Skimmer spillway apparatus

Abstract

A spillway body has an upper section and a lower section with a left vertical side and a right vertical side and an upper horizontal edge and a lower horizontal edge which join exterior and interior faces. The exterior face of the upper section is closed and contoured forming a left wedge and a similarly configured right wedge. The interior face of the upper section is open to receive a means of buoyancy. The lower section has a means of attachment adjacent the lower horizontal edge thereby allowing the apparatus to be rotatably received within a rectangular throat of a swimming pool skimmer housing to improve the movement of pool water flowing to and through said skimmer housing.

What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows: 
     
         1 . A spillway apparatus comprising:
 a spillway body having an upper section and a lower section, said spillway body having an exterior face and an interior face and a left vertical side and a right vertical side;   said upper section having an upper horizontal edge;   said lower section having a lower horizontal edge joining said exterior and interior faces;   said exterior face of the upper section being closed and contoured forming a left wedge and a similarly configured right wedge;   said interior face of the upper section being open;   said left wedge having a left outer face and a left upper face and a left forward face, said left outer face extending forwardly from the left vertical side adjacent the upper horizontal edge, said left upper face extending inwardly from the left outer face along the upper horizontal edge, said left forward face being supported by the left outer face and the left upper face and the exterior face;   said right wedge having a right outer face and a right upper face and a right forward face, said right outer face extending forwardly from the right vertical side adjacent the upper horizontal edge, said right upper face extending inwardly from the right outer face along the upper horizontal edge, said right forward face being supported by the right outer face and the right upper face and the exterior face;   said lower section having an attachment means adjacent said lower horizontal edge for being rotatably received within a rectangular throat of a swimming pool skimmer housing; and   wherein said interior face of the upper section having a buoyancy means.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said left forward face and said right forward face terminate at a common point laterally spaced between said left and right vertical sides. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said attachment means includes cylindrical projections extending outwardly from said left and right vertical sides for engaging sidewalls of said rectangular throat. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 3  wherein said cylindrical projections being axially aligned, outwardly spring biased and adjacent said lower horizontal edge. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said attachment means includes one or more tabs for being rotatably mounted to a lower surface of said rectangular throat. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said interior face of the upper section further includes a rectangular edge adjacent the upper horizontal edge; 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 6  and further including a rectangular plate fixed to said rectangular edge thereby forming a sealed interior chamber and providing said buoyancy means. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein a buoyant material is positioned within the contours of said interior face of the upper section thereby providing said buoyancy means. 
     
     
         9 . A skimmer spillway apparatus ( 400 ) moveably mounted within a swimming pool skimmer housing for improving the movement of water flowing to and through the skimmer housing thereby increasing water skimming effectiveness of swimming pool filtration systems, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
 a skimmer housing ( 414 ) having a rectangular opening ( 416 ) and a rectangular throat ( 418 ) which communicates with variable water surface levels ( 420 ) of a swimming pool, the rectangular throat having an upper surface ( 422 ) and a lower surface ( 424 ) and vertical side walls ( 426 ) connecting to a cylindrical well ( 428 ) located internally for drawing in water and debris from the swimming pool into a pump filtration system;   a spillway body ( 440 ) having an upper section ( 442 ) and a lower section ( 444 ), the spillway body having a vertical centerline ( 445 ) laterally spaced between a left region ( 446 ) and a similarly configured right region ( 447 ), the spillway body having an exterior face ( 448 ) and an interior face ( 450 ), the upper section having an upper horizontal edge ( 452 ), the lower section having a lower horizontal edge ( 454 ) joining said exterior face with said interior face;   said left region having a left vertical side ( 456 ) and said right region having a right vertical side ( 458 ), the left and right vertical sides joining said upper horizontal edge and lower horizontal edge respectively;   said exterior face of the upper section being closed and contoured forming a left wedge ( 460 ) and a similarly configured right wedge ( 470 );   said left wedge having a left outer face ( 462 ) and a left upper triangular face ( 464 ) and a left forward face ( 466 ), said left outer face extending forwardly from the left vertical side plate forming a generally scalene triangle shape, said left outer face having a left shortest edge ( 468 ) adjacent the upper horizontal edge, said left upper triangular face extending inwardly from the left shortest edge along the upper horizontal edge and terminating adjacent the vertical centerline, said left forward face being supported by the left outer face and the left upper triangular face and the exterior face of the upper section;   said right wedge having a right outer face ( 472 ) and a right upper triangular face ( 474 ) and a right forward face ( 476 ), said right outer face extending forwardly from the right vertical side plate forming a generally scalene triangle shape, said right outer face having a right shortest edge ( 478 ) adjacent the upper horizontal edge, said right upper triangular face extending inwardly from the right shortest edge of the right outer face along the upper horizontal edge and terminating adjacent the vertical centerline, said right forward face being supported by the right outer face and the right upper triangular face and the exterior face of the upper section;   said lower section having an attachment means ( 480 ) adjacent said lower horizontal edge for being rotatably received between said vertical side walls and adjacent said lower surface of the skimmer housing;   wherein said left forward face and said right forward face terminating at a common point laterally spaced from said vertical centerline; and   wherein said interior face of the upper section being open and having a buoyancy means ( 481 ).   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said interior face of the upper section further comprises a rectangular edge ( 482 ) and a rectangular plate ( 484 ) in a planar configuration fixed to said rectangular edge thereby forming an interior chamber ( 486 ) and providing said buoyancy means. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said rectangular edge is adjacent said upper horizontal edge. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said interior face of the upper section further includes a buoyant material ( 502 ) thereby providing said buoyancy means. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said lower section having cylindrical projections ( 490 ) extending outwardly from said left and right vertical side plates, said cylindrical projections being axially aligned, adjacent said lower horizontal edge, and outwardly spring biased for being rotatably received adjacent said lower surface within the skimmer housing. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said attachment means further includes one or more tabs ( 692 ) for being rotatably mounted adjacent said lower surface of the skimmer housing.