Wall-mounted pivotable flow-directing assembly

Claim 2

A liquid flow-directing assembly comprising a housing having a socket portion defining a generally spherical chamber with opposed inlet and outlet openings thereto; a generally spherical flow-directing member seated in said chamber and having an axial passageway therethrough with an outlet end smaller than said outlet opening, said flow-directing member being pivotable in said chamber to position said passageway between said inlet and outlet openings in a multiplicity of angular attitudes relative to the axis between the centers of said inlet and outlet openings to control the direction of flow of liquid through said socket portion; and an inherently resilient, substantially nonporous rubber gasket retained in said socket portion and projecting into said chamber, said gasket having a circular aperture in which said flow-directing member is seated, said aperture and flow directing member being cooperatively dimensioned to provide snug seating of said member during operation of the assembly with the frictional contact therebetween resulting from the inherent resiliency of said gasket operating to restrain pivotal movement of said member and provide an effective liquid seal therebetween.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said assembly includes means disposed about the periphery of said housing for engaging the sidewall of a swimming pool or like structure and for mounting said assembly in an aperture in the sidewall thereof.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 2 wherein said housing has a front section providing said outlet opening for mounting on the inside of the sidewall and a rear section providing said inlet opening for mounting on the outside of the sidewall, both of said sections having complementary peripheral flanges for contact with opposite surfaces of the sidewall about the aperture therein, and wherein a plurality of fastening members extend axially through said flanges to mount said sections on the sidewall.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 3 wherein a pair of gaskets are included and extend radially between said peripheral flanges at the points of engagement thereof and are adapted to be disposed on opposite surfaces of the sidewall to form a seal thereabout.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 4 wherein said peripheral flanges each have circumferential bosses extending towards each other on the surfaces mountable adjacent the sidewall to provide pressure points acting on said gaskets to enhance the effectiveness of the seal with sidewall.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 1 wherein the inlet end of said axial passageway is larger than said outlet end and said inlet opening.

Claim 8

In a swimming pool assembly, a sidewall having an aperture therethrough and a flow-directing assembly mounted on said sidewall in said aperture, said flow-directing assembly comprising a housing Having a socket portion defining a generally spherical chamber with opposed inlet and outlet openings thereto, a generally spherical flow-directing member seated in said chamber and having an axial passageway therethrough with an outlet end smaller than said outlet opening, said flow-directing member being pivotable in said chamber to position said passageway between said inlet and outlet openings in a multiplicity of angular attitudes relative to the axis between the centers of said inlet and outlet openings to control the direction of flow of water through said socket portion and into said swimming pool, an inherently resilient, substantially nonporous rubber gasket retained in said socket portion, projecting into said chamber, and having a circular aperture in which said flow-directing member is seated, and fastening means securing said flow-directing assembly on said sidewall, said aperture and flow-directing member being cooperatively dimensional and configured to provide snug seating of said member during operation of the pool with the frictional contact therebetween resulting from the inherent resiliency of said gasket operating to restrain pivotal movement of said member and provide an effective water seal therebetween, said frictional contact permitting pivoting of said flow-directing member into a desired position relative to the sidewall of the pool and holding of said member in said position so as to direct the flow of water in a desired manner.

Claim 9

In a swimming pool assembly, a sidewall having an aperture therethrough and a flow-directing assembly mounted on said sidewall in said aperture, said flow-directing assembly comprising a housing Having a socket portion defining a generally spherical chamber with opposed inlet and outlet openings thereto, a generally spherical flow-directing member seated in said chamber and having an axial passageway therethrough with an outlet end smaller than said outlet opening, said flow-directing member being pivotable in said chamber to position said passageway between said inlet and outlet openings in a multiplicity of angular attitudes relative to the axis between the centers of said inlet and outlet openings to control the direction of flow of water through said socket portion and into said swimming pool, an inherently resilient, substantially nonporous rubber gasket retained in said socket portion, projecting into said chamber, and having a circular aperture in which said flow-directing member is seated, and fastening means securing said flow-directing assembly on said sidewall, said aperture and flow-directing member being cooperatively dimensional and configured to provide snug seating of said member during operation of the pool with the frictional contact therebetween resulting from the inherent resiliency of said gasket operating to restrain pivotal movement of said member and provide an effective water seal therebetween, said frictional contact permitting pivoting of said flow-directing member into a desired position relative to the sidewall of the pool and holding of said member in said position so as to direct the flow of water in a desired manner.

Claim 10

The swimming pool assembly of claim 7 wherein said housing has a front section providing said outlet opening mounted on the inside of said sidewall and a rear section providing said inlet opening mounted on the outside of said sidewall, both of said front and rear sections having complementary peripheral flanges extending along the surfaces of said sidewall about the aperture therein, said fastening means comprising a plurality of fastening members extending axially through said flanges and said sidewall to mount said sections on said sidewall.

Claim 11

The swimming pool of claim 8 wherein a gasket is provided on each surface of said sidewall and extends radially between said peripheral flange and sidewall at the points of engagement thereof to provide a seal about the aperture in said sidewall, wherein said peripheral flanges have circumferential bosses on their inner surfaces to provide pressure points acting on the gasket to enhance the effectiveness of the seal with said sidewall, and wherein the annular end of said axial passageway is larger than said outlet end and said inlet opening.