Abstract: A swimming pool safety drain including a base having a bottom, and having end walls and side walls extending upwardly from the bottom to form an open top enclosure. A cover is removably secured to the enclosure and, when secured to the enclosure forms an inlet slot about the periphery thereof. A plurality of drain outlets are formed in the base for connection to water recirculating systems for the swimming pool and any supplemental water recirculating system. A safety bridge is secured in the enclosure between the side walls and is positioned over the drain outlets to provide hair and limb entrapment protection. A construction cover is provided to temporarily replace the permanent cover during construction and installation of the drain.

Abstract: A swimming pool cleaning system includes a pump, a first tube coupling a suction port of the pump in fluid communication with a main drain or mobile cleaning device which draws water and settled debris from the bottom of the pool, and a skimming device including an entrainment nozzle and a safety tube. The entrainment nozzle is coupled by a second tube to a coupling device which diverts a small portion of pool return water pumped from an outlet port of the pump. The safety tube extends from above the water line and above the debris trap in the skimmer to the body of the skimmer below the debris trap. Most of the pool return water is pumped into a rotary distribution valve, various outlets of which are connected to various pool cleaning heads embedded in an inner surface of the pool. A single low-horsepower pump produces simultaneous effective skimming and operation of embedded cleaning heads.

Abstract: A cleaning head for installation in a swimming pool floor fitting (9) includes a pop-up cylinder (5) having a plurality of first camming elements (44) disposed on its outer wall, a compression spring (6) disposed around it, and an outer cylinder (11) having a plurality of second camming elements (42) and third camming elements (40) disposed along the inner wall (47A) of the outer cylinder (11) for engagement with the first camming elements. A nozzle cap (15) is removably attached to the upper end of the pop-up cylinder (5), and includes a plurality of nozzles having various diameters, respectively, only a selected one of the nozzles being aligned with a clearance opening (20) of the pop-up cylinder.

Abstract: A barrier device (1) and technique for use in the plumbing during construction of a swimming pool includes a tubular cylindrical section (2) having an open first end. A pop-out barrier (12) is integral with the cylindrical section, and is disposed to cover a second end of the cylindrical section. In one embodiment, an annular water barrier flange (3) is integral with the cylindrical section, and is disposed about a mid portion of the cylindrical section to prevent water leakage around an outer surface of the cylindrical section (2) when the barrier device is installed on the end of a water return pipe or drain pipe extending through the a wall surface of a swimming pool.

Abstract: A barrier device (1) and technique for use in the plumbing during construction of a swimming pool includes a tubular cylindrical section (2) having an open first end. A pop-out barrier (12) is integral with the cylindrical section, and is disposed to cover a second end of the cylindrical section. In one embodiment, an annular water barrier flange (3) is integral with the cylindrical section, and is disposed about a mid portion of the cylindrical section to prevent water leakage around an outer surface of the cylindrical section (2) when the barrier device is installed on the end of a water return pipe or drain pipe extending through the a wall surface of a swimming pool.

Abstract: A distribution valve includes a fluid inlet port and a plurality of fluid outlet ports, wherein the distribution valve includes a housing including a fluid inlet (3). The housing includes an upper section (15B) and a lower section (15B). A gear reduction assembly (2) located in the housing includes a gear reduction mechanism (2A) and impeller (2B) located near the inlet port and connected to a rotary input shaft of the gear reduction mechanism (2A). A cam device (6) engages a rotary output shaft of the gear reduction mechanism so as to rotate the cam device in response to rotation of the impeller. The cam device (6) includes a raised section (6A having their own a raised camming surface (6B) which rotates in response to rotation of an impeller of the impeller (2B). A plurality of valve assemblies disposed in the lower section (15A) are arranged to open or close fluid paths through the plurality of fluid outlet ports (4), respectively, in response to rotation of the camming surface (6B).

Abstract: A distribution valve includes a fluid inlet port and a plurality of fluid outlet ports, wherein the distribution valve includes a housing including a fluid inlet (3). The housing includes an upper section (15B) and a lower section (15B). A gear reduction assembly (2) located in the housing includes a gear reduction mechanism (2A) and impeller (2B) located near the inlet port and connected to a rotary input shaft of the gear reduction mechanism (2A). A cam device (6) engages a rotary output shaft of the gear reduction mechanism so as to rotate the cam device in response to rotation of the impeller. The cam device (6) includes a raised section (6A) having their own a raised camming surface (6B) which rotates in response to rotation of an impeller of the impeller (2B). A plurality of valve assemblies disposed in the lower section (15A) are arranged to open or close fluid paths through the plurality of fluid outlet ports (4), respectively, in response to rotation of the camming surface (6B).

Abstract: A distribution valve for a swimming pool cleaning system includes a housing with a high pressure fluid inlet disposed on a side of the housing, a plurality of outlet ports for connection to a plurality of return lines, respectively, a plurality of valves opening or closing the outlet ports from the interior, and an impeller-driven gear assembly to sequentially open and close each valve in response to rotation of the impeller. A cover unit is connected to the housing, and includes an impeller chamber connected to an underside portion of the cover unit, with the impeller disposed concentrically in the impeller chamber. The impeller includes a circular disk base that forms a bottom of the impeller chamber. A guide passage extends from an inlet window of the impeller chamber to guide a stream of water from the inlet into the inlet chamber against blades of the impeller causing it to rotate.

Abstract: A swimming pool debris removal system includes a recirculating pump and a vacuum chamber having an access port, an inlet port, and an outlet port connected to a suction inlet of the pump. The inlet port is connected to receive water and debris pumped from the pool. A removable vacuum seal lid is disposed in the access port, forming a vacuum seal therewith. An air bleed tube coupled to the outlet port draws air trapped between the lid and water in the chamber into the outlet port and suction inlet when the pump is operating, causing the trapped air to be replaced by water and thereby reducing momentum forces of water in the chamber against the lid as the pump is turned off. The lid includes a disk with a circumferential groove and a handle attached to an upper surface of the disk.

Abstract: A system for automatically maintaining a desired water level in a swimming pool, includes a float chamber coupled in fluid communication with a suction tube that is coupled between the pool and a pool filter pump. A float carrying a magnetic element is disposed in the float chamber. A magnetic switch is located in a fixed position outside of the float chamber at a level corresponding to the desired water level. The magnetic switch assumes a first state if the pool water level is equal to or higher than the desired water level and assumes a second state if the pool water level is lower than the desired water level. A solenoid valve is connected between a pressurized water source and an intermediate portion of a return tube returning pumped water to the pool. A circuit is coupled to the valve and the magnetic switch to close the valve when the pump is operating, and open the valve when the pump is not running and the magnetic switch is in the second state.

Abstract: A fluid distribution apparatus includes an impeller-driven gear reduction mechanism and a plurality of outlet valves controlled in response to the gear reduction mechanism. Each valve includes a hollow stationary cylinder with an open top and an open bottom in fluid communication with a respective outlet port. Each stationary cylinder includes a side port. Each valve also includes a hollow rotating cylinder positioned inside the stationary cylinder and having a closed top connected to a valve drive gear driven by the gear reduction mechanism. Each rotary cylinder has an open bottom that communicates with a respective outlet port of the fluid distribution apparatus. Each rotary cylinder also includes an inlet port that overlaps the inlet port of the corresponding stationary cylinder during a portion of a 360 degree rotation of the rotary cylinder.

Abstract: A distribution valve includes a housing having an upper fluid inlet, a plurality of bottom fluid outlets and enclosing a rotary impeller disposed directly beneath the fluid inlet, and a plurality of stationary baffles disposed between a bottom plate of the impeller and the fluid inlet for directing portions of the incoming fluid directly at a plurality of vertical vanes supported at the bottom plate of the impeller. A stationary planetary gear disposed about a vertical axis of the distribution valve engages a pair of symmetric gear assemblies supported on a rotary gear assembly base and each driven by a drive gear attached to the impeller. A foot-shaped cam is attached to the lower portion of the rotary gear assembly base and rotates through a 360.degree. angle, sequentially lifting each of a plurality of spherical valve balls from its seat in the bottom of the housing.

Abstract: A distribution valve includes a housing having an upper fluid inlet, a plurality of bottom fluid outlets, and enclosing a plurality of bottom fluid outlets, and enclosing a rotary impeller disposed directly beneath the fluid inlet, a plurality of stationary baffles disposed between a bottom plate of the impeller and the fluid inlet for directing portions of the incoming fluid directly at a plurality of vertical vanes supported at the bottom plate of the impeller. A stationary planetary gear disposed about a vertical axis of the distribution valve, a pair of symmetric gear assemblies each driven by a drive gear attached to the impeller, each of the symmetric gear assemblies being supported on a rotary gear assembly base, and each also having an outer gear engaging the teeth of the planetary gear cooperate to cause the rotary gear assembly base to rotate in response to rotation of the impeller. A foot-shaped cam is attached to the lower portion of the rotary gear assembly base and rotates through a 360.degree.

Abstract: A cleaning head for installation in the bottom surface of a swimming pool includes a rotary pop-up jet producing element having a hollow cylindrical lower section open at its bottom and an enlarged cylindrical hollow upper section closed at its top. An outlet opening is disposed in a vertical cylindrical wall of the upper section. A camming pin extending from the vertical cylindrical wall of the lower section engages opposed, staggered upper and lower saw-tooth-like camming surfaces disposed along an inner cylindrical wall of a stationary section of the cleaning head. The stationary section of the cleaning head sealably engages with a housing installed in the bottom surface of the swimming pool and is sealably coupled to an intermittent high pressure water supply.

Abstract: A cleaning head for installation in the bottom surface of a swimming pool includes a rotary pop-up jet producing element having a hollow cylindrical lower section open at its bottom and an enlarged cylindrical hollow upper section closed at its top. An outlet opening is disposed in a vertical cylindrical wall of the upper section. A camming pin extending from the vertical cylindrical wall of the lower section engages opposed, staggered upper and lower sawtooth-like camming surfaces disposed along an inner cylindrical wall of a stationary section of the cleaning head. The stationary section of the cleaning head sealably engages with a housing installed in the bottom surface of the swimming pool and is sealably coupled to an intermittent high pressure water supply.

Abstract: A cleaning head for connection at bottom surfaces of a swimming pool to an automatic pressure control system includes a chamber and a rotary expansion collar disposed in the chamber. The collar has relatively thin cylindrical walls and an inclined slot extending through the cylindrical wall, allowing the collar to expand in response to increased water pressure produced by the pressure control system. The slot is closed when the collar is relaxed and is opened in response to water being forced under high pressure into an interior portion of the chamber surrounded by the collar. Water ejected from the interior portion through the open slot causes the collar to rotate. As the water pressure increases, the collar expands further until its outside surfaces frictionally engage the chamber wall, stopping rotation of collar.