Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is in the ficld of swimming pooLs.
This application is a division of Application No. 356,789.
In constructing a popular form of swimming pool, an excava-
tion i~ first made at the site, and an upstanding wall is
erected to define the desired outline of the pool. The wall
must be sufficiently self-sus~aininy to hold its shape and
of the desired outline even before an~ backfilling occurs
around the outer periphery of the excavation. It is also
desirable to form the upstanding wall of as inexpensive
material as possible, and it is customary to construct such
walls of sheet metal or the like. However, in erecting the
wall it is essential that its outline be accurately maintained
and to insure such accurate outline, it has been customary to
provide the plates of the wall with upper and lower flanges and
in most cases end flanges to bolt the unit~'togekher. Such units,
h'owever, are'of a predetermined and fixed shape, which cannot be
altered to construct'pools of different owtlines See, for exam-
ple, U.S. Patents 3,518,704, 3,798,857, 4~109,324 and 4,124,907.
The above patents all disclose swimming pools of the general
type mentioned in which the wall units are provided with
either upper and lower flanges or are pan-shaped having flan-
ges all the way around. Patent No. 3,518,704 also discloses
the use of braces to support a deck extending outwardly fro~'~
f'~
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the upper edge of the pool.
The present invention provides means for forming a swimming
pool of any desired shape from identical modular units,
each comprising a sheet of metal having a single flange at
one vertical edge to extend outwardly of the pool, and thus
provides vertical stiffening. The plates are thus bendable
to any desired shape. To maintain the plates in their de- ~
sired configuration until final completion of the pool,
applicant provides a stiffening coping extending around the
upper edge of the pool wall which coping not only provides a
finished edge, but provides by means of a steel or other
rigid bar therein, stiffening to maintain straight sections
of the pool wall truly straight, and curved sections in the
desired curvature. The pool is also provided with an out-
wardly extending deck around the upper edge which is bracedto the sidewalls of the pool by means of bracing secured to
the sidewalls and particularly the rearwardly extending flan-
ges. It is preferred that a pair of braces, vertically spaced,
be provided at each flange, the upper ends of those braces
being adapted to have a mould plate secured thereto to define
the outer edge of a concrete deck to be poured later. The
invention also contemplates the provision of bottom braces to
hold the bottom edge of the upstanding wall in the desired
accurately maintained shape during construction of the pool.
Applicant also contemplates the provision of additional Z-
shaped bars which may be attached to the modular plates in-
termediate the main flanges of the pool wall to further
assist in stiffening the same and a novel means and method
is contemplated for maintaining curved sections to the desi-
red ¢urvature, without influencing adjacent modules, untilthe pool has been rigidly secured in place in its excavation.
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More particularly the present invention provides for an
arrangement for maintaining a predetermined curvature during
construction of a portion of a swimming pool having a .
plurality of integral bendable wall modules secured togetner
in end-to-end relation by means of fasteners extending
through adjacent portions of adjacent modules, at least one
of the wall modules being bent under tension to the pre-
determined curvature, the arrangement including at least
one rigid member extending chordally of the curved module
and having its opposite ends secured by the fasteners to
thereby maintain the one module in the predetermined curva-
ture under tension until substantial completion of the
swimming pool.
Also more particularly, the present invention relates to a
method of forming and maintaining a desired curvature in a
portion of a swimming pool wall, comprising the steps of
applying forces to oppo~ed ends of an integral bendable
module in a manner to cause the module to assume a desired
curvature under tension; securing opposite en~ o,f a
rigid bar to the opposed ends of the curved module to ex-
tend chordally thereacross for maintaining the module in the
desired curvature; securing additional modules to the curved
module to complete the swimming pool wall in a desired con- -
figuration; rigidly securing the upper and lower edges of
the wall; and removing the rigid bar from the curved module.
BRIBF DESCRIPTION OF TEIE DRAWINGS
Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of the swimming pool of
the present invention;
Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view,
' 30 taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional
view, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;
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Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the framework
structure of Figure 2, the concrete decking being omitted
for purposes of clarity;
Figure 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary horizontal
- 5 sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is an enlarged fragme~tary vertical sectional
view through the coping showing particularly the Z-shaped
reinforcing brace;
Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the framework struc-
ture at a corner of the swimmingpool, on a reduced scale;
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Figure 8 is an elevational view of the corner of the pool,
partly in section, showing the struts for temporarily hol-
ding the curved corners, taken Gn the line 8-8 of Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a fragmentary isometxic view taken at a panel
joint, showing the slot in the rearwardly extending flange
to receive the depending leg of the coping; and
Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional
view taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 9.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Figure 1 is a plan view of the end portion of an exemplary
swimming pool wherein the upstanding wall of the pool is
provided with a coping 2 extending the entire length thereof
to provide a finished corner edge between the upstanding
sidewall and a concrete apron 4 extending outwardly therefrom.
,
The pool wall is constructed of modular plates 6, of sheet
me~al or other suitable material, each having a rearwardly
extending 1ange 8 ben~ therefrom (see Figure 9). Each flange
8 is at the edge o a stepped portion 10 of the adjacent end
of a plate 6 which stepped portion is substantially egual to
the thickness o a plate 6, so that when the plates are assem-
bled with the type of joint shown in Figure 9, the innsr sur-
faces o~ those plates define a continuous coplanar surface.
The free edge of one plate 6 is seated in the step 10, and
bolted to the adjacent plate by means of fasteners 12 seated
in embossed recesses 14. The recesses 14 are provided in both
the plates 6 by pressing a small area of the plates outwardly
and serve to house the fasteners 12 without pro-trusions in-
wardly of the pool.
According to the present invention, the upper edge of the up-
standing wall defined by plates 6 is capped by a resilient
coping member 16 (Figure 6), having a recess therein to
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receive and hold the bead 18 of a flexible pool liner 20.
The use of such liners is conventional and need not be des-
cribed further. The coping 16 is provided with depending
flanges 22 and 24 embracing the upper edge portions Or the
plates 6 and a rearwardly extending portion defining an up-
wardly facing channel in which a rigid steel bar 26 is placed
to rigidify the structure. AS shown, the rearwardly exten-
ding portion containing the bar 26 rests directly on the
reinforcing flanges 8 previously described and on any Z-
shaped bars which will be describPd. The coping me~ber 16is also,provided with an upper curved corner defining portion
and a depending flange 28, which may be interlocked with any
suitable deck structure, such as the concrete slab 30 shown
in Figure 6. As best seen in Figure 9 the upper end portion
of step 10 and flange 8 are notched, as' at 31 to accommodate
the continuous outer flange 24 of the coping 16. Numeral 17
designates a connector element spanning the joint between
abutting ends of lengths of coping 16.
Referring now to Figure 2, numerals 32 and 3~ denote stakes
that may be provided and driven throuyh openings i~ the
flange 8 for the purpose of anchoring the edges of those
flanges to the ground while the pool i5 being constructed.
Also shown in Figure 2 are diagonally upwardly and rearwardly
extending braces 35 and 36. These braces are shown as being
o sheet metal and of channel shape, and are bolted to the
flanges 8 to extend upwardly and Learwardly in substantially
parallel relation and a tension member 38 secured to each
of the braces principally to support brace 35,, when present,
since it is a longer cantilever than brace 36. At their up-
per ends, the braces 35 and 36 are configured to define ~er-
tical end faces 40, which may be in the form of flanges
extending from the sidewall of the braces and in constructing
the pool, concrete reinforcing rods 42 are extended throuyh-
out the upper ends of the braces to provide metal reinforce-
ment for the concrete slab 30. The vertical faces 40 andthe braces serve to selectively position a form plate 44
constituting an outer mould surface for the concrete slab 30,
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thus determining its width. The form plates may be selec-
tively mounted on the brace 35 for a slab of maximum width
or may be mounted on the end of brace 36 and brace 35 may
be omitted when an intermediate width slab is desired. Also,
both braces 35 and 36 may be omitted and plate 44 mounted
directly on the rear edges of flanges 8 when a narrow apron
is desired.
To maintain the lower edge of the upstanding wall of the
pool in the desired configuration during construction, appli-
~ant also provides generally V-shaped braces 46 (see Figure
4), having their central portions bolted to the plates 6 at
approximately their mid regions and having arms extending
diagonally and rearwardly therefrom to the rear edge portions
of the flanges 8. At their rear ends, the braces 46 are
secured to the flanges 8 and thus constitute a rigidifying
means which can be adapted to positive]y hold the lower edge
of the pool wall in any desired configuration during construc-
tion, either straight or curved in either a horizontal or ver-
tical plane, or both. Figure 4 also shows a generally Z-
shaped stiffener bar 48 having its forward edge secured tothe ~lates 6 and having a rear narrow flange 50. Thus, the
bar 48 serves to further rigidiy and stiffen the sidewall
plates. As shown in Figure 4, the lower end of the reinfor-
cir.g or stiffening bar 48 may have an anchor rod 52 at its
lower end to be embedded in concrete as will be described
later.
It is also customary to form swimming pools of this type
with curved rather than square corners, such as shown at 54
in Figure 1. In initially constructing the swimming pool
wall with such curved corners, it is difficult to maintain
the corner at the proper curvature, without transmitting
bendiny forces to the adjacent plates of the sidewall which
should be maintaine~ in straight condition and truly tangent
to the curve. Figures 7 and 8 herein depict applicant's
method and means for properly forming the curved corner por-
tion 54. As shown, a plate 6 to be curved is secured to
adjacent plates 6 intended to extend tangentially from the
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curved plate in the finished pool without residual curvature
in those plates. To effect proper forming of the corner,
applicant secures the three plates together, the middle one
of which is to be curved and by applying forces to the outer
plates, the curvature of the plate 6 in the middle is pro-
duced. To maintain that curvature while relieving the end
plates of all stress, applicant provides a strut or bar 56
having end portions 58 provided with openings through which
fastening means 12 may pass to secure the strut to the ends
of the middle plate 6 after it has beerA curved in the desired
amount. Thereafter, the stress on the bending forces on the
adjacent plates 6 may be relieved and they will then assume
a true straight line configuration tangent to the curve of
the median plate 6. Those struts are held to the structure
by selected fasteners 12 which are also employed to secure
adjacent plates together. After the pool has been completed,
as will be described, the struts 56 may be remo~ed and the
selected fasteners 12 repl~ced in the plates and the desired
curve at the corner of the pool is maintained. As shown in
Figure 8, at least two of the struts 56 are employed, an upper
one adjacent the upper edge ~f the wall and a lower one adja-
cent the lower edge thereof.
In constructing a swimming pool of the type described herein,
an excavation is first formed at the site, the excavation be-
ing large enough to provide excavatea areas outside theintended position of the pool wall. Thus, the builder has
room ta work in that region outside of the wall to assemble
the various plates as described. When the entire pool wall
has been assembled as described herein, it can be placed on
suitable blocks 60 (see Figure 2), or otherwise supported,
for maintaining the waJl at the desired elevation and level,
concrete may be poured about the l~wer edge portion of the
pool, such as shown at 62 in Figure 4. This concrete then
permanently and positively rigidifies the lower edge of the
pool wall and holds the same riyidly in the desired configu-
ration. Thereafter, earth backfill 64 may be placed (see
Figure 2) to back up and further support the plates 6 on
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their outer sides. Therea:Eter, the concrete apron 30 may be
poured and the pool is then completed.
While a single specific embodiment of the invention has been
shown and described herein, the same is merely illustrative .
of the principles involved and further embodiments may be
adopted within the scope of the appe~aed claims.
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