Abstract: A swimming pool safety cover of the solid fabric variety includes a flexible cover fabric formed of a plurality of reinforced thermoplastic polymer pieces assembled and heat sealed along their edges to form a unitary cover conforming to the shape of the pool and a plurality of anchor straps, each strap extending along a portion of and heat sealed to one side of the cover and projecting outwardly from, and spaced apart along, the periphery of the cover. The projecting portion of each anchor strap is sufficiently long to attach to the hardware and the portion of each strap extending along and heat sealed to the cover is no longer than one to three times the length of the projecting portion.

Abstract: A wand, such as for a surface cleaning apparatus, comprises at least an upstream rigid tube and a downstream rigid tube releasably pivotally connected to the upstream rigid tube. A flexible fluid flow conduit connects the downstream, tube in fluid flow communication with the upstream tube.

Abstract: A swimming pool safety cover of the solid fabric variety includes a flexible cover fabric formed of a plurality of reinforced thermoplastic polymer pieces assembled and heat sealed along their edges to form a unitary cover conforming to the shape of the pool and a plurality of anchor straps, each strap extending along a portion of and heat sealed to one side of the cover and projecting outwardly from, and spaced apart along, the periphery of the cover. The projecting portion of each anchor strap is sufficiently long to attach to the hardware and the portion of each strap extending along and heat sealed to the cover is no longer than one to three times the length of the projecting portion.

Abstract: A distinct element employed in a preferred embodiment of the invention resides in a two-compartment filter unit that extends operating life by permitting the function of the first compartment filtration to be transferred to the other compartment when the first compartment is clogged.

Abstract: A modular prefabricated filter/circulating system for in-ground swimming pools is provided. The swimming pool circulation system which serves to filter and circulate pool water is designed to be prefabricated at the factory and carried to the swimming pool site as a package and installed on the swimming pool wall so that one side wall of the prefabricated package becomes an integral part of the swimming pool wall. The system is provided with a skimmer with streamlined faceplate, main drain, skimmer filter, main drain filter, skimmer throttle valve, quick connect from filter to pump and return, pump, automatic safety pump shutoff, high efficiency pool returns and automatic pool sweep pressure increase mechanism. The system is designed to avoid conventional piping and trenches therefor normally associated with conventional swimming pool filtration systems. The system affords substantial energy saving and is more reliable and safer.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method of buffering rare-earth oxide phosphor slurries to control the pH thereof and thereby retard the formation of undesirable complexes.