Swimming pool coping

A two-piece coping for a swimming pool comprising an edge piece and a cover piece. The edge piece includes a base plate for fastening to the top of a pool wall, an opening for receiving a pool liner, an opening for pivotally engaging the cover piece, and means on the base plate for engaging fastening means on the cover piece. The cover piece includes means for pivotally engaging the edge piece and means for fastening the cover piece to the fastening means on the base plate of the edge piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to swimming pool copings and 
particularly to a two-piece swimming pool coping in which the parts are 
pivotally or hingedly joined together and also snap-fitted together. 
Swimming pool copings basically provide a marginal edge for a swimming 
pool. They usually provide a means by which a swimming pool liner may be 
easily attached to the edge of a swimming pool. They can also provide a 
safe, esthetically pleasing finish for the edge of a swimming pool. A wide 
variety of swimming pool copings have been proposed including one-piece, 
two-piece and multiple-piece structures. The copings have been made of 
metal, plastic, wood and/or combinations thereof. 
A one-piece type coping which has achieved some degree of success is 
represented by U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,039. Such coping has a curved or 
bull-nosed edge, a socket or channel below the curved edge for receiving a 
pool liner, and a channel for receiving an anchoring bolt. In such 
construction the anchoring bolts must be fully installed before the coping 
can be slidably inserted on the bolt-heads. Should an anchor bolt 
subsequently become loose, the coping must be cmpletely removed to obtain 
access to the bolt. Another one-piece plastic type coping is illustrated 
by U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,429. Such coping requires a number of longitudinal 
ridges for strength and stability. A structure providing a one-piece cover 
which fits over a one-piece base is set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,512,326 
and 3,579,665. 
A multi-part coping is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,165. 
One type of two-piece coping is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,814. Another 
type is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,751. 
Other examples of swimming pool copings are represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 
3,590,400; 3,628,198; 3,634,892; 3,777,318; 3,835,481; 3,839,748; 
3,840,908; and 3,959,830. 
The present invention provides a two-piece coping which provides the 
simplicity and smooth appearance of a one-piece coping and which can be 
quickly and easily assembled. 
The present invention especially provides an installation which permits 
ready access to anchor bolts or other fastening members employed to secure 
the coping around the pool edge. 
Another object of the invention is to provide an aluminum swimming pool 
coping which allows a top fastener to the pool side in a hidden position. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a two-piece coping 
of either metal or plastic in which one piece serves as a cover plate and 
the other piece holds the pool liner and fastener. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a finished or installed 
swimming pool coping which has a smooth and attractive appearance. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention comprises a two-piece swimming pool coping. One piece 
is an edge piece which includes a base plate for anchoring the coping to 
the pool edge or wall, a curved or bull-nosed part extending from the base 
plate, a channel below the curved part for receiving the edge of a pool 
liner, a hooked member for pivotally or hingedly engaging the other piece, 
and fastening means on the base plate for fastening the other piece to the 
base plate. The other piece is a cover piece which includes an opening 
therein for pivotal or hinged engagement with the hooked member of the 
edge piece and means extending therefrom for fastening the cover piece on 
the edge piece. When assembled together, the coping presents a relatively 
even surface for a person to stand upon. 
The present invention also provides for a clip which substantially conforms 
to the outer shape of the assembled two-piece coping and which is mounted 
over the assembled coping to prevent separation of the two coping parts. A 
plurality of the clips are fastened on the coping members at appropriate 
places around the perimeter thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings in detail, particularly FIGS. 1-3, the 
present invention is illustrated by a swimming pool coping formed in two 
parts or pieces. There is an edge piece 11 which is attached to the margin 
of the pool, and an edge piece or cover piece 12 which is attached to the 
edge piece. Each piece is preferably an aluminum extrusion or shape, but 
could also be formed of a suitable plastic. The edge piece is fastened to 
the pool side and is so constructed as to accept fasteners and the pool 
liner. The latter is preferably of vinyl or other suitable heavy duty 
plastic. The cover piece is pivotally engaged and snap-fastened to the 
edge piece. 
The edge piece 11 has a bull-nose or curved part 13 extending from a base 
plate 14 and joined thereto by a short vertical member 15 which is 
perpendicular to the base plate. A portion 13a of the bull-nose member 13, 
short member 15 and a portion 14a of the base plate 14, form a channel or 
socket 16 for receiving the beaded edge of a swimming pool liner 17 to 
hold it in place on the swimming pool wall 18. The member 14a has a lip 
14b extending therefrom to aid in holding the vinyl liner 17 in place. The 
base plate 14 has a short, lateral member 20 extending perpendicularly 
therefrom near the other end of the base plate. Also extending from the 
base plate 14 is a vertical and angular lateral member 21. The member 21 
has a lip 21a formed thereon. The top portion 13b of the bull-nose part 14 
extends slightly downwardly and has a curved member 13c on the end 
thereof. The member 13c has a curved channel 13d therein. 
As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover piece 12 has a main top part 22 which 
has a slight downward slope from one end thereof to a curved end 23 which 
joins vertical member 24. Extending inwardly from the end of the vertical 
member 24 is short flange 25. Also extending downwardly and vertically 
perpendicularly from main top part 22, when in its installed position, is 
vertical member 26. A lip 26a is formed on the end of the member 26. One 
end of the member 22 extends to a rounded or beaded part 27 which has a 
curved part 28 extending therefrom. A vertical member 29 extends 
downwardly from the curved member 28 and a flange 30 extends at right 
angles from the member 29. One edge 30a of the member 30 is somewhat 
angular. A short flange 31 extends downwardly perpendicularly from the 
member 30. A curved channel 32 is formed by the beaded edge 27 and the 
curved member 28. The beaded edge 27 is adapted to fit into channel 13d. 
Curved member 13c is adapted to fit into channel 32. Such arrangement 
provides a pivotal or hinged connection between the edge piece 11 and the 
cover piece 12. When the two pieces are joined together, the member 31 
rests against the member 15 and the lip 26a interlocks with the lip 21a. 
Flange 25 rests on base plate 14. 
The base plate 14 is conveniently anchored to the wall 18 of the swimming 
pool by bolt 35 extending through the wall 18 and through an opening in 
the base 14 and with nut 36 tightened on the bolt 25. 
A non-slip surface is provided by a plurality of longitudinally extending 
ridges or striations 37 on the top of the member 22 and similar ridges or 
striations 38 on top of the member 13b. 
The piece 11 and the piece 12, when joined together and locked in place, 
form the swimming pool coping of the instant invention. When two copings, 
i.e., an assembled edge piece and cover piece, are joined together in an 
end-to-end relationship, a coping cover piece 40 is preferably snapped 
thereover. Such coping piece has a curved edge 41 which follows the 
general contour of the top of cover piece 12 and top piece 13b of edge 
piece 11. The member 40 also has a bull-nose shaped end 42 which is 
generally of the configuration of bull-nose part 13. Extending on the 
other end of the member 40 is leg 43 which extends downwardly and 
vertically of a configuration approximating that of the parts 23, 24 and 
25 of the member 12. Extending from the leg 43 is lip 44. The member 40, 
when placed on the coping, effectively covers the space or joining area of 
two swimming pool copings. 
Referring now to FIG. 1A, an alternate cover piece 50 is illustrated. The 
cover piece 50 is substantially the same as cover piece 12 except that the 
member 29' extends vertically downwardly from curved part 28' and ends in 
flange 51 which rests on the base plate 14. The additional construction of 
the member 50 is similar to that of the member 12. It can be appreciated 
that a variety of configurations and/or joining arrangements can be 
utilized without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
The edge piece and the cover piece which form the swimming pool coping are 
preferably aluminum shapes. They may, however, be of plastic or other 
suitable material. The joining cover member 40 is also preferably 
aluminum, but may also be steel, plastic or any other suitable material. 
Such material is preferably somewhat flexible so that it may be readily 
snapped over the swimming pool coping. Although the cover or clip is 
preferred, it may of course be omitted. 
While the invention has been disclosed herein by reference of the details 
of the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that such disclosure 
is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, and it is 
contemplated that various modifications of the construction and 
arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art, 
within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.