Pool cleaning method and apparatus

Claim 1

A method of manually cleaning a pool, said method to be performed periodically, said pool having at least a portion of curved periphery with an upper edge and sides extending downwardly therefrom to a bottom, said bottom having a center, said method comprising the following steps: mechanically scrubbing said pool in a pattern beginning at said upper edge and continuing unidirectionally in a descending spiral pattern along said sides to said bottom and thence spiraling inwardly toward said bottom center; simultaneously inducing a vortex by means of said mechanical scrubbing pattern, said vortex having a center substantially concentric with said pool bottom center, said vortex concentrates substantially all foreign matter at said vortex center; manually removing any said foreign matter suspended at said vortex center by straining; manually removing any remaining said foreign matter deposited at said pool bottom center from said vortex center by suction means; said suction means include a manually operated suction device having an elongated barrel, a first valve means positioned at a lower end of the barrel for permitting upward flow and preventing downward flow of fluids, a manually reciprocable elongated rod slidably mounted axially above the first valve means, a second valve means movably mounted on a lower end of the manually reciprocable rod for lifting water upwardly through the barrel and for creating reduced pressure in an inlet end of the barrel, and a filter element removably positioned below the second valve means.

Claim 2

A method of manually cleaning a pool, said method to be performed periodically, said pool having at least a portion of curved periphery with an upper edge and sides extending downwardly therefrom to a bottom, said bottom having a center, said method comprising the following steps: mechanically scrubbing said pool in a pattern beginning at said upper edge and continuing unidirectionally in a descending spiral pattern along said sides to said bottom and thence spiraling inwardly toward said bottom center; simultaneously inducing a vortex by means of said mechanical scrubbing pattern, said vortex having a center substantially concentric with said pool bottom center, said vortex concentrates substantially all foreign matter at said vortex center; manually removing any said foreign matter suspended at said vortex center by straining; manually removing any remaining said foreign matter deposited at said pool bottom center from said vortex center by suction means; said suction means include a manually operated suction device having an elongated barrel, a first valve means positioned at a lower end of the barrel for permitting upward flow and preventing downward flow of fluids, a manually reciprocable elongated rod slidably mounted axially above the first valve means, a second valve means movably mounted on a lower end of the manually reciprocable rod for lifting water upwardly through the barrel and for creating reduced pressure in an inlet end of the barrel, and a filter element removably positioned below the second valve means.

Claim 3

A method of manually cleaning a pool, said method to be performed periodically, said pool having at least a portion of curved periphery with an upper edge and sides extending downwardly therefrom to a bottom, said bottom having a center, said method comprising the following steps: mechanically scrubbing said pool in a pattern beginning at said upper edge and continuing unidirectionally in a descending spiral pattern along said sides to said bottom and thence spiraling inwardly toward said bottom center; simultaneously inducing a vortex by means of said mechanical scrubbing pattern, said vortex having a center substantially concentric with said pool bottom center, said vortex concentrates substantially all foreign matter at said vortex center; manually removing any said foreign matter suspended at said vortex center by straining; manually removing any remaining said foreign matter deposited at said pool bottom center from said vortex center by suction means; said suction means include a manually operated suction device having an elongated barrel, a first valve means positioned at a lower end of the barrel for permitting upward flow and preventing downward flow of fluids, a manually reciprocable elongated rod slidably mounted axially above the first valve means, a second valve means movably mounted on a lower end of the manually reciprocable rod for lifting water upwardly through the barrel and for creating reduced pressure in an inlet end of the barrel, and a disc shaped filter element removably positioned below the second valve means.

Claim 4

A method of manually cleaning a pool, said method to be performed periodically, said pool having at least a portion of curved periphery with an upper edge and sides extending downwardly therefrom to a bottom, said bottom having a center, said method comprising the following steps: mechanically scrubbing said pool in a pattern beginning at said upper edge and continuing unidirectionally in a descending spiral pattern along said sides to said bottom and thence spiraling inwardly toward said bottom center; simultaneously inducing a vortex by means of said mechanical scrubbing pattern, said vortex having a center substantially concentric with said pool bottom center, said vortex concentrates substantially all foreign matter at said vortex center; manually removing any said foreign matter suspended at said vortex center by straining; manually removing any remaining said foreign matter deposited at said pool bottom center from said vortex center by suction means; said suction means include a manually operated suction device having an elongated barrel, a first valve means positioned at a lower end of the barrel for permitting upward flow and preventing downward flow of fluids, a manually reciprocable elongated rod slidably mounted axially above the first valve means, a second valve means movably mounted on a lower end of the manually reciprocable rod for lifting water upwardly through the barrel and for creating reduced pressure in an inlet end of the barrel, and a disc shaped filter element removably positioned below the second valve means.

Claim 5

A method of manually cleaning a pool, said method to be performed periodically, said pool having at least a portion of curved periphery with an upper edge and sides extending downwardly therefrom to a bottom, said bottom having a center, said method comprising the following steps: mechanically scrubbing said pool in a pattern beginning at said upper edge and continuing unidirectionally in a descending spiral pattern along said sides to said bottom and thence spiraling inwardly toward said bottom center; simultaneously inducing a vortex by means of said mechanical scrubbing pattern, said vortex having a center substantially concentric with said pool bottom center, said vortex concentrates substantially all foreign matter at said vortex center; manually removing any said foreign matter suspended at said vortex center by straining; manually removing any remaining said foreign matter deposited at said pool bottom center from said vortex center by suction means; said suction means include a manually operated suction device having an elongated barrel, a first valve means positioned at a lower end of the barrel for permitting upward flow and preventing downward flow of fluids, a manually reciprocable elongated rod slidably mounted axially above the first valve means, a second valve means movably mounted on a lower end of the manually reciprocable rod for lifting water upwardly through the barrel and for creating reduced pressure in an inlet end of the barrel, and a disc shaped filter element removably positioned below the second valve means with means to entrain particulates of 5 microns nominal diameter or greater.

Claim 6

A method of manually cleaning a pool, said method to be performed periodically, said pool having at least a portion of curved periphery with an upper edge and sides extending downwardly therefrom to a bottom, said bottom having a center, said method comprising the following steps: mechanically scrubbing said pool in a pattern beginning at said upper edge and continuing unidirectionally in a descending spiral pattern along said sides to said bottom and thence spiraling inwardly toward said bottom center; simultaneously inducing a vortex by means of said mechanical scrubbing pattern, said vortex having a center substantially concentric with said pool bottom center, said vortex concentrates substantially all foreign matter at said vortex center; manually removing any said foreign matter suspended at said vortex center by straining; manually removing any remaining said foreign matter deposited at said pool bottom center from said vortex center by suction means; said suction means include a manually operated suction device having an elongated barrel, a first valve means positioned at a lower end of the barrel for permitting upward flow and preventing downward flow of fluids, a manually reciprocable elongated rod slidably mounted axially above the first valve means, a second valve means movably mounted on a lower end of the manually reciprocable rod for lifting water upwardly through the barrel and for creating reduced pressure in an inlet end of the barrel, and a disc shaped filter element removably positioned below the second valve means with means to entrain particulates of 5 microns nominal diameter or greater.