Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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This invention relates to a play gym, it relates more particularly
to an outdoor play gym of the type which includes swings and other kinetic
play devices.
Play gyms have, of course, been available for many years. In-
variably they take the form of a horizontal bar from which is suspended swings -~
and the like, supported at its opposite ends by legs arranged as A-frames.
Invariably the upper ends of the legs are connected to the ends of the hori-
zontal bar by rigid socket-type joints which envelop the ends of the bar to
provide rigid connections between the legs and the bar. If the play gym is
unusually long, a third set of supportive legs is often situated at the middle
of the horizontal bar.
Prior play gyms are sold in a knocked down condition with the hori- ~ -
zontal bar and various legs, brackets, bolts, nuts, etc. all being more or
less loose in the shipping carton. Consequently, all the components of the
gym must be assembled by the ultimate purchaser. This is usually a time con- -
suming task for the average parent. A typical prior play gym requires instal- -
lation of over two dozen bolts to assemble the gym frame alone. Additional
nut and bolt connections are required to assemble the individual gym rides.
Furthermore, once the gym is assembled and exposed to the elements,
it is extremely difficult to knock down the play gym for storage or to move
it from one location to another because the individual bolts become rusted
and bent. In fact in many cases the only feasible way to remove them is with
a hacksaw.
Because it is so difficult to disassemble the average play gym, - -
few people bother to store the gym in the winter months when it is not in use. -i-
Consequently the prior play units do not last as long as they should. Further-
more since there are so many loose parts associated with the conventional
units, even when they are disassembled, braces, bolts, nuts and other parts ~ ~ -
become misplaced or lost. Consequently when the time comes to reassemble the -gym, new parts have to be purchased.
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The up-shot of all these problems is that once the usual play gym
is assembled, it tends to remain in the same location for its entire life.
It is not moved when the family goes on vacation to a summer home and in many
cases it does not even accompany the family upon a permanent change of
residence.
Another problem with conventional play gyms is that they take up
a considerable amount of yard space. Thus where yard space is quite l; mi ted,
say, in the city, an unused play gym restricts the use of the yard for other
activities.
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a play
gym comprising a horizontal bar and a leg assembly for supporting at least
one end of the bar. The assembly includes a pair of relatively long tubular
legs, and a three-axis pivot joint connecting the upper ends of the legs to
each other and to the horizontal bar. The pivot joint includes a pair of
sockets for receiving the ends of the legs, connecting means extending be-
tween the sockets, and a pair of spaced-apart pivots linking the connecting
means and the sockets. The axes of said pivots are parallel to one another
and perpendicular to the axes of said legs. Means is provided for pivotally
connecting the connecting means to the bar. The pivotal axis of the pivotal
connecting means is perpendicular to the bar and perpendicular to the axes of
the pivots so that the legs can be swung together so as to lie parallel to
one another and both the legs can be swung against the bar so that they lie
substantially parallel to the bar. The play gym further includes arcuate
shells integral with the upper ends of the sockets. The axes of the shells
are oriented at right angles to the axes of the sockets. The sheIls are
arranged and adapted to clamp against opposite sides of the bar when the legs
are maintained in their spread-apart condition and to disengage from the bar
when the legs are ~wung parallel to one another so as to permit the legs to
be folded again#t the bar. Means is provided for releasably maintaining the
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legs in a spread-apart condition substantially at right
angles to the bar so that they support said end of the bar
above the ground. Means is further provided for supporting
the opposite end of the bar above the ground.
The play gym defined above may further include
a glide swing pivotally suspended from the bar. The swing
comprises a set of depending hangers, a platform pivotally
secured to the lower ends of the hangers, and a pair of
oppositely-disposed seat assemblies pivotally connected to '~
the hangers above the platform. Each seat assembly comprises
laterally spaced pairs of seat frame members. Means is -~
provided for pivotally connecting ends
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of the seat frame members to the laterally spaced pairs of hangers. A seat
extends between the pairs of seat frame members for supporting a rider. Means
is provided for limiting the pivotal movement of said seat frame members
relative to said hangers so that the seat frame members cannot extend below
their pivotal connections to the hangers, whereby each seat assembly can be
moved from an active position wherein its seat lies in horizontal plane, to
a folded position, wherein its seat lies essentially in a vertical plane
parallel to the hangers.
The means for supporting the opposite end of the bar may comprise
a single axis pivot joint which permits the bar to be swung in a generally
horizontal plane.
All of the major components of the play gym frame are interconnec-
ted at the factory by rivets or the like. Resultantly, in order to erect the
gym, the purchaser merely has to unfold the legs and install as few as two
bolts in order to secure the gym in its upright position. Consequently the -~
gym can be erected in a very short time with minimum effort.
By the same token, if it becomes necessary to take down the play
gym for transportation or storage, only these same two bolts need be removed
to permit the gym frame to be folded up into its stick-like form.
In the event that auxiliary legs are needed to support the middle
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of a particularly long horizontal bar, these also are easily removable from
the bar and foldable so that they also can repose stick-like adjacent the
horizontal bar.
A play gym according to the invention can be folded into a stick-
like package so that it can readily be transported or stored in a minimum
amount of space. It can also be folded out of the way when not in use and
taken down quickly as compared with prior comparable equipment.
All of these features make the subject play gym a particularly
desirable piece of outdoor play equipment which should have a long useful life
and provide minimum inconvenience to the owner.
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention which
should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a play gym made in accordance
with this invention;
Figures 2A to 2C are fragmentary perspective views showing the
three-axis pivot joint used in the Figure 1 gym in its unfolded, partially
folded and fully folded positions;
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the Figure 1 play gym frame
folded into its stick-like form; ;~
Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the foldable
center legs used in the Figure 1 gym; -
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a modified -
play gym for use in small areas;
Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of
the Figure S gym in greater detail;
Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the foldable swing in
Figure 1 in somewhat greater detail; and
Figure 8 is a similar view showing the swing in its folded con-
dition. -
Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the subject play gym
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includes a frame shown generally at 10 which supports a pair of swings in-
dicated generally at 12 and 14. The frame includes a horizontal bar 18 which
is supported at its ends by pairs of legs 22 arranged as A-frames. Each A-
frame is connected at its apex to the horizontal bar by means of three-axis
pivot joints 24a and 24b to be described in detail later. The legs 22 com-
prising each A-frame are held in spaced-apart relation by a horizontal brace
26 installed midway between the horizontal bar 18 and the ground. Plastic end
caps 28 close the opposite ends of bar 18.
In the event that the bar 18 is unusually long, an auxiliary pair
of legs 32 in the form of an A-frame is installed near the middle of the bar.
Those legs are connected to the bar by an integral clamp shown generally at
34 and the two legs are held apart by a horizontal brace 35, midway between -
the bar 18 and the ground, all is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.
After removing the swings 12 and 14, the gym frame 10 can be fold-
ed easily from its fully erected condition illustrated in Figure 1 to a folded
condition shown in Figure 3 wherein it reposes in stick form. For this, it is
only necessary to remove a bolt 33 securing one end of each brace 26 to the
adjacent leg 22. With that end released, each brace 26 can be folded down
flush against the leg 22 to which its other end is pivotally attached. The
three-axis pivot joints 24a and 24b then permit each pair of legs 22 to be -
folded together and also allow both pairs of legs to be folded against the
horizontal bar 18. All these frame parts are interconnected at the factory
using rivets, bolts or other comparable securements and they remain inter-
connected even when the play gym is fully folded. Consequently the chances
are small of majGr components of the gym becoming misplaced or lost.
Referring now to Figures 2A to 2C, three-axis pivot
joints 24a and 24b are mirror images of one another. Consequently we will
describe only the former joint in detail. It comprises a pair of mirror image
sections 42 and 44, each of which consists of a single metal stamping. Sec-
tion 42 is formed with a socket 42a which engages around the upper end of a
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leg 22. extending, say, three-fourths of the way around the leg. Section 42
also includes an arcuate shell 42b integral with the upper end of 42a whose
axis is generally perpendicular to that of socket 42a. The diameter of shell
42b is essentially the same as that of bar 18 so that the shell can engage
around one side of the bar as best seen in Figure 2A. The opposite joint
section 44 includes a comparable socket 44a for receiving the end of leg 22
and an integral arcuate shell 44b for engaging around the opposite side of bar
18 (Figure 2C).
The two sections 42 and 44 are pivotally connected together by
a trapezoidal bracket 46 positioned at one side of sockets 42a and 44a direc-
tly below bar 18. One end of bracket 46 is pivotally connected to section 42
by means of a rivet 48 or other comparable securement extending through the -
bracket, through socket 42a and through the leg 22 received in that shell.
A similar rivet 52 extends through the opposite end of bracket 46 through
socket 44a and the leg 22 in that socket. Additional rivets 52 are driven -
through the sockets 42a, 44a and the underlying legs 22 to securely anchor the
legs in the sockets. Bracket 46 also has a prominent ear 46a extending out -
parallel to and below, bar 18.
A metal strap 54 is looped around bar 18 adjacent joint sections ; --
42 and 44. The two strap ends 54a and 54b extend down on opposite sides of
ear 46a to which they are pivotally connected by means of a rivet 56. Addi-
tional rivets 58 extend through the strapinto opposite sides of bar 18 to
permanently secure the strap to the bar. The joint sections 42 and 44 are
thus hinged together and also to bar 18 so as to form the strong three-axis
pivot joint that rigidly supports the gym, yet permits the legs 22 to be fold- ed together and also flush against bar 18 when it is desired to store the
play gym.
As shown in Figure 2A, when the legs 22 are spread apart and stand
upright in their normal position, the arcuate sections 42b and 44b form clam
shells which clamp against opposite sides of the horizontal bar 18. Any
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weight on the bar 18 tends to clamp the shells even more tightly against the
bar so that a firm,rigid connection is maintained between legs 22 and the
bar 18. As a further safety precaution, however, the customer may insert a
bolt 5 through in-line openings provided in shells 42b and 44b and in the
Opposite walls of bar 18 and secure it there with a suitable nut (not shown).
The bolt may also help to retain the end-cap 28 in place. For this, the end-
cap is provided within an internal extension 28a terminating in an eye 28b
through which the bolt 5 extends. See Figure 2B. Thus even with this added
safety feature only four customer-installed bolts are required in order to
erect the gym frame 10.
As shown in Figure 2B, when the legs 22 are folded together to
store the gym frame 10, the clam shells 42b and 44b are spread apart thereby
releasing bar 18. Whereupon the legs can be swung about the pivot at rivet
56 to bring the legs 22 flush against bar 18 as shown in Figure 2C. The
opposite end of the play gym has comparable structural elements permitting the
other pair of legs 22 to fold up against bar 18 so that the entire frame 10
assumes its stick-like form illustrated in Figure 3. One leg 22 is shown
partially unfolded .
Turning now to Figure 4, in the event that an auxiliary pair of
legs 32 are used as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, the clamp 34 used
to connect those legs to the horizontal bar has a somewhat different construc-
tion from the pivot joints at the ends of the play gym. More particularly,
the same two joint sections 42 and 44 are employed. However, these are pivot-
ally connected together with a pair of straps, 62 and 64.
One end of each strap is connected to opposite sides of sleeve
42a by rivet 66 passing through the straps, the sleeve 42a and the leg 32
therein Similar rivets 68 are used to pivotally connect the opposite ends
of those straps to sleeve 44a and the leg 32 therein. Thus when the legs 32
are spread apart when attaching the free end of the horizontal brace 35 to
leg 32, the shells 42b and 44b form clam shells which grip the opposite sides
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of horizontal bar 18 as described above to further strengthen the play gym
frame. Here also for added safety, one or more customer-installed bolts 72
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can be slid through suitable openings ~4 in the shells 42b and 44b and through
opposite sides of bar 18, threaded nuts 74 being turned down onto the ends of
the bolts 72. As with the other legs, when it is desired to store the play
gym one end of the horizontal brace 35 can be detached from its adjacent leg
and the legs folded together. This releases the clamp 34 from bar 18 and
permits the auxiliary leg assembly to be folded into stick form for compact
storage.
In some cases it may be desirable to have the legs 22 or 32 remov-
able from the joints. In this event, the joint sockets can be extended all
around the legs forming tubular sockets into which the legs project. If desir-
ed for added safety, suitable customer installed bolts (not shown) can be
passed through openings provided in the sockets and legs.
In Figure 5, the play gym frame 10 shown in Figure l has been
modified to eliminate pivot joint 24b and associated legs 22. Instead, the
end of horizontal bar 18 is suspended from a vertical support G, such as the
side of a garage or house, by a single-axis pivot joint indicated generally at
84. Pivot joint 84 permits the play gym frame to extend out away from the
surface G when the play gym is being used as indicated in solid lines in
Figure 5. It also permits the gym to be swung flush against the surface G -~
when the legs 22 are folded up as aforesaid to assume a stick form as shown in
dotted lines in Figure 5. A suitable U-shaped bracket 86 secured to the side
of support G may be provided to support the free ends of the folded play gym
components.
Referring now to Figure 6, pivot joint 84 comprises a generally
rectangular metal bracket 92 which can be secured to support G by suitable
nails or screws (not shown) passing through openings 93 in the bracket end
extending ints the support. Bracket 92 has a pair of parallel upper and lower ~ -
flanges 92a extending out from its upper and lower edges.
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A generally rectangular metal channel 94 having about the same
dimensions as bracket 92 is engaged to the bracket. Channel 94 has a pair of
upper and lower inwardly extending flanges 94a which engage over flanges 92a.
Vertical in-line openings 98 are formed through flanges 92a and 94a at each
end of the joint 84 to accommodate a pair of pins 100. These pins are dropped
down through the openings 98 to lock the channel 94 to bracket 92. Also, if
desired, cotter pins 102 can be inserted through small horizontal openings 104
at the bottoms of pins 100 to prevent the pins from being pulled out in-
advertently from their openings 98.
Secured to the front face of chann31 94 is a strap 108 for retain-
ing the end of horizontal bar 18. Strap 108 is generally cylindrical and has
a diameter that is slightly larger than that of bar 18 so that it can snugly
engage around the end of the bar. Further the strap has a pair of legs 108a
extending down at each side of the strap and each of these legs terminates in
a laterally extending tab 108b which lies flush against the front face of
channel 94. Screws 110 extend through openings in each tab 108b and register-
ing openings in the front face of channel 94, with suitable nuts (not shown)
being turned down onto the ends of screws inside the channel to securely
anchor the strap 108 to channel 94. Additional screws 112 extend through
appropriate openings in strap 108 and are turned down into registering open-
ings in bar 18 to ensure that the bar does not pull away from the pivot joint.
When both pins 100 are in place, the end of the horizontal bar 18
is supported so that the play gym extends out at right angles to surface G
whereby children can use the various rides suspended from the play gym frame
10. When it is desired to use the space occupied by the play gym for other
purposes, one end of the brace 26 is detached and the legs 22 are folded to-
gether and up against bar 18. Also the right-hand pin 100 in joint 84 is
removed from its openings 98. This permits the channel 94 to pivot about the
other pin 100 so that the legs 22 and bar 18 can be swung against surface G
as shown in Figure 5 with the free ends of those elements being supported by
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bracket 86. Of course if it is desired to fold the legs and bar 18 against
surface G in the opposite direction, then the other pin lO0 is removed.
Finally, removal of the play gym frame 10 from surface G is simply a matter
of extracting both pins 100 from their openings 98. This permits the channel
94 to be removed from bracket 92 so that the play gym frame can be stored
indoors or transported elsewhere.
Turning now to Figures 7 and 8, swing 14 is also foldable so that
it can be stored or shipped in the flattened condition illustrated in Figure
8. More particularly, each swing seat assembly 106 can be moved from an
operative position illustrated at the right hand side of Figure 7 in which it
can support an occupant, to a raised, generally vertical, folded position
wherein its elements repose against the vertical swing frame. The assembly
106 is shown partially folded at the left side of Figure 7. This allows the
swing as a whole to be folded flat as shown in Figure 8 when it is removed
from the gym frame 10 ~Figure 1).
Swing 14 comprises four identical, vertical frame members 112.
The upper end 112a of each frame member 112 is bent at an angle and terminates - -:
in an eye 112b. These frame members are pivotally connected via these eyes
~ brackets 114 clamped to bar 18 by suitable bolts 116, all as shown in Figure
1.
The lower ends of the front-most pair of frame members 112 are
connected by pivots 116 to the opposite ends of a short horizontal frame mem-
ber 118. A similar horizontal member 118 is pivotally connected to the lower
ends of the rear-most pair of frame members 112. A set of spaced-apart,
parallel slats 122 are secured to frame members 118 and form the floor of the -
swing. Thus when a child stands on the slats 122 and rocks back and forth,
the frame members will swing about their pivots at 116 and 112b with the slats .
122 remaining in a generally horizontal plane as is customary with such swings.
The seat assemblies 106 are substantially identical. Therefore
we will describe only the right hand assembly in detail. It comprises a pair
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of parallel upper frame members 130. The left hand end of each frame member
130 is formed with an upwardly extending ear 130a which is connected to a ver-
tical frame member 112 by a pivot 132. Also, a detent 134 extends laterally
from each frame member 130 adjacent to its ear 130a and the detents 134 bear
against the adjacent frame members 112 to stop the seat frame members 130
when they are disposed horizontally.
A pair of spaced-apart parallel lower seat frame members 136 are
also pivoted to swing frame members 112. For this, they are provided at their
left hand ends with upwardly extending ears 136a, each of which is connected
by a pivot 138 to the adjacent frame member 112. These frame members 136 also
have laterally extending detents 140 adjacent their ears 136a which engage
frame members 112 to stop frame members 136 when they are extending horizontal-
ly .
A bowed frame member 144 has its opposite ends positioned adjacent
the free ends of members 130 and 136 at the front of the swing and is pivotal-
ly connected to the ends of those members by pivots 146 and 148. An identical
bowed frame member 144 is pviotally connected to the free ends of members 130
and 136 at the rear of the swing. A rigid seat member 152 reposes on frames
136 and is secured at its opposite ends to those members. Likewise a backrest
member 154 is secured to the bridging portions of frame members 144 to form
the finished seat.
This seat assembly construction provides firm support for the
occupant of the swing, yet permits the seat assemblies 106 to be folded upward-
ly so that they lie flush against frames 112 when it is desired to store the
swing.
Suitable lock rings 158 may be engaged around frames 112 so that
they can drop down around ears 136a to prevent the seat assemblies 106 from
being lifted up inadvertently. In other words, both rings 158 on each seat
assembly must be slid up away from ears 136a simultaneously in order to fold
'che seat assembly.
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We have seen from the foregoing that the present gym construction
provides strong support for the various rides suspended from the gym frame.
Yet it permits the gym frame and swing 14 to be quickly and easily folded up
for storage in a minimum amount of space. Further, the gym can be shipped
in a relatively small package and can be erected very easily since most of its
major components are already interconnected at the factory. These same
features permit ready folding of the gym in the event that it is desired to
store the equipment or move it to a new location. Yet with all of these advan-
tages, the gym is not appreciably more expensive than prior conventional gyms
in use today.
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