Means for chlorinating swimming pools

Claim 2

Apparatus for sanitizing swimming pool water which includes a mixing chamber having an inlet port and a relatively lower outlet port all above the swimming pool to be sanitized, means periodically circulating pool water through the chamber including a pump and conduit leading to and from the pool, said means circulating water from conduit on the discharge side of the pump to the chamber through said inlet port through said chamber and through the outlet port to conduit on the suction side of the pump, means introducing a metered quantity of normally solid, water-soluble sanitizing agent into said chamber in response to periodic water circulation through the chamber for mixing with water at the onset of the water circulation period to dissolve said agent in water circulating through said chamber, two independent valve means in the chamber separately controlling waterflow through the inlet and outlet ports including a first float-controlled inlet valve operative to limit the level of water in the chamber during water circulation periods and a second float-controlled outlet valve operative to maintain the outlet open to permit substantially complete gravity draining of water from the chamber following termination of the water circulation period and thereafter to close the outlet valve.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said agent-introducing means includes a supply chamber containing a supply of the agent and having a bottom opening vertically spaced above the mixing chamber, a metering cup open to and below the supply chamber opening and having a bottom opening vertically below the supply chamber opening, valve means movable between said openings to sequentially communicate the supply chamber with the metering cup and the metering cup with the mixing chamber to deliver metered amounts of agent from the supply to the mixing chamber, said valve means comprising a pair of valve members vertically spaced a distance to be movable into alternate blocking relation with one or the other of said bottom openings, and float means in said mixing chamber connected to said valve members to raise or lower said valve member together in response to water level changes in said mixing chamber to first change the metering cup from the supply chamber at the onset of the water circulation period and to empty the metering cup into the mixing chamber following the water circulation period and after water has substantially completely drained therefrom.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 including also a resilient annular seal in each of said bottom openings and in which said valve means includes a cylindrical valve body having oppositely tapered upper and lower ends defining said valve members, said body having a diameter to slidably engage said seals.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said float means is also operatively connected to said outlet valve.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to Claim 4 including also an agent supply container and means carried on said supply chamber mounting said container to empty into said supply chamber, said mounting means including an upwardly opening receptacle on top of said chamber adapted to receive the neck of an inverted supply container.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said agent supply container has a top comprising a severable membrane and including also cutting means carried in the receptacle opposite said top to sever the membrane upon rotation of the container neck within the receptacle.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said agent-introducing means includes a supply of the agent disposed in an elongated container, said container being mounted vertically on the top wall of said chamber in a manner to have a lower container portion submerged in water periodically circulated through the chamber and out of contact with water when water circulation ceases and an upper container portion above the water as a continuation of the lower portion, said submerged container portion having a water-passing aperture permitting dissolution and dispersal of agent from said lower container portion, the agent in said upper portion being arranged to descend by gravity to continually replace dissolved and dispersed agent in the the lower portion.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said container extends through the chamber top wall and including also cooperating means on said container and wall securing said container to said wall in vertically adjustable relation.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said container has a vertically extended externally threaded portion to be thread adjustable relative to said chamber top wall.

Claim 11

In combination a swimming pool, a water recirculation system for the swimming pool including a pump, a filter and conduit forming a recirculation loop between the pool, the pump and the filter; and flow connected across said pump: apparatus for sanitizing the swimming pool water which includes a mixing chamber having an inlet port and a relatively lower outlet port all above said swimming pool, means periodically operating the pump to circulate pool water through the mixing chamber including tubing flow connecting the chamber inlet port with the discharge side of the pump to the chamber through said inlet port and tubing flow connecting the chamber outlet port to the suction side of the pump, a sanitizing agent supply above water in the mixing chamber and means controllably introducing said agent into water then circulating through the mixing chamber in response to periodic rise and fall of water in the chamber at the beginning and end of periodic pump circulation of the water to add sufficient agent to sanitize the pool between periodic pump circulations, and two independent valve means in the chamber separately controlling waterflow through the inlet and outlet ports including a first float-controlled inlet valve operative to limit the water level in the mixing chamber during water circulation through the chamber and a second float-controlled outlet valve operative to maintain the outlet open to permit complete gravity draining of water from the chamber prior to closing the outlet upon cessation of water pumping.

Claim 12

In combination a swimming pool, a water recirculation system for the swimming pool including a pump, a filter and conduit forming a recirculation loop between the pool, the pump and the filter; and flow connected across said pump: apparatus for sanitizing the swimming pool water which includes a mixing chamber having an inlet port and a relatively lower outlet port all above said swimming pool, means periodically operating the pump to circulate pool water through the mixing chamber including tubing flow connecting the chamber inlet port with the discharge side of the pump to the chamber through said inlet port and tubing flow connecting the chamber outlet port to the suction side of the pump, a sanitizing agent supply above water in the mixing chamber and means controllably introducing said agent into water then circulating through the mixing chamber in response to periodic rise and fall of water in the chamber at the beginning and end of periodic pump circulation of the water to add sufficient agent to sanitize the pool between periodic pump circulations, and two independent valve means in the chamber separately controlling waterflow through the inlet and outlet ports including a first float-controlled inlet valve operative to limit the water level in the mixing chamber during water circulation through the chamber and a second float-controlled outlet valve operative to maintain the outlet open to permit complete gravity draining of water from the chamber prior to closing the outlet upon cessation of water pumping.

Claim 13

Apparatus for sanitizing swimming pool water which includes a mixing chamber having an inlet port and a relatively lower outlet port all above the swimming pool to be sanitized, means periodically circulating pool water through the chamber including a pump and conduit leading to and from the pool, said circulating means introducing water from the conduit on the discharge side of the pump to the chamber through said inlet port and withdrawing water from the chamber through the outlet port to conduit on the suction side of the pump, means introducing a metered quantity of normally solid water-soluble sanitizing agent into said chamber in response to periodic water circulation through the chamber for mixing with circulating water at the onset of tHe water circulation period, valve means in the chamber separately controlling waterflow through the inlet and the outlet, said valve means including a float-controlled outlet valve operative to maintain the outlet open to permit substantially complete gravity draining of water from the chamber following termination of the water circulation period.

Claim 14

Apparatus for sanitizing swimming pool water which includes a mixing chamber having an inlet port and a relatively lower outlet port all above the swimming pool to be sanitized, means periodically circulating pool water through the chamber including a pump and conduit leading to and from the pool, said circulating means introducing water from the conduit on the discharge side of the pump to the chamber through said inlet port and withdrawing water from the chamber through the outlet port to conduit on the suction side of the pump, means introducing a metered quantity of normally solid water-soluble sanitizing agent into said chamber in response to periodic water circulation through the chamber for mixing with circulating water at the onset of tHe water circulation period, valve means in the chamber separately controlling waterflow through the inlet and the outlet, said valve means including a float-controlled outlet valve operative to maintain the outlet open to permit substantially complete gravity draining of water from the chamber following termination of the water circulation period.

Claim 15

Apparatus for periodically sanitizing circulating swimming pool water including a mixing chamber adapted to contain a continuously circulating body of pool water at relatively higher levels during circulation periods and relatively lower levels between such periods, a sanitizing agent supply to the chamber and means supporting the sanitizing agent at a level within the chamber to be at least partly immersed in said pool water body during said water circulation periods and not so immersed between such periods.

Claim 16

Apparatus for periodically sanitizing circulating swimming pool water including a mixing chamber adapted to contain a continuously circulating body of pool water at relatively higher levels during circulation periods and relatively lower levels between such periods, a sanitizing agent supply to the chamber and means supporting the sanitizing agent at a level within the chamber to be at least partly immersed in said pool water body during said water circulation periods and not so immersed between such periods.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12 in which said chamber is provided with an inlet port and an outlet port and including also valve means controlling waterflow through said ports to define said water levels.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 13 in which said outlet valve is float controlled to permit substantially complete gravity draining of water from the chamber.