U.S. patent number 3,831,897 [Application Number 05/335,953] was granted by the patent office on 1974-08-27 for skimmer throat entrance form.
Invention is credited to William J. Stegmeier.
United States Patent |
3,831,897 |
Stegmeier |
August 27, 1974 |
SKIMMER THROAT ENTRANCE FORM
Abstract
A reusable skimmer throat entrance form to provide an inlet
opening in an upwardly extending wall of a swimming pool to enable
surface water from a filled pool to enter a surface skimmer through
the throat thereof which communicates with the inlet opening. The
reusable form has at its inner end a plug section removably
insertable into the skimmer throat to substantially close the same.
At its outer end portion the reusable form has a mouth-forming
section extending outwardly from the plug section and enlarging
transversely with respect thereto to define in the swimming pool
wall an entrance opening of appropriate dimensions, configuration,
and orientation. The form is equipped with stop structure adjacent
the mergence of the plug and mouth-forming sections for cooperation
with the skimmer to positionally relate the form and skimmer. The
mouth-forming section of the form is provided with a sheath along
at least certain wall surfaces to resist abrasion and impact of wet
concrete, the sheath being resilient for the purpose of elastically
receiving impact from wet concrete directed thereagainst.
Inventors: |
Stegmeier; William J. (Concord,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
23313942 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/335,953 |
Filed: |
February 26, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
249/1; 4/490;
249/DIG.3; 249/175; 4/507; 249/145 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H
4/1272 (20130101); Y10S 249/03 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04H
4/12 (20060101); E04H 4/00 (20060101); E02d
017/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;425/469,465,460,DIG.124
;249/151,DIG.3,183,10,11,27,163,144,145,146,147,148,150,152,2,83,112,165,176,17 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Overholser; J. Spencer
Assistant Examiner: Brown; John S.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Graham; John W.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In combination, a reusable form adapted to provide in the wall
of a swimming pool or the like an inlet opening for a surface
skimmer, and a surface skimmer having a throat communicable with
such opening and through which surface water from a filled pool
enters the skimmer for cleaning purposes, said form comprising: a
body equipped at the inner end thereof with a plug section slidably
insertable into said throat to establish a relatively tight
frictional fit therewith and substantially close the same and
positionally relate said body and skimmer in transverse and
vertical directions; said body further being equipped with a
mouthforming section extending outwardly from said plug section and
enlarging transversely with respect thereto; and stop structure
provided by said body for cooperative engagement with such skimmer
to positionally relate the body and skimmer in longitudinal
directions, whereby a predetermined positional relationship is
established between said form and such skimmer and between the
skimmer and inlet opening therefor in a pool wall associated with
the skimmer.
2. The form of claim 1 in which said skimmer throat is equipped
with a protuberance projecting from an inner face thereof toward
the center of the throat to serve as a stop for a skimmer valve,
and in which said plug section along one surface thereof is
provided with a recess adapted to pass said protuberance
therethrough upon insertion and removal of said plug section from
said throat.
3. The form of claim 2 in which said recess is provided along the
upper surface of said plug section and has an interior terminus
abuttable by such throat protuberance, the interior terminus of
said recess comprising a part of the aforesaid stop structure.
4. The form of claim 1 in which at least certain surfaces of said
mouth-forming section are equipped therealong with a sheath
resistive to abrasion and impact of wet concrete.
5. The form of claim 4 in which said sheath is resilient so as to
elastically receive impact thereagainst of wet concrete.
6. The form of claim 1 in which said stop structure is located at
the mergence of said plug and mouth-forming section.
7. The form of claim 6 in which said stop structure comprises
laterally extending stop shoulders provided by said form body for
engagement with the skimmer throat into which said plug section is
insertable.
8. The form of claim 1 in which said body is a substantially
unitary mass of material, and in which said mouth-forming section
progressively enlarges transversely from adjacency with said plug
section.
9. The form of claim 8 in which said mouth-forming section has
transversely spaced curvilinear walls defining said progressive
transverse enlargement.
10. The form of claim 2 in which at least certain surfaces of said
mouth-forming section are equipped therealong with a sheath
resistive to abrasion and impact of wet concrete, in which said
sheath is resilient so as to elastically receive impact
thereagainst of wet concrete, in which said stop structure is
located at the mergence of said plug and mouth-forming section, and
in which said stop structure comprises laterally extending stop
shoulders provided by said form body for engagement with the
skimmer throat into which said plug section is insertable.
Description
This invention relates generally to construction of swimming pools
and the like and, more particularly, to a reusable mold form
adapted to provide an opening of predetermined characteristics at a
selected location along a pool wall during fabrication thereof. In
still more particular terms, the invention is concerned with a
skimmer throat entrance form adapted to establish in a pool wall an
inlet opening for a surface skimmer and through which surface water
from a filled pool enters the skimmer for cleaning purposes.
Considering the typical construction of a swimming pool, the
technique now generally followed is to form the upward extending
and bottom closure walls of the pool with concrete which is usually
deposited by a gunite process in which the cement, water and
aggregate are mixed at a nozzle and ejected under pressure against
a prepared support or backing. After the gunite has cured
sufficiently, the inner surfaces of the concrete that are intended
to contain water are covered with a suitable finishing material,
and a horizontal deck is provided at the top of the upwardly
extending pool walls to form a walkway and drainage area about the
pool, and to establish an aesthetically attractive frame
thereabout. The deck may be poured concrete and is often a
cantilever deck that overhangs the pool walls.
Substantially all outdoor pools are equipped with surface skimmers
operative to filter or strain the surface water of a filled pool to
remove leaves, twigs, and other floating debris therefrom. The
skimmer is generally located outwardly from the pool walls in
underlying relation with the deck, and it communicates with the
interior of the pool at the water level through an inlet opening
accommodating movement of surface water from the pool into the
interior of the skimmer. A forced flow of water through the skimmer
is effected by a pump, and the strained water may be discharged to
waste upon leaving the skimmer, or it may be heated, chemically
conditioned, or otherwise treated prior to being recirculated into
the pool from the skimmer.
Such skimmer structures are placed in position and connected with
the necessary flow lines prior to formation of the pool wall by the
aforementioned gunite process, which encapsulates the skimmer
structure and thereby makes it a permanent installation being
embedded within the concrete wall in underlying relation with the
subsequently-poured deck. In the past, the conventional practice is
to cover the open throat of the skimmer with pressure sensitive
tape or similar material to close the same and thereby prevent
entrance of concrete thereinto. Thereafter, concrete is ejected
from the gunite nozzle toward the skimmer structure and
tape-equipped mouth thereof to embed the skimmer within the
concrete. If the workman is skillful, he leaves a small opening
adjacent the mouth of the skimmer which is subsequently enlarged
manually by chipping or otherwise removing concrete in front of the
throat of the skimmer to provide the inlet opening through which
surface water flows thereinto.
It will be apparent that such fabrication techniques often result
in an inlet opening that only approximates the size and
configuration recommended by the manufacturer of the skimmer and/or
specified by building codes. Further, inlet openings formed in this
manner are often improperly oriented being skewed or otherwise
angularly offset rather then being symmetrically disposed about a
horizontal axis normal to the inlet opening for the skimmer. As a
consequence, the inlet openings and surface skimmers associated
therewith may not function properly, and they may not meet building
code requirements, thereby necessitating costly reworking of the
pool wall and inlet opening formed therein for the skimmer
structure. In view thereof, a general object of the present
invention is to provide an improved means for forming the inlet
opening within a pool wall or the like for a surface skimmer so as
to obviate the difficulties and limitations characterizing the
aforementioned construction techniques.
Further objects, among others, of the present invention are in the
provision of a mold form for use in establishing the inlet opening
in a pool wall for a surface skimmer associated therewith; an
improved form that is reusable and experiences very little
deterioration from abrasion and impact thereagainst of wet
concrete; a reusable mold form that is cooperative with the throat
of a skimmer structure to keep the opening thereof clean, to define
an accurately configurated inlet opening in a pool wall for the
skimmer structure, and that cooperates with such skimmer structure
to establish a predetermined positional relationship therewith and
with an associated pool wall; and in the further provision of an
improved reusable skimmer throat entrance form of the character
described that is easy to use, requires substantially no skill in
that the positioning and functioning thereof are essentially
automatic, and that is both lightweight for convenient handling and
inexpensive especially relative to the repetitive reuse capability
thereof.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention, especially as
concerns particular features and characteristics thereof, will
become apparent as the specification continues.
An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a broken perspective view illustrating a mold form
embodying the invention in functional association with a
surface-skimmer structure and with the wall of a swimming pool
prior to the tile and deck being provided for the latter;
FIG. 2 is a broken perspective view similar to that of FIG. 1,
illustrating the pool wall after the mold form has been removed and
a horizontal row of tile secured in place along the pool wall;
FIG. 3 is a broken perspective view, similar to that of FIGS. 1 and
2, illustrating the pool wall after completion thereof with the
deck in place;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mold form shown in FIG. 1;
and
FIG. 5 is a side view in elevation of the mold form shown in FIG.
4, the functional association of a skimmer with the mold form being
illustrated by broken lines.
As respects the present invention, the pool wall and surface
skimmer associated therewith may be substantially conventional in
their structural and functional associations, and the pool wall
shown in the drawings has such conventionality. For purposes of
identification, the pool wall is denoted generally with the numeral
10, and it has an enlarged upper end portion 11 that is often
referred to in the art as a "bond beam". The pool wall 10 and bond
beam 11 thereof may be formed by a conventional gunite process in
which wet concrete is discharged under pressure through a nozzle
against a form or backing which, to a great extent, is provided by
the earthen mass bordering the cavity therein within which the pool
is to be constructed. The outer edge of the bond beam, however, may
be defined by perimetrically disposed mold boards 12 held in place
by stakes 14, as shown in FIG. 1.
Since concrete is a relatively rough and porous material, it is
substantially standard practice in the construction of a swimming
pool to provide a row of ceramic tile along the pool wall at the
water level so that body oils and similar matter collecting along
the surface of the water will tend to adhere to the hard finished
surface of the tile from which it is readily removed rather than
adhere to a concrete surface from which its removal would be very
difficult. A row of tiles is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the tiles
may be conventional comprising individual tiles disposed in
side-by-side adjacency, or sheets of small mosaic tiles 15, as
shown in the drawings. The spaces between successive tiles are
grouted in a conventional manner, and the inner surface of the pool
wall 10 below the row of tiles 15 is covered with a finishing
coating of concrete that is usually referred to as "plaster" and is
identified in FIG. 3 with the numeral 16. Finally, a deck is
provided in overlying relation with the bond beam 11, and the deck
17 shown in FIG. 3 is a cantilever deck in which the inner edge
portion thereof overhangs the inner surface of the pool wall 10 and
row of tiles 15 secured thereto.
The tiles 15 are positioned conventionally by use of a ledger board
that is secured to the pool wall in a horizontal orientation a
measured distance below the highest elevation therealong. A
suitable mortar is then prepared, spread along the upper edge
portion of the pool wall above the ledger board, and each sheet of
mosaic tile (or each tile block) is seated upon the ledger board
and pressed into the mortar, care being taken to align each tile or
sheet vertically and in planar relationship with those tiles
adjacent thereto. After the mortar has set, the ledger board is
stripped from the wall and the surfaces below the tile are covered
with the aforementioned finishing material 16. As respects the
present invention, any ledger board may be employed (traditionally
they are thin wooden boards), and they may be removably secured to
the pool wall in any conventional manner. The ledger board shown in
FIG. 2 (and in phantom in FIG. 1) is denoted with the numeral 18,
and it is held in place by fasteners 19. The layer of mortar used
to secure the tiles 15 to the pool wall is denoted with the numeral
20. The particular ledger board 18 is a reusable board constructed
of an elastomeric material, and the fasteners 19 define specialized
cooperation therewith. Such ledger board and fasteners do not per
se form any part of the present invention, and should details
concerning the same be desired, reference may be made to my
copending patent application entitled "LEDGER BOARD OR THE LIKE AND
METHOD OF USING THE SAME", Ser. No. 327,671, filed Jan. 29,
1973.
As previously indicated, the surface skimmer, denoted in its
entirety with the numeral 21, may be completely conventional and,
for example, may be a U-3 surface skimmer sold by Swimquip of El
Monte, California. Skimmers of the type being considered are
adapted to have a surface layer of water from a filled pool flow
thereinto and through a filter contained therewithin which may be
in the form of a sieve-like bucket effective to remove leaves,
twigs, and similar debris from the water. The strained water
leaving the skimmer structure may be discharged to waste or heated,
chemically conditioned, or otherwise treated prior to being
recirculated into the pool.
The skimmer structures are placed in position and connected with
the necessary flow lines prior to formation of the pool wall 10 and
bond beam 11 thereof, thereby making such skimmer structures'
permanent installations which are embedded within the concrete
wall. When the deck 17 is poured, it effectively conceals the
skimmer structure, as shown in FIG. 3, except that the deck
necessarily has an opening 22 therein provided with a removable
cover (not shown) to close the opening but to permit access to the
interior of the skimmer structure and strainer therewithin to
enable debris to be removed. The typifying skimmer structure 21 is
provided with a cover frame or flange 24 effectively defining the
inner boundary of the opening 22 in the deck, and that portion of
the skimmer structure below the flange 24 is essentially confined
within the bond beam 11. A pair of conduits 25 and 26 are connected
to the skimmer structure adjacent the bottom thereof, one such
conduit being connected to the main drain line of the pool and the
other being connected to the equalizer line. A suction line (not
shown) is also connected with the skimmer structure adjacent the
bottom thereof to initiate and maintain the circulation of pool
water therethrough.
The skimmer structure 21 is equipped with a throat 27 of generally
rectangular configuration that extends outwardly from the main
casing portion of the skimmer toward the interior of the pool. The
throat 27 is hollow, as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 5, and it defines
the entrance through which pool water flows into the skimmer
structure. The terminus of the throat 27 most proximate the
interior of the pool has a perimetric flange 28 that extends
laterally outwardly, as depicted in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5. The bottom
wall 29 of the throat is provided with a gate valve 30 supported
for angular displacements about a pivot axis 31 and movable
relative thereto between the completely open position shown in FIG.
5 in which it lies along the bottom wall 29 and a generally
vertical position (not shown) in which it abuts a stop 32 carried
by the top wall 34 of the throat and extending downwardly therefrom
at substantially the center line of the throat. As previously
mentioned, such construction of the skimmer may be conventional,
and need not be further elaborated.
The reusable mold form shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5 is denoted in its
entirety with the numeral 35, and it includes a body equipped at
the inner end thereof with a plug section 36 and also equipped
adjacent the outer end thereof with a mouth-forming section 37. In
the embodiment of the invention being considered, the form 35 is
integral throughout, and it is a solid component although it may be
provided in hollow or semihollow configurations, should this be
desired. The form 35 may be fabricated from various materials, but
advantageously it is lightweight and relatively inexpensive
although durable for the purposes intended so that it can be reused
repeatedly. By way of example, the form 35 may be made from one of
the conventional plastic materials such as expanded
polystyrene.
Wet concrete ejected under pressure in a gunite process is
abbrasive, and it has been found that it is advantageous to provide
exposed surfaces on the form 35 that are resistant to abrasion from
wet concrete and that also tend to resist impact-embedding of the
concrete particles therein. Thus, the exposed surfaces of the form
35 are coated with a material having the desired characteristics,
and an example of a particular material used successfully with
polysytrene forms is polyurethane. The polyurethane coating is
shown in FIG. 5, and is designated with the numeral 38. The coating
38 may be applied in any conventional manner as, for example, by
coating the appropriate surfaces of the form with polyurethane in a
liquid form of the type that dries rapidly at atmospheric
conditions. All of the exposed surface areas of the form 35 may be
covered with the coating 38, as indicated in FIG. 5, or only those
surfaces which are exposed to concrete impact which, in the usual
instance, constitute the surfaces of the mouth-forming section 37.
However, the polyurethane coating has a relatively high coefficient
of friction, thereby facilitating the desired interconnection
between the form and skimmer structure 21, as will be described
hereinafter. It may be observed that the coating 38 is somewhat
resilient, thereby tending to cause the wet concrete to rebound
therefrom slightly, and it is also characterized by its tendency to
resist concrete adhesion thereto.
The plug section 36 of the form is insertable into the throat 27 of
the skimmer structure 21, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. In such
position, the plug section 36 substantially closes the throat 27 to
prevent admission of concrete thereinto, and the interconnection of
the plug section and skimmer structure positionally relates these
two components in both transverse and vertical directions (i.e.,
along the length of the pool and from top to bottom with respect
thereto. Accordingly, the plug section 36 is dimensioned and shaped
so as to conform to the throat 27, and in the particular embodiment
of the invention being considered, the throat and plug section are
generally rectangular. After the pool wall 10 and bond beam 11
thereof are constructed by the usual techniques, the form 35 is
removed for reuse, thereby establishing the removable
interconnection of the plug section with the skimmer throat. In
this latter reference, the plug section 36 is slidably receivable
within the throat 27, and it is advantageous to have a relatively
tight frictional fit for the purpose of establishing and
maintaining the desired positional relationship therebetween.
The plug section 36 along one surface thereof is provided with a
recess adapted to pass therethrough a protuberance projecting from
an inner face of the throat 27 toward the center thereof, and which
protuberance constitutes the aforementioned stop 32 for the gate
valve 30. Thus, since the stop 32 is located along the top wall 34
of the skimmer throat, the recess (denoted with the numeral 39) is
disposed along the top wall 40 of the plug section. It will be
evident that the recess 39 is adequately deep and wide that the
stop 32 freely moves therethrough upon insertion of the plug
section 36 into and removal thereof from the throat 27.
The mouth-forming section 37 of the form 35 extends outwardly from
the plug section 36 and enlarges transversely with respect thereto.
In more particular terms, the section 35 has transversely spaced
sidewalls 41 and 42 that are curvilinear and define a progressively
increasing enlargement from the plug section 36 toward an
orifice-forming element 44 that essentially corresponds to the
large inlet orifice along the pool wall 10, as illustrated in FIGS.
2 and 3, and through which surface water flows from the pool into
the skimmer structure 21. The transversely spaced walls 41 and 42
may have other configurations, and in certain embodiments of the
invention, such walls are generally planar and project outwardly
along diverging paths from the throat 27 through the inlet-defining
edge 44. It will be observed in FIG. 1 that the form 35 has a
restricted lip 45 that projects forwardly from the edge 44, and the
width or thickness of such lip corresponds essentially to the
thickness of the tiles 15 and mortar bed 20 used to secure the
tiles to the pool wall 10. The lip 45 affords a convenient means
for gripping the form to withdraw the same from the skimmer throat
and adjacent pool walls 10, as is evident in FIG. 1. The lip 45 is
also advantageous in properly orienting and positioning the form
35, and therefore the skimmer structure 21, with the indicia used
by the contractor for establishing the elevation and orientation of
the pool wall 10.
That is to say, prior to initiating a gunite operation, it is
necessary to establish the level at which the upper edge of the
pool wall is to terminate and also to establish the horizontal
placement of the wall (i.e., the precise horizontal location of the
upper inner edge of the wall). In many instances this is
accomplished by extending a relatively taut wire between two or
more carefully located stakes. The upper surface of the form 35 can
then be placed along such guide wire with the lip edge 44 extending
in alignment therewith. Once such orienting of the form 35 is
accomplished, the skimmer structure 21 is automatically located
properly, and the workmen can then stake or otherwise fix the
skimmer structure in the position thereof thusly established by the
form section 35.
The form 35 further includes stop structure for cooperative
engagement with the skimmer 21 to positionally relate the form body
and skimmer in longitudinal directions (i.e., inwardly and
outwardly with respect to the pool and bowl thereof). In the
particular form 35, such stop structure is located along the
mergence of the plug and mouth-forming sections 36 and 37, and it
takes the form of a laterally projecting shoulder 46 of generally
perimetric disposition bordering the transversely spaced sidewalls
47 and 48 and bottom wall 49 of the plug section 36. Thus, the stop
structure 46 is positioned and located so as to substantially abut
the laterally extending perimetric flange 28 of the skimmer 21
whenever the plug section 36 of the form is inserted to its fullest
extent into the skimmer throat 27, as is shown in both FIGS. 1 and
5. It may also be noted, as is clear in FIG. 5, that the stop 32 of
the skimmer throat 27 substantially abuts the terminal wall 50 of
the recess 39 when the plug section 36 is fully inserted into the
skimmer throat so that such abutment of the stop 32 and wall 50
also augments or contributes to the positional relationship of the
form and skimmer otherwise established by the stop structure 46 and
skimmer flange 28.
In use of the mold form 35, the swimming pool contractor prepares
for erecting the pool walls 10 and bond beam 11 thereof in the
usual manner which includes positioning the skimmer structure 21
and connecting the same to the conduits therefor. Following this
usual preparation, the form 35 is arranged with the skimmer 21, as
previously explained, by inserting the plug section 36 into the
skimmer throat 27 to the maximum position, thereby bringing the
stop structure 46 into contiguous abutment with the skimmer flange
28. As a result, the skimmer structure and form have a
predetermined positional relationship which tends to be maintained
because of the cooperative interfit of the plug section 36 with the
throat 27. The contractor then positions and aligns the form in any
convenient manner such as by bringing the upper surface of the form
and edge 44 thereof into alignment with a guide line, as previously
explained. The skimmer structure 21 is then fixedly located in such
position, and the pool wall and bond beam are erected in the usual
manner, generally a gunite process as explained.
After the pool wall has hardened sufficiently, the form 35 is
withdrawn from its position within the pool wall and skimmer
structure, and it is found that the form is substantially undamaged
and is ready for reuse. The mouth or inlet opening defined by the
form 35 in the concrete wall 10 is found to be clean and sharply
bounded, thereby establishing well-formed surface areas to which
the tile 15 can be attached, and surface areas that merge
gracefully and accurately into the adjacent, usually planar or flat
surface areas of the pool wall 10 which bound the skimmer inlet
opening. Moreover, the finished surfaces established by the walls
41 and 42 of the form 35 are spaced laterally from the inner edges
of the throat 27 so as to define a space adequate for receipt of a
relatively thick mortar bed 20 used in attaching the tile 15 to the
concrete wall surfaces. Provision of adequate space for the mortar
bed and tile assures provision of a good water-tight seal with the
edge portions of the skimmer structure or lateral flange 28 thereof
which thereby obviates problems otherwise caused by water seepage
into and about the concrete surrounding the skimmer structure. A
similar condition is established by the form 35 along the bottom
wall 51 (see FIG. 5) of the section 37 which is disposed below the
bottom wall 29 of the skimmer throat and aligns generally with the
lower edge of the perimetric flange 28. Thus, when the concrete
wall surface 52 (FIG. 2) is provided with mortar and the covering
of tiles 54 (FIG. 3) a high quality seal is effected with the
skimmer throat and flange 28.
The form 35 also enforces on the contractor the desirable condition
that the wall opening leading to the throat 27 of the skimmer be
symmetrical, defined about an axis that is normal to the plane of
the throat 27 and flange 28 thereof, and be of proper width which,
in the usual instance, is approximately 18 inches at the form edge
44. This dimension is often established by local building codes,
and is frequently a specification required by manufacturers of the
skimmer structures. The accuracy with which the form 35 establishes
the inlet opening in the pool wall also facilitates proper
positioning of tile along the top of the inlet opening in those
pool constructions where tile at such location is desired.
While in the foregoing specification an embodiment of the invention
has been set forth in considerable detail for purposes of making a
complete disclosure thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details
without departing from the spirit and principles of the
invention.
* * * * *