US3801994A - Pool cover and elevating apparatus therefore - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to an air inflatable bag or container employed to elevate the covering sheet customarily used for protecting a swimming pool when not in use. The container has an open end held submerged in water and provides a passageway to entrap a quantity of water. Air is then bubbled up through the entrapped water into the bag to inflate the same. Various shapes and constructions are shown all operating on the same principle.

Description

United States Patent 1191 1111]v 3,801,994 Brown [451 Apr. 9, 1974 [54] POOLCOVERANDELEVATING 3,533,110Y 10/1970 Gisondi 4/17212 APPARATUS THEREFORE 3,608,099 9/1971 Wall 4/172.12 3,619,957 11/1971 Adam 52/2 [.76] Inventor: George Joseph Brown, 117 Brook Ln., Cheshire, Conn. 06410 [22] Filed;Y July 24, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 274,825

[52] U.s. ci. 4/172.12 [51] Int. Cl E04h 3/16, E04h 3/18 [58] Field of Search 4/172, 172.11, 172.12, 4/172.l3, 172.14; 52/2, 3

[56] References Cited l UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,008,148 ll/l96l Viarling 4/172.l2 3,355,745 12/1967 Jannuzzi 4/172.12 Y 3,366,977 2/1968 Koehler.; 4/172.12

Pririnary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Harold F..Johnston [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates-to an air inflatable bag or container employed to elevate the covering sheet customarily used for protecting a swimming pool when not in use. The container has an open end held submerged in water and provides a passageway to entrap a quantity of water. Air is then bubbled up through the en trapped water into the bag to inflate the same. Various shapes and constructions are shown all operating on the same principle. f

26 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures PIIIENIEIIIPR 9 am 3L801Q994 SHEET 1 UFv 4 .HEM ,y II

H \\|HI/ n I .I I l I I I u n I I MI I l I l f II I \N` I .Th I QM. 1 HNNHIIII II IvMIIwIIH I I N IIW I III I I 9M [n-III |||II| III" I IHHIIIIIIIIII Nw N IIIIIII PATENTEUAPR 91914 3.801.994

snm 3 of v4 POOL COVER AND ELEVATING APPARATUS THEREFORE This invention relates to swimming pools and particularly to a method andapparatus for controlling the elevation and inclination or slope of a plastic swimming pool cover commonly used for winterizing a swimming The present means for elevating the central portion of a pool cover isby draining approximately inches of water from. the pool, then inflating a plastic pillow or balloon and floating'it to the center of the pool and holding it by several ties from the pillow to the pool outer edge.` This cover is then spread across the pool surface and draped over the inflated pillow and made secure to the pool edge. Finally by refilling the pool to its original height, the center of the cover will be elevated by the buoyancy of the pillow and impart a taut and downward inclination to the cover.

The problem with this system is that it requires'draining the height of the pooL water about. l0 inches, and then making the installation of the pillow vand the cover. To impart an angular inclination to the pool cover, requires replacing the amount of water previthe protective cover attached to the upper part of the wall with my First Form of inflatable container installed and in its initial collapsed state.

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the pool cover as it will appear when the container is inflated.

FIG. Q is an enlarged view asvdefined 4byheirle A in FIG. 2 of a modified form of pool cover and air container combined as a single unit.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a further modified form of a combined pool cover and air container.

FIG. 5 shows a different arrangement of the draw cables attached to the reenforced rim of the container.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional viewof the same type of swimming pool illustrated in FIG. 1, but showing a Second Form of construction in which the pool cover itself is the inflatable container showing the cover in a deflated state.

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the cover in an in Aflated and elevated state.

FIG. 8 is a side view of one of the cable anchoring members. f

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional portion .of the supplemental air container having a whistle incorporated therein.

FIG. 10 is a Third Form of pool area elevating device making use of two inflatable bags with one inside of the ously drained. This has several disadvantages. First, the l time required for draining and refilling lthe pool, plus f the expense of the wasted and replaced water. Se-

condly, there is no way of deflating or reinflating the plastic pillow once the cover is installed, without'removing the cover and repeating the installation operathe water and become entrapped in the container or air bag for inflating the same and raising it within the pool to` any desired height for the purpose of elevating the center area ofthe pool cover to the proper height and inclination -to shed rain, snow and vother undesirable material that might fall into-the pool.

A still further and very novel object is vto make use of the water surface itself asthe means for entrappingand confining the air within the inflated container thus eliminating the use of a forced air connection directly into the bag'such aswould produce a progressively increasing back pressure as the bag inflates. This also obviates the use of any and all mechanical shut-off valves.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein n FIG. l isa cross section ofaconventional swimming pool of the type located above the groundand showing other, shown in a deflated state.

F IG. 11 is a similar view showing the two containers inflated. l

FIG. 1`2 is a plan view of a spider member used for holding the bag necks in concentric spaced position.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the concentric necks.

FIG. 14 is a Fourth Form of theinvention showing only a portion of the pool, and

FIG. 15 is an enlarged sectional view of the float unit forming a part of theinvention.

FIRST FoRM Referring now to the drawings wherein like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts through the several views and describing'the First Form of the invention as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 designatesgreray"a1 circular swimrriing pool ofthe type located above the ground and consisting of a circularsheet metal tank wall I2 having its lower edge resting in a bottoml rail 14 that sits upon the ground G and its Upp er e dge or vrigiis cappedby a coping membr'f'lpresenting a ltop serve asma seatfon theswimmers. The pool hasthe usual liner L having aside wall 20 pressed against thetank wall 12 by the force of the water confined within the tank and abase sheet 22 resting upon the surface of the ground G, the surface of the ground being usually inclined downwardly toward the center of the A pool. The upper end of theliner side wall 20 is formed with afold lip 24 that is adapted to slipover theupper edge oftank wall 12 and held there in place by a pair offlanges 26 depending from the copingtop surface 18.

In winterizing a swimming pool, alarge cover sheet 28 preferably of air-impervious vinyl -material is stretched over thetank 10 and initially havingitsmajor expanse laying on the water surface as shown in FIG. l. The outer areaof the cover is draped overthe coping 16 and tucked inwardly thereunder and held against the numeral 10M the tank outer wall by a spring-tensionedcable 30 incorporated in the edge of said cover.

The means and method that is employed to elevate thecover 28 to a position as shown in FIG. 2 consists of a large inverted inflatable cup-shaped bag orcontainer 32 made of a relatively thin, flexible material and its lower edge or inlet opening is reenforced by a heavyannular ring 34, the inlet opening of thebag 32 having a diameter substantially less than the tank size. The purpose of thering 34 is to give sufficient weight to the op'en end of the bag to keep it submerged when it is initially placed on the pool surface with some amount of air entrapped within the upper portion of said bag. The neck portion of the bag adjacent thering 34 forms a passageway for entrappng a quantity of water. The surface of this entrapped water designated by the letter S forms a sealing means for retaining the entrapped air in the upper portion of the bag.

In order to stabilize and centralize thebag 32,several wire cables 36 are provided having one end attached toeyes 38 depending from thering 34, and the opposite end of thecables 36 are made secure toacommon ring 40. An adjustingcable 42 is likewise attached to thering 40 and is passed down through ahandle 44 forming a part of aweight 46 resting on the pool bottom at its center. Thecable 42 is thence Adirected up to and I tied to an-eye 47 secured to theinner coping flange 26.

passed over the coping'and underneath a portion of thepool cover 28 by detaching and raising an adjacent portion thereof. Thehose 48 is coupled at 50 to a relatively lightrigid tube 52 of metal or plastic and havingintegral eyes 54 for suspension on the adjustingcable 42. The other end of the tube is coupled to a piece offlexible hose 56 through which air is discharged into the water and then bubbles up through the entrapped water, escapes from the surface S and is caught within thebag 32. For the purpose of controlling the elevation of the discharge end of thehose 56, a series ofguide eyes 58 arecarried by said hose and another set ofguide eyes 60v are carried by therigid tube 52. Apull cord 62 is threaded through theeyes 58and 60 and passed over the coping as shownin FIG. lfor manipulation purposes.-

`ln the operation of my device, when thebag 32 is first placed within the pool in a limp state and they reen-b forcedend 34 drawn down into the water by thecords 36 and the adjustingcable 42 some air and water will be entrapped within theba'g 32 and the latter lwill take on a shape substantially as shown in FIG. l. When the bag reenforcedend 34 is adjusted to its desired depth,

the adjustingcable 42 may be made secure to eye 47. To inflate the bag `32, itis only necessary to force air through thehose 48.tube 52 andend hose 56 whereupon the air will bubble up through the en'trapped'wa-V ter as shown and inflate the bag to t'heposition as shown in FIG. 2. As long as the bag is held in a stable state by thecables 36, the air will remain entrapped in the bag and hold thecover 32 in an elevated and downwardly tapering state. It is to be noted that the surfaces of water S within the bag comprises a sealing means for holding the pressurized air within the inflatedbag 32. During the time when air is passing through the supply tube, 52 andend hoses 48`and 56, because of when devoid of air will drop to the position as shown in FIG. 2 after thesupply hose 48 is removed. Now the loosened portion of thecover 32 may be tied back underneath the coping 16.

If fsf Soms reason ,Orptbsrit isslssifed t0 f leflate thebag 32 in part or completely, it is mil-yuncessary to bend theend hose 56 to a position where its discharge end is elevated above the water surface within said bag as shown in dotted outline in FIG. 2 which is accomplished by merely pulling on Ytl 1 r ull cord 6 2. Due to the fact that some amount of water may be lodged in the air connected hoses and tube, it is first necessary to exhaust this residual water by blowing inwardly on theouter hose 48, whereupon the pressurized air inbag 32 will then readily flow outwardly through the connected hoses and tube. The discharge of air may be immediately stopped by dropping the end of thehose 56 below the water level within the bag passageway, the water in fact serving as a shut-off valve. It will now be evident that the depth of thering 34 effectively controls the maximum pressure which may be developed within the bag to prevent bag'rupture. It should be understood that in the manufacture of thebag 32, it may be molded to the shape as it appears fully 'inflated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a form where some material may be saved by making the central area of the pool covering 28 serve as the closed end of theinflatable bag 32. This is accomplished' by formingthe bag with only a side wall 64and anarcuate portion 66 the upper end of which is sealed to the'pool coverasat 68.

FIG. 4 shows another type of combinedpool cover 28 and inflatable container 32'. Here the air container is substantially the sameas in FIG. l, but thesheet lcover 28 takes the form of a large annulus. The inner area of the cover is provided with a detachable form offastener 29 on its under surface. A complemental fastener part 3l is attached to the upper surface of the container adjacent the arcuate portion 66'. The form of fastener elements here used may be the fastener material known as Ve lcro. In this form, if desired, the sheet cover need not be made of impervious vinyl material but can be made of the conventional woven mesh polypropylene material such as used in some pool covers. l

FIG. 5 shows a modified form of draw cable arrangement wherein thedraw cables 36 are all extended in length and passed through the weight handle V44, thenceup to the pool coping 1 6, where they may be attached in the usual manner. In this construction thecables 36' may be individually manipulated for controlling the position of the reenforced lower rim of the container in the pool. With this arrangement the rim of said container can be tilted for the purpose of exhausting air out `of the interior of the chamber if desired.

SECOND FORM In the second form of invention as shown in FIGS.'6 and 7, the tank consisting ofthe wall, liner, upper coping and ground rail are identical to the first form of invention. In this-form thepool cover 70 constitutes a part of the inflatable bag or air container and is'made just large enough so that its outer edge will be substantially coextensive with the pool coping 16. The outer end of thepool cover 70 is sealed to an inwardly and downwardlyarcuate skirt 72 which defines'an inlet passageway. The lower end of the skirt is affixed to anannular ring 74 to give rigidity and weight to the lower or inlet opening end of said skirt.

In order to hold the open end of theskirt 72 downwardly within the pool at a predetermined depth, provision is made ofseveral tie cords 76 attached toeyes 78 depending from thering 74. Thetie cords 76 are then directed downwardly and passed upwardly throughother eyes 80 formed as a part of anescutcheon plate 82 seated against the inside surface of theliner wall 20 for sealing purposes. The details of the escutcheon plate are shown in FIG. 8 and shows anintegral bolt portion 84 passing through suitable holes in the liner L andtank wall 12 to the exterior thereof. Here the bolt supports a cleat 86,washer 88 andnut 90, the latter serving to tighten all partshtogether as a unit. After theskirt ring 74 is drawn dwn to its desired depth, thetie cords 76 are directed over the pool coping 16 and thence down to the cleats 86 and wound thereabout in` the usual manner. Y

Pulling on theseveral tie cords 76 in their free state, the bottom edge of the skirt can be adjusted to any desirable depth within the pool. Obviously the deeper the open end of the skirt 72 'is pulled into the pool, the greater amount of air can be entrapped within the inflatable container which includescombinedskirt 72 andcover 70 and vice versa. In the manufacture of thepool cover 70 it is desirable to preform the skirt mate- 'rial so that it will assume generally aconical shape depicted in FIG. 7. Y

In order to prevent the outer rim of the combinedpool cover 70 andskirt 72, from blowing off from the top ofthe coping 16, several eyelet members (not shown) may be assembled in said outer rim and a like number ofhooks 73 provided with their eye portions assembled to said eyelet members and. their opposite hook ends may be detachable to a series ofeyes 75, projecting outwardly from the coping 16.

As an adjunct to the support of thepool cover 70 and to give it more weight-support ability (in pools of larger diameter), I propose to use Ya supplemental inflatable container generally indicated by the numeral 92. This container may be made as an effigy of some cartoon character or of a humorous personage or animal, to give entertainment to the young people making use of the pool in the summertime.` l

As an exam ple, there is shown an inverted hollow,cylindrical body 94, which may be ornamented externally to simulate the dress of the character portrayed.` The lower end of said body defines an inlet passageway and is formed integral with an inwardly and upwardlyconed basev 96 having a relativelylarge inlet opening 96a. The upper end of the container is rounded off at 98 to r'ep` resent shoulders and above this area is attached aspherical member 100 to represent a head with aninter-communicating passage 102 there between.

As a means of centering thecontainer 92 within the pool, use is made of a conventional sink plunger such as used by plumbers for'cleaning out'clogged drain traps. Ashere shown, the bell-like vacuum cup 104 is adhered to the floor part V22 of the pool liner L, and itsstick handle 106 is projected upwardly throughopening 96a in thecontainer base 96. If desired, aweighted member 97,'may be lodged within theangle defined bybody 94 and conedbase 96 to further stabilize thecontainer 92 in seeking a vertical position.

As a'means for infiating the twocontainers shown in thisembodiment, the same type of air supply hose as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, may be employed,a portion of which is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Here theinner hose 56 on end oftube 52, may rest upon thepool floor 22 and have its discharge end located in the water and positioned underneath thesupplemental container 92. Air

blown through the tube will bubble up through the water and funnel through theconical base 96 into container passageway. As air rises upwardly into thehead 100, the water levelin the containerm92 Awill gradually be forced downwardly and the buoyancy effect of the entrapped air will cause the container to gradually raise and elevate thecover sheet 70. Since the cover sheet and skirt 77 are hermetically sealed by reason ofthe entrapped water surface S within said skirt, as this sheet starts to rise, a vacuum will be created within the confines of saidsheet 70,skirt 72 and water surface S. To allow air at atmospheric pressure to be drawn into the evacuated space, an air-intake tube 91 is provided as shown in dotted outline in FIG. 6. The inner end of said tube is furnished with afloat 91a so as to hold the inlet end of the tube above the water surface. Thus air can be drawn into the large container to nullify anyy vacuum that might otherwise be created.

As pressurized air builds up in thesupplemental container 92, the water level therewithin will be lowered. When the water has been almost completely forced outwardly of the supplemental container, the air intake tube 91 should be withdrawn and the rim portion of thecover sheet 70 andskirt 72 anchored back in place by theadjacent hook 73. As more air is directed into thecontainer 92, it will finally exhaust the container of all water and the air will then seep around the lower-'edge of said container and bubble up through the water to be confined within the combinedsheet 70 andskirt bag 72 and increase the air pressure therewithin and give added support to said sheet. (Note the sectional portion of thecontainer 92 in FIG. 7).

As pointed out above the supplemental containei can be made in the image of an animal or some humorous personage and make a plaything forthe'youngsters who may patronize the pool when it has been stripped of all winterizing accoutrementsrBy emptying most of the water out of thecontainer 92 and then by vertically plunging said container upwardly and downwardly in said pool, the air entrapped within said container `will progressively increase the buoyance effect of thecontainer the deeper it is plunged into the pool. Also, if biased out of a vertical position the air entrapped within thecontainer 92 will add to the wrestling effect of the container in seekinga horizontal position and float to the top.`

To give added amusement to thecontainer 92, a whistle 108 is provided that is secured to the inside of thehead 100, the details as best shown in FIG. 9. The whistle consists of along tube 109 extended down into the container almost its full extent. The upper end of cinity of the ear of the character represented. Theport 114 is defined by a flanged bushing' 116 extending inf wardly of the head and the surface of the whistle surrounding the opening 1'12 may be aixed to the flanged portion of the bushing by a suitable adhesive.

ln the operation of themusical container 92, it will be apparent that as said container is plunged vertically downwardly in the pool water it will rise within said container and compress the air within thehead 100 and thence the air will be emitted outwardly through the whistle 108 andear port 114. As thecontainer 92 is lowered-into the water,'the latter will also rise within thewhistle tube 109 thus shortening the tube inside area and raising the pitch frequency of the whistle. By intermittently lowering and raising the container,

hooking the weight upon thecable 142 the-weight will ficently to permit it to overhang the coping 16 so that the tonal values of the whistle will change and with THIRD FORM The third embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGS. l and l1. Here the pool wall construction may be the same as shown in the previously described two forms. In this form a double bag or two air containers are shown one within the other designated as 120 and 130. The larger bag-120 includes two halves an upper half 1242andlowe'r half 124 seamed togetherat 125, both halves being ofa thin, flexible, air impervious material. The lower half `is formed with a dependingneck 126 defining a passageway. The neck has sufficient wall thickness to hold its own shape under normal circumstances. The lower end of the neck is reenforced byrim 128 which defines an inlet opening and provides an upwardly facingshoulder 129. The lower surface of the rim is preferably coned upwardly and inwardly to better guide the airv bubbles into the container as will appear later. Theinner bag 130 is here shown as a relatively smallersphere 132 of airimpervious material which has a dependent neck orpassageway 134 of thicker material sufficient to sustain its own shape.

The twonecks 126 and 134 are held concentrically spaced relative to eachother by means of aspider member 136 consisting of acentral annulus 138 and radial arms 140 (see FIG. 12).-The inner, upper surface oftheannulus 138 may be affixed to the lower end of theneck 134 by any suitable adhesive impervious to water. The arm's should `be of sufficient resiliency so that they can flex downwardly in forcingtheinner bag 130 upwardly within theouter bag neck 126, after which the arms will assume their normal outward position and come to rest upon the upwardly facingshoulder 129 of the reenforcing rim 128.9The central aperture in thespider 136 defines the inlet opening'into theinner container 132. y v In order to automatically position the .two'bags 120l and 130 proximate the center of the pool during installation, acable 142 is provided which is strung across thepool and anchored toeyes 144 attached to the inner flange of the coping l6, and left sufficiently slack t0 assumethe form of a catenary. A relativelylight weight 146 having ahook 148 is next suspended on thecable 142, and said hook in turn lis connected to thespider member 136 by alighter cable 150 leading up to and affixed to thearms 140 of said spider member. It will thus be obvious that whenthetwo bagsare in very much of a collapsed state (such as shown in FIG. v10) and are initially-thrown upon the pool surface, by

it can'be suitably attached to the outer surface of the tank wall l2. For this purpose I prefer to use the Velcro fastener means such as described in connection with FIG. 3. Specifically a strip of or an intermittant set ofstrip bases 154 may be attached to the outer surface of the pool tank l2 just below the coping 16. Another strip-or sets ofstrips 156 having the complemental fastener elements thereon are attached to the underside of thepool cover 152 adjacent its periphery.`By merely pressing the peripheral area of the pool cover inwardly thecomplemental fastener parts 154 and 156 will readily attach to Aeach other without requiring any critical alinement manipulations for holding this pool cover in l place. Conversely it will be just as easy to detach the cover by pulling outwardly on its peripheral edge any time it is desired to release a portion of or the entire pool cover.

For the purpose of inflating the twobags 120 and 130, use is made of atwin hose 158 such as can be purchased on the open market and consists of two individual hoses united together as a single unit. The outer end of saidhose 158 is layed over vthe coping 16 and under a released portion of the pool cover as shown in FIG. 10. Considering the dual function of thistwin hose 158, one hose serves as a forcedair hose 160 and the other a free air-intake hose 162. The outer end of thetwin hose 158 is split and the forcedair hose 160 is cutto a longer length and provided with1a coupling 161 for attachment to an air supply line. The opposite or inner end of thetwin hose 158 is held suspended on asuitable hook 164 depending from thereenforced rim 128 ofneck 126. The inner end of the twin hose is likewise split with the free air-intake hose 162 left considerably longer than the force-air hose and inserted through any A one of the spaces between thespider arms 140, lupwardly through the passageway defined by the inner andouter necks 134 and 126 and well up into the air space defined by theouter bag 120. The forced-air hose 160 is cut to a length where its inner terminal end will align substantially with the inlet opening into theneck 134 of thesmaller'bag 130, this end "of saidhose 160 being always positioned within the pool water so that air has to bubble up through the water to be entrapped within the inner bag.

Itis assumed that when the two bags and 130 are first floated upon the pool, water will be entrapped in their respective necks substantially as shown in FIG. 10. As the intake air is pumped into the hose the inner bag will be inflated and assume its semi-rigid spherical shape. As this smaller inner bag enlarges, the airspace within the larger outer bag will likewise enlarge and due to the lsealing feature of the water entrapped inneck 126, the larger bag will tend to create out of the neck 1 34. Thereafter the continued flowv of air from thehose 160 will be directed up into theneck 126 of thelarger bag 120 to inflate or pressurize the latter bag. At this time the outer end df the air-intake hose 162 which carries aweight 162 should be dropped into the water in the tank as shown by dotted outline in FIG. l to prevent the escape of air from theouter bag 120. As air continues to bubble up throughneck 126 thelarger bag 120 will be inflated to the state as shown in FIG. l1 and the water level in said neck will drop down approximately to the position as indicated. Here again it is to be observed the water level in theneck 126 serves as the valve or sealing means for retaining the pressurized air in thelarger bag 120 as well as thesmaller bag 130. After the two bags have been inflated to the desired state, the outer end of the forced-air hose 160 may then be lodged within thetank 12 along withhose 162.

Experimentation has shown that when pressurized air is initially introduced into thelarge bag 120, there is a tendency for itsneck 126 to rise within the pool in spite of theweight 146. Therefore, it is another function of thespider 136 to assure that the reenforced open end of theneck 126 is always held to a required depth within the pool. This is accomplished by the fact that the downward force and weight of the cover-152 in itsl FOURTH'FORM F1os. 14l and is show` a furtherernodincvannn or the invention referred to as the Fourth Form and wherein use is made of the conventional pillow-like bag or container 171 used for elevating aprotective cover 170 of a swimming pool. Here the bag 171 is shown as made in twohalves 172 and 173 sealed together at 174. A bushing 17S is lfixed to the underside of the bag to which one end of anair feed hose 176 is secured in any suitable manner. Thehose 176 defines a passageway which communicates with the interior of the container 171 and leads to afloat unit 178 located adjacent the tank'wall 12.

The float unit consists of a tube 1480 formed with'aninverted funnel 182 at its lower end which further defines the passageway leading to the container 171.' An annular weight memberl84 supported on the tube rests on thefunnel 182. Afloat ring 186 surrounds the tube l80at its upper end and may be adjusted up and down on said tube and made secureby aset screw 187 to determine the positionvof the inlet opening of thefunnel 182 relative to the surface of the water in the pool. By controlling the depth of the latter inlet opening the maximum pressure which can be developed within the container 171 may also be controlled to prevent damage to the container. i'

An S-shapedair discharge nozzle 188 of rigid con structionisshown as beinghooked over across pin 190 supported by thefunnel 182 adjacent itslower open end. The reason for this S-shaped nozzle is to direct its discharge end downwardly in the water rather than upwardly. Experience has revealed that if air bubbles are floated directly upwardly from the discharge end of a hose under or within the funnel such `action tends to I bubbles downwardly before rising upwardly to be entrapped in thefunnel 182 eliminates this fault.

Thenozzle 188 is coupled at 192 to a flexibleair supply hose 194 that leads up and over the coping 16. During the bag inflating operation one portion of thepool cover 170 will be loosened as indicated at 170' to allow the air supply hose to pass there underneath after which the hose may be removed or disposed within the tank and then the loosened portion of the cover may be clamped to the wall of the tank as indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 14.

While l have illustrated and described herein several forms in which this invention may be conveniently embodied, it is to be understood that other forms and variations may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

What l claim is:

1.1n combination with a swimming pool having a bottom and side walls terminating at an upper edge, means for covering the entire exposed surface of said pool, means for securing said covering means in fixed position relative to said pool with the outer perimeter of said covering means disposed outwardly o f said upper edge, means for elevating said covering means above the surface of the water in said pool including at least one inflatable container made from air-impervious material and having means defining a passageway communicatng with the interior thereof, said passageway having an inlet opening, means for maintaining said inlet opening and at least a portion of said passageway adjacent thereto in a submerged position to entrap a quantity of water in said passageway, and means for introducing'airintot'he water below the surface of the entrapped quantity of water to bubble upwardly through ysaid entrapped quantity andl escape from said surface thereof into said container whereby to inflate same, said surface of said entrappedquantity providing sealing means for maintaining the air in said container.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said containercomprises a collapsible bag.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 including means for reenforcing said bag at said inlet opening, said reenforcing means comprising said means for maintaining said inlet opening in a submerged position.

4. The combination as set forth in'claim 2 wherein said bag includes a reduced neck portion which defines i said inlet opening and said passageway.

carry some amount of water up into the air feed hose 5. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bag has a pillow-like configuration and said passageway is at least partially defined by an elongated hose communicating with the interior of said bag. 'i 6. The combination as set forth in claim l wherein said elevating means includes another container at least partially disposed within said one container.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein i said one container comprises a collapsible bag having a reduced neck portion and said other container comprises a collapsible bag having a reduced neck portion, said neck portion of said other container being disposed within said neck portion of said one container, each said neck portion defining said inlet opening and said passageway.

8. The combination as setforth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow laxially elongated body having a generally cylindrical portion definingsaid inlet opening, and said elevating means includes means for maintaining said body in a generally axially vertical condition.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow axially elongated body having a generally cylindrical portion and a spherical portion terminating its upper end, said cylindrical portion defining said inlet opening.

It). The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow axially elongated body having a generally cylindrical portion and a spherical portion terminating its upper end, said cylindrical portion defining said inlet opening, a whistle member positioned within said spherical portion and having a port leading to the exterior of said spherical portion, and a sound defining tube forming a part of said whistle and extending downwardly into said cylindrical portion.

ll. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow axially elongated body having an upper closed end and an upwardly extending conical base at its opposite lower end, said conical base having a central port defining the inlet opening into said other container.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow axially elongated body having an upper closed end and upwardly extending conical base at its opposite lower end, said conical base having a central port v.defining the inlet opening into saidotheiitainerfand a weight member lodged within the angle defined by said conical base with said elongated body.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein 17. The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein said means for automatically positioning said container comprises a line having the ends thereof secured at opposite sides of said pool and a weight slidablyvreceived on said line and connected to said intlatablecontainer.

18. The combination defined in claim l wherein said container is releasably secured to said covering means and forms a part thereof.

19. The combination as set forth inl claim 18 wherein said container is releasably secured to said covering means byVelcro 20. The combination as set forth in claim l wherein said covering means comprises an air-impervious sheet and a portion thereof forms a part of said container.

2l. The combination as set forth in claim l wherein said means for maintaining said inlet opening in a submerged position is adjustable to maintain said inlet opening at a predetermined position below the surface of the water.

22. The combination as set forth in claim 21 wherein said means for maintaining said inlet opening in a submerged position comprises a float adjustably secured to said passageway-defining means, and weight secured to said passageway-defining means between said inlet opening and said float. 4 23. The combination as set forth in claim 2l wherein said means for maintaining said inlet opening in a submerged PQSitiQn :Qm'pries a. weight d isgesetttte. bottom of said pool, and means providing adjustable connection between said weight and the portion of said container defining said inlet opening.

24. The combination as set forth in claim 21 wherein said adjustable connecting means comprises several tie cords, at least one of said tie cords extending through an opening in said weight and upwardly tov said upper i edge where it maybe manuallymanipulated to adjust said inlet opening to said predetermined position'.

25. The combination as set forth in claim l wherein said covering. means is attached to the outer side walls of said tank by detachable snap fasteners.

' 26. The combination as set forth in claim 25 wherein are of the Velcro" type.

' v nPage l UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE CERTIFICATE oF CORRECTION Patent No. 5,801,991* Dated April 9, 197A Inventor@ George v,Joseph Brown It is certified that error appears in the above-identifed-patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown `below:

Fig. 1.Fig. 2, Fig. 3., Fig.,'L, Fig., 5 Fig.. 6 Fig., 7,- Fig.,8, Fig. 9., Fig.. 11+ ma Fig. 15 Should appear as Shownton the attached sheets.

signed and Sealed this' 19th day of November 197i.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M., GIBSON, JR.vv v C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting; Officern t Commissioner of Patents FORM P04050 (1o-59) uscoMM-Dc ewan-Puo 0.5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: o

Claims (26)

1. In combination with a swimming pool having a bottom and side walls terminating at an upper edge, means for covering the entire exposed surface of said pool, means for securing said covering means in fixed position relative to said pool with the outer perimeter of said covering means disposed outwardly of said upper edge, means for elevating said covering means above the surface of the water in said pool including at least one inflatable container made from air-impervious material and having means defining a passageway communicating with the interior thereof, said passageway having an inlet opening, means for maintaining said inlet opening and at least a portion of said passageway adjacent thereto in a submerged position to entrap a quantity of water in said passageway, and means for introducing air into the water below the surface of the entrapped quantity of water to bubble upwardly through said entrapped quantity and escape from said surface thereof into said container whereby to inflate same, said surface of said entrapped quantity providing sealing means for maintaining the air in said container.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container comprises a collapsible bag.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 including means for reenforcing said bag at said inlet opening, said reenforcing means comprising said means for maintaining said inlet opening in a submerged position.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bag includes a reduced neck portion which defines said inlet opening and said passageway.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bag has a pillow-like configuration and said passageway is at least partially defined by an elongated hose communicating with the interior of said bag.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said elevating means includes another container at least partially disposed within said one container.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said one container comprises a collapsible bag having a reduced neck portion and said other container comprises a collapsible bag having a reduced neck portion, said neck portion of said other container being disposed within said neck portion of said one container, each said neck portion defining said inlet opening and said passageway.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow axially elongated body having a generally cylindrical portion defining said inlet opening, and said elevating means includes means for maintaining said body in a generally axially vertical condition.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow axially elongated body having a generally cylindrical portion and a spherical portion terminating its upper end, said cylindrical portion defining said inlet opening.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow axially elongated body having a generally cylindrical portion and a spherical portion terminating its upper end, said cylindrical portion defining said inlet opening, a whistle member positioned within said spherical portion and having a port leading to the exterior of said spherical portion, and a sound defining tuBe forming a part of said whistle and extending downwardly into said cylindrical portion.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow axially elongated body having an upper closed end and an upwardly extending conical base at its opposite lower end, said conical base having a central port defining the inlet opening into said other container.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other container comprises a hollow axially elongated body having an upper closed end and upwardly extending conical base at its opposite lower end, said conical base having a central port defining the inlet opening into said other container, and a weight member lodged within the angle defined by said conical base with said elongated body.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said one container comprises said covering means.

14. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said means for maintaining said inlet opening of said one container in a submerged position comprises said other container.

15. The combination set forth in claim 1 including means for automatically positioning said inflatable container generally midway between opposite sides of said pool.

16. The combination set forth in claim 15 wherein said means for automatically positioning said container comprises said means for maintaining said inlet opening in a submerged position.

17. The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein said means for automatically positioning said container comprises a line having the ends thereof secured at opposite sides of said pool and a weight slidably received on said line and connected to said inflatable container.

18. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said container is releasably secured to said covering means and forms a part thereof.

19. The combination as set forth in claim 18 wherein said container is releasably secured to said covering means by ''''Velcro.''''

20. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said covering means comprises an air-impervious sheet and a portion thereof forms a part of said container.

21. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining said inlet opening in a submerged position is adjustable to maintain said inlet opening at a predetermined position below the surface of the water.

22. The combination as set forth in claim 21 wherein said means for maintaining said inlet opening in a submerged position comprises a float adjustably secured to said passageway-defining means, and a weight secured to said passageway-defining means between said inlet opening and said float.

23. The combination as set forth in claim 21 wherein said means for maintaining said inlet opening in a submerged position comprises a weight disposed at the bottom of said pool, and means providing adjustable connection between said weight and the portion of said container defining said inlet opening.

24. The combination as set forth in claim 21 wherein said adjustable connecting means comprises several tie cords, at least one of said tie cords extending through an opening in said weight and upwardly to said upper edge where it may be manually manipulated to adjust said inlet opening to said predetermined position.

25. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said covering means is attached to the outer side walls of said tank by detachable snap fasteners.

26. The combination as set forth in claim 25 wherein the snap fasteners are of the ''''Velcro'''' type.

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