Air Supported Enclosure For A Jogging Track

Abstract

An air supported enclosure for a jogging track consists of an inflatable structure having walls and roof formed of air impervious material adapted to enclose a volume of air under pressure slightly in excess of atmospheric. Pressure sealing access means in one of said walls communicating with a service building and peripheral anchoring means at the lower edge of said walls for sealing said structure against the escape of air, said structure taking the form of a jogging track oval and providing a continuously extending circular enclosure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention:

This invention relates to inflatable structures for air support and defining a continuous oval-shaped enclosure for a jogging track.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Prior structures of this type have related to air inflated structures for storage buildings and swimming pool enclosures. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,994 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,657. U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,472 shows a swimming pool enclosure and U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,467 discloses an air supported structure incorporating a loading dock or a port and a novel access means in communication therewith.

This invention comprises an air supported circuitous enclosure for a jogging track with the means defining the jogging track acting to support the air enclosure in air sealing relation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An inflatable cross sectionally arcuate structure defining walls and a roof formed of an air impervious material such as polyvinyl chloride and taking the shape of an oval or annular structure having air sealing means along its peripheral edges defining a jogging track together with access means communicating with a service building and means for maintaining air pressure in the enclosure slightly in excess of atmospheric.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away and parts in cross section illustrating the air supported enclosure for a jogging track.

FIG. 2 is a cross section of an enlarged detail taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of a modified air supported enclosure for a jogging track.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In its simplest form the air supported enclosure for a jogging track consists of an oval or annular circuitous track 10 defined by spaced parallel peripheral border members 11 and 12 arranged to support an air impervious roof and wall structure 13 the peripheral edges of which are secured to continuously extending members 14 such as wooden 2.times.6's positioned on their narrow edges and held by metal anchors 15 portions of which are embedded in the peripheral border members 11 and 12 which are preferably formed of concrete.

As best seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the air supported enclosure for a jogging track provides an inflated, arcuate structure enclosing the jogging track and having a communicating branch 16 preferably at one end communicating with a service building 17 which includes lockers, showers and similar facilities as necessary. A blower system 18 incorporating heating and cooling means is preferably positioned on the service building 17 and arranged to communicate with the air supported enclosure as best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The air impervious material from which the roof and wall structure 13 is formed is preferably polyvinyle chloride film which may be transparent or translucent or a combination of such films as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Air pressure slightly in excess of atmospheric introduced into the air supported enclosure by the blower means 18 will maintain the same in the desirable shape illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Suitable means, not shown, is incorporated in the blower systems for controlling the volume of air introduced into the air supported enclosure so as to maintain the same at a desirable pressure.

The jogging track 10 is preferably provided with a suitable surfacing material and may be lined as seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings to indicate a plurality of continuously extending parallel jogging tracks.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings the lines defining the individual jogging tracks are indicated by the numerals 19.

Still referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that an auxiliary access means 20 has been provided and includes a normally closed door and that an auxiliary blower means 21 is also provided and preferably located at a point on the air supported enclosure remote with respect to the service building 17 and the blower means 18 heretofore described.

In forming the air supported enclosure for a jogging track the site is graded, the spaced, parallel peripheral body members 11 and 12 poured and the metal anchor members 15 installed in spaced longitudinal relation therein. The continuously extending members 14 are then bolted or otherwise attached to the metal anchors 15 and the lower peripheral edges of the wall portion of the air impervious structure are secured thereto in an air-tight manner. Either before or after installation of the air supported wall and roof structure 13 the track surfacing material is positioned and upon inflation the air supported enclosure is sealingly affixed to the service building 17 and inflated by operation of the blower 18 and/or supplemental blower 21.

Those skilled in the art will observe that modifications in the structure of the air supported enclosure hereinbefore described are possible and one such modification is illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

By referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that a jogging track 23 is indicated with an air supported enclosure defining the same and consisting of peripheral continuously extending impervious tubular members 24 and 25 attached to the peripheral edges of longitudinally extending transparent wall sections 26 which are in turn secured along their upper edges to opaque air impervious material 27 defining the roof portion of the air supported enclosure. Transversely extending reinforcing bands of similar material 28 are secured to the roof portion 27 and their opposite outer lower ends 29 secured to flexible tie-downs 30 which in turn are secured to stakes 31 spaced with respect to the tubular borders 24 and 25.

It will be observed that the structure of the modification can be installed at less expense and at a considerably time savings as compared with the preferred embodiment of the invention hereinbefore described. The modified structure of FIG. 3 of the drawings will preferably take the same shape as the structure of the preferred embodiment as seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings and will include the joining section communicating with a service building all as disclosed in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

It will thus be seen that an air supported enclosure for a jogging track has been disclosed which will provide a relatively inexpensive, attractive and entirely suitable weather-tight enclosure capable of being cooled or heated and in which jogging on conveniently designated tracks may be enjoyed.

Although but two embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. An air supported circuitous continously extending enclosure for a circuitous jogging track defined by said circuitous continuously extending air supported enclosure, said air supported enclosure having walls and roof formed of air impervious material adapted to enclose a volume of air under pressure slightly in excess of atmospheric, pressure means providing a substantially continuous flow of air into the interior of said air supported enclosure, pressure sealing access means in at least one of said walls and peripheral anchoring means at the lower edges of said walls defining said jogging track and sealing said enclosure against the escape of air.

2. The air supported enclosure for a jogging track set forth in claim 1 and wherein the peripheral anchoring means at the lower edges of said walls consists of evenly spaced peripheral body members partially embedded in a supporting surface, anchor members partially embedded in said peripheral body members and extending outwardly thereof and continuously extending members secured to said anchor members, the peripheral edges of said impervious material being secured to said continuously extending members in sealing relation.

3. The air supported enclosure for a jogging track set forth in claim 1 and wherein the circuitous track and enclosure takes the form of a rectangle with the four corners thereof rounded.

4. The air supported enclosure and jogging track set forth in claim 1 and wherein the circuitous track and enclosure takes the form of a rectangle with the four corners thereof rounded and the access means is located in one end thereof.

5. The air supported enclosure and jogging track as set forth in claim 1 and wherein said peripheral anchoring means consists of water filled tubes continuously joined to the peripheral edges of said walls.

6. The air supported enclosure and jogging track set forth in claim 1 and wherein said peripheral anchoring means consists of water filled tubes continuously joined to the peripheral edges of said walls, bands positioned transversely of said walls and roof, ropes attached to said bands and stakes holding said ropes.

7. The air supported enclosure and jogging track set forth in claim 1 and wherein a service building is in communication with said access means.

8. The air supported enclosure and jogging track set forth in claim 1 and wherein a service building is in communication with said access means and said pressure means is located in said service building.

9. The air supported enclosure and jogging track set forth in claim 1 and wherein a service building is in communication with said access means and said track includes evenly spaced lines defining a plurality of jogging tracks.