Base member for water-retaining structure and method

Abstract

A base member for receiving the bottom of a wall of an above-ground pool comprising a plurality of rail members each having a first rail portion, a second rail portion and a hinge linking the rail portions, and an indexing device between the rail portions such that the rail portions can be locked in one of a plurality of orientations about the hinge, accommodating one of predetermined perimeters of the wall, whereby the member receives the bottom of the wall along the perimeter.

1 . A base for receiving the bottom of a wall of an above-ground water retaining recreational structure comprising a plurality of elongated rail members each having first and second ends and a hinge intermediate the first and second ends defining at least first and second rail member portions; and an indexing device between the elongated rail member portions associated with the hinge member such that the first and second rail member portions can be locked in one of a plurality of orientations about the axis of the hinge, in order to accommodate at least one of a plurality of differently curved and straight segments of the wall.  
   
   
       2 . The base as defined in  claim 1  wherein each first and second rail member portion is arcuate.  
   
   
       3 . The base according to  claim 1 , wherein a continuous longitudinal channel is defined in the rail members in order to receive the wall.  
   
   
       4 . The base as defined in  claim 1  wherein a pair of rail members are coupled together, end to end by means of a male-female coupling of respective second ends and the respective first ends of the rail members are adapted to be joined to adjacent posts forming the structure which is in the form of an above ground pool.  
   
   
       4 . The base according to  claim 3 , wherein a clip is included in the continuous longitudinal channel to retain the wall in the channel.  
   
   
       5 . The base according to  claim 1 , wherein the indexation device comprises a first locking member projecting from the first rail member portion; a second locking member projecting from the second rail member portion such that the second locking member overlaps the first locking member; a plurality of pairs of matched apertures, each pair being formed by an aperture in the first locking member and a corresponding aperture in the second locking member, such that each of the possible orientations is defined by an alignment of the apertures in one pair; and a pin adapted to be inserted through an aligned pair of apertures to lock the first and second locking members in order to maintain a desired orientation.  
   
   
       6 . The base according to  claim 1 , wherein the first rail member portion, the second rail member portion and the hinge are integrally molded.  
   
   
       7 . The base according to  claim 5  wherein the first rail member portion, the second rail member portion, the hinge and the first and second locking members are integrally molded.  
   
   
       8 . A method for receiving a wall of an above-ground water retaining recreational structure using a plurality of rail members adapted for a plurality of perimeters wherein each of the rail members includes a pair of hingedly connected arcuate rail portions, comprising the steps of: 
 a. angularly orienting the pair of hingedly connected arcuate rail portions;    b. locking the rail portions of each member in the selected relative orientation;    c. positioning the members to form a desired perimeter;    d. receiving the bottom of the wall in the members.    
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein step b includes selecting a first aperture in a first locking member linked with one of the rail portions, changing a relative orientation of the rail portions until the first aperture is aligned with an associated second aperture in a second locking member overlapping the first locking member and linked to the other in the pair of rail portions, and inserting a pin through the first and second apertures to secure the relative orientation.  
   
   
       10 . A rail member for a base of an above ground pool comprising a rail member having first and second ends and a hinge intermediate the first and second ends defining at least first and second rail member portions; and an indexing device between the elongated rail member portions associated with the hinge member such that the first and second rail member portions can be locked in one of a plurality of orientations about the axis of the hinge, in order to accommodate at least one of a plurality of differently curved and straight segments of a wall.  
   
   
       11 . An above-ground swimming pool comprising: 
 a. a wall defining a bottom and comprising a plurality of differently curved segments; and    b. a base for receiving the bottom of the wall, the base comprising a plurality of elongated rail members each having first and second ends and a hinge intermediate the first and second ends defining at least first and second rail member portions; and an indexing device between the elongated rail member portions associated with the hinge member such that the first and second rail member portions can be locked in one of a plurality of orientations about the axis of the hinge, in order to accommodate at least one of the plurality of differently curved segments of the wall.