting said thus formed conduit to said filter system, whereby filtered water from said system may be introduced into the interior of said tank through said conduit.