Pool cleaning apparatus

Claim 2

A pool cleaning apparatus for washing the bottom and side walls of a pool, which pool includes a water supply outlet disposed in one of the side walls, said apparatus comprising in combination: a. a cleaning head movable about the surface of water within the pool, said cleaning head including:

Claim 3

a water manifold for receiving and distributing a flow of water; and

Claim 4

a water manifold for receiving and distributing a flow of water; and

Claim 5

The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including at least one float coupler attached to said hose means for supporting said hose means in proximity to the water surface of the pool.

Claim 6

a dome freely rotatably supported on said manifold, said dome having a vertical axis of rotation and being rotated on said axis with respect to the manifold by contact with the side wall as the cleaning head moves along the side wall; b. hose means operatively connected to the water supply outlet for supplying a flow of water to said water manifold; said hose means including means for connecting the hose to the manifold and for allowing relative movement between the hose and manifold at least in a horizontal direction; c. power jet means extending from said hose means upstream of said connecting means for urging rotation of said cleaning head in a first direction about the vertical axis; d. leading jet means extending from said manifold downstream of said connecting means for urging rotation of said cleaning head in a second direction about the vertical axis, said leading jet means, in combination with said power jet means, propelling said cleaning head forwardly and laterally; said leading and power jet means being normally positioned at a predetermined angular relation to each other, which angular relation may be varied during operation of the apparatus, should the cleaning head become stalled against the side wall, as the power jet causes said hose to move horizontally about said connecting means, thereby to change the angle of the effectiVe repulsive force applied to the cleaning head by said leading and power jets and unstall the cleaning head; e. a flotation ring disposed about said dome for supporting at least a part of said dome above the surface of the water, said flotation ring including an annular band extending radially outwardly from said dome below the surface of the water such that only said annular band contacts the side wall of the pool when said cleaning head is adjacent the side wall, said dome being rotated by the friction existing between said annular band and the side wall due to the forward and lateral movement of said cleaning head; f. water jet means extending radially from said dome and rotating with said dome for directing a flow of water against the side wall above the water level of the pool to wash the unsubmerged part of the side wall; and g. at least one snake extending from said hose means for randomly spraying a flow of water against the submerged side walls and bottom of the pool; whereby said power jet means and said leading jet means cooperate to prevent stalling of the cleaning head in a fixed position along the side wall and propel said cleaning head about the perimeter of the pool while said water jet means and said snake wash the unsubmerged side walls and the bottom of the pool.

Claim 7

a dome freely rotatably supported on said manifold, said dome having a vertical axis of rotation and being rotated on said axis with respect to the manifold by contact with the side wall as the cleaning head moves along the side wall; b. hose means operatively connected to the water supply outlet for supplying a flow of water to said water manifold; said hose means including means for connecting the hose to the manifold and for allowing relative movement between the hose and manifold at least in a horizontal direction; c. power jet means extending from said hose means upstream of said connecting means for urging rotation of said cleaning head in a first direction about the vertical axis; d. leading jet means extending from said manifold downstream of said connecting means for urging rotation of said cleaning head in a second direction about the vertical axis, said leading jet means, in combination with said power jet means, propelling said cleaning head forwardly and laterally; said leading and power jet means being normally positioned at a predetermined angular relation to each other, which angular relation may be varied during operation of the apparatus, should the cleaning head become stalled against the side wall, as the power jet causes said hose to move horizontally about said connecting means, thereby to change the angle of the effectiVe repulsive force applied to the cleaning head by said leading and power jets and unstall the cleaning head; e. a flotation ring disposed about said dome for supporting at least a part of said dome above the surface of the water, said flotation ring including an annular band extending radially outwardly from said dome below the surface of the water such that only said annular band contacts the side wall of the pool when said cleaning head is adjacent the side wall, said dome being rotated by the friction existing between said annular band and the side wall due to the forward and lateral movement of said cleaning head; f. water jet means extending radially from said dome and rotating with said dome for directing a flow of water against the side wall above the water level of the pool to wash the unsubmerged part of the side wall; and g. at least one snake extending from said hose means for randomly spraying a flow of water against the submerged side walls and bottom of the pool; whereby said power jet means and said leading jet means cooperate to prevent stalling of the cleaning head in a fixed position along the side wall and propel said cleaning head about the perimeter of the pool while said water jet means and said snake wash the unsubmerged side walls and the bottom of the pool.

Claim 8

The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said hose means includes a plurality of serially connected lengths of hose and a swivel coupler disposed intermediate adjacent lengths of hose to prevent snarling of said hose means.

Claim 9

The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein a first one of said lengths of hose connected to said water supply outlet is sinkable and a second one of said lengths of hose connected to said first length of hose is floatable; whereby, said first and second lengths of hose will define a downwardly directed loop from the water supply outlet to preclude said cleaning head from becoming entangled with said hose means.

Claim 10

The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 where said hose means includes rigid control arm means operatively connected to said connecting means and extending upstream therefrom for supporting said power jet means.

Claim 11

The apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said connecting means comprises a swivel connection affording limited angular movement in the horizontal plane to said control arm means; whereby, the reaction force exerted by said power jet means is angularly redirected when said cleaning head encounters an obstruction otherwise tending to limit further movement of said cleaning head.

Claim 12

The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said power jet is directed at an angle of 135* with respect to said control arm means.

Claim 13

The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said power jet means is disposed within said float coupler.

Claim 14

The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a rotatable disc centered upon the vertical axis of said cleaning head and disposed below said water manifold to engage the side wall of the pool when said annular band encounters an indentation in the adjacent section of the side wall.

Claim 15

The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting means includes a flexible length of hose connected between said manifold and said power jet whereby said flexible length of hose will tend to angularly redirect the reaction force generated by said power jet means upon said cleaning head to urge said cleaning head around obstructions in its path.

Claim 16

The apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said power jet means is directed at an angle of 135* with respect to said flexible hose.

Claim 17

A SWIMMING POOL CLEANING APPARATUS FOR WASHING THE BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS OF A POOL THAT INCLUDES A WATER SUPPLY OUTLET DISPOSED IN ONE OF ITS SIDE WALLS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, A BUOYANT CLEANING HEAD MOVABLE ABOUT THE SURFACE OF WATER WITHIN THE POOL AND INCLUDING A WATER MANIFOLD FOR RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTING A FLOW OF WATER; HOSE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTABLE TO THE WATER SUPPLY OUTLET OF THE POOL FOR SUPPLYING A FLOW OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID WATER MANIFOLD, SAID HOSE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE HOSE IN FLUID COMMUNICATON TO THE MANIFOLD AND MEANS FOR ALLOWING RELATIVE HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE HOSE AND MANIFOLD; FIRST JET MEANS ON SID HOSE, UPSTREAM OF SAID MEANS FOR ALLOWING HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT, FOR FORMING A FIRST WATER JET FROM WATER FLOWING IN SAID HOSE; SECOND JET MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MANIFOLD FOR FORMING A SECOND JET OF WATER FROM WATER UNDER PRESSURE IN SAID MANIFOLD, SAID FIRST AND SECOND JETS BEING NORMALLY LOCATED IN A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR RELATION TO EACH OTHER TO PRODUCE A COMBINED REACTION FORCE PROPELLING SAID CLEANING HEAD FORWARDLY ALONG AND LATERALLY AGAINST THE SIDEWALLS OF THE POOL; SAID MEANS FOR ALLOWING HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT ALLOWING THE ANGULAR RELATION OF SAID JET MEANS TO BE VARIED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SAID FIRST JET MEANS SHOULD FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE CLEANING HEAD BECOME STALLED, THEREBY TO CHANGE THE ANGLE AT WHICH THE COMBINED REACTION FORCE IS APPLIED TO THE CLEANING HEAD AND UNSTALL THE HEAD.

Claim 18

A SWIMMING POOL CLEANING APPARATUS FOR WASHING THE BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS OF A POOL THAT INCLUDES A WATER SUPPLY OUTLET DISPOSED IN ONE OF ITS SIDE WALLS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, A BUOYANT CLEANING HEAD MOVABLE ABOUT THE SURFACE OF WATER WITHIN THE POOL AND INCLUDING A WATER MANIFOLD FOR RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTING A FLOW OF WATER; HOSE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTABLE TO THE WATER SUPPLY OUTLET OF THE POOL FOR SUPPLYING A FLOW OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID WATER MANIFOLD, SAID HOSE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE HOSE IN FLUID COMMUNICATON TO THE MANIFOLD AND MEANS FOR ALLOWING RELATIVE HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE HOSE AND MANIFOLD; FIRST JET MEANS ON SID HOSE, UPSTREAM OF SAID MEANS FOR ALLOWING HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT, FOR FORMING A FIRST WATER JET FROM WATER FLOWING IN SAID HOSE; SECOND JET MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MANIFOLD FOR FORMING A SECOND JET OF WATER FROM WATER UNDER PRESSURE IN SAID MANIFOLD, SAID FIRST AND SECOND JETS BEING NORMALLY LOCATED IN A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR RELATION TO EACH OTHER TO PRODUCE A COMBINED REACTION FORCE PROPELLING SAID CLEANING HEAD FORWARDLY ALONG AND LATERALLY AGAINST THE SIDEWALLS OF THE POOL; SAID MEANS FOR ALLOWING HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT ALLOWING THE ANGULAR RELATION OF SAID JET MEANS TO BE VARIED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SAID FIRST JET MEANS SHOULD FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE CLEANING HEAD BECOME STALLED, THEREBY TO CHANGE THE ANGLE AT WHICH THE COMBINED REACTION FORCE IS APPLIED TO THE CLEANING HEAD AND UNSTALL THE HEAD.

Claim 19

The apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said means for allowing horizontal movement comprises a swivel; means for limiting movement of said hose on said swivel; and wherein said hose includes a rigid control arm operatively connected between said swivel and said first jet means.

Claim 20

The apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said first jet means is mounted on and supported by said control arm.

Claim 21

The apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said means for allowing horizontal movement comprises a flexible length of hose connected between said connecting means and said first jet means.

Claim 22

The apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said connecting means has an aperture formed therein opening in substantially the same direction as said second jet means, to form a third jet of water cooperating with said second jet means to propel said cleaning head.

Claim 23

The apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said cleaning head includes a dome rotatably mounted on said manifold and water jet means extending radially from said dome; and means for providing fluid communication between said manifold and said water jet means while allowing rotary movement of the water jet means thereby to produce a jet of water directed against the sidewall of the pool.

Claim 24

The apparatus as defined in claim 12 including at least one snake hose section connected in fluid communication to said hose and extending therefrom to a free end for producing a randomly moving spray flow of water against the submerted side walls and bottom of the pool.