Automatic water level keeper for swimming pools

Abstract

A body of water in a water tank located adjacent the upper rim of an above-ground swimming pool is connected by a pipe to a body of water in the swimming pool. The water levels in the pool and in the tank are thereby equalized; and a water supply line connected to a float valve in the tank provides make-up water for the swimming pool when the water level in the pool falls below a predetermined height of the water level in the tank. The pool water level can be established and maintained at any desired height by suitably elevating or lowering the tank in accordance with calibrated indicia.

Description

The invention relates to improvements in devices for establishing and maintaining the desired water level in swimming pools.

The prior art as well as the market place are replete with devices for monitoring and controlling the water level in swimming pools. So far as is known, however, the desired water level in the pool has heretofore been established by adjusting a float valve to operate at a given height. In order to provide this type of adjustment, the float valves previously used have been somewhat expensive and have required at least a moderate degree of mechanical aptitude to effect re-setting.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a water level keeper in which the float valve requires no adjustment in order to maintain the water level in a swimming pool at the desired height.

It is another object of the invention to provide a water level keeper which is particularly useful in connection with above-ground swimming pools.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a water level keeper which is relatively inexpensive and which can readily be installed and adjusted by anyone.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a water level keeper which requires no attention, has but few moving parts to get out of order and is sturdy, reliable and long-lived.

It is another object of the invention to provide a generally improved automatic water level keeper which, although not limited thereto, finds especial utility in above-ground swimming pools.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in the embodiment described in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of the water level keeper installed on a conventional above-ground swimming pool; and,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view to an enlarged scale, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 2--2 in FIG. 1.

While the water level keeper of the invention is susceptible of numerous physical embodiments, depending upon the environment and requirements of use, several of the herein shown and described embodiments have been made, tested and used, and all have performed in an eminently satisfactory manner.

The water level keeper of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 12, is particularly useful in combination with a conventional above-ground swimming pool 13 comprising upright side walls 14 of steel or wood with an upper rim 16 on which is mounted the upper margin 17 of a liner 18 of vinyl material, or the like. It is to be noted however, that the water level keeper could also be used in conjunction with ground level pools by locating the device in a pit adjacent the pool.

In customary manner, the pool is filled with a body 21 of water to a water level 22 located at a height several inches below the rim 16. Water displaced by swimmers raises the water level, and splashing, diving, water fights and other activities almost invariably results in the loss of a substantial amount of water over the sides. Evaporation uncompensated for by rainfall tends further to lower the water level and could, during an extended period of inattention, such as when the owner is on vacation, lead to an undesirably low water level conducive to high algae build-up and the like.

In order to maintain the pool water level 22 at a desired height H above ground level 24, the water level keeper of the invention 12 includes a tank 25 comprising a bottom 26, front side wall 27, rear side wall 28, left end wall 29, right end wall 30, and top 31.

The tank 25 contains a body 32 of water in communication with the pool body 21 of water by means of a pipe 33, conveniently a flexible hose. The pipe 33 equalizes the respective water levels in the tank 25 and the pool 13, thus enabling the mechanism in the tank 25 accurately to sense the mean level of the pool water without distortion caused by splashing or by surface disturbances in the pool resulting from gusts of wind and the like. An opening 35 in the tank wall affords a vent and overflow.

The height h of the water level in the tank 25 is sensed by a float valve 41 comprising a buoyant float 42 attached to an arm 43 pivotally mounted on a fulcrum pin 44 and connected by a pivoted rod 45 to a spherical valve 46 translatable within a sleeve type of valve body 47. The valve 46 is movable between a first, upper closed position wherein the valve equator is immediately upstream from a lateral discharge opening 48 in the valve body 47 and a second, lower, open position wherein a passageway is afforded for the flow of make-up water from a supply line 49 through the opening 48 to the tank 25, thence through the pipe 33 to the body 21 of water until the water level in the pool is restored to the desired height H. The supply line 49 is connected to a faucet 50.

The operation of the float valve 41 is preferably established at the factory so that no additional adjustment of the float level is necessary. In other words, the float, float arm, fulcrum and valve are so dimensioned that when the water level in the tank falls below the predetermined height h, the valve opens, allowing make-up water to flow into the pool; when the water level in the tank reaches the height h, the ball valve 46 closes and make-up water stops flowing.

As appears most clearly in FIG. 2, the pool water level 22 is shown at the desired height H and the tank water level 36, at elevation h, is on the same horizontal plane as the pool water level 22.

If the pool water level 22 drops, the tank water level 36 will lower accordingly, thereby opening the float valve 41 and allowing make-up water to flow into the pool until the pool reaches the desired level H and the tank water level reaches the height h, at which juncture the float valve closes.

Should heavy rain fill the pool, surplus water will drain off through an overflow pipe 51 in the pool wall. In due course, evaporation will lower the water level until normal operation of the float valve is resumed.

In the event the user prefers either to raise or lower the height H of the pool's water level, the tank 25 is elevated or lowered by loosening the set screws 52 in the two telescoping pair of support legs 53 and 54, supported by ground pads 55, followed by lengthening or shortening the legs and retightening the set screws 52. For convenience, calibrated indicia 56 can be inscribed on the leg 53 in order to establish the desired pool level more readily.

In some installations, it is preferred to substitute for (or to use in addition to) the legs 53 and 54 a pair of hangers 61 adjustably mounted on the tank, as by fasteners 62, and including recurved hooks 64 embracing the upper rim of the pool walls, as appears most clearly in FIG. 2.

When it is desired to lower the pool water level H, say, by 2 inches, the tank 25 is lowered 2 inches, thereby resulting in the transfer of water from the pool to the tank and raising the tank water level 36 above the operative height h. The float valve in this case would remain closed until evaporation, splashing or other causes diminishes the pool water level to the newly established height H.

If, on the other hand, it is thought advisable to raise the pool level 22 to a higher desired elevation H, the tank 24 would be lifted correspondingly so that the predetermined tank water height h required to actuate the float valve is positioned on the same horizontal plane as the newly desired absolute, or above-ground, height H. In this event, assuming the new height H is higher than the existing pool water level 22, the tank water level 36 would fall below the operative height h of the float valve by reason of outflow from tank to pool via the pipe 33; and the float valve 41 would immediately open and allow make-up water to flow into the pool until the pool water level 22 attains the desired pool height H and the tank water level 36 reaches height h, at which juncture the float valve cuts off the make-up water supply.

It can therefore be seen that I have provided an automatic water level keeper which can be used to especial advantage in an above-ground swimming pool and which is not only readily installed but also reliable, trouble free in operation and easily adjusted to provide any desired water level in the pool without having to re-set a float valve.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic water level keeper in combination with an above-ground swimming pool having a circumferential wall of predetermined height, said keeper comprising:

a. a water tank located adjacent the outer periphery of said wall;

b. a float actuated valve mounted on said tank, said valve being so dimensioned as to open and close in response to the presence of water in said tank at a level which is respectively less than and more than a predetermined height;

c. a water hose connected to the supply side of said valve discharging into said tank, said valve opening to permit the discharge of water into said tank when the water level in said tank falls below said predetermined height, and closing to prevent the discharge of water into said tank when the water level in said tank rises above said predetermined height;

d. pipe means connecting said tank and said pool for equalizing the water level in said tank and said pool;

e. a vertically telescoping ground supported standard supporting said tank, said telescoping standard including indicia effective to indicate the height above ground to which said tank is to be located to establish the desired height above ground of the water level of said pool.