The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 06, 1977
Filed:
Mar. 31, 1976
Joe H Lamb, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Other;
Abstract
A braking system has been designed for controlling the rotational momentum of a cover collecting drum during the extention and retraction sequence of a motorized swimming pool cover apparatus. The braking system provides a compact, substantially even roll on the collecting drum. The swimming pool cover apparatus includes a rotatable and axially slidable shaft supportably carried by a number of end bearing standards. A fixed, free wheeling, cover collecting drum is carried on the shaft along with a pair of free wheeling, draw cord collecting reels positioned at each end of the drum. A clutch-like system is provided whereby the drum and the reels can be selectively engaged and/or disengaged from the shaft by rotating the shaft first in one direction then in the other. To maintain a desired, preselected tension on the pool cover and thereby produce a compact, even roll on the cover collecting drum the rotational momentum of the reels and the cover collecting drum is controlled during operation by the application of an adjustable braking force to each of the reels. This braking force is achieved by squeezing or pinching a pair of brake shoes against the side walls of each of the reels. Since the force applied to the reel's side walls is adjustable, the braking force applied to the reels may either be identical or dissimilar depending upon the type and degree of compactness or tightness desired. A unique feature of this braking system is that the desired amount of force can be applied concomitantly to both side walls of each of the reels and thereby insure a uniform roll on the cover collecting drum.