US3246893A

US3246893A - Resilient gymnastic pole device

Info

Publication number: US3246893A
Application number: US251225A
Authority: US
Inventors: Boggild Robert; William L Dale; Drive Dale
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-01-14
Filing date: 1963-01-14
Publication date: 1966-04-19
Anticipated expiration: 1983-04-19

Description

April 19, 1966 R. BOGGILD ETAL RESILIENT GYMNASTIC POLE DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 14. 1963 INVENTOI-. Wwf, ,af/Mw QW April 19, 1966 R. BoGGlLD ETAL. 3,246,893

RESILIENT GYMNASTIC POLE DEVICE Filed Jan. 14. 1963 ."5 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. BOGGILD ETAL RESILIENT GYMNASTIC POLE DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1N VENTOR.

April 19, 1966 Filed Jan. 14. 1963 United States Patent 3,246,893 RESIDENT GYMNASTIC POLE DEVICE Robert Boggild and William L. Dale, both of 5463 Hill and Dale Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio Filed Ian. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 251,225

Claims. (Cl. 272-61) This invention relates to a gymnastic device and is particularly directed to a device on which energetic children, and even adults, can find an unusual and entertaining form of exercise.

The invention relates to a resilient device which, in a sense, has that characteritsic of a trampoline, which many people find to be so enjoyable, namely the characteristic of receiving and storing energy imparted to it by a person and immediately returning that energy to the body of the person to move him about. More specifically, the invention comprises a resilient pole, iir'mly anchored at its base, upon which a child can climb. The weight of the child, together with the energy which he imparts to the pole as he swings on it, will cause the pole to oscillate or gyrate carrying the child with it.) The variety of 4movements is iniinite, the variation being attained in part simply 4by the distance which the child climbs up on the pole and, still further, by the degree and direction of force which the child applies to the pole. For example, a child can cling to the top of the pole and, perhaps with friends pushing, can swing in a plane in which the pole touches the ground at one side and swings through its uppermost position to a position in which it touches the ground on the diametrically opposite side of the pole. As another example, a child can grasp the end of the pole with his hands and bound in circles around the pole.

In the prior art, there are rigid poles or other devices which a person 'can climb, the devices being mounted on varying typesof bases and being adapted to move about when the persons impart a force to them. Relatively complex types ofbases have been designed to provide support for such rigid poles, each base permittingor imparting some type of movement of its pole. In yaddition to the cost of'manufacturing such complex structures, the prior devices lacked an ingredient to which may be attributed a large part of the enjoyment to` be derived from the present invention, namely the whipping-action of a resilient pole. It is the very fact of the simplicity of the present invention which gives it this universal type action and distinguishes it from the cumbersome, limited devices of the prior art. In short, the present invention provided greater enjoyment at less cost than prior structures.

It has been an objective of the invention to provide, as an amusement and exercising device, a pole anchored in the ground at its lower end' and having a substantial length projecting above the ground, the pole being formed of longitudinally extending glass bers bonded by a suitable resin. We have found the resin bonded fiber glass to be an ideal substance for this purpose for several reasons. It'has suiiicient resilience and iiexibility to be bent through an angle of greater than ninety degrees without destroying its physical characteristics. cic gravity, as compared to steel for example, it has a high damping characteristic so that, when bent to the ground and released, it will swing past its normal vertical position through an angle of only about thirty degrees and thus will not injure a child through a whiplash.

It has been another objective of the invention to provide a base by which the ber glass' rod is anchored in the ground. The `base is designed to permit the bending of the rod through an angle of ninety degrees or more without creating a localized stress concentration as would tend to cause the pole to break.

It` has been another objective of the invention to provide as a gymnastic device a ber glass pole having a plas- Because of its low spe-v 3,246,893 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 ICC tic sleeve wrapped about its entire length. The plastic sleeve prevents such scratching or -scutiing of the fiber glass pole during use as might tend to weaken it., it provides a good hand grip, and it prevents glass bers from injuring the people playing on the pole.

It has been still another objective of the invention to provide steps and means for mounting them on the pole without having to penetrate the fiber glass material,- thereby avoiding the creation of a weak area which might be subject to failure.

It has been still another objective of the invention to provide means for anchoring the base on the earth. In this respect, we provide two embodiments, one of them being a removable anchor which will permit the pole to be moved from place to place, and the second `being an inexpensive but permanent mount for the pole.

Not only can the movable anchor be easily installed, but also it can be easily removed so that it can be shifted from place to place to avoid the development of ugly, bare spots and mud holes from too much activity in one spot, or so that it can be moved from one home to another. Further, in the case of either the permanent or movable anchor, the pole itself `can `be temporarily removed merely by lifting it out of its anchor.

It has beenstill another objective of the invention to provide a pole of the type described having a trapeze bar mounted at the top, thereby further increasing the number of varied activities which can be achieved on the pole.

These and other objectives of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: l

FIG. l is a side elevational view of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the construction of the movable base,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional View along lines 3 3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view along lines 4 4 of FIG. 2,

f FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating a preferred embodiment of the base of they device and-the manner in which the base is secured to the ground,

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view, partly in elevation of abny alternative form of the pole mounted in a permanent ase,

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional .viewillustrating the operation of the lower end of the pole during flexure, and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a trapeze bar which can be mounted at the top of the pole.

In the form of the. invention illustrated in FIG. 1, a polel 10 is mounted in a base or anchor 11, the base being anchored to the ground by an auger 12 in a manner to be described below. The pole 10 is a rod formed of longi-l tudlnally extending glass fibers bonded by a suitable resin,4 and may be manufactured by anyof several known techniques. A series of steps 13 are spaced along the-pole about eighteen inches apart so that they can be easily climbed by a small child.

As shown in FIG. 2, the steps are made of a foam or balsa core 14 which is formed to the proper shape and which is thereafter covered by a ber glass cloth and resin shell 15.

Each step is circular in plan view, as shown in FIG. 4, and has a central hole 16 of approximately the same dii ameter as the fiber glass pole. The steps are supported on the pole in part by spaced, resilient sleeves 17 which are shrunk onto the pole and in part by a suitable resin adhesive between the pole yand the cylindrical wall which forms the hole 16 in each step. A knob 18 is fixed to the top of the pole to prevent injury vand -to provide a grip for a child to keep himself on the pole.

The lower end of the pole is removably inserted in the base 11 and engages the base at two spaced apart areas to form a simple beam support for the pole. Thr first support area is provided by a steel radial bearing ring 20 fixed at the lower end portion of the pole a small distance, as for example, eighteen inches from the end of the pole. A thrust bearing cup 21 is secured to the extreme end of the pole. The cup has a slot 22 which engages the upper end of the auger 12 and thereby fixes the vertical penetration of the lower end of the pole into the base 11.-

The base comprises a frusto-conical member 23 having a depending cylindrical flange at its lower edge. The flange 24 is welded to a flange 25 formed integrally with a circular plate 26. The plate 26 has a central hole 28 which is coaxial with a central hole 29 in the upper end of the frusto-conical member 23. A socket tube 30 is disposed in the frusto-conical member 23 and has its upper end welded to the upper end of frusto-conical member 23 at hole 29 and its lower end welded to the center of plate 26 at the location of hole 28. The socket tube 30 has a lower end portion 31 projecting below the circular plate 26. Two aligned transverse holes 32 are formed in the lower end portion 31 of the socket tube to receive the upper end of the auger 12.

The frusto-conical member 23 has a pair of aligned holes 35--35 having a common axis which is slightly offset from the center of the frusto-conical member 23. Pipe inserts 36 are welded to the member 23 and to the base plate 26. The thus aligned pipe inserts 36 are adapted to receive a rod 37 which passes through the pipes and alongside the tube socket 29 as illustrated in FIG. 5. The rod 37 provides the leverage required to screw the anch-or auger 12 into the ground.

In the operation of the embodiment of FIGS. l-S, the anchor is quite simply Secured to the ground first by passing the upper end of the auger 12 through the hole 32 provided in the tube socket 30. Then the rod 37 is passed through the pipe sections 36 to provide the leverage for turning the auger 12 into the ground. Once the auger has started to screw its way into the ground, turning by means of the rod 37 can be done until the base ring 25 has cut its way through the turf to bring the base plate 26 flush with the ground. Thus installed, the auger prevents the base from lifting up from the ground, and the base plate 26 provides stability against tilting.

The pole is thereafter positioned in the tube socket 30 with the cup 21 having its slot 22 in engagement with the upper end of auger 12. Thus, the pole is prevented from rotating as well as prevented from burying itself into the ground. When the bearing cup 21 is in proper position, the bearing sleeve 20 is in engagement with the upper end of the socket 30 so as to prevent .any wear on the pole during its normal use. The pole can be taken down at any time merely by lifting it out of the socket.

Children can play on the pole in the manner illustrated in FIG. l. The steps, which are disc-like and resilient to prevent injury, may be climbed to bring a child, indicated at 39 in broken lines, at any desired position along the height of the pole. By shifting his position and his'weight, the child can perform many gyratory and swinging movements on the pole. The manner in which the pole is mounted at its base and its physical characteristics arising from the use of resin bonded glass fibers provides an exciting ride during which the free end of the pole can be bent to the ground without fracturing the pole. These features will be discussed in greater detail below in connection with the embodiment illustra-ted in FIGS. 6 and 7.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the principle of the invention is the same as that illustrated in FIGS. l-5. The pole, indicated at 40, comprises a rod 41 which is sheathed in a vinyl plastic sleeve 42. The rod 41 is constituted 'by longitudinally extending fiber glass fibers bonded by a suitable resin as described in connect-ion with the .previous embodiment. The sleeve is shrunk on the rod by forcing air into it to expand it and sliding it onto the rod while it is in its expanded condition and spaced from the rod by the layer of air. When the air pressure is relieved, the sleeve whose inside diameter is substantially less than the outside diameter of the rod fits tightly onto the surface of the rod. The sleeve 42 provides a good hand gripping surface which protects the hands against injury from loos-e glass fibers. Additionally, the -sleeve prevents the nicking or scufiing of the surface of rod 41 which might form the ybeginning of a point of failure of the rod after constant usage.

Steps 43 are fixed to the rod and have generally the same appearance as those described in the previous embodiment. However, the steps are formed land mounted on the rod in a different manner. Each step is circular and is formed of an upper half 44 and a lower half 45. The two halves are shaped as cups having radial ribs and are vacuum formed or injection molded from a high strength thermo-plastic such as acrylonitrile-butadiene, styrene or vinyl-polymer or co-polymer. The halves are formed as shown and are glued together as an integral unit. The unit has a central hole 46, the lower portion 47 of which is downwardly and outwardly flaring to form a fnusto-conical surface. The hole 46 is substantially larger thanthe outside diameter of the pole `and is mounted on a rubber stopper 48. The rubber stoppe-r 48 is fixed in position by a ring 49 which is adhesively secured to the pole with a suitable resin. The only bonding of the step to the pole occurs `at the ring 49 which is of minimum thickness. The bonding over the minimum lthickness .reduces the possibility of breaking the bond through the elongation and contraction of the pole surfaces during the constant flexure which the pole undergoes when it is put in use. -In addition to the ring 49, the securing of the step to the pole is effected in part lby the cooperating tapered surfaces of the step and the rubber stopper. It can be observed from FIG. 6 that as weight is applied to the step, the tapered surface 47, in moving downwardly with respect to the stopper, tends to squeeze the stopper radially inwardly to force it tightly to the pole surface.

The lower end of the pole 40 is mounted in a tube 53. The extreme end of the pole indicated at 54 is fixed in a cup 55 of suitable plastic material, the cfup having a transverse bore 56 through which a rivet 57 passes to fix the cup loosely in the tube. The upper end of the tube has -a rubber bushing 58 fixed to it, the bushing having an hourglass shaped bore 59 which snugly receives the pole.

The lower end of the tube 53 with its attached pole 40 is slidably and removably disposed in an anchor tube 61 permanently fixed in the ground. It should be understood that the tube 53 could also be inserted into the tube 30 of the removable anchor illustrated in FIGS. l-5. The relationship of the

tubes

53 and 61 is such that the lower end of pole 40 is elevated well above ground level. In this manner an increase in the over-all height of the device is obtained through the use of tubing 53 which is less expensive per unit of length than is the rod 40.

The tube 61 can be permanently fixed in the ground simply by digging a hole for it and surrounding it with ready-mixed concrete. Preferably, it should not be mounted in loose earth because the loose earth cannot be compacted suiiiciently tightly around the pole to give it the required vertical support. An alternative method of mounting which is considerably less expensive than the use of ready-mixed concrete is that illustrated in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6 are three 8 x 8 x 16 three-hole concrete blocks 63, 64 and 65. The upper and lower blocks 63 l ready-mixed concrete or alternatively with well-packed bank run gravel. The remainder of the hole may also be tilled with bank run gravel or combinations of bank run gravel, ready-mixed concrete and earth as desired.

An addition can be made to the upper end of either the pole or the pole 4t) to increase the number and variety of activities which can be performed on the pole. Such an addition is illustrated in FIG. 8 and comprises a trapeze bar 68 supported in arms 69 of a U-shaped support 70. The support 70 has a socket 71 which can` be slipped `over the upper end of the pole 40 and permanently ixed there.

In the mounting of the poile at its base in either the iirst embodiment or the second embodiment, it is important that the mounting be such as toprovide a simple beam support for the pole as contrasted to a cantilever support. The principle of the mounting is illustrated in FIG. 7. There, the lower end of the pole is mounted in the cup 55 which has a loose tting relationship to the tube 53 in order to permit the cup to move yangularly with respect to the tube. Similarly, at the upperend of the tube 40, the mounting is such as to permit Ythat portion of `the pole i0V engaged by the bushing 58 to tnove angularly with respect tothe bushing 53. As a consequence of the mounting, when a force is applied to the upwardly projecting endV of the pole so as to bend :it all the way to the ground, the rod at its base has a gradual curvature imparted to it, the curvature being permitted by-t`he two-position m-ounting and the spacing of the tube 53 from the rod 40. This mounting eliminates the localizing of stress lat the juncture between the base and the upwardly projecting portion of the pole which would cause the pole to fracture.

The mounting permits the use of a suiciently thin lpole of resin bonded gl-ass fibers toy have the needed flexibility, as well as resiliency, but without being subject to fracture.

A variety of sizes of pole diameters and lengths may be chosen. For example, a combination which provides highly satisfactory results includes the use of a pole of one and one-eighth inch diameter .and ten feet in overall length. The cup 55 and bushing S8 which support the pole are eighteen inches apart. The rod 41 is approximately sixty-five percent glass fibers which are resin bonded. On this pole, children ranging from fifty to ninety pounds will be pleased with the ride on the pole in which the factors are so combined. In fact, a further benefit of a pole of this size has been noted in that it is self-governing as to the size of the children who can play on it. The older children will n-ot keep the younger children away from the pole for long 'because a child over one hundred pounds will nd the thinner pole insuiciently strong to give an exciting ride.

The larger children and adults can be accommodated by increasing the diameter and the length of the pole to correspond to their weight ranges and heights.

What is claimed is:

1. An amusement device comprising,

a tube,

a resilient flexible pole vertically mounted in said tube,

a bearing ring spaced from Ithe bottom of said tube and engaging the surface of said pole, and

a thrust bearing cup loosely mounted in the bottom of said tube and receiving the lowe-rmost end of said pole, said ring and cup spacing the surface of said pole a substantial distance from the inner surface of said tube.

2. An amusement device comprising,

tube,

a resilient iiexible pole vertically mounted in said tube,

a bearing ring spaced from the bottom of said tube and engaging the surface of said pole, and

a thrust bearing means mounted in the bottom of said tube and receiving the lowermost end of said pole, said ring and thrust bearing means spacing the surface -of said pole a substantial distance from the inner surface'of said tube, said thrust bearing means and said spacing allowing said pole to flex between said ring and said thrust bearing means.

3. A gymnastic pole device comprising,

a normally vertical resilient exible pole,

a support for the lower end of said pole,-

thrust bearing means mounted on said support receiving the lower end of said pole, and

bearing means mounted on said support spaced above said thrust bearing means and engaging the surface of said pole,

said bearing means and thrust bearing means maintaining lthe surface of said pole therebetween free from blocking engagement with any support surface during the iiexing action of said pole, said thrust bearing means and said spacingk allowing said pole to ex between said bearing means and said thrust bearing means.

4. An amusement` device comprising,

a socket,

only a single resilient exible pole means of suicient rigidity to support a small child and havingv one end disposed in said socket, and

bearing means sur-rounding the end of said pole disposed in said socket and supporting said pole normally in a vertical position,

the resiliency of the pole permitting the pole to bend throughout substantially its entire length through an angle of at least 45 without permanent deformation.

5. An amusement device comprising,

a socket,

means on said socket for anchoring said socket to the ground,

only a single resilient flexible pole means of sufficient rigidity to support a small child and having one end disposed in said socket, and

bearing means surrounding the end of said pole disposed in said socket and supporting said pole normally in a vertical position,

6. An amusement device comprising,

a socket,

only a single resilient flexible pole means of suiicient rigidity to support a small child and having one end disposed in said socket,

steps spaced along said pole, and

7. An amusement device comprising,

a socket,

a wide base ixed to said socket,

an auger secured to said base for anchoring said base on the ground,

only a single resilient iiexible pole means of sucient `rigidity to support a small child and having one end disposed in said socket, and

8. An amusement device comprising,

a socket,

a wide base xed to said socket,

an auger secured to said base for anchoring said base on the ground,

means on said base for receiving a lever generally perpendicular to said socket for rotating said base to drive said auger into the ground,

9. An amusement device comprising,

, a socket,

only a single resilient flexible pole means of su'icient rigidity to support a small child and having its -lower end disposed in said socket,

the resiliency of the pole permitting the pole to bend throughout substantially its entire length through an angle of at least 45 without permanent deformation,

a pai-r of spaced arms secured to the other end of said pole, and

a trapeze bar secured between said arms.

10. An amusement device comprising,

a socket,

only a single resilient flexible pole means of suicient rigidity to support a small child and having one end disposed in said socket, and

the resiliency of the pole permitting the pole to bend throughout substantially its entire length through an angle Iof atleast Without permanent deformation,

said pole being constituted by glass bers bonded with a resin and a plastic sleeve snugly surrounding the outer surface of said pole.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,709,630 4/ 1929 Rounsevelle 124-23 1,846,891 2/1932 Miller 248-44 1,907,451 5/1933 Sibley 272-57 2,168,830 8/1939 Schroth 248-44 2,198,537 4/1940 Jones et al. 272-60 2,209,504 7/ 1940 Beiter 248-44 2,707,936 5/1955 Kiehl 272-57 X 2,831,685 4/1958 Stewart 272-1 2,924,420 2/1960 Fink 248-358 2,925,078 2/1960 Ryan 124-17 2,949,298 8/ 1960 Speelman 272-1 2,985,450 5/1961 Reich 272-70.1 2,997,300 8/1961 House 272-59 3,069,160 12/1962 Bulecki 272-1 OTHER REFERENCES Sports Illustrated magazine, Feb 26, 1962, pages 10-13.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

Claims

9. AN AMUSEMENT DEVICE COMPRISING, A SOCKET, ONLY A SINGLE RESILIENT FLEXIBLE POLE MEANS OF SUFFICIENT RIGIDITY TO SUPPORT A SMALL CHILD AND HAVING ITS LOWER END DISPOSED IN SAID SOCKET, BEARING MEANS SURROUNDING THE END OF SAID POLE DISPOSED IN SAID SOCKET AND SUPPORTING SAID POLE NORMALLY IN A VERTICAL POSITION,