Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – With means – Attached filament or mesh
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-04
2003-06-24
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3637)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
With means
Attached filament or mesh
C052S342000, C052S344000, C052S343000, C052S596000, C052S169700, C004S494000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06581349
ABSTRACT:
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright or trademark owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of water-tight concrete wall and structure construction. This invention relates more particularly to an improved method and manufacture for constructing waterfalls, cliffs, slides and the like around a swimming pool to give the pool the naturalistic look and atmosphere of a naturally formed wilderness pond.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most concrete structures such as buildings, outdoor barbeques, shower stalls and swimming pools are constructed by first assembling forms to hold the concrete in place. Armature, usually in the form of a matrix of steel rebar is then placed in the form to give the concrete added tensile strength, different sections of armature may need to be spliced together with steel wire. Concrete is then poured over the armature, immersing the armature. An waterproofing layer is included by either mixing a waterproofing compound with the concrete or applying it directly on the concrete after it has hardened. A second, textured finishing layer of concrete may then be placed atop the first layer of concrete over the waterproofing. After the concrete has hardened the forms are removed.
“Cementatious material” as used herein means concrete, mortar or the like.
A solid concrete wall is built in a similar fashion but sheet forms such as plywood must typically be used to hold the concrete in place while it dries and hardens.
An alternative to solid concrete construction, where the strength of solid rebar armature-reinforced concrete is not required, is wood and mortar or stucco construction. For example, a stucco wall is usually built by constructing a wood frame, covering the wood frame with a waterproof membrane such as tar paper, covering the tar paper with a mesh and troweling or spraying on one or more layers of mortar or concrete over the mesh. The wall is structurally supported by the wood frame and the concrete layer is added to provide the strength and imperviousness of masonry.
A multitude of structures can be built from concrete and many of them require special forms and skill to assemble them correctly. One or a combination of the above methods are used to construct these structures.
A mortar shower stall for example is first built from wood, then a waterproof membrane is affixed to floor and walls. The walls of the shower stall are covered with an armature of steel mesh and heavier rebar is used for the armature placed on the floor. A continuous layer of mortar is then placed on the mesh and over the floor armature to build the walls and floor. Great skill is required to ensure the walls are flat and the floor slopes towards the drain. A final layer of tile may be added to the walls and floor to finish the shower stall.
Other examples of specialized concrete construction abound: window wells placed outside of basement windows; reinforced concrete bunkers, sometimes referred to as pillboxes used for military applications; outdoor barbeques; outdoor sinks and fireplaces, all must be both waterproof and of a certain shape.
The construction of naturalistic artificial rock structures surrounding a swimming pool requires a particularly specialized construction. The vast majority of swimming pools are constructed with a surrounding plain, flat concrete or wooden deck. These decks are functional but uninteresting and do not take advantage of the inherent aesthetic rewards that can be added to a body of water. There has been a trend in swimming pool design to incorporate naturalistic elements into the surrounding deck, such as waterfalls and rocks, such that the pool looks like a natural mountain pond or tropical grotto.
The most common swimming pool waterfall construction technique requires that concrete footings, reinforced with steel rebar, first be anchored in the ground. Thereafter, an armature or steel skeleton in the general shape of the finished fountain or other naturalistic artificial rock structure is anchored to the footings. The armature is laboriously formed by bending the steel rebar into the basic shape of the desired finished structures. When the armature is shaped to form a resulting enclosed structure, having a hollow interior, framework such as wood bracing and steel-reinforced concrete support columns must frequently be used in the internal area to reinforce the artificial rock structure and ensure structural integrity.
Castings are pre-cast impressions made from the image of natural rock. These castings are sheet-like and usually made from concrete or fiber-embedded concrete. The castings are made using a latex mold which was in turn made from an impression of natural rock.
After the armature is completed, a mesh of steel, burlap or nylon netting is placed over the armature and tied to it. This mesh provides a surface to hold the concrete in place. A first structural layer of concrete is poured over the mesh and allowed to harden. An elastomeric waterproof coating is then applied to the structural concrete coat. Castings and natural rock are optionally then embedded to the structural coat over the waterproof lining and a second, textured coat of concrete is applied. The castings are filled with concrete to affix them to the structure. A final, textured concrete coat is applied to the structural coat and textured and colored to give the appearance of natural rock.
There are other methods for building naturalistic waterfalls and other artificial rock structures but they too have drawbacks. Natural rock itself can simply be cemented together to make the structures, but natural rock is heavy and difficult to move; it is expensive to buy and to transport, it is difficult to work with; it also requires a high degree of skill to ensure that a structurally sound artificial rock structure is built, and, natural rock tends to be difficult to water seal, it tends to leak water when used alone to build a waterfall or basin.
Another method to constructing these artificial rock structures is to use preformed plastic or urethane rocks and waterfalls and simply attach them around the pool. These structures tend to be unconvincing and fake in appearance though. Moreover they are also flimsy and structurally weak and tend to fade and crack under the stress of sun and people climbing on them. These fake rocks are just for decoration, being made out of plastic or urethane, they do not incorporate steel-reinforced concrete.
The current methods and technology for naturalistic artificial rock structures require a high degree of skill and expense to install and they frequently leak and crack unless the installation is meticulously executed.
Various efforts have been made in the past to create naturalistic artificial rock structures. Jensen, U.S. Pat. No. 1,776,999 teaches forming a mold made from crinkled paper, preferably supported by framework and having a paraffin lining, to simulate the natural irregularity of rock. The form is filled with a plastic material, resulting in either a hollow, structurally weak artificial rock or a solid heavy ball of concrete.
DiGiacomo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,849 describes a method for making a swimming pool wall out of a mold made on natural rock. The natural rock is covered with latex, then a urethane foam. The form made of foam is removed as used as the form for the wall in building the swimming pool. This allows the use of a naturalistic finish for a pool wall but cannot be used for a freestanding structure. Moreover it requires the same high level of skill to build as the current methods do.
The Interfab company of 3831 E. Technical Drive, Tuscon, Ariz. makes prefabricated hollow concrete and fiberglass artificial rock structures such as water falls for use around a swimming pool. The user places the
A Phi Dieu Tran
Haymond Philip H.
Mai Lanna
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