AU2017201434B2 - Trampoline levelling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Trampoline levelling apparatus for levelling a trampoline including a frame and a plurality of legs that are adapted to both engage a foundation and space said frame above the foundation, said trampoline levelling apparatus including: a threaded rod, a longitudinal axis extending through the threaded rod, an upper end and a lower end; a head on the upper end of the threaded rod adapted for engagement with a driver for rotation of the threaded rod about the longitudinal axis; a knob on the lower end of the threaded rod; a foot having a base plate and a receptacle in which the knob is received and captured; a threaded sleeve for engagement with the threaded rod; and a clamp assembly mounted to the threaded sleeve; the parts being so formed and arranged that the threaded rod may be turned about its axis whilst captured in the receptacle of the foot by its knob. Figure 9 Figure 8

Description

Figure 9

Figure 8

TRAMPOLINE LEVELLING APPARATUS

This invention relates to trampoline levelling apparatus.

This invention has particular application to trampoline levelling apparatus for

levelling an assembled trampoline of the type having a base assembly that is adapted to rest

on a suitable foundation, said base assembly being adapted to provide support for a

jumping mat that is spaced above the foundation, and wherein reference will be made to

same. However, it will be appreciated that the invention may be suitable for levelling other

trampolines, and possibly other articles.

Most trampolines, because of their size, are used outdoors.

Further, because assembling a trampoline can be rather time consuming, most

owners prefer to store their trampoline in an assembled state in their backyard.

There may be locations where the foundation for supporting the trampoline is not

level, and it is important that the jumping mat be substantially horizontal. Some trampolines

can have sufficient weight to make lifting them difficult, and can possibly place considerable

strain on a person's back muscles.

Consequently persons need to be careful when lifting and a trampoline in order to

make it level, such as by placing objects under its feet. Moreover, there is a risk that the feet

may move off such objects.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide trampoline levelling

apparatus for levelling a trampoline which will be reliable and efficient in use and which will

alleviate at least some of the aforementioned problems associated with lifting and levelling a trampoline. It is another aim of the invention to provide a trampoline improved by the operative association with trampoline levelling apparatus.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention in one aspect resides

broadly in trampoline levelling apparatus for levelling a trampoline of the type that includes

a flexible mat and a base assembly having a frame and a plurality of legs that are adapted to

both engage a foundation and space said frame above said foundation, the flexible mat

being connected to the frame by a plurality of spring members, said trampoline levelling

apparatus including:

a threaded rod having a rod diameter, a longitudinal axis extending axially through

the threaded rod, an upper end and a lower end opposite the upper end;

a head on the upper end of the threaded rod adapted for engagement with a tool or

driver for rotation of the threaded rod about the longitudinal axis;

a knob on the lower end of the threaded rod, the knob protruding radially to a knob

diameter larger than the rod diameter of the threaded rod;

a foot having a base plate and a receptacle in which the knob on the threaded rod is

received and captured;

a threaded sleeve having a threaded bore sized for threaded engagement with the

threaded rod; and a clamp assembly mounted to the threaded sleeve for clamping to the

frame;

the parts being so formed and arranged that the threaded rod may be turned about

its axis whilst captured in the receptacle of the foot, the threaded rod being permitted to

swivel up to a predetermined angle from normal to the base plate.

Preferably the trampoline levelling apparatus further includes a trampoline foot

docking component engageable with the clamp assembly and having docking means for

docking with the foot of the trampoline.

In another aspect, this invention relates to a method of levelling a trampoline of the

type that includes a flexible mat and a base assembly having a frame and a plurality of legs

that are adapted to both engage a foundation and space the frame above the foundation,

the flexible mat being connected to the frame by a plurality of spring members, said method

including: providing trampoline levelling apparatus including as hereinbefore described;

mounting the frame to the clamp assembly; and rotating the threaded bar about its axis to

move the threaded sleeve therealong whereby the height of the threaded sleeve, and

thereby the foot of the trampoline, may be adjusted for levelling the trampoline.

Preferably head attached to the threaded bar is a hexagonal head akin to the head of

a bolt or screw. It is also preferred that the knob be of identical form and size to that of the

head and the receptacle is sized to receive the head loosely, but capture the head therein.

Such an arrangement enables the threaded bar to be provided with identical ends for ease

of manufacture, the orientation of the threaded bar in the receptacle of the foot being

eliminated as a potential source of assembly error.

In order that embodiments of this invention may be more readily understood and

put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which

illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a photographic view of a prototype of trampoline levelling apparatus

according to an embodiment of the invention in position supporting a leg of a trampoline;

Fig. 2 is another photographic view of the trampoline levelling apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a photographic view of a foot docking component;

Fig. 4 is a pictorial view of trampoline levelling apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the trampoline levelling apparatus of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a pictorial view of the trampoline levelling apparatus of Fig. 4 with the foot

docking component in position;

Fig. 7 is a more detailed pictorial view of the trampoline levelling apparatus of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammaticpictorial view of the trampoline levelling apparatus; and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammaticpictorial view of the trampoline levelling apparatus.

The trampoline levelling apparatus 10 shown with slight variations in Figs. 1 to 9,

wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in each illustration or photograph.

However, in order to avoid clutter in the drawings, such elements will not be

necessarily be indicated by the allocated reference numeral in every drawing. The

trampoline levelling apparatus includes a threaded bar 11 having a hexagonal head 12

attached to the upper end. The threaded bar passes through a sleeve 13 having a clearance

bore extending therethrough to accommodate the threaded bar and a nut 14 welded to the

top of the sleeve for threaded engagement with the threaded bar.

A knob (not visible), , is attached to the lower end of the threaded bar and, for

convenience of manufacture, is also in the same form as the hexagonal head. The threaded

bar is secured to a foot 16 by capturing the knob in a receptacle formed by a housing 17

attached to a foot plate 18, the housing and foot plate together forming the foot. The receptacle is deep enough and large enough to permit the knob and threaded bar to rotate, swivel and/or nutate therein, the housing having an aperture of sufficient diameter to permit the threaded bar to pass loosely therethrough, but too small for the knob, so that the threaded bar is retained by the knob to which it is attached being captured by the housing. This arrangement allows the levelling apparatus of the present invention to be supported on an uneven surface or a surface which is at an angle to horizontal.

A clamp assembly 20 is mounted to the sleeve and includes a channel member 21

arranged with its channel transverse to the axis of the sleeve and open in the upward

direction to receive and support a frame member of a trampoline to be supported and

levelled by the levelling apparatus. In this respect, the channel member has two wing bolts

22 arranged to penetrate both side webs of the channel member, one near each the ends

and also near the upper edges to pass across the opening of the channel transverse to the

axis of the channel. A nut 23 is fixed to the outside of the channel nearer the sleeve for

threaded engagement with each wing bolt. Engagement of the wing bolts with the nuts and

tightening thereof urges the sides of the flanges together to clamp the frame of the

trampoline in the channel. A piece of shim may also be provided for interposition between

the frame member of a trampoline and the inside faces of the channel.

The foot docking component 30 shown in Fig. 3 has a frame stub portion 31 in the

form of a rectangular hollow section and a spigot portion 32 extending at right angles to the

axis of the stub portion, but at a skewed angle such that, when supported by the channel

member, the stub portion extends upward at an acute angle to the side walls of the channel

and thus diverges in the upward direction from the sleeve and threaded bar. The stub portion is also of an oval or ovoid section commensurate with the section of the support poles or feet of the trampoline.

The threaded bar is provided with a right hand thread so that rotating the hex head

and threaded bar therewith in the clockwise direction, as viewed from above, with respect

to the sleeve produces a relative downward axial displacement of the threaded bar in

relation to the sleeve, whereby that portion of the trampoline mounted or supported

thereon is raised commensurately. Rotation of the threaded bar in the opposite direction

conversely lowers that portion of the trampoline. By providing one or more such levelling

apparatus in operative association with the trampoline at one or more selected locations

about the frame permits the trampoline to be levelled are required.

It will of course be realised that while the foregoing description has been given by

way of example of the invention, all other modifications and variations thereto as would be

apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit

of this invention as hereinbefore described.

Claims (4)

1. Trampoline levelling apparatus for levelling a trampoline of the type that has a

flexible mat and a base assembly having a frame and a plurality of legs that are adapted to

both engage a foundation and space said frame above the foundation, the flexible mat

being connected to the frame by a plurality of spring members, said trampoline levelling

apparatus including:

a threaded rod having a rod diameter, a longitudinal axis extending axially through

the threaded rod, an upper end and a lower end opposite the upper end;

a head on the upper end of the threaded rod adapted for engagement with a tool or

driver for rotation of the threaded rod about the longitudinal axis;

a knob on the lower end of the threaded rod, the knob protruding radially to a knob

diameter larger than the rod diameter of the threaded rod;

a foot having a base plate and a receptacle in which the knob on the threaded rod is

received and captured;

a threaded sleeve having a threaded bore sized for threaded engagement with the

threaded rod; and a clamp assembly mounted to the threaded sleeve;

the parts being so formed and arranged that the threaded rod may be turned about

its axis whilst captured in the receptacle of the foot by its knob, the knob being permitted to

swivel up to a predetermined angle from normal to the base plate.

2. The trampoline levelling apparatus according to claim 1, and including a trampoline foot

docking component engageable with the clamp assembly and having docking means for docking with the foot of the trampoline.

3. The trampoline levelling apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the head

attached to the threaded bar is a hexagonal head akin to the head of a bolt or screw and the

knob is of identical form and size to that of the head and the receptacle is sized to receive

the head loosely, but capture the knob therein.

4. A method of levelling a trampoline of the type that has a flexible mat and a base assembly

having a frame and a plurality of legs that are adapted to both engage a foundation and

space said frame above said foundation, the flexible mat being connected to the frame by a

plurality of spring members, said method including:

providing trampoline levelling apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3;

mounting the frame to the clamp assembly; and rotating the threaded bar about its axis to

move the threaded sleeve therealong whereby the height of the threaded sleeve may be

adjusted for levelling the trampoline.

EDITORIAL NOTE

2017201434

Page number 1/5 is repeated resulting in the following 5 pages of figures being numbered 1/5, 1/5, 3/5, 4/5 and 5/5.