Patents by Inventor Lester Mathews

Lester Mathews has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20040210998
    Abstract: A cleaning system for swimming pools includes a recirculating pump system which has a suction inlet and a water outlet. A suction return is located in the pool; and the suction return is connection to the suction inlet of the recirculating pump system. In-floor cleaning heads are located adjacent the ends of the pool and operate in a 360° circle to sweep the bottom of the pool and place debris in suspension. Intermediate the 360° rotatable heads, between the ends of the pool and the suction return, cleaning heads which sweep in substantially a 180° arc are directed toward the suction return to move debris toward the suction return for removal by the recirculating pump system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Inventor: Lester Mathews
  • Patent number: 6592752
    Abstract: A recirculating pump system is connected to either skimmers, or a catch basin for a vanishing edge of a swimming pool, to supply water to the suction inlet of the pump system. A water distribution valve operated by an electric control system distributes water from the outlet side of the recirculating pump system to pool cleaning heads normally in accordance with a preprogrammed timed sequence. As part of each programmed cycle of operation of the water distribution valve, water is supplied to one or more pool return jets located on a side opposite the skimmer or catch basin. The return jets create moving surface currents on the water to sweep debris floating on or near the water surface to the skimmer or catch basin. An electric wind speed detector located in the vicinity of the pool and coupled to the electric control system causes the control system to override the programmed sequence in response to wind exceeding a pre-established threshold to operate the pump system to supply water to the pool return jets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Caretaker Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Lester Mathews
  • Publication number: 20030085183
    Abstract: A recirculating pump system is connected to either skimmers, or a catch basin for a vanishing edge of a swimming pool, to supply water to the suction inlet of the pump system. A water distribution valve operated by an electric control system distributes water from the outlet side of the recirculating pump system to pool cleaning heads normally in accordance with a preprogrammed timed sequence. As part of each programmed cycle of operation of the water distribution valve, water is supplied to one or more pool return jets located on a side opposite the skimmer or catch basin. The return jets create moving surface currents on the water to sweep debris floating on or near the water surface to the skimmer or catch basin. An electric wind speed detector located in the vicinity of the pool and coupled to the electric control system causes the control system to override the programmed sequence in response to wind exceeding a pre-established threshold to operate the pump system to supply water to the pool return jets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Applicant: Caretaker Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Lester Mathews
  • Publication number: 20030056284
    Abstract: A cleaning system for swimming pools includes a recirculating pump system which has a suction inlet and a water outlet. A suction return is located in the pool; and the suction return is connected to the suction inlet of the recirculating pump system. In-floor cleaning heads are located adjacent the ends of the pool and operate in a 360° circle to sweep the bottom of the pool and place debris in suspension. Intermediate the 360° rotatable cleaning heads, between the ends of the pool and the suction return, cleaning heads which sweep in substantially a 180° arc are directed toward the suction return to move debris toward the suction return for removal by the recirculating pump system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventor: Lester Mathews
  • Patent number: 6138293
    Abstract: A fitting, in the form of a mounting collar for installation of a water input nozzle, such as a cleaning head in the floor and walls of a swimming pool, is designed to permit the fitting to be rocked from side to side a limited amount relative to the central axis of a water supply pipe in which the fitting is inserted during initial installation. This is done to allow for installation discrepancies where the water supply pipe is not perpendicular to the surface of the pool where the pipe opens into the pool. By allowing this amount of movement in the installation of the mounting collar, the orientation of a pop-up cleaning head, for example, with respect to the pool floor or wall, is ensured to be perpendicular; so that optimum cleaning of the pool surface during subsequent use of the system occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Caretaker Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Lester Mathews
  • Patent number: 6128792
    Abstract: A swimming pool aerator is designed with a base member secured to the end of a water return pipe above the water surface in the side of a pool or water feature basin. The base member carries a retractable spray nozzle, which normally is biased to retract into the wall of the pool through the base member. When water is applied to the supply line under pressure, an aerator nozzle is moved from a rest position to an extended position against the action of a biasing spring to spray water into the pool. When the pressure or supply is turned off, the aerator nozzle is retracted back into the base portion by the biasing spring to a position safely out of the way of swimmers or users of the pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Caretaker Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Lester Mathews
  • Patent number: 5785846
    Abstract: An improved filtration system for swimming pools and the like is disclosed, in which none of the water passing through the filter passes through the recirculating pump for the swimming pool. This is accomplished by connecting the water inlet of the filter directly with the floor drain and surface skimmer. The outlet from the filter is interconnected with an entrainment nozzle supplied with water under pressure from the recirculating pump for the pool. The pump withdraws water directly from the pool, and supplies that water under pressure to the entrainment nozzle, which then draws water through the filter from the outlet to mix such filtered water with the water supplied by the pump to the entrainment nozzle for return to a return outlet in the pool. As a consequence, water flowing through the filter is drawn through it by means of suction, rather than by supplying the water under pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Caretaker Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Barnes, Lester Mathews