Wall brace for swimming pool wall

Abstract

For mounting outside and against a wall of a swimming pool, a brace made from a single sheet of stainless steel has plural members, which are unitary with one another and which have reinforcing flanges. Each brace is cut from such a sheet via a laser, which may be computer-controlled, and a subsequent bending operation provides said brace with flanges, as and where indicated above. Hence, dimensional uniformity and consistent flatness from one brace to another can be easily achieved.

1 . A brace made from sheet metal and having plural members, which are unitary with one another, for mounting outside and against a wall of a swimming pool so as to brace the wall against outwardly directed forces, which are imparted when the swimming pool is filled with water, wherein the unitary members include a vertically mountable member mountable in a vertical orientation, outside and against the wall of the swimming pool, wherein the unitary members further include plural unitary members oriented so as to extend outwardly from the vertically mountable member when the vertically mountable member is mounted in a generally vertical orientation, outside and against the wall of the swimming pool, each outwardly extensible member having a proximal end, which adjoins the vertically mountable member, and each outwardly extensible member having a distal end, wherein at least one of the outwardly extensible members is oriented so as to be vertically spaced above a bottom one of the outwardly extensible members when the vertically mountable member is mounted in a generally vertical orientation, outside and against the wall of the swimming pool, and wherein a further one of the unitary members is oriented so as to extend downwardly and outwardly in a sloping orientation, so as to intersect the distal ends of the outwardly extensible members.  
     
     
         2 . The brace of  claim 1  wherein the unitary members are oriented so that the bottom one of the outwardly extensible members extends downwardly and horizontally and so that each other one of the outwardly extensible members extends horizontally when the vertically mountable member is mounted in a generally vertical orientation, outside and against the wall of the swimming pool.  
     
     
         3 . The brace of  claim 1  wherein each member has two generally parallel edges, which are interrupted where said member adjoins another member, and wherein, along at least a substantial portion of at least one of the generally parallel edges of each member where the same one of the generally parallel edges of said member is not interrupted, said member has a flange reinforcing said member.  
     
     
         4 . The brace of  claim 2  wherein each member has two generally parallel edges, which are interrupted where said member adjoins another member, and wherein, along at least a substantial portion of at least one of the generally parallel edges of each member where the same one of the generally parallel edges of said member is not interrupted, said member has a flange reinforcing said member.  
     
     
         5 . A brace made from sheet metal and having plural members, which are unitary with one another, for mounting outside and against a wall of a swimming pool so as to brace the wall against outwardly directed forces, which are imparted when the swimming pool is filled with water, wherein the unitary members include a vertically mountable member mountable in a vertical orientation, outside and against the wall of the swimming pool, wherein the unitary members further include plural unitary members oriented so as to extend outwardly from the vertically mountable member when the vertically mountable member is mounted in a generally vertical orientation, outside and against the wall of the swimming pool, each outwardly extensible member having a proximal end, which adjoins the vertically mountable member, and each outwardly extensible member having a distal end, wherein two of the outwardly extensible members are oriented so as to be vertically spaced above a bottom one of the outwardly extensible members when the vertically mountable member is mounted in a generally vertical orientation, outside and against the wall of the swimming pool, and wherein a further one of the unitary members is oriented so as to extend downwardly and outwardly in a sloping orientation, so as to intersect the distal ends of the outwardly extensible members.  
     
     
         6 . The brace of  claim 5  wherein the unitary members are oriented so that the bottom one of the outwardly extensible members extends downwardly and horizontally and so that each other one of the outwardly extensible members extends horizontally when the vertically mountable member is mounted in a generally vertical orientation, outside and against the wall of the swimming pool.  
     
     
         7 . The brace of  claim 5  wherein each member has two generally parallel edges, which are interrupted where said member adjoins another member, and wherein, along at least a substantial portion of at least one of the generally parallel edges of each member where the same one of the generally parallel edges of said member is not interrupted, said member has a flange reinforcing said member.  
     
     
         8 . The brace of  claim 6  wherein each member has two generally parallel edges, which are interrupted where said member adjoins another member, and wherein, along at least a substantial portion of at least one of the generally parallel edges of each member where the same one of the generally parallel edges of said member is not interrupted, said member has a flange reinforcing said member.