Swimming pool surface skimming weirs

Claim 2

In a swimming pool surface skimmer of the type which includes an open housing, a skimmer throat for fluid communication between the housing interior and the swimming pool, and a skimmer weir assembly in said throat for moving as the water level in the swimming pool changes, the improvement wherein the weir assembly comprises: a weir, means moveably mounting the weir in the throat to permit the weir to move up and down as the water level in the swimming pool increases and decreases, and springs means connected to said weir and resiliently biasing the top edge of the weir toward the swimming pool side of the throat to thereby maintain a generally constant level differential between the water in the housing and the water in the swimming pool for improving the skimming action and preventing return of surface film and solid matter from the housing to the swimming pool.

Claim 3

The swimming pool skimmer as defined in claim 1 wherein the biasing means is a leaf spring and the weir comprises a relatively high inertia weir body mounted on the free edge of the leaf spring.

Claim 4

The swimming pool skimmer as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper portion of the weir is so constructed and arranged as to have a substantially flat to mildly convex upper surface, and a lower surface portion which is substantially flat to concave, the upper and lower surfaces intersecting in an acute angle to fOrm an edge, which points away from the swimming pool side of the throat, the biasing means maintaining the edge of the weir a distance above the water level in the housing and proximate the water level in the swimming pool.

Claim 5

The swimming pool skimmer as defined in claim 3 wherein the lower surface of the weir is concave immediately below the edge such that water flows along said concave surface and sweeps past the edge of the weir thereby increasing the skimming effectiveness of the weir.

Claim 6

The swimming pool skimmer as defined in claim 4 wherein the spring comprises a resilient leaf connected to a weir body to permit resiliently biased movement of the weir body in the throat.

Claim 7

The swimming pool skimmer as defined in claim 5 wherein the weir body is a weight, the weight of the weir body cooperating with the resiliency of the biasing means to maintain the level differential.

Claim 8

In a swimming pool surface skimmer of the type which includes an open housing, a skimmer throat for fluid communication between the housing interior and the swimming pool, and a skimmer weir assembly in said throat for moving as the water level in the swimming pool changes, the improvement wherein the weir assembly comprises: a weir, means moveably mounting the weir in the throat to permit the air to move up and down as the water level in the swimming pool increases and decreases, and means biasing the top edge of the weir toward the swimming pool side of the throat to thereby maintain a generally constant level differential between the water in the housing and the water in the swimming pool for improving the skimming action and preventing return of surface film and solid matter from the housing to the swimming pool, wherein the lower surface of the weir is concave immediately below an edge of the weir which points away from the swimming pool side of the throat such that water flows along said concave surface and sweeps past the edge of the weir thereby increasing the skimming effectiveness of the weir, and wherein the mounting means comprises a pivot and the biasing means comprises a counter balance secured to the weir assembly on the opposite side of the pivot from the weir edge.

Claim 9

In a swimming pool surface skimmer of the type which includes an open housing, a skimmer throat for fluid communication between the housing interior and the swimming pool, and a skimmer weir assembly in said throat for moving as the water level in the swimming pool changes, the improvement wherein the weir assembly comprises: a weir, means moveably mounting the weir in the throat to permit the air to move up and down as the water level in the swimming pool increases and decreases, and means biasing the top edge of the weir toward the swimming pool side of the throat to thereby maintain a generally constant level differential between the water in the housing and the water in the swimming pool for improving the skimming action and preventing return of surface film and solid matter from the housing to the swimming pool, wherein the lower surface of the weir is concave immediately below an edge of the weir which points away from the swimming pool side of the throat such that water flows along said concave surface and sweeps past the edge of the weir thereby increasing the skimming effectiveness of the weir, and wherein the mounting means comprises a pivot and the biasing means comprises a counter balance secured to the weir assembly on the opposite side of the pivot from the weir edge.

Claim 10

The swimming pool skimmer as defined in claim 7 wherein the weir is a weight, the weight of the weir cooperating to maintain the level differential.

Claim 11

The swimming pool skimmer as defined in claim 1 wherein the spring comprises a resilient leaf connected to a weir body to permit resiliently biased movement of the weir body in the throat.

Claim 12

In a swimming pool surface skimmer of the type which includes an open housing, a skimmer throat for fluid communication between the housing interior and the swimming pool, and a skimmer weir assembly in said throat for moving as the water level in the swimming pool changes, the improvement wherein the weir assembly comprises: a weir, means pivotably mounting the weir in the throat to permit the upper edge of the weir to move up and down as the water level in the swimming pool increases and decreases, and means biasing the top edge of the weir toward the swimming pool side of the throat to thereby maintain a generally constant level differential between the water in the housing and the water in the swimming pool for improving the skimming action and preventing return of surface film and solid matter from the housing to the swimming pool, wherein the mounting means comprises a pivot and the biasing means comprises a counter balance secured to the weir assembly on the opposite side of the pivot from the weir edge.

Claim 13

In a swimming pool surface skimmer of the type which includes an open housing, a skimmer throat for fluid communication between the housing interior and the swimming pool, and a skimmer weir assembly in said throat for moving as the water level in the swimming pool changes, the improvement wherein the weir assembly comprises: a weir, means pivotably mounting the weir in the throat to permit the upper edge of the weir to move up and down as the water level in the swimming pool increases and decreases, and means biasing the top edge of the weir toward the swimming pool side of the throat to thereby maintain a generally constant level differential between the water in the housing and the water in the swimming pool for improving the skimming action and preventing return of surface film and solid matter from the housing to the swimming pool, wherein the mounting means comprises a pivot and the biasing means comprises a counter balance secured to the weir assembly on the opposite side of the pivot from the weir edge.

Claim 14

In a swimming pool surface skimmer of the type which includes an open housing, a skimmer throat for fluid communication between the housing interior and the swimming pool, and a skimmer weir assembly in the throat for moving as the water level in the swimming pool changes, the improvement wherein the weir assembly includes a weir body which has an upper surface which is normally maintained proximate the level of the water iN the swimming pool and above the level of the water in the housing, which is substantially flat to mildly convex and which intersects with a lower surface which is substantially flat to concave to form an edge which points away from the swimming side of the throat and which is normally a distance above the level of the water in the housing, whereby water flow over the edge from the swimming pool to the housing coact to increase the efficiency of the skimming action of the weir.

Claim 15

In a swimming pool surface skimmer of the type which includes an open housing, a skimmer throat for fluid communication between the housing interior and the swimming pool, and a skimmer weir assembly in the throat for moving as the water level in the swimming pool changes, the improvement wherein the weir assembly includes a weir body which has an upper surface which is normally maintained proximate the level of the water iN the swimming pool and above the level of the water in the housing, which is substantially flat to mildly convex and which intersects with a lower surface which is substantially flat to concave to form an edge which points away from the swimming side of the throat and which is normally a distance above the level of the water in the housing, whereby water flow over the edge from the swimming pool to the housing coact to increase the efficiency of the skimming action of the weir.

Claim 16

The improvement as defined in claim 11 wherein the upper surface is mildly convex and the lower surface is concave, the convex and concave surfaces intersecting to form the edge.

Claim 17

A spring loaded weir for attachment at the throat of a skim tank of a pool comprising a sheet of leaf spring material adapted to be secured to the bottom of the throat so that the sheet extends substantially from one side to the other of the throat and a lip member attached to the free upper edge of the sheet, the lip member having a density such that when there is no flow of liquid through the tank, at least the upper part of the lip member is above the level of liquid in the pool and when there is liquid flow through the tank the force of the flow flexes the leaf spring, lowering the lip so that the liquid flow passes over it.

Claim 18

A spring loaded weir for attachment at the throat of a skim tank of a pool comprising a sheet of leaf spring material adapted to be secured to the bottom of the throat so that the sheet extends substantially from one side to the other of the throat and a lip member attached to the free upper edge of the sheet, the lip member having a density such that when there is no flow of liquid through the tank, at least the upper part of the lip member is above the level of liquid in the pool and when there is liquid flow through the tank the force of the flow flexes the leaf spring, lowering the lip so that the liquid flow passes over it.

Claim 19

A spring loaded weir according to claim 13 in which the lip member is of a density approximately equal to that of the liquid which it displaces.

Claim 20

A flexible weir according to claim 13 in combination with attaching means at the bottom of the throat for attaching the bottom edge of the sheet to the throat.

Claim 21

A combination according to claim 15 in which the attaching means comprises a wedge for wedging the edge of the sheet between the wedge and a wedge surface at the bottom of the float.

Claim 22

A combination according to claim 15 in which the leaf spring is stiff enough to cause the lip member to rise above the water level of the pool liquid when there is no liquid flow from the pool to the tank, thus preventing debris in the tank from re-entering the pool.