Abstract:
Method and apparatus for forming a raised gripping surface along the peripheral edge of poured aggregate swimming pool coping. Utilized therein is a form board including a recess to form a first portion of the gripping surface and an aggregate dispensing mule to form a second portion of the gripping surface in a contiguous relation to the first portion. A finishing tool joins both portions into a combined unitized structure.

Description:
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/881,707 filed Jun. 24, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,869. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of art to which the invention relates comprises method and apparatus for forming a surface hand grip on poured aggregate coping cantilevered about a swimming pool. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A continuous nose or lip raised along the peripheral edge of coping cantilevered about a swimming pool is considered desirable as affording a reachable handgrip for swimmers particularly children. Such a configuration has long been available using precast coping. 
     For economic reasons, however, it has been preferred by many that pool decking including the coping be formed on site by the pouring of aggregate such as concrete. However, the use of poured aggregate heretofore has precluded the raised lip or projected nose being formed therewith along the peripheral edge of the coping. The inability to provide such a lip or nose has generally been attributed to the practice of the cement-placing crews rodding the top of the concrete form with their strike off rods when finishing concrete around the swimming pool. As a result, many states have forbidden poured cantilevered decking on public pools. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Cantilevered coping is commonly provided about the inside perimeter of a swimming pool and is typically constructed of either processed concrete slabs or of an aggregate poured on site. When poured, a form board is utilized to profile the coping as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,195. Unlike the precast coping slabs, forming the coping by pouring of aggregate has precluded forming an extension such as a raised horizontally placed lip or a vertically placed nose extending the entire peripheral edge of the coping that swimmers can grip or cling to from within the water. Such coping therefore is considered desirable as a safety feature and is frequently a code requirement for public pools frequented by children. On the other hand, the poured aggregate coping is considered more economical yet perfectly safe for many installations where use of a raised coping lip or nose is deemed unnecessary and/or not required by law. 
     Yet despite recognition of the foregoing, it has not been known heretofore how to form such a raised nose, lip or combination thereof along the coping edge where the coping is constructed of poured aggregate. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide novel method and apparatus for effecting a raised lip, nose or combination thereof along the horizontal peripheral coping surface at the cantilevered edge of poured aggregate coping. 
     It is a further object of the invention to effect the previous object in a reliable and economical manner. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to construct a cantilevered coping of poured aggregate having a raised lip, nose or both along the peripheral edge that can conveniently be grasped by a swimmer in the water below. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to forming the decking and coping for a swimming pool of poured aggregate. More specifically, the invention relates to a poured aggregate coping having a continuous gripping surface raised along the perimeter edge of the coping that can be readily grasped by a swimmer in the pool. 
     For achieving the foregoing, a configured form board is utilized to shape the face of the coping when poured and provides for forming a nose projection along the vertical edge facing of the coping. Operative in the alternative or in conjunction therewith is a hand displaceable hopper mule closely fitting over the form board and the already poured coping to provide a vertically raised lip along the horizontal surface end of the coping. The mule includes a vertical hopper into which poured aggregate is introduced and an underside longitudinally extending recess into which aggregate from the hopper is dispensed onto the horizontal coping underlying the mule. Longitudinally displacing the mule while continually maintaining an aggregate supply in the hopper causes the raised lip to be deposited continuously about the horizontal distal surface of the coping. Separate mules are then utilized for troweling while a finishing tool is used to eliminate any parting line and effect a seamless grasping surface of the lip and nose before the aggregate sets. 
     By means of the above, there is provided method and apparatus for overcoming a long standing limitation imposed on poured aggregate coping affording a safety feature previously unavailable with such copings. 
     The above noted features and advantages of the invention as well as other superior aspects thereof will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary isometric elevation illustrating the formation of a raised lip and nose along the peripheral edge of poured aggregate coping; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation as seen substantially along the lines  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation as seen substantially along the lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the mule of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is an underside plan view of the mule of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is an isometric elevation of a troweling tool for floating the aggregate deposited by the mule of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is a tool similar to that of FIG. 6 for floating aggregate about sharp radii or corners; and 
     FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a finishing tool to provide a finished texture to the lip and nose surfaces created by the form board and deposited by the mule of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the description which follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and in certain views, proportions may have been exaggerated for purposes of clarity. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings, there is illustrated a vertical pool wall  10  having tile  22  against which there is positioned a styrofoam form board  12  for shaping the cantilevered end face of uncured decking  14  including an integral coping  16 . Form board  12  is preferably of the type disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 29/070,142 file May 1, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. D399,573 and incorporated herein by reference. Included on form board  12  are parallel vertically spaced feet  18  on which double faced adhesive tape  20  secures the form in place against pool tile  22 . Upper form edge  24  defines what would normally be the plane for upper surface  26  of decking  14 . To form the canted face of cantilevered coping  16 , form board  12  includes a vertically canted face  28  and at its upper edge includes a longitudinal concave recess  30  by which to form a nose projection  32 . A strip of thin plastic tape  27  overlies edge  24  to protect and preserve the edge from the adverse effects of rodding and the use of mule  36  to be described. 
     Pouring the aggregate to form decking  14  and coping  16  as thus far described, results in an outwardly tapered end face on coping  16  complementing the profile of form board  12  and which at its upper edge contains a longitudinally extending convex nose or projection  32 . Nose  32  when cured becomes the complementary underside of a gripping surface  34  to be described. For forming the top continuous and complementary portion of the gripping surface  34  (FIG. 3) there is utilized a metal mule  36  while the aggregate of coping  16  is still uncured, for depositing the upper convex strip or lip  38 . 
     Comprising mule  36  is an angle shaped frame  39  of metal or plastic including a front plate  40  and a normally oriented top plate  42 . Plate  40  is adapted on its inside surface to engage the back wall of form  12 . Top plate  42 , extends normal to front plate  40  and, contains on its underside a metal or hard rubber-like base  44  including a longitudinal concave recess  46 . Communicating with the recess is a centrally located elongated opening  48  extending through plate  42  and base  44  that includes a discharge draft  49  at either end. Communicating with opening  48  from above plate  42  is an inwardly tapered vertical hopper  50  in which a quantity of uncured aggregate is placed for the forming of raised lip  38 . 
     For utilizing mule  36 , it is positioned as shown in FIG. 1 with the rear underside  52  of base  44  seated on plastic tape  27  over form edge  24 . The inside face of front plate  40  engages the back face  54  of form  12  and a quantity of uncured aggregate  56  is placed in hopper  50 . Handle  58  enables manual displacement of the mule gradually in the direction of arrow  60 . In the course of displacement, aggregate  56  is dispensed outwardly through opening  48  to deposit on coping  16  in configuration conformance with the arcuate configuration of recess  46 . This is continued until the entire longitudinal length of lip  38  is completed. 
     Following behind the mule is a troweling tool  62  (FIG. 6) formed of right angle front and top plates  64  and  66  respectively with the top plate supporting a base  68  similar to base  44  including a like longitudinal recess  70  at its underside. As with mule  36 , the inside of front plate  64  engages the rear face  54  of the form board while the underside  72  of base  68  is adapted to ride tape  27  on form board edge  24 . Handle  74  is utilized for displacing troweling tool  62  whereby a float of previously deposited lip  38  is attained. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a second troweling tool  76  primarily useful for traversing curved portions of the coping and is of similar construction to troweling tool  62  except for the width of the tool and the orientation of handle  78 . 
     After depositing and floating the upper portion of lip  38 , form board  12  is removed and a hard rubber finishing tool  80  is utilized to smooth out and combine upper lip  38  with lower nose  34  while enhancing their surface texture and eliminating any parting lines therebetween. For these purposes, tool  80  is comprised of a continuous hard-rubber base  82  containing an internally smooth longitudinal recess  84 . The arcuate extent of recess  84  is sufficient to embody both nose  32  and lip  38  while eliminating a surface seam or parting line at the joinder thereof that might otherwise occur. 
     By the above description there is disclosed novel method and apparatus for effecting a raised gripping surface about the distal end of poured cantilevered coping extending about a swimming pool. In the manner hereof, there is enabled the construction of a horizontal nose, a vertical lip or a combination thereof affording a swimmer&#39;s grip particularly suitable for young children unable to swim or swim well. By means thereof there is afforded a simple yet inexpensive approach to constructing such a gripping surface that not only affords the virtue of an inexpensive aggregate construction but enables such construction to overcome previous legal prohibitions against use of poured on site aggregate coping. 
     Since many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the drawings and specification shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.